Life Doesn't STOP

Today was definately one of those days where I just wanted to crawl under some crisp,cold,clean sheets and waste the day away! THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN of course...but that desire got me thinking.

Sometimes my schedule just seems SO BUSY! Kids to raise, a husband to feed and love, friendships to invest in, upcoming block parties, Bible Study, Baby Showers, Baby Births, Mom's Club Stuff, Community Involvement/Activities, Magnet Orders to fill, new/upcoming Graphic Art Design work for WhichWich? , a LONG OVERDUE family vacation at the end of this month, Birthdays, Anniversaries (Oct.8th for us!), and it just goes ON AND ON AND ON!!!!! I don't know why, but I've been consumed by this stuff lately. Usually I just roll with it, pile it on and drive it home....I thrive on being busy and am depressed when I'm bored, but there are times when I need to call a TIME OUT!

I was talking to Chris tonight after Bible Study about juggling all of this stuff and it seems I don't have enough time in the day! Our circle of friends is bigger, our lives are fuller so OF COURSE that means there will be more activities to fill our days and weeks with. I guess it's just keeping it in perspective and sometimes when you're in the midst of being "overwhelmed" it's hard to do that. I have brief moments when I miss being bored, I miss my life being ONLY about me and my family . . . organizing my cabinets and drawers CONSTANTLY, cleaning closets, going through dresser drawers, rearranging furniture, working on lots of little household projects.

And then it HITS ME! I wasn't as fulfilled then, I didn't have those moments like tonight just hanging out with friends, drinking coffee, and chatting while holding a newborn (LOVE IT!), watching my husband has some meaningless guy conversation :o) and the kids all run around playing... NOW THAT'S WHAT LIVING IS. That's what LIFE is truly about. It's not about the seclusion or isolation (don't get me wrong, it's nice to have those kind of days), but about filling your plate. Filling it with things you enjoy, things that make you so excited to get up and go. The reality of course is that not EVERY DAY is going to be filled with things like that, LIFE ISN'T PERFECT, and I guess asking or expecting it to be easy is just selfish and unrealistic.

I have been listening to a couple people telling me about death of loved ones recently and they both have two totally different outlooks on it. One, "At least she is with Jesus, her life is now perfect and complete." and the other "It really is such a shame, she was so young and still had her whole life to live, kids to raise, a new life to start and it's over, just like that!". I have pondered both of these statements and truly have begun to stress out about life and what it means to really live.

Is it enjoying your husband, children, parents, brothers and sisters and throw a friend or two in the mix. Or is it adding more and more people to your circle of trust (sorry, had to throw that line in there,I LOVE Analyze This! HA!) and with that comes MORE AND MORE things to DO?! Which in turn leaves less and less time for ME. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . . . .
If I talk to anyone about it I already know what I'll hear, "It's a combination of both." and blah blah blah. Words are words, actions are actions. I've never taken directions/rules very well as you probably know. :o)

It's getting late and I still have to finish cleaning my bathroom for the company we have coming in town this weekend. It'll be so nice to see Chris spending this weekend with ALL 3 of his brothers, their wives and all 6 (plus one due any day) cousins . . . that brings joy to my heart!!!

Hope you all have a GREAT Labor Day Weekend!

but LOVE...

I saw this and just loved it so I wanted to share it with all of you...


BUT LOVE...

---

A house is a house is a house -
until love comes through the door, that is.

And love intuitively goes around sprinkling that special brand of angel dust
that transforms a house into a very special home for very special people:
your family.

Money, of course, can build a charming house,
but only love can furnish it with a feeling of home.

Duty can pack an adequate sack lunch,
but love may decide to tuck a little love note inside.

Money can provide a television set,
but love controls it and cares enough to say no
and take the guff that comes with it.

Obligation sends the children to bed on time,
but love tucks the covers in around their necks
and passes out kisses and hugs (even to teenagers!).

Obligation can cook a meal,
but love embellishes the table
with a potted ivy trailing around slender candles.

Duty writes many letters,
but love tucks a joke or a picture or a fresh stick of gum inside.

Compulsion keeps a sparkling house.
But love and prayer stand a better chance of producing a happy family.

Duty gets offended quickly if it isn't appreciated.
But love learns to laugh a lot
and to work for the sheer joy of doing it.

Obligation can pour a glass of milk,
but quite often love will add a little chocolate.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

Friendships . . .

I realized something yesterday while sitting alone in the waiting room with Adrianna waiting for one of my closest friends to deliver her 2nd baby girl . . . JUST HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO HAVE THE FRIENDS I DO.

Friendships are funny, relationships in general are funny. You can have a "friend" for years and not really even know them. At the same time, you can have a friend for months and know more about them than anyone else does. "CONNECTION" : that's really what it is. How you connect to one another, what each of you bring to one another's lives. I have learned alot living here in Texas for the past 5 years. I went from my mid 20's to starting my 30's here, from no children to two amazing babies, from having a husband that I loved so very much to now having a husband that I ADMIRE,RESPECT & ADORE more than ever, from having no friends or established relationships to having a handful of people I truly love like my own family. I NEVER thought 5 years ago as I sat in my new apartment crying and missing my friends that I worked on knowing and loving while I lived in Florida, that I would have people in my life that seem like they've always been there!

