Headed South For The Winter

It's midnight and I've hit a wall as far as what else I can accomplish tonight. I'm beat. I've done about 15 loads of laundry today in preparation for leaving tomorrow to visit my parents in Texas. We haven't been in two years, so the kids are all quite excited. We'll also be celebrating my oldest's 11th birthday while we are there with a family party. It hardly seems possible that I have an 11 year old. So joyful and somber all at once. Bittersweet - this "growing up" stuff! Please pray that we'll have safe travel and I will catch you all next year! Until then, enjoy every last minute of 2007 to the fullest.

He Prepares Hearts

Written 12/20

***This is an unplanned followup to the post below***

We had moved into our home only two days before. I was nine months pregnant and couldn't locate the master bed amongst all of the boxes, packing papers and furniture. It was miserable sleeping on the floor of our foyer instead. It was late Saturday morning when the door bell rang.

There she stood, J and her three young children, smiling and conversing like our standing there together was more of an established habit than a first introduction. That is until her oldest blurted out that our home's previous owners had buried their crazy uncle in our front flower bed and that if we looked closely enough, we would see the six-foot mound that proved it. Ha ha ha ha! J was mortified! Sure enough, it DID look like a grave. Of course, it really was just the left over effects of landscape neglect. And how THRILLED J was to find out that my hubby LOVES that stuff as much as she does! They spent hours tending to our adjacent yards.

J's family and ours became wonderful friends. We've shared holidays and babysitting and errand running and problems. She's had WAY MORE than her fair share. For her privacy, I won't even mention the worst ones here, but she was a single mom (not by choice) raising three children including one of a family member with problems that prevented capable parenting. Her son had died eight years prior from a heart defect at age 11. When she spoke of him, you could tell that she had learned a lot from life. She never uses flowery language or grand ideals in describing it. No, she has learned to find blessings in the every day - and to enjoy more than to reflect. To explain all that she has endured would literally sound like a soap opera, and yet she has managed to raise a normal family, with happy active teenagers and thankfulness for her job and her life.

Oh, and how thankful I've been for her. I can still remember the single most atrocious day of my life as a parent. I was so sick, I literally could not lift my head from off the floor without puking. I had a five-year-old, a toddler and a newly crawling baby. All I wanted was to make it to the telephone to curse my hubby for going to work that day (just being honest) and beg him to come home, but I was literally too dizzy to orient myself toward the right room. That's when the baby crawled through the vomit as I simultaneously tried to coach Dalton on clean up even as I puked some more from talking. I felt so defeated, so exhausted, so absolutely nauseous and really mad at God to boot.

The door bell rang and against all I had ever taught him, I ordered Dalton with a grunt to answer the door. I needed help and I didn't care at this point if it came from the UPS guy. But it was J, who fixed me up with a sofa palette, the remote, some ice chips, and the telephone before taking all three of my kiddos with her to work, at the Mother's Day Out at her church, for free, for three days.

Life was just like that as their neighbors. I tooled her kids all over town and listened to their concerns when they didn't think she might want to hear it - like about her dating again. Her kids babysat mine and would never take pay. In fact, they probably would have PAID ME to do so, even despite the dead guy living in our front yard. It made them feel so grown up. I can't tell you how many of our home videos include them teaching my kids to swim in the kiddie pool or take their first steps in the snow.

We have both moved to new neighborhoods, J and us. And, having three children each, we only find the time to yell and say "Hey" a couple of times a year now. But whenever we do, we usually spend hours talking and that old adage is played out in perfect harmony: ".....picking up right where we left off."

Which is why, I found it particularly loving and poignant of God to prepare my heart the way He did through the writing of my last post. I had just finished it less than an hour before I heard the news. After all this fun, strong and wonderful family has been through, L, J's beautiful daughter, has been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a highly curable form of cancer. She just shaved her hair in the past couple of days. In reading her online journal, I rejoice in that she has been keeping such a fantastic attitude. I am STILL in shock, though, more so I think because of knowing all that J and the kids have already been through. I know this thinking has no Biblical basis, but I can remember having the conscious thought at her last ordeal that "this is it. Life for them will be smooth sailing from here on out because they have reached their limit of what one family can be expected to endure in a lifetime."

