Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away from them,
and you have their shoes.

The load of a grade 2'er.

After trying on 50,000,000 pairs of shoes on... we chose these.


"This is me in grade two baby YEAH this is me in grade two!"

"She was a skater girl she said see ya later boy!"

"Uh mom, watch the road."

So there you have it folks, I had a child, blinked, then sent her off to grade 2. Her being super pumped to start this new year helps me be happy too, and only a little sad.

Things she's pumped about:

-having a "boy teacher"

-seeing all her friends

-having our neighbor from across the street in her class this year

-gym

-getting notes in her lunches from mommy

-her new skater shoes

My son:

-is reminding us how smart he is everyday

-loves to brush his teeth at the sink all by himself

-loves to jump on ma and da's bed

-loves to color on everything (except paper) including couches, walls, doors, sister's books and various belongings, and recently, Elishah's back and Isaiah's bedding.

-is turning TWO in 22 sleeps! Am already mentally preparing and planning!

My hubby:

-has been such a rock these last few hard weeks, how did I get to be lucky?

-washed 99.9% of the dishes while we awaited a new dishwasher (I say 99.9% because I washed dishes once, and I need to make mention of it, because it sucked.)

-loves me in the good and loves me extra in the bad

Me:

-still feeling much better

-excited about new seasons

-a little nervous, but ready to let go of what I need to, to receive the new things that are coming

Miscellaneous, but equally important:

-My daughter's dad and stepmom are expecting baby #2 in April!

-My mother-in-law is coming over to plant more strawberries in my planter (so that hopefully next year I get more than 6, 3 of those don't count as Daniel stomped on and squished them)

-I was able to meet Rebekah, Kim, and Angie on Tuesday! It was such a blessing to put faces and bodies to these blogs that have blessed me so much! I forgot my stupid camera, so I'll have to wait for my sis to send me the pics....... Sarah are you reading this?

-I am sick of doing NOTHING! And am ready to get my butt back in gear! Running, strength, getting up and ready in the mornings... Let's go people!

"I don't need a man to complete my life"

"I don't need a man to complete my life"

"I'm perfect the way the I am"

"I'm perfect the way that I am"

"and I hate Charles"

"and I hate Charles"

(-Drop dead fred-)

(the latest movie quote that kept me distracted last time we did the stairs)

Coming next...

"This, is my brother Ted, his wife Melissa, and their children, Anita Dianne and Nick. Over here, my brother Tommy, his wife Anzee, and their children, Anita, Dianne and Nick. Over here, my brother George, his wife Frida, and their children, Anita, Dianne and Nick, Tacki, Sophie, Carrie, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, uh, Nikki, and I, am Gus."

In other news...

1. Hi my name is... Slim Shady.

2. Never in my life have I... broken a bone.

3. The one person/people who can drive me nuts is... my mother. Mom are you reading this? I love you!

4. High School... sucked, big time.

5. When I'm nervous... I pick all the skin off around my nails, and when I'm done making them bleed, I pick at my lips.

6. The last time I cried was... yesterday .

7. If I were to get married right now my maid of honor/best man... My maid of honor was my sis.

8. My hair is... dyed back to dark brown, I tried making it till the end of summer as a blonde... I really really tried.

9. When I was 5... I was a psycho, ask my sis to show you her battle scars.

10. Last Christmas...was retarded, and I had a mental breakdown after all the chaos was over.

11. I should be... cleaning.

12. The craziest recent event was... my son keeping us up all night with a mysterious fever and a big huge fat lip from a big fall yesterday.

13. If I were a character on 'Friends' I'd be... probably Monica, anal, anal and more anal.

14. By this time next year... I will be sending a little girl off to grade THREE and planning a birthday party for a soon-to-be THREE year old! *shutter* time goes by fast enough, I don't wanna think that far ahead.

15. My current pet peeve... by current do you mean my entire life? Being interupted and having to repeat myself. Does this world not understand yet after all this time that it revolves around me??

16. I have a hard time understanding... compulsive liars. Have I said that already?

17. There's this girl I know who... Would be annoyed if I gossiped about her all over the internet.

18. You know I like you when... I say, "I like you."

19. If I won an award, the first person I would thank would be... my Lord and Savior, only I would mean it for real, not just say it to be cool.

20. Take my advice... There is a better life.

21. My ideal breakfast... Kashi Go Lean Crunch.

22. If you visited the place I was born... you would be weird, it's just a plain ol' hospital.

23. I plan to visit someone... later today, unannounced, uninvited, and expect them to make me coffee. Sarah are you reading this?

24. If you spend the night at my house... I would hope you leave by morning, I like my space (just kidding, you could stay till lunch)

25. I'd stop my wedding if... I was a crazy bridezilla and something didn't go my way, but, I wasn't one of those.

26. The world could do without... a heck of a lot of things.

27. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than... lick the belly of a cockroach. Ew!

28. Most recent thing I've bought myself... some jeans from Value Village.

29. Most recent thing someone else bought for me... a bottle of wine from my hubby.

30. My favorite blonde is... My sis.

31. My favorite brunette is... My daughter.

32. My favorite redhead is... I don't know any redheads.

33. My middle name is... Jeannine (Jeannie for Sarah)

34. This morning I... didn't shower until noon *blush*

35. Living things I would like to see flying besides birds are... People.

36. Once, at a bar... no comment, I don't go to bars.

37. Last night... I watched Friends.

38. There's this guy I know who... is amazing, and all mine!

39: I don't know... how many states there are... inside joke. No I do.

