Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Other News

Well, girls, I wish I had some exciting news about my weekend to give you, but unfortunately, I don't. As you know, George and I were supposed to go away this weekend. I think we had even decided to go to Kansas City. But, alas, we were unable to make it. Primarily because I didn't get out of bed until, oh, about 2:00 in the afternoon on Saturday. And, to be quite honest, I didn't actually ever leave the bedroom the entire day. It wasn't my fault, really. You see my body had been invaded. Invaded by the migraine monster. And, in case you aren't familiar with this body snatcher (and, seriously, I pray that you are not), he's a disco ball, strobe light, rock n' roll lovin' monster that likes to rock the boat. So, basically, he makes me nauseated, he makes everything look like it is a Picasso painting placed under some type of strobe light, and he makes me wish that the world was silent. Fun times, girls. Fun times. So, seriously, how boring was that??? I was so excited to go out of town, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Not this weekend anyway.

Sunday was better. We went to church, gorged ourselves at brunch, and then took naps. Well, at least the adults napped. The soon to be eleven year old is too good to nap. He obviously doesn't know what he is missing, but he'll learn someday. He is, after all, his mother's son, and there are few things in life I love more than a good nap. And, last night we had a women's ministry event at church. It involved a few of my favorite things, chocolate, coffee, and some of my favorite girlfriends. We were able to purchase tickets to see the Beth Moore simulcast the first weekend in August. I'm super excited because not only will I get to see the simulcast in August with my good friend, Julie, but a group of my best girlfriends are also heading up to Minneapolis to see her in July. I really can't wait for that. I love taking trips with my girlfriends.

On a completely different note, I wanted to solicit some opinions about something God has put on my heart. Over the last several months, it has been my absolute privilege to pray for many of you. I also know that many of you have prayed for me, and I am forever grateful for each one of those prayers. I would love to continue to pray for you, but sometimes I'm not certain what prayer requests you might have. (Some of you are great about letting people know your prayer needs, and I love that!) I also know that sometimes it is difficult to ask for prayer. Maybe it's just me, but I have noticed a couple of prayer phenomenons when it comes to prayer request time in a group setting. The first thing I notice is that most people have "no" prayer requests. I, myself, have often fallen into this category. When I thought about why I have failed to share prayer requests from time to time, I realized two things: one, either I thought my prayer request was too shallow. You know, something not "important" enough to be prayed about, or two, I though it was too deep, too raw, and too personal for me to share. Of course, in hindsight, those were the things that I should have asked everyone I knew to pray about. The second thing that I have noticed is that the people who do share prayer requests often are asking for prayer for someone else. Now, I certainly do not want to minimize the importance of praying for family and friends, but I think this phenomenon may be related to phenomenon number 1.

Anyway, to make a long story, well, longer, because I'm not done yet, I've been thinking about starting some type of blogging prayer community. Nothing fancy and nothing too time intensive. I know we are all busy. I don't know if any of you have read the Yada Yada Prayer books, but I was thinking of something along those lines. Except that we won't meet face to face or visit each other's churches. So, on second thought, I guess it is nothing like that. Hmm. What I was envisioning was a message board of sorts where we could post prayer requests for one another. I would also want to incorporate some type of calendar function, or some way of recording when the prayers are answered. Obviously, I am still thinking all this through. However it would work out, I would want it to be somewhere safe. Somewhere where we can ask for prayer for the things we deem either too trivial or too deep. You know, where we can stop being the Goldilocks of prayer requests and start being real people. So, while I'm still thinking this through, I would appreciate any insight or feedback you could give me. For example, would you be interested in something like this? If not, is there something that you would be interested in? What are your biggest needs in the area of prayer, i.e. a prayer partner, a forum to make prayer requests, or whatever? And, what would be most beneficial to you?

You can leave a comment, or email me if you prefer. Either way, please let me know your thoughts. I have a hundred different ideas in my head, but I never know if they are practical. And, I have no idea if anyone would even be interested in such a thing. So, anyway, please let me know what you think. I love you!

Drum Roll Please!

Well, it's already Friday, which means it's time to announce the winner of the giveaway. I know you are all sitting on pins and needles, right? OK, well maybe not, so enough with the suspense. I used random.org to pick a random number between 1-31, inclusive, and random.org came up with this...

True Random Number Service
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:5
Timestamp: 2008-06-27 14:13:05 UTC

Yes, I believe that is a number 5. And, according to my count, numero cinco is Dawn. So, congratulations, Dawn!! Email me your contact information, and I will work on getting your prize in the mail.

I also want to thank everyone else who entered the giveaway! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm certainly glad that I had a giveaway because I've already made some great new friends. And, that is always exciting.

But, before you go, I must know. What are your weekend plans? George and I are going to this little restaurant in a town that's about an hour away tonight for dinner. They have the BEST prime rib there. And, then tomorrow, we're getting up early and driving somewhere. Where, you ask. Well, that's a good question. We haven't decided yet. I guess you could say that we like to live by the seat of our pants, but really we're just indecisive. Yep, completely unable to make routine decisions. That's us. But, what can I say? That's just how we roll. So, anyway, who knows. We may be coming to your city. You just never know.

