A Lil' Of This; A Dash O' That

I miss blogging.

There has been so much happen in our family the past few months that has changed and grown us both as individuals and as a family. I miss recording all of the ups and downs that are making us who we are at this very moment. Of course, giving up this habit temporarily has also allowed me to continue to be PRESENT for my family while I'm having to devote so much more time to other areas that I wasn't before. And it's paying off. I am so much happier and lighter this holiday season than I was last year. God has done great things and even the burdens I have been able to view mostly as worthy lessons.

Despite a failing economy, hard decisions, and a lot of tiring work - life is good. I hope to be able to write again about it all soon. And by soon, I mean maybe Spring. Things like my youngest son and I losing a tooth on the same day. (Hee hee - mine was a baby tooth that has no permanent underneath; his was from riding off the end of a drainage tunnel he didn't see - that's his 3rd tooth lost in 3 separate accidents. The neighbors were almost appalled at my sense of calm, but I'm just used to it. :) He is all boy for sure!)

We also took our first week-long vacation EVER as a family! We have NEVER had that many days off before. We drove to the top of Pike's Peek, my favorite spot on planet Earth!! (However, I did not DRIVE it last time! I just wish I could show you a picture of how DEATHLY TERRIFYING that is, but my hands were absolutely melded to the steering wheel and could not be pried off. Let's just say that it made coming back down the mountain with hot brakes and no low gear to speak of seem like a piece of cake!) And I'm not even afraid of heights. My fear is more about thin, unpaved roads with no guardrails and no peripheral vision because of the steepness of the incline. But anyway.......

Let's see. There was the lesson of letting go as my children mourned each of the 9 puppies we gave away. Many tears. Sweet hearts. And some joy at getting to be used to bless others and look upon their grateful faces. We kept the "second runt." (The one who grew the slowest, but not the one who was left alone at first because she was attached to the afterbirth. He is exceptionally smart!) Then we traded him for the big dumb lovable loaf that was promised to our next door neighbor because it just seemed to each of us that we had each other's dog. You know how you just know? So, officially our new black lab puppy (who weighs in at nearly 20 pounds already!) is heretofore known as "Sampson," because he's super strong and blind (not medically, he just misses a lot) and favored. We love him so much.

Also we've been to visit Focus On The Family and the Air Force Academy (my oldest was in fully-saturated Heaven!), praising God because we love our school SO MUCH, getting EXCITED about Christmas hoopla for the first time in 4 years!, cleaning out files we've waited to organize for 5 years! (YAAAAAY!!! I'm getting my life back!!), hosted my son's UTTERLY CRAZY AND ABSOLUTELY CHAOTIC "very best Birthday Party EVER!", visiting a WONDERFUL new church, doing consulting work and researching steps to begin a photography business, re-establishing several really old lost friendships, and I've been getting much closer to two women I previously only knew casually after I prayed and prayed and pleaded and begged God for a "Jonathan friend." There have been lower moments too, but today I'm feeling too hopeful to care to recount those.

So, I'll just get these out there because I thought they were so good and I don't want to forget:

Not sure where I read this but it certainly stuck -

"If the mountain was completely smooth, you couldn't climb it."

Good, huh?

And lastly, I heard today on the radio about a company CEO, who in the midst of the this economic mess, while other CEO's are having to relearn what's realistic in a recession (i.e. - driving a car as opposed to flying a private jet), did something entirely different. He chose to spend a big hunk of his company's regular advertising budget to air a national television ad that reminds us all to Love God and Love One Another. That's it. It doesn't even mention his products. We have long had a phrase in our home "People Over Projects" meaning to remember to stop your to-do list when someone else is hurting, even emotionally. It matters more. And after Black Friday's events at the New York Walmart, I guess this guy was really hurt by those events and decided to spend his ad budget to declare "People Over Product" as well. So, if you have to replace that old car battery because you can't afford to upgrade in this down turned economy, think about buying an INTERSTATE BATTERY from this CEO with a big ole' heart.

Have a Very Merry Wonderful Christmas and a warm Winter as well!