Yesterday made me realize how AMAZING life is...seeing a new life start literally from day 1 and the innocence in that touched me in a way that I cannot put into words. I hugged and kissed my sweet friend goodbye and felt nothing but LOVE. That's one thing I adore about her...I NEVER feel anything but love from her. She is one of those people who does nothing but give! When I met her a year ago she reminded me of my very best friend in Florida . . . her heart is pure, her words are genuine and she inspires me to be better, to grow, she is an encourager and a supporter. To be honest I have only met but two other people (besides Chris) who are the closest in my heart to me, one I talk to almost every morning and the other I rarely get the chance to talk to but it doesn't matter because she has a big chunk of my heart and we both know the love that we share as friends and nothing can change it.

What amazes me is that in almost the time it takes from conception to birth of a new child, I have found and grown a solid friendship. I am so thankful for the place I am today, the direction my life is going in, the new friendships I've developed and are continuing to develop, my growing relationship and discovery of God and all the amazing stuff that goes with that, that I am overflowing with JOY!

So thank you to ALL of my friends, old and new . . . EACH of you bring such happiness to my heart and joy to my soul!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

I'm BIG BIRD! LOL

Just a little something for some fun...I can't believe how spot on these results are, it's just too funny!!!!!

Your Score: Big Bird

You scored 81% Organization, 75% abstract, and 62% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

You are very organized, more abstract, and both introverted and extroverted.

Here is why are you Big Bird.

You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Big Bird is never sloppy and always under control... pretty good for a 6 year old bird living without a family.

You both are abstract thinkers. Big Bird is a dreamer who always wonders what the world is like. You definitely are not afraid to take chances in life. You only live once. You may notice others around you playing it safe, but you are more concerned with not compromising your desires, and getting everything you can out of life. This is a very romantic approach to life, but hopefully you are also grounded enough to get by.

You are both somewhat extroverted. Like Big Bird, you probably like to have some time to yourself, but you do appreciate spending time with your friends, and you aren't scared of social situations. Big Bird is always very comfortable around others, but he often prefers the quiet low-key presence that Snuffleupagus provides.

The other possible characters are
Oscar the Grouch
Bert
Snuffleupagus
Ernie
Elmo
Kermit the Frog
Grover
Cookie Monster
Guy Smiley
The Count

Hey, don't be a grouch! If you liked the test, let others know by rating it below. Feel free to vote for your favorite character too.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 93% on Organization

You scored higher than 95% on concrete-abstra

You scored higher than 46% on intro-extrovert

Some of My Favorite Quotes

Sometimes I'm a nerd and like to just search and read quotes from different people. There is something about the Wisdom from others' experiences that I admire . . .

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. ~George Washington Carver

One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade. ~Chinese Proverb

If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much.~Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.~John Adams

You can understand and relate to most people better if you look at them -- no matter how old or impressive they may be -- as if they are children. For most of us never really grow up or mature all that much -- we simply grow taller. O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we always are, whose needs are simple, whose daily life is still best described by fairy tales.~Leo Rosten

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.~Pablo Picasso

Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.~Anne Frank

Children make you want to start life over. ~Muhammad Ali

While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about.~Angela Schwindt

There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. ~Frank A. Clark

“Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes, they forgive them”~Oscar Wilde Irish Poet

Bringing Home Baby

Here are the two pics I have of the day I actually left the hospital with each of them. I will always be mad that nobody thought to put Christopher's cute little hat on to hide his giant head! I just had my stomach cut open for goodness sake, I couldn't think of EVERYTHING! :o)

I KNEW FROM DAY ONE THAT I CHOSE THE BEST DADDY I EVER COULD HAVE CHOSEN FOR MY CHILDREN... These pics aren't close ups of the cuties but just the moment the pics captured, melts my heart and warms my soul....I LOVE THIS MAN!


TOP IS ADRIANNA AND THE BOTTOM IS CHRISTOPHER

One of my very good friends is about to deliver baby girl #2 in a couple days and I can't help but remember those days leading up to the birth of my little angels! It truly is a miracle when you think about it. I remember how "unreal" it seemed the entire 41 weeks with Adrianna (lovely)and then being pregnant with Christopher, well that pregnancy totally flew since I of course had a 3 year old I was constantly after and worked part time waiting on tables till the end. I'm remembering two days before I got induced with Christopher I was walking around Walmart, very swollen feet and all, with my GIANT aching belly making sure I wasn't forgetting something. I walked aimlessly (well I should say "waddled aimlessly"), basically to probably keep busy and to find an "It's a boy" newborn cap. I couldn't find one ANYWHERE and it was one of those silly little things I forgot but COMPLETELY NEEDED,lol!

Here are some pics of that first day with both of them. My Cesarean experience was an emergency and a total nightmare after 16hours of hard labor with Adrianna. But my Cesarean with Christopher was literally a dream, the entire day couldn't have been more perfect or amazing! Something very strange about feeling tugging but no pain and seeing a baby being lifted over a sheet crying, gosh I get the chills just thinking about it . . . That is a moment I will remember the rest of my life! PURE JOY!

ADRIANNA BEFORE I EVEN SAW HERE (I was under General Anesth.and didn't experience/remember any of those first 2 hours post c-section)

ADRIANNA RIGHT AFTER HER BATH (still hadn't seen her yet, only daddy had the privelige of being by her side the entire time, you know he didn't leave her for a second!)

MY WONDERFUL DR. PULLING CHRISTOPHER OUT, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS QUITE AMAZING THE SECOND TIME AROUND SINCE I WAS AWAKE FOR THIS CSECTION!

CHRISTOPHER RIGHT AFTER THEY TOOK HIM OUT AND WIPED HIM OFF

CHRISTOPHER RIGHT AFTER HIS BATH

OUR FIRST DAY LEAVING THE HOSPITAL AS A FAMILY OF FOUR!