WHOOPS!!

Mom-of-the-Year-Award alert! I lost my kid this morning. Well I mean, I KNEW he was in the house somewhere (or at least I was pretty sure), but I couldn't find the little stinker. He was in Lilly's room "cooking" and then all of a sudden he was gone! I kept hearing his little laugh, the ornery laugh that let's me know he's up to something sneaky. I followed his devious clatter and ended up in my bathroom...and there he was...on the second shelf of my linen closet! He was the most content critter, laying on those towels like a cat perched on a windowsill! He's quite the cheese! I cannot believe he'll be two at the end of the month. He's really starting to come into his own little baby skin, hehe! He's HILARIOUS!

Hodgepodge

1) Fort Wayne apparently has the most satisfied renters, according to a website apartmentratings.com. Oddly enough when breaking the story, WANE.COM posted pictures of my old apartment complex, Preston Pointe..you know, the one I blogged about last year complaining about a nearby meth lab. Lovely. Just goes to show how desparate Fort Wayners are. As I drove home today...and by drove I mean blew, I thought about how breezy my old apartment was. It was so bad we had to hang old comforters over the doorways and windows to keep the wind from blowing the blinds around! It was horrible. It makes me grateful to have been able to move into my house, keep my house even this summer when Aaron was gone, and give my kids more space (and warmth) than where we had been living!

2) I'm so tired of hearing people complain about the weather. Students call on an hourly basis, trying to find out if we're going to close campus early. It's WIND people! Sadly, it's only December 9th. What are these folks going to do when winter REALLY sets in? Oy!

3) This fireplace in my living room is really drying out my throat. No more fires :(

4) Tonight is the season finale of Glee. Can you say "SECTIONALS!!!"

5) Why are people NOT working? I mean, I KNOW the economy is HORRIBLE, but it's Christmas season--- EVERY retail store is hiring. GO WORK! UGH! I'm just so tired of hearing about how people don't want to go work because they don't want to lose their unemployment. I guess I just don't understand.

6) Been trying to think of a Christmas (or Christmas eve) tradition to start with the kids. I'll buy new Christmas jammies for them to open on Christmas eve, but other than that....any ideas?

Tuesday Tuesday

I have no temper tantrums to throw.
No ghastly weather to write of.
I'm without complaints of my sassy daughter.
And have ignored my husband's horrible chewing mannerisms.

I have had a very boring Tuesday. Thankfully.

I encourage you to watch the Carrie Underwood Holiday Special on FOX (I'm sure you can find it online, if you missed it yesterday). Quite entertaining, and a very moving song at the end. I've attached the same song, performed at the CNN Heroes awards show.


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First Snow

Today was the first snowfall we've had this year. Yes, it was a disaster. There were a number of accidents before I even left for work at 7am, including a ten car pile-up on 69, a car versus school bus collision two miles from my house, and countless other slide-offs. Needless to say, I was petrified before I even left my houes this morning!
Convinced that I could make the drive to the north side of town if I just gave myself a few extra minutes, I left the house twenty five minutes earlier than usual...equipped with two blankets, a flashlight, a bottle of water (it's all I had!), and extra mittens and hats for the kids...you know, just in case we got into an accident. Laugh all you want, but I was preparing for the worst. I was still scared to death before I pulled out of the driveway. I told Lilly that we needed to say a little prayer. The kids both folded their little hands and prayed with me that God would keep us safe on the way to school and give Mommy the strength and courage to make the drive. It was precious. My right leg was shaking as I pulled out of my addition and made my way onto 24. And to answer your question...yes I was that person driving 25 mph on 24 and 69! DO NOT HONK at me or look at me with such disgust. I was trying to get my babies to school safely!

Just remember people, take your time. Your job will wait. Your children CAN go to school late. And that coffee will still be there waiting for you at Starbuck's...SO SLOW YOUR ASS DOWN AND DRIVE RESPONSIBLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (And STOP honking at me!)