I am just so - astounded - completely - that even as God directed the words of my last post, He was preparing me, not only for this news, but for recognizing that whenever we are given rest in this world from the overwhelming problems of life, it is so that we might have the energy to be a help to someone else at that time. And it just because He is SO GOOD that we get blessed in the process. To once again have the opportunity to be in fellowship with my friends on a more regular basis and to know that while hair loss and missed school is certainly no small trial for a gorgeous young girl in her her senior year of high school, it sounds at least as if the prognosis is good.

We're praying for you L! Kick it's butt! OK?

Grown Up Christmas List

For ten excruciatingly long years, we dealt with major trials. From a parent's passing to miscarriage of our second child to overwhelming amounts of responsibility without any kind of even temporary rest, to agonizing marital issues, financial support of our family and a brother's death. We've learned an awful lot. We've learned what it's like to have friends and even unknown friends of friends rally around us to our utter astonishment. And caring so lacking I thought it would kill me. But this year, well, we learned how to rest.

2007 was good to us. It was normal. The problems this year weren't nonexistent, but run of the mill. Even welcome because they challenged us to more genuine teamwork. We worked a lot this year on our marriage. And work is just that - work! It's hard! But at least we both tried and made greater strides than ever before. For that I am so very thankful.

But I also realized something else this year. That sometimes it also hurts to know that while you are getting your break, someone else is inevitably fighting their own battle of a lifetime. This was the year that my precious niece Ashley spent many months in an Omaha hospital recuperating from a triple organ transplant. (Though I saw her tonight and she amazed me with a new talent!) It's the year my sister in law was diagnosed with health issues that she's much too young to have to face. A precious blog sister, Amy Wilhoite said goodbye to her husband and son and hello to Jesus. A couple I would have picked very last on this earth to divorce, did. Their kids are devastated and I am in shock!

2007 is the year I think I finally REALLY began to understand that suffering is JUST A SYMPTOM of a world that is STILL IN NEED of Jesus. That it's often, but not ALWAYS, about growth and learning. Sometimes, it's just to remind us that there is something EVEN BETTER than this life to hope towards. Jesus already came once to this world to do His part in His plan of the redemption of mankind. It is this coming that we will celebrate in two days on that magical anniversary called "Christmas." 2007 was the year that I really EARNESTLY began to focus on the fact that He came that once so that eventually He would return again! And there are certain days when I just feel like it can't be soon enough.

It's not that life is bad, by any means. This was probably the best year in the nearly 13 years that I have been a Mrs. But while I've been taking a much needed rest, I've watched others from the outside, gracefully bearing their own crosses and I hurt for them instead of myself. I'm thinking of my homeless friend, Dwight, who made me SOOOOO proud by being sober all year despite a forty year addiction, untreated hallucinations from Vietnam, illiteracy and a lot of judgement from those who don't even bother to know him. He taught me so much this year. I would gladly return every present underneath our tree to buy him some dentures if I could convince him to go. He's not bitter, and he's not too proud. I think he's just scared. And I can't say that I blame him.

My kids were asking me yesterday in the car my favorite fast and slow Christmas song. That's easy. "Sleigh Ride" has always been my very favorite peppy song for the Christmas season. And my favorite ballad has always been "O' Holy Night." I LOVE those lyrics. But another song has been forefront on my mind this year in particular. It is playing now. I love these lyrics. I think they are absolutely beautiful!

Music by David Foster

Lyrics by Linda Thompson

Do you remember me?

I sat upon your knee.

I wrote to you

With childhood fantasies.

Well, I'm all grown up now.

Can you still help somehow?

I'm not a child

But my heart still can dream.

So here's my lifelong wish,

My grown-up Christmas list,

Not for myself

But for a world in need -

No more lives torn apart,

That wars would never start,

And time would heal all hearts.

Every man would have a friend,

That right would always win,

And love would never end.

This is my grown-upChristmas list.

What is this illusion called

The innocence of youth?

Maybe only in their blind belief

Can we ever find the truth.

There'd be no more lives torn apart,

And wars would never start,

And time would heal all hearts.

Every man would have a friend,

And right would always win,

And love would never end.

This is my grown-up Christmas list;

This is my only lifelong wish.

This is my grown-up Christmas list!

