My Pleasure

I am home. So glad to be with my peeps again. But so sad to not have anyone to put my napkin on my lap for me. Yes, it was 5 days of pampering with my Mommy and sisters on this..

As predicted we laughed, we shopped, and we ate to our hearts content. We saw beautiful sights, none more beautiful than this...
Among other things, I was reminded how generous my mother is. I always tip just enough to feel like I have given something, but no more. Let me just say this, if you want to find a lucrative job, be the wheelchair attendant in any airport that my mother travels in. She is a generous tipper and I learned from her (again), the beauty of being an giver...
We started out in Miami. O my word, what a beautiful city...
I've never wanted to go to Miami, but I understand what all the fuss is about now. Not only is it beautiful, but the people were so kind and welcoming and the Cuban food was yummy!

Here we are, giddy with excitement, just as we are entering the ship knowing that, for the next four days, our every wish will be granted...
And every time we say thank you for those granted wishes, it would be answered with "My Pleasure" in a myriad of different accents. So lovely. There are many reasons why I would recommend Celebrity cruise line and this one is near the top of the list.

We excitedly disembarked, headed for Key West, without a thought of the Titanic in my head...
Though I still missed everyone back home, I was so happy to be with these women who I admire and adore...
Dinner the first night was yummy as expected. Here is a picture of my Mushroom Cappuccino Soup...

Where do they come up with this stuff? All I know is that I'm so happy that they do! Later on, back in our adjoining staterooms I was wanting a picture of all of us, but Gunga had already put on her jammies. It's really not fair to ask the woman who has macular degeneration to try to take a picture, but I did...
Actually, she did a great job...
And was a great sport about it as well. I have also learned from my mother the value of being able to laugh at yourself. Unfortunately, I give myself lots of material.

I took along a little reminder of home. The kids usually send us with one stuffed animal per child to remember them by. Since I left really early in the morning, only Emmie sent a stow away along. Meet Puffer...
He had a grand old time. As did we. More to come...

Bon Voyage

I shouldn't be posting, I should be packing. Because I'm headed to Miami so I can board this...
Gunga is taking her 4 daughters on a cruise. Once I am with these people...
I know I will be so happy. Though we look terribly un-fun in the above picture, I can honestly say if there's one thing we know how to do it is laugh. (Laugh and intake an inordinate amount of cheese.) We will laugh until we cry. Eat until we have to unbutton the top button of our pants. And soak up the sunshine as we soak in our shared memories.

But at this moment, all I can think about is how much I am going to miss these people...

That and I'm thinking about the Titanic. Wish I wasn't, but I am.

Remembering Easter

It was a different kind of Easter celebration as I was reeling from the shock of my friend Randi's death. But because of the loss, I was acutely aware of the gift of life and the blessing of being able to be with the ones you love.

We had an Easter Egg Hunt at Gunga's. Please note the difference between an Egg-less Jack...
And an Egg-full Jack...
Happy hunting...
Maybe he's a little too old for this...
But Lulu is not too old. It was her first ever Egg Hunt. The flat ground was covered in doggie doo and picking up poo was not on my list of Easter activities. So she was on uneven terrain and I kept fearing she was going to wipe out. Which would not only be sad on it's own, but might ruin all my pictures, right?! This is why I went a little "Kate Gosselin" on Bill (who had the job of protecting Lulu and my pictures) which my sister caught on video. But I did manage to get some precious pictures afterall...
Oh what joy when you discover what is making the sound when you shake the egg...
is actually EDIBLE...
When you then spill the cheerios all over the ground and your mom lets you eat them, along with the dirt and grass stuck to them, your face will look like this...
Yeah, I know, icky. Yet irresistable.

She was so proud of her eggs...
Either that or she was saying "Please sir, I want some more"...
Judging by that desperate look, I'm gonna go with the latter. Someone furry was also saying "Please sir, I want some more"...
A weekend spent with extended family was the best kind of Easter treat...
Gunga with 10 of her 14 grandchildren...

Grandma with all 4 of her grandchildren...

And our little family on Easter Sunday...
Thankful for life. Thankful for Jesus. Thankful for family. And, of course, thankful for coordinated outfits.

And just to keep it real, feast your eyes on this...
Lovely, don't ya think? And yet another precious moment caught on film as I am clearly unimpressed with Tate's dance moves while I'm trying to get a fabulous picture of our happy family...
I want to cherish every moment. Even those that aren't Kodak ones.

Is my life better than your life?

I love blogging. Writing my own posts is therapy. Reading other people's posts is inspiring and fun. But there is something about blogging that taints the pure joy of the experience at times. That something is ME. My own insecurities. My own need to impress others. My continual habit of comparing myself to others. In the recesses of my heart, I desire to have my blog say "See, I matter. I have a great life. I have cute kids. I am happy. You should admire me. In fact, my life is better than your life!" I fight that monster within, because it is the last thing I want to be true of me and of my blog.

Conversely, as I read other people's blogs, what can sneak into my heart as I am reading is "Their life is better than my life. It is so much more exciting or fun or meaningful. She is skinnier or prettier or more talented or more spiritual than I am. Her home is more beautiful. Her children seem so sweet, and polite, and quiet. I must need to have something more in my life. Or I need to be something more than who I am." I don't want this to be true of me either. I have been given but one life. This one. I don't want to spend it living vicariously through other people's lives. I don't want to waste it wishing I was someone else.