1 And 11

Alright, I have to tell you that I've had the lyrics to "I'm So Excited" in my head since yesterday. Just think of me as the fifth Pointer Sister. You know, the very pale one. So, help me out here girls. You know how the song goes. "I'm so excited and I just can't hide it." What, you're asking why I'm so excited? Well, that's easy. It's because my sweet friend Caroline gave me my first blog award!! When I checked her blog yesterday, I saw that she had given me this award:

And, let me tell you it made my day to receive this award, and it made my day even more wonderful because it came from Caroline. Caroline is a wonderful, godly woman who is beautiful, inside and out. She is personable and funny, and her laughter and smile are contagious. She is a prayer warrior and encourager to so many women. Caroline is an authentic, genuine lover of the body of Christ, but more importantly she is an authentic, genuine lover of Christ. She encourages me in so many different ways, and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to call her my friend. I love you, Caroline!!

I've been reading a book called 11 Indispensable Relationships You Can't Be Without by Leonard Sweet. Basically, the premise of the book is that you need friends to get through this crazy journey called life, and according to the author, there are 11 friends, in particular, that you need to have. For example, Mr. Sweet suggests that you need an Editor like Nathan was to David, a Yoda like Peter and Paul were, a true friend like Jonathan was to David, and an encourager like Barnabas.

When I first started reading this book, I concentrated on myself. Who was my Nathan, my Jonathan, my Barnabas? But, as I was reading the chapter on Barnabas, something struck me. Mr. Sweet said that sometimes we are called to encourage people we don't even know. A couple of things occurred to me when I read that. The first was that as important as it is to have all 11 indispensable friends, it is equally as important to be those 11 friends to someone else. After all, we will more than likely have an opportunity to be each of the 11 indispensable friends to at least 11 different people at some point in our lives.

The second thing that struck me, however, was a little more personal to me. One of the very first blogs I read was Kelly's. And, for whatever reason, God chose to put her on my heart. It was very clear to me that I was supposed to be praying for her and encouraging her. What made this slightly awkward for me was that we didn't know each other. At all. So, I resisted. My pride and my ego got in my way for quite awhile. I listened to the voices in my head that said, "She's going to think that you are a freak and a stalker." But, God wouldn't let it go. She was on my heart constantly, and since it didn't appear that God was going to let me out of this one just because I was scared of rejection, I pressed on. I did pray for her. I did email her. And, yes, the entire time I was doing so, I felt like a freak and a stalker. And, yes, she probably thought so, too!

But, what I want to say is this. I am so thankful that God wouldn't let it go, and I am so thankful that I pushed through my fears and was obedient. If I hadn't pressed through, I would have missed out on a huge blessing. I would have missed out on knowing what an awesome person Kelly is. I wouldn't have been able to see how deep her faith is and how important it is to her. I would have missed out on her warm smile that comes from her inner joy and hope in the Lord. I would have missed out on learning what we have in common, and I wouldn't have been able to put a sweet voice to her picture. I would have missed a great blessing.

And, not only would I have missed the blessing that Kelly has been to me, I would have missed out on meeting most of my other blogging buddies. Because, let's face it, I found most of the rest of ya'll from her blog roll! It has been so much fun to get to know all of you. I love learning about you, and I hope that I will continue to get that opportunity. I love chatting with you all, especially the ones who live nearby but I don't get to see often enough, via blog comments and email, and we all know how much I love to talk on the phone! You are all such a blessing to me. More than I could ever be able to convey with my words. I love you all so much!! I do, I do.

But, now I must pass on my award to another deserving woman. Specifically, I pass on my award to this wonderful lady.

Julia

Julia is simply awesome. Her blog is so cute. I always look forward to reading her posts, and I miss her terribly when she has the day off from work ;) She is a gorgeous woman inside and out. She has a heart for the Lord, and she is on the worship team at her church. And, just let me tell ya that the girl has got it goin' on. She can sing. She is is a celebrity at my house! She is also a model of health and fitness and is always willing to help a sister out. And, I love that about her. So, Julia, this one's for you, friend! You do make my day, all the time!

I know I said it before, and I'll probably be saying it another billion times, but I love each of you so much. I'm honored to consider you gals my friends!!

So, you have to tell me, though, how do your friends make your day?

Domo Arigato, Mr. Robato

It's Wednesday, which means we are over the hump. Woo hoo! And, after yesterday's post, I thought I'd better lighten things up a bit. So, here goes...

Last night I was chatting with my good friend Caroline on the telephone. As some of you may know she is leaving for Japan next week to go on a three week mission trip. (If you don't know about it, head over to her blog and read about it.) And, after chatting about how cool it is that she gets to go to Japan, our conversation digressed to a topic close to my heart: Japanese game shows. Yes, wipe that shocked look off your face. I did, indeed, say Japanese game shows. Sheesh, you would have thought I said fart or something.

So, anyway, I was telling Caroline about my two favorite Japanese game shows, Ninja Warrior and Unbeatable Banzuke. Unfortunately, she was unfamiliar with these two TV gems. So, this one's for you, girlfriend.

