Monday, April 28, 2008

My first Meme

My friend Sean tagged me with this. I decided today was a good day to play. So here goes.

What was I doing ten years ago?

Ten years ago. Hmm. That would be April of 1998. Yikes. I was finishing up my junior year of high school. I was furious with my parents because by this time we had decided to move during the summer from Garden City to the east side of Kansas. I was soooo mad. I missed out on sooo much my senior year...but looking back now...everything I missed out on was worth what I gained. I got to spend a summer living closer to Neal...and I'm sure that was the time that sealed the deal for us. It was a hard summer with my parents...and I don't like looking back on who I was during that time. Moving on.

5 places I have travelled:

1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
2. New Orleans, LA
3. Cripple Creek, CO
4. Bakersfield, CA
5. Orlando, FL

I've never been out of the country. Sigh. I guess I need to get out more.

5 snacks or treats I enjoy:

1. Homemade whole wheat soft pretzels
2. Homemade cinnamon raisin bread slathered in butter
3. Wedding cake
4. Jill's cookies
5. Scotcheroos (Peanut butter rice krispy treats covered in butterscotch and chocolate)

What would I do if I were a billionaire?

1. Pay Bills
2. Buy a house
3. Open my parents pool back up
4. Build some safe places for kids to be in the Sudan
5. Make sure that young girls in Africa got feminine hygiene products.

Places I have lived?

Dodge City, KS
Mullinville, KS (My fave)
Haviland, KS
Garden City, KS
Amarillo, TX (hell)
Emporia, KS (hell in a handbasket)
Edmund, OK

Jobs I have had?

Administrative Assistant for the Graduate Department at the University of Central OK
Day care provider (my least fave job ever--I hate daycares after my experiences there)
Sales Associate in small retail stores
Commercial Lines clerk for Insurance Management Associates (IMA)
My current job: Human resources manager (stay at home mom)

People I am tagging:
Jill
Suzeque

Sunday, April 27, 2008

The Great Divide




I'm not in this picture, nor is any of my family, but it might as well be us.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Zoo Day -- Macaroni Birds

We took advantage of a delicious Saturday and went to the zoo today.

Addy: MOM, it is such the perfect day to be at the zoo. Not to cold...not to hot. It's too bad Papa isn't here for it. (Its is so funny to me when the things that come out of her mouth sound JUST like me.)

30 minutes later Neal called saying he could join us. And both girls ran screeching out of the South America exhibit allll around a walkway when they saw him. I KNOW it made his day.

It was cool outside...so the animals were moving around. So fun. The lion and lioness both were walking around.

Our fave animals to check up on though are the two Scarlett Macaws. They were stolen last year for a while and made the top of Addy's prayer list. They were eventually returned...but we still talk about them from time to time. And we love to talk about them...because their names are Mac and Cheese. Ellie thinks this is so funny.

When we saw a stuffed bird in the gift shop...Ellie said...ooooh...its a macaroni bird!!!!!!!!!

I'm pretty sure this is either Mac or Cheese. I don't know which is which.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

888 update

Ok...I know. I really need to post the whole entire list of book I am trying to get through. Maybe I will later today. I am still trucking through the list, though I am a little behind. The last several books I have read have really just been for fun. But the last one I read warranted a post.

I just finished reading "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. It was...so good. Good in the ways that it stays with you and you think and think and think and think about it. It is the story of a dad and a son who are one of the few remaining humans on earth after a disaster have ravaged the earth. It isn't clear what happened exactly...you know...human-caused or natural disaster...but things are bad. Bad like...its hard to find food and shoes and be safe from the bands of people who are out to kill and eat you. The bulk of the story is the relationship of the dad and the son. The dad probably has cancer or something else life-stealing...and knows he is going to die and is just trying to get his kid to the safest place possible before he dies. The safest place possible...is like...the area of the world most likely he can keep on the move, not freeze, find food, and may get lucky and run into someone good.

Its a book of the best part of humanity...and the worst. I keep thinking...what would I do in that situation...could I live so fiercely on nothing but survival and the love of the smallish person I was with. It is easy to think so...but even the mom in the story chose something other than the smallish person. There is no other way to describe it...living fiercely.

I think it ought to be required reading for humans. And what I think is so funny...is that the theme of the story...is such a popular one right now. Like...Cloverfield and I am Legend.