Advent Conspiracy

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My church is doing a series called the "advent conspiracy" in which they challenge us to think about our own spending this holiday season. What if we really did what this video suggests? We have been so concerned about spending the "right" amount on each person, that we forget to think about what's really important. Does your sister REALLY need that new iPod Nano? Does your husband REALLY need that 52" plasma TV? Do YOU really need to spend hundreds, if not thousands, on your children? What are we teaching our kids?
I'm really proud of my family this year. We've always done a gift exchange on my dad's side of the family, but this year after deciding that we don't really "need" anything, we've instead decided to adopt a local family who is struggling to afford a Christmas. The single mom has been out of work for over a year and has three little girls. The mom had to make the decision to pay for the electric bill rather than buying her little girls Christmas presents. I'm not sure the background information on the mom's situation. It seems hard to imagine not being able to find a job two years later, but...that's her situation and regardless of her story, she still has three little ladies who deserve to have a Christmas.
I picked up on a really neat message at church today because it has become highly applicable to a situation I'm going through at home. The message says "your plenty will supply their need...so that in turn, their plenty will supply what you need." Basically, I have enough. My kids have everything they NEED. Sure there might be things we WANT, but we have what we NEED. There are people in our community who can't say the same thing, and that's unfortunate. We've become used to our "American Entitlement" that suggests 'I work hard for my money therefore it belongs to ME ME ME.' It's terrible. What if we gave some of our "plenty" to those who truly have the need for it? When they thank God for the gifts we gave them, it will hopefully fill our hearts with what we needed. Our need isn't physical. It's not "things." Unfortunately for many of us, our "need" is more GOD in our life and in our heart. Maybe by helping someone else, it will fulfill our need.
I hope that this video makes you think a little about what would happen if we stopped spending so much on ourselves, and instead spent a little on those in need.

"When I Get That Old"

Today is my big brother's 30th birthday. WOOOOOOOT WOOOOOOT! I've been reflecting today on some of the good times I've had with my brother through the years, but there are two stories that I just can't seem to shake. My brother and I used to despise each other! After reading these, maybe you can see why!!!!!

-When I was about ten years old (maybe?) my brother insisted that I was adopted. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were standing on the hill in front of my mom's house. I'm sure we had been arguing about something to make him initiate this brutal conversation, but he looked at me and said "you know you're adopted anyway, right?" WHAT?! NO WAY. NO I'M NOT! "Yeah. Your mom's real name is Louise Hill. How do you think you got your middle name? Mom and Dad always just told you that you were named after our great aunt Louise, but that's not true." CAN YOU BELIEVE HIM?

-My family used to take vacations to Wyoming. On one of our few trips to Yellowstone, my parents apparently took a picture of a buffalo. I vaguely remember our trips, but this picture stuck around in my mom's picture drawer for many years. On the back of the picture, my brother had written "Gretchen 1989" CAN YOU BELIEVE HIM??

LOL! All mean-spirited stories aside, my brother is my best friend. He met Gary around the same time that I met Aaron. We became very close around the time that I got pregnant with Lilly. Now we talk almost EVERYDAY, usually more than once! He's incredible and I'm SO lucky to be such good friends with my brother!

Adam, I hope you enjoy your 30th! I wish I could be there tonight to help celebrate! I love you and I hope the next thirty years are nothing but pure bliss and excitement for you! You deserve it! I LOVE YOU!

You tell the truth

We've all told lies. It's inevitable. Some justify lying by saying they do it to protect the ones they love. Others are just habitual liars who truly believe their own lies. And then there are those pretentious fibbers who lie to make themselves look better. It's THOSE people who's lives stink sooo much that they have to fabricate stories to hold people's interest. We've all heard the stories from a guy who wrestled an alligator to save a family of four from being eaten. Or the story of the girl who has the most incredible husband who rubs her back every night without expecting "more".....rrrrrrrright! As if HE exists! HA!



I'm not exempt from the tall tales-telling. I've done my share of double-dealing. BUT, in my older years (I'm almost 28, after all!) I'm finding that my real story is good enough. There really is NO need to formulate my own version of reality. My life isn't roses. My kids aren't perfect. My job isn't without flaws. My boyfriend doesn't really think the sun shines from my ass (although he IS mistaken!). My life just isn't perfect. And I really have no need to make it appear as though I have it all together. I don't. And anyone who claims to have all the answers is the biggest frickin' liar of 'em all!