Unbeatable Banzuke

Because, seriously, what could be better than watching someone navigate an obstacle course on their hands. (Other than the riveting subtitled commentary). Well...

Ninja Warrior

Maybe watching that. Because, once again, what could be more entertaining than watching people roll on logs and jump on little trampolines? Nothin', that's what. Well, except maybe getting to say "Ninja Warrior, hi-ya" and doing a little hand chop action when someone asks what you are watching.

Now, how about you? What's your favorite game show?

The Court of Public Opinion

Good morning girls! I hope you are having a good Tuesday. I want to thank everyone who has entered my giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, please do. You have until Thursday night to get in on the action. boscia is a really good, organic skin care line. And, you can't beat free stuff, right? (And, you should probably do that now, or you may get sidetracked by the lengt of this post...)

I need to share some things that God has laid on my heart over the last several weeks. I am so very hesitant to share this because, girls, it is raw and not pretty. There is simply no way that you can wrap a pretty little bow around this one. I would be hesitant to share it at any time, but I am even more hesitant to share it on the heels of my giveaway. Thanks to Kelly's shout out, people are streaming over here! And, I love that. But, I'm afraid that I'll scare them off with this post, and I don't want to do that. I want people to like me, and there will be more about that later. Unfortunately for my ego and my pride, God won't let it go. I know that I am supposed to write about this now, and so, I will. In fact, I think my heart will burst if I don't get this out. Just so you know, it will take me the next couple of days to get this all out. Brevity is not my strong suit, but I will try not to write a novel. It is completely up to you, however, whether you continue reading or not. (Even if you don't, please use the above link to enter the giveaway!).

Many of you know that I was not reared in a Christian home. I was in and out of churches for brief periods of time as a child and again as a teenager, but it didn't "stick." I mean, I knew about Jesus, and I believed He existed, but I never made any personal connection with Him. I didn't get what He had done for me, personally, and my life reflected that fact.

My teenage years were at the best tumultuous, and at the worst completely and utterly destructive. Looking back on them, it is a miracle in itself that I am still breathing. Certainly my life epitomizes the saying, "But for the grace of God goes I." During those years, I don't ever remember having any Christian friends. Now, I'm not saying that none of my friends were Christians, but I am saying that I don't consciously recall any who were open with their faith. Now, that's not to say that I didn't have friends. I had friends. I am a true extrovert and a people person. I've met very few people in my life that I haven't liked. But, to be real, that's been a problem for me. My lack of discernment has, at times, been problematic for me. I have entered into relationships of various types with people who were not beneficial for me to be around. Please hear me. I'm not saying that they were bad people, I'm just saying they weren't right for me. Regardless of that fact, however, I was drawn to them.

I try to be better about entering into relationships with people these days, but that brings with it a new set of problems: I am petrified that they won't like me. And, girls, maybe some of you can relate, but that is a terrible feeling.

And, it is something that I am wholly unfamiliar with. Can I be honest, here? I spent almost my entire twenties not caring what people thought about me. It was my mantra. Either you liked me or you didn't. I wanted you to, but if you didn't, it mattered very little to me. These days, however, it seems like my happiness rises or falls on how much I feel other people like me. Oh, and let's not even talk about the fear. And, I can't do it any more. God has been poking me about it, and I have attempted to rationalize my feelings in some manner, but I can't. There is no way to do it. It's a sin on so many different levels, and, girls, it is exhausting. I'm tired of walking on eggshells, wondering whether people will understand my sense or humor or will relate to me on a certain issue.

As some of you know, I am going through Beloved Disciple with my one of my favorite blog friends, Caroline. And, this verse from Acts was contained in one of our most recent days of study:

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Acts 3:6.

In discussing this verse, Beth Moore talked about how she was chosen to be part of a group of speakers shortly after 9/11. She said that she felt (this is my paraphrase) inadequate because she was not trained as a counselor. During this time, God brought this verse from Acts to her mind. She said she felt God was telling her that she didn't have to try to be something she wasn't, she just needed to be herself. And, girls, let me tell you, I needed to hear that! PTL!!! I just need to be myself. And, then at church this past Sunday our Pastor was preaching out of 1 Corinthians, and his sermon was on the body of Christ. Specifically, it was on how God has gifted everyone differently in the body of Christ, and although, we are all different, we are all important and significant. Hallelujah, God finds me significant, even if people do not!!!

So, I'm just going to say it, friends. I fart. Yes, in fact, I do. I also have a strange obsession with rap music, I sleep with a stuffed monkey, and sometimes I go for weeks without shaving my legs (in the winter). I have a problem with road rage, and I often speed. I can be mean, especially to the people closest to me. I like to argue, and I almost always think I'm right. I have an opinion about EVERYTHING, and I don't mind sharing them. Sometimes I'd rather sleep than shower, and I love calculus. (I mean the math class not the gross stuff they scrape off your teeth at the dentist. Hmm, is that spelled the same way as the math class...I don't know. But, while I'm making confessions, I don't floss everyday either, and I dream of tripping my dental hygienist for all the pain she puts me through...) And, I could go on and on girls.