I have an overwhelming urge to go steal a cart from Dillon's...buy a tarp...and buy a couple flats of canned food. Read the book and you will know why.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Gratituesday: Earth Day



It's Earth Day. And I thought no better day to announce publicly to the world that I am a (fairly new) tree hugger...and that I believe global warming is very real. And I think its nuts you have say, "I believe it." But whatever. Some of my best friends and family members do not...and I love them wholly and entirely anyway.

Although...there is a statistic out there that says that if everyone in America just replaced one regular light bulb with an energy efficient one...that it would be the same as removing a million cars from the roads. I am calculating how many of my friends and family I have to put extra bulbs in MY house to make up for them. :)

Anyway...I am sooo grateful for this amazing earth that God has made. I am grateful for the beautiful Kansas blue sky against the beautiful spring green. I love the pink in blooming tree outside that really pops against the blue sky. I am so glad God designed this amazing tree in my parents front yard that stretches way into the blue and bursts green but the trunk is ancient and twisty and amazing.

I am also soooo grateful that I do not live in a war torn country -- a country that its national resources have been ravaged or burned. I think about Kabul and how the city is in ruins with all the trees cut down. So sad.

I'm not the most energy efficient person. I don't remember to turn out the lights...but I'm trying...in the name of the environment...not dollars on my bill. I will insist we drive 2 cars to the same place if we need to...and I insist on running my bedroom fan allll day.

But I am recycling all our cardboard boxes...trying to buy products with minimal or recyclable packaging...reusing my ziplock bags (somewhere my mom's mouth is hanging open...I hate doing this)...slowing getting energy efficient bulbs...refusing to buy bottled water this summer...trying to recycle paper and pop cans...trying to buy local food this summer. I'm working on it.

And I don't really get the all the fuss over it. Doesn't it just make sense to take care of the planet we live on? Doesn't it just make sense there are so many people making so much trash that there must be a limit. Does anyone not think our air and water is polluted. Whatever. Doesn't trying to just live a little better for the generations make sense??? Apparently now to some people...so I am also trying to learn everything I can about global warming so that I don't stand there and go uh....when someone bashes it. In love of course. :)

My shirt today is blue...with a whale on it...and the whale is saying...SAVE THE HUMANS!!!!!!! Its my new fave shirt. And the girls have matching yellow shirts that has a super cute monkey hugging the earth.

I sent cookies to Addy's school today that were round sugar cookies with a little notch cut out of them. I put green glaze on top...with a flower and a pond critter (frog, turtle, caterpillar, butterfly, grasshopper). They were sitting all on a blue tray. Get it...they were lily pads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so grateful for our comfy yummy planet. Thank you God.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

park brats

The girls and I were at a local park today. Ellie wasn't feeling her best...so I was holding her on my lap in the shade while Addy had a few more minutes to move around. I was sitting next to three teenage girls.

Here is their conversation:

Blond girl: Hey, I talked to Brad about Kelly.
Dark haired girl: Oh yeah...he's so hot.
Plastic green glasses girl: What did he say?
BG: He said that Kelly should know that red hair and freckles and poser clothes do not make you popular.
All the girls: *snorting*
Me: *rolling my eyes*
PGGG: Well...that was ruuuude. (referring to Brad, not me rolling my eyes)

Thoughts on the subject:

1. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to go back and be a teen again.
2. What does make you popular??? I never knew.
3. Oh, girls...adulthood changes everything.
4. Oh my word...Addy is going be a teen in like 8 years. Well...at least she doesn't have red hair and freckles...I sure do. :)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

blogger break

I am taking a blog break. You know that bank commercial...I think it may be for Capital Federal. The one where the guy comes out talking about so and so ... and whatever...and he's like..."I know...because I'm her bank!"

That is exactly how my internet service works. Except the guy blabing really is REAL and is my neighbor and is taking my internet service away for a while.

No no no...he isn't being mean...he's off to California to work on his life's calling of Stuck in the Middle. He's meeting up with some important people to work out some details for the upcoming event tour. Wow. Huge stuff...keep him in your prayers.

