My poor camera battery is charging, and I am trying to soak in all that happened on our trip, to be able to put words to the pictures.
IT WAS AMAZING!!! It was actually frightening to think that we might have lived the rest of our lives without experiencing that breathtaking scenery that only God could create. The Lake District in England is a place that we could easily call home. Although we are glad to be back in our own beds again, we weren't ready to leave at all.
It was also a trip that enabled us to breathe deeply as a family and really reconnect and become close to one another again. We enjoyed one anothers company so much and began to remember what a blessing family is. You know that we all love the outdoors and the Lake District is just a mecca for the outdoor enthusiast.
I'll be back later with pictures and some journalling of the trip. We have arrived home feeling very blessed.
Cheers!
Melissa
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Queen is at home!
We just got back from a lovely dinner at the pub "The Horse and Groom". It is directly in front of the Queens castle in Windsor. And she's at home! We had an awesome dinner and Race and I have begun loading up on the Strongbow hard cider. We are all a bit jet lagged, but we are having an absolutely WONDERFUL time. We are looking forward to what the rest of our trip will bring.
Fashion report: Tons of tall boots and lots of BEAUTIFUL short, wool swing coats with awesome pleats, buttons, etc. I LOVE it!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Cheers!!!!
Fashion report: Tons of tall boots and lots of BEAUTIFUL short, wool swing coats with awesome pleats, buttons, etc. I LOVE it!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Cheers!!!!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Traveling with Race.......and Tom
Fixed "Baltimore" link....I think. GAH!
Traveling with Race is always great. One of the perks of his employment is that travel becomes second nature. He is completely undaunted by the things that would typically strike terror into my heart if left on my own. He is at ease, no matter where he goes. There isn’t anywhere on the planet that he could not adapt to. It doesn’t matter if he speaks the language or not, it doesn’t matter if he’s walking, driving, bicycling…..it just doesn’t matter. He is completely calm and at ease. He can always figure out where he is and where he’s going. He reads maps and GPS coordinates like he was reading the morning paper. I cannot tell you how wonderful this for me.
As most of you may remember, I am geographically retarded. Remember my trip to.Baltimore with the kids?? I’m serious people. I have a lot of strengths, but navigating while driving is NOT one of them. I get lost a LOT. This confounds Race completely. He cannot understand how I can’t get my bearings and figure out my general direction. I think it secretly terrifies him.
So, he got me a Tom Tom.
I LOVE my Tom Tom. He is wonderful. Tom Tom has saved me so many times. I do..I love him. His smooth face and rugged good looks are so confident. He always knows where we’re going, and he tells me when to turn and how far to go. And he does it all in his most relaxing British accent. He’s never terse or tense in his direction, just friendly and calm. And I love it when he says "take the motorway"....you know.....instead of highway?? I just love that. He’s changed my life. It’s almost as great as having Race driving me around everywhere. In some ways its better, because Tom Tom doesn’t sing loudly and he doesn’t give the peace sign as we drive by people we don’t know. Tom Tom can always find just the right place to eat nearby and he tells me where the next gas station is as soon as the fuel light comes on. It's really a beautiful relationship.
SO. While we will be tooling around the English countryside with Race behind the wheel, I will feel secure in the knowledge that I too could drive in the UK……….as long as I’ve got my Tom Tom by my side.
Oh Peace and Security………….thy name is Tom Tom.
Traveling with Race is always great. One of the perks of his employment is that travel becomes second nature. He is completely undaunted by the things that would typically strike terror into my heart if left on my own. He is at ease, no matter where he goes. There isn’t anywhere on the planet that he could not adapt to. It doesn’t matter if he speaks the language or not, it doesn’t matter if he’s walking, driving, bicycling…..it just doesn’t matter. He is completely calm and at ease. He can always figure out where he is and where he’s going. He reads maps and GPS coordinates like he was reading the morning paper. I cannot tell you how wonderful this for me.
As most of you may remember, I am geographically retarded. Remember my trip to.Baltimore with the kids?? I’m serious people. I have a lot of strengths, but navigating while driving is NOT one of them. I get lost a LOT. This confounds Race completely. He cannot understand how I can’t get my bearings and figure out my general direction. I think it secretly terrifies him.