So, my point is, I may never have the most friends, and my blog might not ever be cool, and I can't give you what I don't have (and girls, I'm going to stop trying), but I can give you what I do have. And, that is honesty, loyalty, friendship, and love. Those things I do have, and those things I give to you!

It's Just Another Manic Monday But With A Give Away

Well, it's Monday again. How can that be possible? Is it just me, or does it feel like it was just Friday? Oh well, regardless of how I feel, it's Monday. How were your weekends? Mine was completely uneventful. Completely. For example, I was in bed and asleep at 8:00 Friday night. Yes, you read that correctly, and no, that is not a typo. What can I say, I'm a party animal. That's not the worst of it, though. The worst is that I slept until 9:00 Saturday morning! Could I be any more lazy? On second thought, please don't answer that. The rest of my weekend was equally uneventful, with the exception of Kelly's wonderful news, of course!! Congratulations again, girlfriend! I am so happy for you!

And, now it's Monday. And, I sit here at my desk, wondering again what to blog about. I don't know if I've thanked you all for reading my blog, but in case I haven't told you how much I appreciate each of you, please know that I do. I know that at my best, my posts won't be winning me a Pulitzer anytime soon, and I know that recently they have been even less interesting. In way of an explanation, I am going through some things right now, spiritually speaking, that I am struggling with. I just don't feel that I am at a point where I can communicate about them with any type of coherency. I'm struggling through, though, and if and when I do have words, I will share them with you. So, thank you for hanging in there with me! I love you all!

Now, about that give away. If you've made it this far, I have a little treat for you. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get any skincare ideas from you. I mean, I know ya'll wash your faces, right? So, I thought I would bribe you. Yes, I did say bribe. But, really you could consider it the first official give away on my blog. And, since there are only a handful of you who read this thing, you have a pretty good shot at winning the giveaway.

So here are the rules. In order to enter the giveaway, you must leave me a comment, telling me your favorite skincare product. And, girls, it does not have to be anything fancy or expensive. Cetaphil rocks our world. We always have a bottle of it on hand. And, my great, great aunt Ethel had some of the best skin ever, and she always attributed it to washing her face with Lava soap. You know, that green, gritty soap men use after they get all dirty working on stuff. It worked for her, seriously. Anyway, my point is that it can be anything, but it must be something that works for you. And, if you win, you will get your choice, based on skin type, of course, of one of the following skin care travel kits from boscia. (courtesy of yours truly)

Each comes with a cleanser, tonic, day moisturizer, and night moisturizer. So what are you waiting for? Leave me a comment and get entered. I'll accept comments up through 11:59 p.m. CST on Thursday, June 26th. And, I will use one of those random thingies (how's that for technical) to pick a winner Friday morning. Oh, and George, don't even think about it buddy. You're not eligible. This is for us girls only.

That's Inspectress Gadget to You!

True confession time. I'm a gadget geek. Oh, yes I am, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I love, love, love to get new gadgets. And, I'm not horribly particular about the type of gadget. I love music gadgets, computer gadgets, really any type of gadget. So, I guess you could say that I am an equal opportunity gadget lover.

With that said, however, I LOVE skin care products. George would probably tell you that I am obsessed. Well, on second thought he probably wouldn't tell you that because then I might tell you that he secretly uses my anti-aging lotions when he thinks I'm not looking. Really, I have tried, and will try, just about every type of skincare product out there. So, imagine my delight when there is a skincare product that is also a gadget. Oh, it's so exciting, I can barely stand it.

You see my mom got me this little toy for Christmas last year.

It's a Clarisonic skincare system. Or, as is sometimes lovingly referred to at our house, the electric toothbrush for your face. Classy. I know. What can I say, we try. Let me tell you girls, this thing is a-ma-zing. I mean, seriously, if I knew who invented this thing, I would find him/her and give him/her a hug. And, I'm not generally a hugger. Well, unless I'm nervous or giddy, or, well, it doesn't matter. I'm digressing again. Back to the Clarisonic. This thing is a deep cleanin', skin softenin' machine. I love, love, love it! I do, I do.

What about you? What's your favorite skincare product? And, if you don't have one, that's cool. Just tell me your favorite gadget or something you use all the time. I'm always looking for new ideas!

Happy Friday girls. Have a great weekend!!

Weekend Getaway

Next weekend George and I are going to get out of here for awhile and go somewhere for the weekend. There is just one slight problem. We have no idea where we are going. So, here's where you come in. I thought maybe you all could help me plan our getaway!

I have to work on Friday, so we will definitely need to go somewhere close by. So, I would probably not want to drive more than four hours away. So here's what I was thinking.

1. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

George and I used to travel to Minneapolis at least once, if not twice, a year. So, we would know our way around, including all of the good shopping and eating places!! (See, I have priorities.)

We always stay here:

The Marriott in downtown Minneapolis. They have free parking, and this hotel is close to these places.

A girl's dream....Everything a girl could ever want, but almost never afford. But, still it's fun to look, and shop the sale floors!