So...I'm taking a blog break. Miss me.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The itsty bitsty spider

After church this Sunday...our family went to eat at Red Robin. Its pretty fun because there is this amazing guy that goes around to the tables and makes balloon animals for the kiddos. We have had many many creatures and have watched him make things for the kids around us. He even has this twisty balloon thing with small balloons inside that float around for kids who say "I don't know" when he asks what they want.

Today...Ellie sits right down at our table and proclaims,

"I want a SPIDER."

I thought she was being silly...or whatever...but sure enough...at the appearance of the tie-dyed balloon man she announces behind a grin covered with anxious twittering fingers...

"I want a SPIDER!"

And the man delivers. A blue eight legged squiggly spider hanging from a long orange balloon. Ellie was delighted. She hung it on everyone's head...including her own...and would just GIGGLE!

In the car...she was lovingly singing to her spider...

"The itsy bits spider went up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider CLEAN! And the itsy bitsy spider spider spider spider..."

Neal and I were dying laughing.

It also half popped on the way home...but whatever. :)

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Dodge City


Why oh why you say should I be grateful for Dodge City, Kansas? Well, outside of Boot Hill and the Wax Museum...no it isn't the most exciting town. The feedlots, tumbleweeds, dryness, and no trees do not exactly make it the most exotic of locations.

But ... there are some people there who I love soooooo much. I'm so grateful that they are all in one place where I can see them and love on them when I go there. And my Aunt Sara's house is one of the few places left intact from my childhood. One of the few places that where Addy and Ellie play...I once played. Being in my aunts house with my kids always brings back floods of memories from my smallish days. The days when nothing mattered but the toys, and the sunshine outside, and what was for lunch.

And every once in a while the glories of Dodge come to visit me. My dad and my Aunt Niece and Uncle Stan got to spend some time with us this week. I love getting just a few minutes to love and laugh with each other. And something about the way Ellie always cries out, "Grandpa Les-e-lie" (rhyming with celery) brings me immense and unreplacable joy.

I am so thankful for my family...and the connection that have been renewed over the last year and a half.

I am also grateful for pacemakers and bypass surgerys that make all that possible.

Which really means I am thankful for the Great Physician.

Thanks to Laura for hosting!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Day 1 of no ugliness out of my mouth

I did really good with keeping the ugly from passing my lips. I did share with my small group what had happened without being insulting to the person. And I got a lot of encouragement about the high road...and arming myself with prayer before another encounter.

I also was smacked upside the head by our DVD curriculum tonight. It was all about how important our relationships are to God -- and how if he overlooks so much with us...how important it is to overlook things with others. :)

We will see what comes in the next days.

strawberry blessings

Last night, I ran to the store to grab a few things. I was greeted at the door by Ellie.

Ellie: (Eying my shopping bags) What did you get for me, Mommy???
Me: Well...lets see...I got some strawberries.
Ellie: (Eyes wide and excited) You did??? Papa, papa, mama got me STRAWBERRIES!
Me: Grinning
Ellie: You are the best Mommy ever!!!!!!!!

Ah...sometimes it takes so little!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

The Little Major

I have the most precious, most cutest, most sqoosy, most yummy, most cuddly, most wonderful nephew.

I also have the most strong, most brave, most endurance-filled, most sweetest sister in law ever.

I have seen one of the most hard, most long, most tiring roads to delivery ever. (About this time Meshellyn is going..."whatever" but my sight is limited compared to hers.)

I kept thinking about Meshellyn today. I remember her sitting at the foot of my bed while I was in labor with Ellie...and she shook her head and told me "You are doing so good." That made me feel so good...and I still think of her little compliment of courage often. I repeated that often to Sally today hoping it would bring her the same peace and bolstering of courage it did me. Meshellyn...I'm so glad that you were in my life then...and what a blessing you were to me...especially with the bunnies. :)

Anyway...my nephew is amazing. I love him already.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

More Memory Lane...the pre-teen years. :) Or...maybe early teens.


Ok...I watched EVERY single episode of this...probably twice. I loved Saved By the Bell.

HEY DUDE! Neal has no idea what this show was. I keep making refrences to it...and he's like...what??? I LOVED this show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah...Clarissa explains it all. After my She-ra phase...I totally wanted to be Clarissa. Even to the point of tying a sheet-rope-thing outside my window to nothing but a bush so that I could be like her. She had this awesome ladder thing up to her room. I don't think my mom ever got that. ahahahahhahahahahahhhah