So, he got me a Tom Tom.
I LOVE my Tom Tom. He is wonderful. Tom Tom has saved me so many times. I do..I love him. His smooth face and rugged good looks are so confident. He always knows where we’re going, and he tells me when to turn and how far to go. And he does it all in his most relaxing British accent. He’s never terse or tense in his direction, just friendly and calm. And I love it when he says "take the motorway"....you know.....instead of highway?? I just love that. He’s changed my life. It’s almost as great as having Race driving me around everywhere. In some ways its better, because Tom Tom doesn’t sing loudly and he doesn’t give the peace sign as we drive by people we don’t know. Tom Tom can always find just the right place to eat nearby and he tells me where the next gas station is as soon as the fuel light comes on. It's really a beautiful relationship.
SO. While we will be tooling around the English countryside with Race behind the wheel, I will feel secure in the knowledge that I too could drive in the UK……….as long as I’ve got my Tom Tom by my side.
Oh Peace and Security………….thy name is Tom Tom.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Bloody Brilliant!!!!
O.K. Enough with the LOVE stuff. NO MORE. Nada. Stop talking about it people. It's OVER. I'm not going to post about it anymore. Stop asking me. We're moving on.....
Y'all remember that a few years ago, we all went to London right? Well......we're headed back across the pond. But not to the big city this time. THIS TIME we are headed to the English countryside!
WOOP! WOOP!
We are packing a bit heavier than we did the last time around because we will be spending the majority of our time hiking in the English fells. We have to pack all of our waterproof gear, our down, our hikers.....everything. (This reminds me that I TOTALLY intend to shoot some video showing our whole cold weather system. It is the bomb! If it can keep ME warm and dry, then it's good for ANYBODY!
We will be driving, so we intend to pop into Scotland as well. Wait a minute.......WE?.. Race seems to think that I will be driving as well. Not bloody likely. But Austin will of course HAVE to drive. Even if it's just for a short distance. Because how cool would it be to be able to say that you had driven overseas at 16 years old?? Seriously....HOW COOL???
So, there is so much that we have to look forward to. I am looking forward to tea and scones. To Windsor Castle and seeing if the Queen is "at home". To driving through the Dales.(And PLEASE let there be cream teas...PLEASE) To late nights at some out-of-the-way- pub with Race. To hiking in some of the most beautiful countryside that exists in the world. I look forward to trying to use the phrase "arse over elbow"while I'm there. And I can go ahead and look forward to my youngest singing Queen's "We are the Champions" at the top of some Fell in the expansive English countryside...........................because he will. It's his thing right now.
Oh- and someone PLEASE remind me not to use the word "fanny" while I'm there. This is VERY important for the American traveler. It means a lady's ......ya know.........her front bits.
Y'all remember that a few years ago, we all went to London right? Well......we're headed back across the pond. But not to the big city this time. THIS TIME we are headed to the English countryside!WOOP! WOOP!
We are packing a bit heavier than we did the last time around because we will be spending the majority of our time hiking in the English fells. We have to pack all of our waterproof gear, our down, our hikers.....everything. (This reminds me that I TOTALLY intend to shoot some video showing our whole cold weather system. It is the bomb! If it can keep ME warm and dry, then it's good for ANYBODY!
We will be driving, so we intend to pop into Scotland as well. Wait a minute.......WE?.. Race seems to think that I will be driving as well. Not bloody likely. But Austin will of course HAVE to drive. Even if it's just for a short distance. Because how cool would it be to be able to say that you had driven overseas at 16 years old?? Seriously....HOW COOL???
So, there is so much that we have to look forward to. I am looking forward to tea and scones. To Windsor Castle and seeing if the Queen is "at home". To driving through the Dales.(And PLEASE let there be cream teas...PLEASE) To late nights at some out-of-the-way- pub with Race. To hiking in some of the most beautiful countryside that exists in the world. I look forward to trying to use the phrase "arse over elbow"while I'm there. And I can go ahead and look forward to my youngest singing Queen's "We are the Champions" at the top of some Fell in the expansive English countryside...........................because he will. It's his thing right now.