While Minneapolis is wonderful, I see two downsides to going there. One, I will be there in July when I go see Beth Moore. Yippie! And, two, we always go there. So, here is another possibility.

2. Kansas City, Missouri.

Now, I know for a fact that I have at least one Missouri native in the house, and I fully expect her opinion. Hint, hint, Julie D.. Despite the fact that it's been on the list for several years now, George and I have not yet made it down to KC to stay at the Plaza. I know that they have these fine retailers there.

BCBGMAXAZRIA

BETSY JOHNSON

And, I have wanted to stay here FOREVER.

The Raphael

I don't know. What do you all think? Any ideas or suggestions. I am not necessarily tied to either of these places. I mean, we could always get crazy and go farther away from home. So, tell me, where do you think we should go?

We're Over The Hump--It's Wednesday!

Well, it's Wednesday! Yippie. The work week is half over! Thank you for your comments about the cell phone situation. I appreciate them! For your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of what my first cell phone looked like...

Alright, so it wasn't quite that big, but you get the idea. I did date a guy who had one of those cool car phones with the goofy antennas when I was in high school. I thought it was great because I could call him any time I wanted to. So, obviously, I did. Usually from a pay phone because, well, because I didn't have a brick phone attached to my car. But, I did call him a lot. You know, to check on his well being and stuff. He didn't think that was nearly as great of an idea as I did. And, apparently neither did his mother. But, seriously, how was I supposed to know it cost a lot to call a car phone. It only cost me a quarter to call him from the pay phone. Whatever...

Well, enough reminiscing for one day. Girls! It's Wednesday!! Woo hoo! I am counting down the days until Saturday because I plan to sleep in as much as my body will let me. I am so tired from all of our cleaning and remodeling efforts. Every day this week, I have woken up shaking. I hate being that tired. So, I am going to s-l-e-e-p in baby. And, in the words of Mr. T., I pity the fool who wakes me up. What are your plans for the weekend? Do you have anything exciting planned?

I'm going to try to do as little as possible, but I do have to sit down and make some travel arrangements. I almost never go anywhere, but I am going on a few trips over the next several months. Most of them are for work, but I also want to plan a little family vacation. Somewhere relaxing. Hopefully, somewhere with a lot of sun. Got any suggestions for me? Where do you like to go to get away?

Well, I better get back to work. I hope you all have a great Wednesday. Maybe my mind will start working better soon, and I will have something more exciting to blog about!! (I'm open to ideas ;)

Thanks for Thinking About Us!

Hey there! I'm back from the depths of our basement. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get on here and update everyone. We are all just fine up here. Tired, but fine! Thank you so much to all of you who have been thinking about or praying for us. It means so much to me! The flooding that was near us wasn't nearly as bad as the flooding people in the northern part of the state experienced. Downtown Des Moines was a little flooded, but that was because they let the flood gates down on one of the larger lakes in this part of the state. We live in a suburb of Des Moines, and there was really no flooding at all so to speak in the suburbs. Well, except for a few basements, ours included. We live at the bottom of a hill, and bottom of hill + faulty sump pump=plenty o' water! But, like I said, not as much water as the people who live in the northern part of the state had to deal with. I mean, we had several inches of water throughout our entire basement, but some of the people in the northern part of the state had several FEET of water in their houses. Many people up there lost everything they owned. It really is a disaster area up there, and it puts our little basement mess into some perspective!!

Other than that little update, I have nothing to blog about. Well, at least nothing interesting. I mean, I could tell you about what a wimp I am. I could tell you how I could barely take a shower this morning because it hurt to lift my arms above my head. I mean, who knew I had so many muscles in my shoulders and back. Or, I could tell you about how many times I've talked to my insurance agent, or how I had to argue with the waste management people to get a dumpster delivered. Or, I could tell you about how many gallons of bleach I've purchased for the great basement clean-up. But, those things aren't really that interesting. In fact, they are not interesting at all!

So, instead, I have a little poll for you all. W's birthday is in less than two months. He will be eleven. He only has one item on his birthday list (so far): a cell phone. Now, I don't think he is even close to being old enough to have a cell phone. I mean, why in the world would an eleven year old need a cell phone? When I ask him this, W. tells me, "But, mom, all my friends have one." Well, I don't know about you, but that isn't really a reason to me. I can think of some reasons why having a cell phone would be beneficial--he would always have a way to call if he was in trouble, but I'm not sure that outweighs the reasons not to have a cell phone. So, what do you think? What is the proper age to get a child a cell phone. I mean, maybe I'm right, or maybe I'm out of touch with the current generation (I mean, I remember knowing all the words to "Parents Just Don't Understand"). I was way older than eleven when I got my first cell phone. Of course, that could have been because they hadn't been invented when I was eleven. And, let's not even talk about the fact that when I did get one, it was the size of a small child. Oh, come on, tell me you remember how big cell phones were way back then??? Anyway, I would love your opinions, so let me have them!