So, that is the back story for my April Fool's Post. Because I am one complicated, conflicted girl. I wanted to have a good April Fool's story because April Fool's is (unfortunately) important to my kids. But, part of me, also wanted to have a good April Fool's story because I wanted to have a good April Fool's post. And why did I want to have a good April Fool's post? Because maybe you would think that I'm a creative person and a fun Mom. But, I don't want to live for what you think of me. Sometimes I am creative. Sometimes I am fun. But a lot of times, I am just a big ol' mess, inside and out.

That's really what this post is about.

April Fool's got off to a crazy start, thanks to Tate. That kid set his alarm for 2am so he could come into our rooms and change our clocks. Bill totally fell for it as he got up at 5am and went in to wake up Tate for the school day. I totally kept sleeping through my alarm, which is probably no surprise. I was pretty proud of Tate's effort though.

I was still desperately seeking a way to punk my kids throughout the day and nothing came to me. But, got an idea to have them join with me in punking our friends, the Hillman's. We got a pizza from the grocery store for dinner. Then we put sauce and cheese on the paper cooking tray and wrapped it back up...
The ultimate low-carb dinner option, I guess. I told Chris that I knew they had had a crazy night and I wanted to bless them with dinner. Up until this point, I was LOVING our little prank. I was proud of myself and excited to pull one over on them. But, when Chris was so grateful and blessed by our "gift", the guilt set in. Still, the die had been cast. We had to ride this one out. He fell for it and didn't realize what was up until he went to put it in the oven.

Yesterday, I was certain they were getting me back when I saw this in our yard...
But it was legit. Somehow this little guy made his way into our yard. This is not a normal experience where we live. We called all the neighbors over to experience the wonder of it all. Ruby was the most perplexed...
We named him Mr. T. The kids begged to keep him as a pet...
We said "no" because we are either really smart or really lame parents. The evening ended with us returning him to a pond so that he could live his life apart from the terror he would experience from being in this crazy family...
The above picture was taken just before Jack got spooked by movement from Mr. T and threw the box down. Never fear, Mr. T was okay.

But I wasn't okay. I was annoyed and frustrated with the kids for running around and yelling. The ironic thing is that when I found Mr. T, I was the one running around and yelling for them to come check it out. But, when their excitement level rose to meet mine, and so did their volume, I got upset. That is completely unfair. I hate it when I get mad at my kids for just being kids. What else are they supposed to be?! I share all this because it was what really happened in the midst of the fun of of the night. The fun was all mixed up with the frustration, just like the fun of blogging is all mixed up with my insecurities. That's just the way life is. My life anyway.

Why all this rambling with what could have just been a silly April Fool's post? I guess it's because I don't want to be the Fool. I have been profoundly blessed. But my life is no better, nor worse, than anyone else's. What makes it different is that it is mine. And I want to live it, instead of merely blogging it.

Am I still going to have this internal struggle most every time I read or write a post? Yep. But maybe it will help a bit to have let you in on it with me. And I hope reminding myself of the struggle will help me to beat it. So that I can be content with who I am and what I have and at the same time "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep." (Romans 12:15)

Here's to emotionally healthy blogging! :)

Hello and Goodbye

For the past week I have been coping with the fact that I have to say goodbye to my sweet Randi. I don't like goodbyes. Especially not this kind. But in the midst of the sadness there has also been the joy of saying hello to another friend, Virginia. When I had to leave my friends in Indiana, it was SO sad. But God met me in the first year in different ways. One way was through a friendship with Virginia. She was the kind of everyday, garage sale-ing, "there's a sale on milk", "I need you to take my kids NOW" kind of friend. Four years ago, Miss V and her family moved away, so we were delighted that they chose to spend their spring break here!

It was great to introduce them to Lulu...
Seeing how all the kids had grown...
Letting the girls dress Lulu up for a fashion show...

(I am constantly telling the kids "Lulu is not your toy!". I guess I stand corrected.)

Slumber parties...

Swimming at their hotel pool...
Reuniting Miss V with her favorite grocery store workers...
And partaking of the yummy goodness of a crisp meat burrito from Amigo's...
She was also so kind as to bless me with these...
I thought I had lost all hope of having Girl Scout cookies this year since I gave them up for Lent and let the cookie monsters around here eat up the ones I ordered. But, alas, God provided through Miss V! I may or may not have had them for breakfast two mornings in a row.

They also gave us some precious gifts they found at an African art show....

(very cute, babe)

You can check out the website here.It means so much to me how our friends realize that Africa is not only Lulu's heritage, but it is also a part of our family identity forever.

How delightful to be together enjoying the blessing of friendship. And, I think I am more keenly aware than ever, what a blessing it is to find true friends.

And those friends can be found in all sorts of different places. I was just wondering the other day if I am weird because I feel so much affection for blog friends that I have never met. Then yesterday, I got the most incredible surprise from a blog friend...
Mandy, whom I have never met, sent me these beautiful flowers with a card saying she knew I had been going through a lot lately and she was praying for me. Can you believe that?! I was blown away by her kindness and compassion. I love that blogging has opened up a whole new world of incredible people to me. So many hello's I hope to make in the years to come of meeting blog friends like Mandy in person.