40. A better name for me would be... Laura. Don't you think?

41. My birthday is... October 18th.

42. What I really want for Valentine's Day is... nothing, I still think Valentine's Day is dumb.

43. I'm wearing... clothes.

Moving on....

I'm doing much better these days. God faithful and He is good. I have hope, hope that His plans for us are much greater, much brighter and much bigger than I know. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for my moms health.

And... please give a warm welcome to the newest addition to our kitchen,

Finally! A dishwasher! An answer to our prayers straight from heaven, God blessed us with this dishwasher, FOR FREE. You have no idea how amazing it feels to have my kitchen back. Such a weight has been lifted. I hate when things aren't in order. *insert big sigh of relief here*

Blessings, have an amazing day!

Us, us and us

"You're saying this isn't a face mask?"

"Oops! My bad."

The bestest kids in the world.

Us.

Us.

Us.

Us.


Sigh... my tebeebeeness.

These last weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. So much to take in and process. Everything in me wants to run away, and some days I did, and some days I do. I'm hating that I keep checking out, getting quiet, zoning out. This isn't like me, I wear my heart on my sleeve, I talk (and talk and talk and talk), and I'm supposed to feel better when I cry. So far, I'm just crying.

Life keeps on going, people keep on living, responsibilties keep on coming, and I just wish the world for stop for a sec, and let me breathe.

Please pray for my family as the Lord leads you. We are walking through some very hard times. I refuse to check out to the point of having no hope.... although, I am close. I feel very tired. I know my spirit needs rest, not sleep. I am thankful for the people in my life who are helping keep me awake.

In other news,

I washed a load yesterday, and mixed the colored's with the whites. *gasp* I was taught to think this was pure evil, and must never be done. I felt so rebellious and irreponsible placing the mixed clothes in the washer, and said a little prayer for protection as I turned it on. But here's the thing, I only had one load, and it was all done and put away so fast! Instead of waiting for there to be enough dirty clothes to fill two loads (and a husband politely asking, "honey? do I have any clean socks?") I just did one, and it was wonderful! My sis has been trying to convince me to do this forever. This may all seem silly to some, but laundry is forever rulling my life. Yesterday, I felt I won.

Something I needed to be reminded of today...

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This is God. Today I will be handling all of your problems for you. I do not need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you.

P.S. And, remember...
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME.
I love you.
xoxo

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

This morning, added to my list of things I can do:

Run 20 flights of stairs, 3 times

That's 60 baby!

Us: Infinity

Radisson: 0

Thanks for twisting my arm of steel Sarah, hopefully it gets good and rubbery soon. Love ya!

Was this worth the time it took?

3 things


3 things that scare me:

1. Scary movies


2. Feeling satisfied with mediocrity

3. The thought of having another baby. THERE! I said it....


3 people that make me laugh:

1. My hubby, who still knows how to make me laugh the same way he did when we dated

2. My sis, with whom I've shared some of my best laugh attacks with. Did I just say whom?


3. Anyone getting physically hurt. Yeah, I'm sick that way. Like the time I closed my hubby's hand in a sliding van door, or the time my sis slammed her foot in the back door, priceless



3 things I love:

1. Jesus, His unconditional love, His mercy and forgiveness, and the fact that I can come as I am


2. The rush I feel from eating well and exercising

3. My son joyfully jumping in his bed after he wakes up


3 things that I hate:

1. Yucky dirty germ and bacteria-filled disgusting public bathrooms


2. Washing dishes by hand

3. That I'm always late



3 things I don't understand:


1. Compulsive liars who lie for the sake of lying, and people who live their lives in secret. Why people? Why?


2. Anything to do with math, calculus, physics, chemistry, history.... pretty much anything they teach you in school


3. What my hubby is talking about half the time, but I smile and nod anyway


3 things on my floor:

1. My sons toys, that are slowly eating up my entire living room


2. My dishwasher, laying on it's side taken apart, because we were sick of the BLARING loud noise it made everytime we turned it on. Did I mention I hate washing dishes by hand?


3. Our new couches, who have recovered from the traumatic pen incident, with some therapy and medication



3 things I am doing right now:

1. Trying to finish this gosh-darn forsaken post, which has taken me days


2. Thinking of all the things we need to get done around here


3. Wasting time



3 things I want to do before I die:

1. Become more like the Proverbs 31 woman


2. See my children grow up to know and love the Lord


3. Become one of those cool old couples that young people look at and think, when I'm that old, I want to be like that


3 things I can do:

1. Write a song


2. Quote movies on command

3. Run up 20 flights of stairs, twice


3 things that describe my personality:

1. Emotional and sensitive


2. Sees things half empty, and likes to prepare for the worst


3. Can't handle the same thing for too long, needs change



3 things I think you should listen to:

1. ME! Because hey, it's my blog


2. Your parents. Yes, I think they may know a thing or two, and if you don't think so, stop being a punk!

3. The voice in your head that tells you you're better than this, because chances are, you are, and chances are, that's God


3 things I don't think you should listen to:

1. The other voice in your head that says you're not good enough, you're not worth anything, and you need to be, do or give something to receive real love

2. Country music

3. Country music. Really people, it's not even music


3 Favorite foods:

1. Crab and artichoke dip at 2nd Ave Grill


2. Shrimp, crab and scallops

3. Anything chicken, and chicken anything, my fave meat


3 beverages I drink regularly:

1. Coffee coffee and more coffee


2. Espresso, because we just got an espresso machine, and it turns out I wasn't getting enough caffeine in my system from the regular coffee


3. Crystal Light


3 shows I watch:

1. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE BABY!

2. Friends, Friends and more Friends. Episodes I've seen over and over still make me laugh

3. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE BABY!


No, it was not worth the time it took.