Not even Santa can offer all these things. But Jesus does! It's in a place called Heaven, where I have no doubt Amy is entirely free from the same burdens her husband and young son now face. But the only way to find it is to follow Him. I know His path has changed the course of my life in ways I would never have imagined. That path is not perfect. It's had many bumps and turns. But the One leading the way - He is. I'm just glad that path wound through a world in need. That He decided to leave the encompassing comfort and perfection of Heaven to inhabit a sometimes dark Earth. And knowing that He has promised to return again, I can press my nose to the glass and eagerly await His arrival - the next CHRISTMAS.

What's In A Name?

I'm almost afraid before even writing this post that I won't be able to adequately express the tone I'm hoping to convey - that names are important. In fact, I truly do think names carry a lot of significance. We spent a considerable amount of time picking the ones we gave our own children. Our conversations would have made great fodder for the struggling comedian.

"How about THIS name!"

"Nope! A girl in my high school class had that name and she was VERY.....well.....NOT VERY, um, monogamous - or innocent. What about THIS one!"

"Yuck! My best friend's mom had that name and she wore her slippers to the store, chewed tobacco and rolled her own smokes! I like THIS."

"Huh. Uh. Picked her boogers in class AND smelled like pizza whenever she got in my face to talk! This one?"

"Are you KIDDING ME? My room mates sister's best friend's Aunt..........."

It's a miracle our children aren't all named the same thing! But then, who does that? (And Michael Jackson doesn't count because I really mean what SANE person.)

But, God is good and He even cares about a prayer to find a suitable name for a new soul entering the world. So He made sure through three neat, unique set of circumstances that each time we were able to find just the right names for our children. And they are still my very favorite names for children to have. Which is good since they are my children and I helped pick them. Although, I would probably change one of them if I were naming them now. What? You don't really think I'm going to say which one, do you?

It's not that I have changed my mind about loving the name; it's just that it's become much more common than I ever realized it would. There are so many of "them" now. Of course, that means that a lot of other people like the name too. So I guess that's a good thing.

But the name that I have really been considering lately is my own. I don't mind it. It's fine. Probably not my MOST favorite in the entire world. No where near my least favorite either. But I like it. It fits me. After this many years (30 something today, ahem, shameless plug - hee hee) it's simply who I am. After all, I've always used it. The "problem" is, IT has two versions.

Growing up, my extended family and occasionally my own parents called me "Nikki Sue," the Southern abbreviation of my given legal name. That was cool. Because any two names said together with a gentile drawl act as a badge of honor and proof of one's distinct Southern-ness. That is until one grows up anyway. Then, a formerly cute child's name becomes nothing but hick-speak to the rest of the world. "Bessie Joe!" Hello?

So as I aged, my parents did the proper thing and called me simply "Nikki." When I was about 8 to 12 years old, I was convinced it sounded Chinese. Of course, I was also equally convinced that Illinois was on the West Coast and I was going to marry Ricky Schroeder from a sitcom show similar to Richie Rich. It made just as much sense. So "Nikki" remained my name for many years, through college.

Then I started to prepare resumes as a first step into the "real" world. And it occurred to me that throughout my tenure at University, not one, but a few people had remarked to me on various occasions that "Nikki" sounded like a str*ippe*rs name. And that Prince (then the musician who later became the Artist Formerly Known As Prince but is now again Prince, I think) had written a not-so-flattering song about a girl name Nikki - who did unseemly things in a hotel lobby. HBO had a nice little series called "Nikki - Wild Dog Of The North." And HOW MANY times did I have to hear "Oh, Nikki, you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind, HEY Nikki" from the back of the bus in high school? Never mind that the original song was "Oh, MICKI." You get the picture.

I reasoned "Nicole" should head the top of my pretty new resumes. They had a cream marble texture. And cream marble just said "Nicole." Because of course, as a rookie in the jet set world of regular paychecks, selling my name naturally took precedence over selling actual, you know, skills. (Good thing it wasn't an actual sales job I was after.) "Nicole" stuck. I had to sign it now on a litany of documents I'd never before worried about when I was "Nikki." For this was my "legal" name. And you are required to use your "legal" name on all "legal" documents. That's fun for about a month or two before you realize that being "legal" really just means being responsible for your own finances. And for the Thursday night run to the pizza parlor for "Limit One Only" $3 large pizzas wearing a different hat and jacket at each 30 minute interval. Or maybe that was just me. Getting out on your own is glamorous, isn't it?