Time Warp

Well, yesterday was day 2 of the great basement flood clean-up, and last night we tackled the extra large storage closet, also known as the time warp. Let's just say that after I entered the time warp I felt a little like Brendan Fraser in Blast from The Past. (Yes, I know, I'm probably the only person on the planet who sat through that entire movie. I didn't see it at the theater though, which was probably good because I got way too excited during the swing dancing scene. But, as usual, I digress...) Upon entering the time warp, I quickly realized that I was no longer in the year 2008. No, it was quite obvious that I had, in fact, been transported back in time to the year Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two.

Yep, I think my entire childhood was contained in that storage closet, and here is just a sampling of the things I found in the time warp.

1. My dance costumes for each of the years I danced, including an entire bag full of dance shoes.

2. A box of Barbie dolls and Barbie doll clothes, including a pair of stylin' Barbie cowgirl boots.

(I only wish mine were still in the original boxes!)

3. One of my softball uniforms, complete with glove and cleats.

4. Chatty Patty. Anyone else remember her? I tried to find a picture of her on the internet, but couldn't find a good one.

And,

5. Every piece of Strawberry Shortcake and Cabbage Patch Kid paraphernalia I ever owned. Oh yeah, vintage, early 1980s, baby.

I had completely forgotten that I even had most of this stuff, and now that it is sitting in the middle of my living room floor, I'm wondering why I still have all of this stuff. I mean, it is very unlikely that I am going to play softball in my pointe shoes, or that I am going to play with Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Happy Home anytime soon. Maybe I should give it away or sell it? What do you all think? Do you still have your childhood in boxes, or have you parted with it yet? And, even if you have parted with it, what was your favorite childhood toy?

Just as a side note, I will say, however, that I am holding out hope that my Easy Bake Oven and Atari 2600 are in one of those boxes. Because I would totally bake George a cake and then kick his behind at Pac-Man. That would be kickin', don't you think?

I Can Tell You One Thing...

Noah did not build our house.

I came home from church yesterday morning to find standing water in our basement. We have been getting so much rain lately, like 3" in an hour and a half yesterday morning, and most of it came right on into our basement. I guess our sump pump failed, and that caused our problem. At first I thought the water was contained to one room, but it wasn't. Our basement is fully finished, and the water was in three of the four rooms. So we spent ten hours yesterday, ripping up carpet and moving furniture and other things off of the floor.

I don't know if you have every tried cutting wet carpet with a box cutter and then trying to rip it up off the floor. If you have, God bless you. I feel your pain. If you haven't, and the need ever arises, I think you can hire people to do that. FIND THEM!! When we weren't cutting carpet and moving furniture, we were sucking a gabillion gallons of water off the floor with our shopvacs. Needless to say, it was a LONG, hard day.

Since I am ever the optimist (well, except for yesterday. Not so much then. But I have more perpective now...), here are a few positive things and/or things you can learn when having a flood in your basement.

1. Count your blessings for every item that was not destroyed by the flood waters. It will really take your mind off of the things that are ruined.

2. When you buy brand new book cases, don't put them in your basement...EVER. But, be thankful that even though the book cases don't look so good now, the flood waters didn't get high enough to get to your books.

3. Take time to realize just how (physically) strong you really are. After many hours of demonstrating your amazing strength, it may be appropriate to do the happy dance. I would suggest, however, that you don't wait to do the happy dance until the next morning...because you might be too sore to get out of bed and dance.

4. Be thankful that you actually went to the grocery store the day before, and that you were already cooking enough food to feed an army. That way you were prepared to feed your family members who came to help you.

5. There's nothing like kicking the deep cleaning into overdrive. It may be forced, but at least this way, the cleaning will be done before 2025.

6. Now you have a legitimate excuse not to use the treadmill.

7. When in a moment of weakness, you have substantially overpaid for a pair of shoes, always remember to put them back in their proper place. Do not take them off and leave them on the floor, thinking you'll put them away tomorrow.

8. And, last, but not certainly not least, now you can do what every woman was born to do. Go SHOPPING!!



So, ladies, that's what I did this weekend. How about you? How was your weekend?

Some Random Stuff About Me

A'right. It's Thursday, and that is awesome. W. started his summer camp today, and he's excited to hang out with his friends. I'm SWAMPED at work right now. In fact, I have a million things running through my head that I need to accomplish, but right now, I want to spend some time with you. So, that's what I'm doing. My sweet friend Kelly posted a questionnaire on her blog, and I thought I would participate. So, here goes...

Favorite Person (outside of family)? There is no way I can pick just one person. I know you are probably sick of reading about how much I love my friends, but it is true. I do love my friends, especially my girlfriends. I love how each one has a unique personality and is uniquely gifted. I learn so much from each of my friends, and I love them all. I just don't believe that you can ever have too many friends, and I love making new ones. So there. My favorite people are my friends, especially my girlfriends!

Favorite Food? You have got to be kidding me. I have to choose one? That's just not fair. That's kind of like asking a mother which one of her children she loves more. I suppose if I HAD to choose, I would probably say steak. I love a yummy steak, as long as it is cooked correctly!

Quirks About You? This question would probably be better posed to George. I'm more than likely biased. Of course, he may be afraid to tell the truth for fear of ugly repercussions, so maybe I need to answer after all...Alright then, I would say I'm truly geeky, I like to make up my own words, I've been known to bust out in song at random moments in time (and, yes, I dance too), I play with my eyelashes when I'm tired, and I can carry on conversations in my sleep.

