Just Stay Out Of It...famous last words!

You have to read my last post to understand this one. The plot thickens...I'm trying to stay out of it, but I think the Lord has some things to say...which have all been encouraging, but not for my sister. I haven't been able to talk to her...she won't answer my calls. We all know the darkness hates the light for the light reveals what's hiding in the darkness, and there's shame in the darkness.

I have some kind of genetic defect that causes me to want to fix all things that cause anxiety for me because I think that by fixing the problem the anxiety will disappear...but, when can we ever fix someone else's problems? NEVER! I know this and still I forget to remember it.

Thanks to a wonderful workshop at church this past weekend, I am encouraged about my walk with the Lord. I feel confident in who I am in Him. I am reminded to TALK TO HIM about all of this rather than myself. I just need to do some spiritual "vomiting." Those of you who were at the workshop know what that means...those of you who weren't, check out this link: www.saltandlightgroup.com and on the left, click on Freedom Workshop and download it to your computer or Mp3 and listen to it...it will change your life!

Head First Into Dark & Murky Waters

What better for my 100th post than to tell everyone...I've done it again. I jumped into the pool, with very little skills to save the person I'm trying to save. Where do I begin? First of all, God has given me the gift of compassion...I'm still trying to figure out the "gift" in this gift, because gifts are supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Mine doesn't. I often times find myself filled with tremendous anxiety because I am so filled with compassion for someone that I want to fix whatever their problem is and we all know...we can't fix anything.

So, my sister has seemingly (only my observation) decided that she wants to live the life of a single 23-year-old. Which is fine, except she's not single and she has a 6-year-old child. There are a lot of details which I won't bore you with, but the biggest and most devastating detail is that she has ended a long-term relationship with the father of her child, and he is just devastated.

I'm rootin' for the underdog here. I'm so upset with this whole situation. I'm struggling with the "active love" in this. She has a few single girls that are not being a good influence on her right now and the only voice she hears is theirs.

Larry would tell me not to get pulled in...well, I didn't get pulled in, I jumped in. Head first! Lord, help me...and her.

The Lord has blessed me with a bold voice to comfort my brother-in-law and counsel him in making decisions that will benefit him. See, I talk a good talk. I'm learning to walk the walk.

Now, That's Just Wrong

So, I had to have a "talk" with Sophie the other night about boogers. You see, Sophie picks and licks... I know, YUCK! Anyway, the other night she showed an interest in lickin' what someone else had picked...EWWWW! I never imagined that I would have to have a talk with one of my children that went like this:

Me: Sophie, NO! It's really disgusting to eat your own boogers, it's especially
disgusting to eat another person's.

Sophie: I like it.

Me: Sophie, do you understand mommy? You can only eat your boogers,
no other person's boogers.

Ok, this gets a real big, OH. MY. It's only just begun. What else? She's so stinkin' cute, but not. so. much. when she has her finger second-knuckle-deep in her nostril!

Don't Ya' Just Hate It When...

Yesterday I took the kids to the beach. The beach that is almost 2 hours away from our house. Yep! That's right. Me, in the car with my 3 kids for almost a total of 4 hours. It actually wasn't that bad. Did I just say that? Hmmmm. Maybe I'm getting accustomed to this whole selfless-mother thing. Nah!!! Just happened to have a relatively stable mental state yesterday.

Well, after lots of fun in the sun, (I'll post pics another time) I dropped the kids at their grandparents house, Noni & Bomas are babysitting for the next couple of days while I'm working. Then on the way home I decided to stop by the Marble Slab Creamery for a little sweet treat. I swear they pipe something through the ventilation system there that makes their waffle cones seem irresistible...I had one, it aint all that!

So, I'm driving in the car eating my double dark chocolate ice cream in the overrated "homemade" waffle cone, and about 2/3 of the way through my cone I notice a long, green, fuzz-like thread in my ice cream. UHHHGGG! Oh. My. Stinkin'. Word! Did I mention that the ice cream cone cost me $6? Yes, a $6 ice cream cone with some kind of weird green fuzz in the ice cream. Well, I wasn't about to throw my $6 ice cream cone away soooooooooo...

I pulled the weird green fuzz out and kept right on eating... It really wasn't that good, it's just that I paid $6!!! Sometimes I can be way too self indulgent, but to rationalize... a frappucino from Starbucks almost costs that much!

Anyway, the moral of the story is this... Don't pay $6 for an ice cream cone. I probably would have had a more satisfying experience with a fake-chocolate-dipped cone from DQ. Just Sayin'

Picture Day!

I absolutely loathe taking my 3 little darlings to the photo studio. They NEVER sit well together. They wiggle. They try to run away. There is not a threat or a bribe that works in my favor. I leave the studio feeling seriously frustrated and in need of some sort of mood-elevating medication.

This is why... don't you love the finger up the nose? Yeah well it's not so funny to me today. Maybe it's one of those things I'll look back at and laugh.

Well, today I awoke with the great idea to go to the photo studio for our annual picture-taking experience. Yes, history continues to repeat itself in this area of my life. Only this time I decided that we needed to have a family portrait taken since the last one we had was when Sophie was 4 months old. So, add a husband who also doesn't want to have his picture taken to the mix and...fun. fun. fun.

As usual we got great individual poses of the kids, but a picture of the 3 together? Not. So. Much. UHHGGG!!! We did get a decent famil shot. It's not great. The photographer could have noticed my hair was crazy on one side and fixed it! hmmmph! I shouldn't complain because at least everyone is sitting, smiling, and in focus.

Then comes the "pick your favorite poses" part of the session. I can't make a quick decision about anything involving photos...that' why I don't scrapbook. So, I ended up spending WAY too much money, but I only do this once a year and I do have 3 kids...can you tell I'm trying to make myself feel better about spending too much? I'm also giving the pics as Mother's Day gifts, so... I could go on and on.

Anyway, look at my beautiful family.

Oh yeah! Sophie loves pictures. Can't you tell? She is the only one of my kids who has ALWAYS cried and flipped out at the photo studio.

An 'Andy Rooney' Moment In The Frozen Foods Aisle

Andy Rooney is that older gentleman that rants and raves on the news program 60 Minutes. I found myself having an Andy Rooney moment in the frozen foods aisle at Wal-Mart on Sunday. I haven't bought ice cream in a while, and I have to say I was shocked that most half gallons of ice cream are not half gallons anymore. They are 1.5 quarts, or 1.75 quarts, but not 2 quarts. The price is the same, if not more, but the quantity of product is less! It's official, we're in big trouble, what is this world coming to? It's also official that I'm getting older...I remember hearing my parents and grandparents talk about "way back when..." Well, now I hear myself saying, "I remember when..." For instance I remember when the Plen-T-Pak of Juicy Fruit gum was $.49. Now, it's like $1.29 for a pack of gum! oh. my.