By now my employers, creditors, store clerks and anyone I befriended after graduating pretty much knew me as "Nicole." And to be honest, I've always like it better than "Nikki." So much more of a Western Hemisphere ring to it. Of course, my family still called me "Nikki." It's what they're used to. I figured I 'd spare them the agony (Well, maybe "agony" is too strong a word. Inconvenience maybe? Laughter at my expense?) of adopting another new moniker, as my cousin, my dad, and my brother had all also changed their names at some point. In fact, whenever one of my friends calls me "Nicole" in front of my family, I almost feel as if I have committed some sort of weird betrayal. But then I think, "Wait a minute! That IS my name. The one that YOU gave to me! I'll use it if I want to, by golly!"

So I did when I started this blog. It's up there in the right hand corner if you look really closely. (Of course, most bloggers still refer to me as "Mayhem," and that just makes me laugh! My hubby would probably agree with that!) Then as I started commenting on other blogs, I realized that Blogland is just crawling like cockroaches with "Nicole"s all over the place. (There is that darned negative connotation again!) For clarity, to separate which "Nicole" was commenting, I decided to once again sign with "Nikki." But now, I have found at least two more of THOSE, spelled the same way, commenting regularly on some of my favorite blogs. And you know what? The more the merrier!

SO..........

(Deep Breath)

All of this to say with complete sincerity in all that I can muster the answer to a question I'm asked almost daily.......

I really, truly, honestly, seriously mean it when I tell you that I don't care whether you call me "Nikki" or "Nicole" or "Nik" or even how you spell it. (I don't understand people getting offended when their name with 12 possible spellings gets misspelled! Good grief!) You can EVEN call me Late For Dinner! (If YOU cooked, that means I didn't have to, so hey, WHATEVER! Que sera, sera!)

Just don't call me "Nikki Sue." Or Bobbi Jo. Or Calamity Jane. (But MAYHEM is fine.) I'm too old. Especially today. Unless you're my Grandma. For some reason, when she says it, I feel like a little girl again in pigtails and freckles.

For everyone else, when I sign your blog, I'll probably be "Nicole" or "Mayhem," but I won't be Anonymous. I want my name to mean something. Even if it's "Hi, I'm CYBIL. There are nine of me!" :)

Doing Fine And Better

Hello! How is everybody? I trust that this wonderful holiday season finds you well. I know that my heart has been done a little good - to return to the Internet after several days without it to find so many well-wishes for our well-being. It was thoughtful of you and touching to me.

Our little family here weathered the storm just fine. We were without power for about 9 hours on Tuesday (but our Internet antennae just thawed yesterday), but consider that a mere glitch compared to the thousands that are now enduring day 9 without electricity, most of them now in shelters. Many of the kids' teachers have been showing up faithfully to work each day though they are among those thousands. I love our school. It is tight knit in the sense that when any teacher or family there suffers some big trial, everyone rallies to help. Many of our teachers were holed up with our school's families so they would have electricity to prepare themselves for the school day. We invited a good friend of mine who teachers there, but not my kids. Thankfully for her, though, her parents were close by and they had taken shelter there, where her kids were being thoroughly spoiled.

I found out that Target is a popular place to escape in a disaster. We headed there to do a little (and I mean LITTLE) Christmas shopping while the lights were out and we must have seen fully half the people we've ever met there. It was wonderful. Just exactly what Christmas should be. A bunch of familiar people with no electronics to distract them from the warm greetings of friends long not seen. Catching up over hot chocolate with cold icy snow falling outside and no extra money to spend. Just fellowship in a colorful store with smiling people and surprised "hello's" everywhere! I loved it.

My husband, not so much. He is one of those techno-obsessed people and I actually began to believe that you can literally DIE of irritation! He mentioned at least 20 times (and I am serious that I am not at all exaggerating that number!) that weatherman are pompous, arrogant overpaid idiots. And I don't always entirely disagree with that, but, I kept reminding him "we already knew that. So WHY do you let them get to you like that?"

Of course, I know why. He is frustrated at another week off of work. I must say, I don't think there are many families who wouldn't notice the strain of 9 unscheduled weeks off of work and we are certainly no exception to that. But I also MUST praise God that we have still eaten every meal and will still have a nice Christmas this year. There will not be nearly as many presents (and we've never gone overboard anyway to keep the focus where it should be on baby Jesus), but we feel blessed. Actually we feel like we're living a miracle. We don't have a clue how we've held on with so many weeks of bad weather this year, but God has been more than faithful. Especially to our employees, who tend to feel the pinch of a missed paycheck way worse than we do, and yet they have all been able to stay with us without seeking other employment. This has been a TREMENDOUS blessing because it is Greg's favorite, most capable, loyal and compatible crew he's ever had. So it's been like manna from heaven, these provisions that have come to us all without the pinpointed source of a steady income.