Regrets in Life? Absolutely. I know that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. But, I wish I had given God more cooperation along the way. God really has worked a lot of junk in my past for the good, and here I am now. So, it's not all a loss. I am forever thankful for God's grace and mercy!

Favorite Blog Recently? See, Answer to question number 1. All of them! I love learning about each of you.

What Job Would You Pay NOT to Have? Anything that has to do with or is in anyway connected to a circus. Well, except maybe the trapeze artist...

Favorite Bible Verse Right Now? "John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' " John 1:23. Why? Because I want to point the people in my life to Jesus. Instead of attempting to fix everything for them, I just need to point them to Jesus. Oh, and it's currently my favorite verse because it's one of the verses for the Bible study I'm doing with CAROLINE!!! She is so cute, and so is her voice! I can't wait to study this with you, girlfriend!

Got Any Confessions? Ha ha, ha ha, ha. Wouldn't you like to know?

If You HAD to Spend $1,000.00 on Yourself, How Would You Spend It? Oh, let's see. Spa treatments, skin care products, and personal training sessions.

Favorite Thing About Your House? Being in close proximity to those I love most in the world...My pictures of Jon Bon Jovi. Ha! Just kidding people; it's just a joke. No, seriously, I love being around my boys. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

One Thing You Are Bad At? One, only one? Well, I am terrible at relinquishing control. And, I am terrible about living without structure. Let's just say, I love itineraries.

One Thing You Are Good At? Talking. I love to talk, and I can do all kinds of talk. I can talk nice, or I can argue with you. Whatever you prefer. I guess that's why I went to law school. Well, that and Ally McBeal.

If You Could Change Anything About Your Circumstances, What Would You Change? Sisters, I would get a new job. Hands down, that's what I'd change!

Who Would You Like To Meet Someday? I want to meet any of you that I haven't met, of course. I would also love to meet Beth Moore.

Who Is Your Real Life Hero? Well, if you're talking about an earthly hero, I've been asked this before, and I really don't know. We all come from such different backgrounds and circumstances. Some of us have had it easier than others, but we all face troubles, and we've all overcome something. I admire everyone who has struggled to overcome something in her life, or is still struggling with it, but hasn't given up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't pick an earthly person. I admire so many people for so many different reasons. If He can be real, and alive, but not earthly, then my Hero is Jesus. Because He is worthy!

When Are You Most Relaxed? When I'm with the people I love.

What Stresses You Out? Ha! L-I-F-E, baby! It all has a tendency to stress me out, but if I had to pick one thing, right now it would be my place of employment.

Why Do You Blog? I started this blog on a whim. I just thought I could write about random things that were going on in my life, and obviously, that is exactly what I do. But, I would have never stuck with it if my friends hadn't been faithful readers, and if I hadn't made some great blog friends. It's really a funny thing, these blogs. Even though I've never met most of you, I feel as if I know you. And, I really do consider you to be my friends. Maybe you don't feel the same way, and if you don't, please don't tell me, but you're all friends to me. And, you're all just as dear to me as the wonderful, marvelous, and amazing friends I am blessed to see on a regular basis. So, I blog because it's all about the bike. Just kidding. It's all about you, girlfriends, and I love you!

School's Out for Summer

It's official. School's out for the summer. W. had his last day of fifth grade yesterday. I seriously cannot believe that he will be in the sixth grade next year. He keeps getting older and older, and I guess that means I do, too. On some days I feel like I'm getting older, but on other days I don't. Does anyone know what I mean? I mean, when I was younger, I don't think I ever pictured myself being any older than 21, and even though I am older than that now, a lot of days I don't feel like it. Anybody else?

Anyway, like I said W. out of school for the summer. He's already living the life of leisure. He didn't roll out of bed until 9:45 this morning. Nice. From now on he'll be swimming, bowling, and hanging out with his friends almost every day. But, I don't think he should have all the summer fun. So, I have been brainstorming ways I can feel like I am on summer vacation, too. So, here's what I came up with so far.

1. I could wear my sunglasses all day in my office. You know, pretend the florescent lights are really the sun. (Potential problems. The people I work with might think that I have a hangover or that I've gone blind. Either way that could cause problems...)

2. I could buy a bunch of those little drink swords, put a couple cherries on them, and put them in my cups of coffee. (Potential problems. I think the little swords would be smaller than my giganto coffee cup. They might, therefore, be a choking hazard. I wonder if the little umbrellas would work better?)

3. I could get an ice cream cone or a cherry coke (or both) from the pharmacy near my office. You see, one of the longest, locally owned pharmacies is near my office. That's really not all that exciting (unless you like to shop local, like I do), until you realize that they have a SODA FOUNTAIN!! Not only do they have homemade ice cream that is to die for, they also make real cherry cokes. You know REAL cherry cokes with lots of syrup and stuff. YUM!!! (Potential problems. I would have to find a way to unchain myself from my desk, and if I managed to get that accomplished, I would have to push my way through the throng of junior high kids who hang at at the soda fountain every day. Well, until they learn not to mess with the old lady and her ice cream cone...)

4. I could come to work dressed in beach gear. You know, swimsuit, cover-up, flip flops, a big straw hat, and, of course, sunscreen, including a big, white stripe of it down my nose. (Potential problems. I don't think that qualifies at courtroom appropriate attire. Maybe if I wore high heels instead of flip flops?)

5. OK, if I couldn't come completely decked out in beach gear, maybe I could at least wear floaties on my arms. (Potential problems. I'm not sure I would get past courthouse security, and that could be bad. Very, very bad...)

Alright, it looks like I'm striking out here. What are you going to do to get into the summer fun? Do you have any ideas for me?

This is Your Brain on VH1

OK ya'll. If you are expecting deep thoughts, you have come to the wrong place today. I just got done watching five--yes, count them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5--hours of VH1 Classic. (Well, I watched it last night--when I started this post.) I really couldn't help myself, they were counting down the top 100 songs of the 1980s. Hello. What could be better than that? Well, watching it with a ten-year old. That's what. Because what kind of trip down memory lane isn't enhanced by comments made by someone who is younger than some of my shoes. What? You think I'm kidding? Au contraire, mademoiselle. See for yourself.

Hour 1 of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s brought such hits as "Down Under," "Working For the Weekend," "Walking on Sunshine," and "Everybody Have Fun Tonight." It also, however, brought Debbie Gibson's "Only in My Dreams." Oh, come on. You remember that song, don't you? Because I do. Apparently, I still know all the words. And, that prompted the ten-year old to ask, "What is this??" As if it was sub-standard music or something. OK, OK, maybe you can't argue with everything the ten-year old says.

But, during hour 1 of my 80s lovefest, we also heard such classics like "Addicted to Love," "All Night Long," "Ain't Nobody," and "Rock Me Amadeus." (Oh, yes, Falco's in the house). We also heard "Word Up" which, of course, prompted me to waive my hands in the air like I didn't care. I even did it in time with Cameo. And, my awesome display of insyncness prompted this question from the ten year-old, "How do you remember that dance from over twenty years ago?" Please hear me. *Clearing my throat loudly.*

During hour 2, we heard more musical classics such as "Candy Girl," "Call Me," "99 Luftballoons," "One Thing Leads to Another," and the queen of the break-up mixed tape, "I Want to Know What Love Is." We also heard "It Takes Two," and you may have noticed that I have a soft spot in my heart for old school rap. The ten-year old, however, was neither impressed with my rapping ability nor my ability to pantomime spinning the turntables.

As an aside, I was pleased to see that the ten year old had somewhere along the way learned the lyrics to "I Love Rock N' Roll." Well, at least to the chorus. And, I'm sure that would have made Joan Jett proud.

Hour 3 of my lovefest brought songs such as "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," "Fight for Your Right," (I *heart* Mike D. I know I do because it is written all over my algebra notebook), "London Calling," and "Total Eclipse of The Heart." We also heard "Mickey" which, of course, prompted me to do an impromptu cheerleading routine. I even included a couple of cartwheels to which the ten-year old responded, "Mom, are you sure you should be doing that? You might hurt yourself." *Clearing my throat loudly.* After catching my breath, I said "I'm not gonna take it." And, then I did my best Dee Snyder impression. It would have worked better if I had longer hair or had been wearing a lot more makeup. A lot more makeup.

Hour 4 contained even more wonderful songs from the 80s. We heard a little Wham with "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." We also heard "Love Shack," "I Melt With You," "Too Shy" (Because who doesn't love a band that's named Kajagoogoo), and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." But when the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" came on, W. asked me, "Mom, are you a goth?" Um, no. Even though I do where a lot of black. But that has to do with the size of my hips. And, I'm pretty sure that goths didn't exist, at least by that name in the 80s, did they? But, more importantly, how does a ten-year old know what a goth is???

Finally, hour five. Yes, the top 20 songs from the 1980s. Because we all wanted to "Walk Like An Egyptian" while we "Walk[ed] This Way." And, I would still do that "With Or Without You" even though "Billie Jean" is not my lover and even though I'm "Hungry Like the Wolf." When they announced the number 1 song of the 80s, W. asked me, "Mom, why are you jumping up and down, yelling so loudly." Because. Because that's what you do when Jon Bon Jovi is on TV. Oh, yes it is. I've been doing that since 1986. And, I'll keep doing it for as long as I'm able to jump up and down. Because I *heart* *heart* *heart* Jon Bon Jovi. What about you? What band did you *heart* in the 80s?

Birthday Shout Out

Today is my friend Stephanie's Birthday.

Steph and I went to high school together. We bonded immediately because (1) we both drove Buicks and (2) we both bought our make-up from Merle Norman. Yes, nothing says BFFs quite like the Merle Norman 2-in-1 lipstick/lipliner pencils and grannymobiles. While there have been many years and many miles put between us since the day we first met, my life is forever changed because of our friendship. I have such great memories of times we have spent together, and I cherish every one of them. Happy, happy birthday, Steph. Here's to being forever 29!