Thank you, Lord. And thank you friends for checking on us.

By the way, if you are wondering specific prayer requests for our area, there are still many families having to attend work and schools from crowded, not so private shelters because they are still without power. Also, fires have been a big issue because of faulty frozen heaters and carbon monoxide poisonings are pretty rampant due to people using generators to stay warm. Finally, there are a few school buildings have either burned down (most in poorer or rural areas) or have burst pipes that will take weeks to fix. This is an issue because many of the children who attend these schools having a single working parent who can not afford to stay home with them until school starts back. So please be in prayer for these families.

Sad and Tragic

I had just published my playful last post a minute ago when I backed out of blogger to find that an awful massacre happened today at a shopping mall in Omaha, Nebraska. I googled the location out of curiosity because my SIL and mom are returning to Omaha today from my niece's wonderful extended weekend with her family. It appears to be only two miles from their hospital on the very same highway. I have no reason to believe they were anywhere near the mall of course, but it just feels weird knowing that they have to return there today so close to something so tragic. Please pray for the victims of this horrific event. I can't imagine.

When God Serves Your Day On A Silver Platter

I thought it only right and fair that if I'm going to bring up the more frustrating days full of little pesky problems, then I should certainly also make it known when God has rocked my world in such a good way as well! Today had perfection interwoven through it like detailed needle point. You won't believe me, it went so smoothly.

First, I got up on time. And considering I went to bed 3 1/2 hours late last night and was very worried about being too groggy this morning, I popped right up. So did the kids. Well, O.K., but still we made it out the door on time. And it was a good hair day! No reason why. And that just makes it so much more special, ya know? Oh, admit it, you do. If you have any kind of estrogen coursing through your veins, you know exactly how shallow but thrilling that is!

And what wonderful timing. On my list of to-do's today was to get my car tags and driver's license renewed. Nothing like good hair on your driver's license to add icing to the cake. I had a class to teach mid day today and would have to divide up my chores on either side of it, so I decided to get the tags first. They expired in August and it is SO NOT LIKE me to let something go that long! But, for the past two years there's just not a whole lot that HAS gotten done in the organized fashion I prefer. In fact, I haven't even handled this chore for a couple of years because of switches in our business and signature requirements and other boring stuff like that. So, hubby has been pressing me for about week to do this, but I had no idea how long expired the tags actually were. I just dutifully went to the tag agency with the papers he handed me tucked neatly, un-read, inside my purse.

I sat down, the lady quickly filled everything out and requested the specified payment in a friendly tone. Only I realized I hadn't brought a business check. Normally, the amount for tags for two vehicles just simply wouldn't be in our personal account this late in the week, but wouldn't you know it, I had just made a bonus deposit for Christmas shopping the day before. And since we just "happen" to be doing our business accounting tonight, we can replace the Christmas money before the check even clears.

Now for the driver's license. After glancing it over, the nice woman looked at me with sweet sympathy instead of the subdued delight normal tag agency attendants seem to have when customers squirm. She reminded me of the new law about having to visit the DMV with an official birth certificate once you've let your license expire. I was sick the week before our trip to San Antonio and then I had just decided that our trip was more important, so I'd deal with the extra steps when I got back, which would be in December, four days after my license expired. No trouble I thought. One extra step that will be worth the extra day away on our trip. Until she warned me "you might want to try to go now before the schools let out. They all rush in at once to take their driver's tests and the wait tends to take hours."

Uuuuuuuuugh...........

But I had to go within walking distance of DMV for another of my listed errands anyway, so after my class I decided to run that errand, then pop in to ask the best time of day to return tomorrow.

ON MY WAY THERE, I got pulled over by the police!

Oh, nuts! I was thinking. What on earth?

"Ma'am, did you know your tag's expired - has been since August?"

(This is when I found out how long expired.)

I couldn't help it. I was smiling ear to ear. I must have looked like a poker player with no game face holding the ace of spades!

"Sir," I said. "I JUST now came from renewing my tag. I haven't even had a chance to pull over and put it on, yet."

"Well, I ran your tag. It's not even showing up on the computer. The tag agency puts that in when you renew it." He was all serious and authoritative.

"Yes sir. But I JUST pulled out of the parking lot from the tag agency within the last 10 minutes!" I was beaming like a little kid as I whipped out my tags, still stapled to the receipts with today's date in plain view.

He glanced - then WITHOUT asking for my driver's license gave a cheery and astonished "Welllllll then.....have a great day!" I don't think he could help but be tickled by my luck! The whole stop lasted less than 90 seconds.

When I got to DMV (less than a block away - ha ha ha ha ha!), there were only about 8 people in the waiting area and I still had about 45 minutes until my next appointment. I decided to take a number and just see how fast the line would move. Fifteen minutes later, my number was called and I went up. Most people were being asked to explain their situations, then being sent back to the waiting room to be called again. I figured I only had time to find out the best time to return later, then leave for the appointment. Nope. He handled everything I needed in record time. I was shocked!

A little aside here, but if you are a conspiracy theory type person, you would have been ALL OVER the new requirements for proving your U.S. citizenship and securing a basic driver's license. They scanned my face, my voice, both thumbprints, my right forefinger and my signature, plus had a notary public verify that it was indeed me who physically signed the paper swearing that I was aware that I was really born here! They EVEN pointed out that the 110 lbs. description put on my original license at age 16 - and never before questioned - needed to be ammended - with that guy beside me still listening!

Anyway, the guy beside me smirked "Dang, ya'll are really slammed today, huh?!" To which the guy completely mocked him with roaring laughter and deadpanned "Sir, you have no idea how lucky you got. We literally have had no shorter than a 2-3 hour wait at any time of the day from open to close for more than 5 weeks! We (pointing to his co-worker) were just wondering how the heck ya'll got so lucky!"

OH YEAH!!!!! Thank. YOU. God!

Okay, Okay, so I left there, went to my appointment and finally noticed my coat that I haven't needed but have looking for all day. I grabbed it, went in and returned 10 minutes later to discover that a fierce cold front had hit while I was inside! Can you believe all this because I STILL CAN'T!

I picked up the kids from school, then headed over to another tag agency, that JUST OPENED UP --- RIGHT BY OUR HOUSE --- THAT SOMEONE JUST TOLD ME ABOUT EARLIER THIS WEEK and sat down, good hair still rockin' to have my license picture made. The first one was awful because I winced for a sneeze at the moment it was snapped. And you know what? I didn't even have to embarrass myself asking. The nice man chirped helpfully all on his own "Oops! I think it looks fine, but if you want, I'd be happy to do it again." THEY NEVER DO THAT! I didn't even have to fake a smile because we were all laughing about the timing of the sneeze. And would you believe that when he handed me my new license, it touted my weight at 110 lbs.? He had followed my old license instead of the new form. Hee hee.

So, I walked out with a driver's license picture that I can actually show without shame. And that's a rarity I think. It's like basic rules of the universe. Driver's license pictures notoriously look like a mug shot on a rainy day and department store dressing room mirrors always make one look fatter with bad posture. It's how the world works.

On the way home, I was feeling celebratory and festive. I decided to pop into a little store we recently noticed, but never went to, just to check it out and see if there might be anything cute for Christmas.

JACKPOT!!!!!

All of their Christmas decor was marked down across the board, some to 50% off already. And it was good stuff, not cheap junk. Okay, I HAVE to tell you, I got the CUTEST, classiest little golden spiral hooks each encasing a red jewel for hanging ornaments. I didn't know they made such a thing! I can't wait to decorate now tomorrow. (Our pre-planned day anyway.) They're like tree jewelry!

Finally we got home (yes, this post is ALMOST over!) and you know what? I stepped out of the car to find my hubby putting up his Christmas lights outside. He has wanted and wanted to do that for two weeks and couldn't fit it in. I was so happy to find things working out for him too. I thought I would wait to share my day so I wouldn't interupt his concentration, but he greeted me with a story. "You are not going to believe this, but something happened today that has NEVER happened before! Supplies showed up four hours early today....."

"Oh no....." I tried to empathize. "I bet that messed up your schedule."

"No!" he beamed. "Because right before it happened another client called to cancel HIS job for the day, so I was just trying to figure out what I was going to do instead. And then since that one finished so early, I got to come home at 2:00 to start working on lights! Then, on the way home.........."

Really, God. THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us look up at your smile today!!! And thanks for knowing when we really need it!

An Oasis In The Midst Of Life's Little Annoyances

There have been a multitude of nondescript, unrelenting challenges going on around our household lately. Nothing huge. Nothing worth tears. Nothing that's so easy to pinpoint to a concerned listener, but a number of areas that just seemed destined for us to learn through failure, rather than triumph through perseverance. The perseverance is there. We, and especially our kids, are giving it our all. We can be very proud of them lately, and yet they are being challenged by unfairness and in other cases a real lack of grace and compassion over and over again. I hate to admit it, but these are the phases in life that I have the hardest time knowing how to deal with, even more than the big tragic events. Somehow, despite my knowledge of the simplicity of the Gospel, I still want to believe that if I or my husband or my kids have tried our hardest, then by golly our intentions should be rewarded with understanding from others. Of course I am sure I probably don't always extend the same understanding, especially when I perceive that someone's "hardest" isn't very impressive by my own standards - or when I'm particularly cranky and tired. Ha ha ha ha. God's probably having a good laugh at that one! Like my standards in any way compare to His capabilities! And then I'm reminded that this is just what life is. Growth through trials. And it is rather nice that they are minor for a while.

On a better note, for two glorious days (three if you count driving - and even that was pleasurable enough that I might as well), I got to finally go on a condensed version of the honeymoon we had planned almost 13 years ago, before my husband's father/best friend passed away 2 weeks before our wedding.

I could write a whole post just about the drive there. I haven't been back that close to where I spent my younger childhood since I was 16. And I never expected the rush of nostalgia that washed over me from the mere sight of palm trees and H-E-B grocery stores. We were traveling through the tropical night, listening to the best of the 70's on satellite radio (playlist is a sampling of what we heard) and it's like I was transported back in time to an era when my naivete was still wondrously intact. I could practically hear my brother and our neighborhood friends giggling as we filled up trash bags with water to sit in during the unrelenting heat of summer - 10 months out of the year. My head played movies of days at the beach and backyard parties with tan-skinned friends and bar-b-ques in our tight knit cul-de-sac, when gas was first outrageously priced, patriotism was at an all-time high and political correctness was almost nonexistent because mean people could say whatever they wanted and the rest of society was free to ostracize them for it. My anticipation for our trip was high, but only because I remembered the amenities of this beautiful city and knew they'd be perfect for a husband and wife all alone on an extended date. But the flood of recollections that came rushing back was a sweet surprise. What I found instead was an improved, more modern version of what had always been there, memories and all. I think my hubby might have even enjoyed seeing the "kid in me" that he's never known since we met later in adulthood.

San Antonio impressed my husband as much as I thought it might 13 years ago. I couldn't quite pinpoint exact hotels or areas where my parents had taken me when we visited there three decades ago. But things looked very familiar. And for two days, I had my husband's full undistracted attention. That NEVER happens! It was wonderful!!!

A part of me wants to post all the details, but I am contemplating right now how to proceed with this blog. It is, first and foremost for me, a journal for my kids to pass on the traditions and stories of their heritage for future generations. I honestly believe the art of family story telling is too close to dying in our fast paced society. And the computer aspect of it is what works for me. I could have kept a journal all those years before, but I didn't. And I do love the communication that takes place between myself and other bloggers. I've met a small but sincere group of people online that I honestly consider friends. However, my little site meter at the bottom has also provided me information that there is at least one lurker with some peculiar habits concerning their viewing here. Of course it only takes one bad citizen (not the word I'm actually thinking of) to spoil all the fun, but that's just how some people wanna play. So I'll not be quite as descriptive from henceforth on and so and so, but that will all get recorded as "Drafts" for my kiddos.

December will be a slow month for writing any way. Unfortunately the little "Problem Fairy" forgot to make a showing at our house to wisk away all those pesky annoyances we were able to fully escape for 30 fantastic hours. Hmmmmmm. That's funny. I know another Fairy who messed up her duties a couple of weeks ago and forgot for two nights to take that tooth away from under the pillow. Pathetic. It's a good thing my kids know all about Santa Clause. (But probably not so good that yesterday, my dear sweet daughter, in all innocence let it slip to her little friend that didn't.) What are you gonna do? That's just life, isn't it. Nothing a good palm tree can't fix. If I can make it back before a decade or two goes by. :0)