Oh- and someone PLEASE remind me not to use the word "fanny" while I'm there. This is VERY important for the American traveler. It means a lady's ......ya know.........her front bits. Yeah. I know.
I suppose that's why the whole "fanny pack" never really caught on over there.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
But seriously. Remind me.
We have a bit before we're off, so I'll be back.
Cheerio mates!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy V Day!
Added later today:
When I got this this morning, I thought that it was really good, and appropriate for Valentines Day. But later when I came back to read it again, I realized that some people might have taken this as a real downer. I think it actually could be read that way. Ya know, dry and unfeeling. Did you think it was deflating??? Or maybe too dry?? What were your thoughts? Did you roll your eyes? It's funny because my second reading just didn't hit me like the first one did.No one commented, so I am really curious. Did I post a stinker??? Let me know!
The Real Test of Love
By Elisabeth Elliot
It is not difficult to imagine, in certain moods and settings, that we love people. We may feel expansive and good-natured for a variety of reasons--our own good health or digestion, for example, or beautiful weather, comfortable circumstances, nice folks doing nice things for us. The Bible is a sword that cuts through mere sentiment. It tells us that the accurate test of our love for God's children is obedience to God. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments" (1 Jn 5:2 RSV). It is an objective test, not a subjective one. Love as the Bible defines it is perceptible through action rather than through mere feeling. It is not, as Eric Alexander of Scotland put it, a "glandular condition."
Much of the talk nowadays about loving one another is soupy and silly. It will not stand the biblical test. Love for people goes hand-in-hand with love for God--if you don't love the brother you see, how can you love the God you don't see? Loving God requires submission to his discipline--He rebukes, chastens, refines with fire, purifies by trial. Do we love Him enough to say yes to all that? Do we love others enough to encourage endurance in them?
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,Pure, unbounded Love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.(Charles Wesley)
When I got this this morning, I thought that it was really good, and appropriate for Valentines Day. But later when I came back to read it again, I realized that some people might have taken this as a real downer. I think it actually could be read that way. Ya know, dry and unfeeling. Did you think it was deflating??? Or maybe too dry?? What were your thoughts? Did you roll your eyes? It's funny because my second reading just didn't hit me like the first one did.No one commented, so I am really curious. Did I post a stinker??? Let me know!
The Real Test of Love
By Elisabeth Elliot
It is not difficult to imagine, in certain moods and settings, that we love people. We may feel expansive and good-natured for a variety of reasons--our own good health or digestion, for example, or beautiful weather, comfortable circumstances, nice folks doing nice things for us. The Bible is a sword that cuts through mere sentiment. It tells us that the accurate test of our love for God's children is obedience to God. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments" (1 Jn 5:2 RSV). It is an objective test, not a subjective one. Love as the Bible defines it is perceptible through action rather than through mere feeling. It is not, as Eric Alexander of Scotland put it, a "glandular condition."
Much of the talk nowadays about loving one another is soupy and silly. It will not stand the biblical test. Love for people goes hand-in-hand with love for God--if you don't love the brother you see, how can you love the God you don't see? Loving God requires submission to his discipline--He rebukes, chastens, refines with fire, purifies by trial. Do we love Him enough to say yes to all that? Do we love others enough to encourage endurance in them?
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,Pure, unbounded Love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.(Charles Wesley)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
SLAM DUNK LANEY!!
You were "Hungry Like A Wolf" girl!
And you are the winner!!!!
I am SO impressed!
Email me w/ your address so I can send the Bliss to your door.
I gotta tell ya, I thought that this would be a hard one.Y'all are better than I thought. But this was really so much fun for me.....I think that we MUST have more contests!!!! My brain is working feverishly on a plan.
In the meantime, I MUST get Janelle to guest blog about her night w/ Simon LeBon. Come to think of it, we MUST getThom to blog about it as well. She was the photographer/driver for this amazing night. And hey, just goes to show you. Don't give up on your dreams, man. I mean after all these years of faithful devotion........Wow. She's GOT to tell you the story.
Congrats Laney! Enjoy your silky smooth hands!
Cheers!
Melissa
*We are back home w/ our power back on(lap of luxury), but our phones are out.*(weak smile)
And you are the winner!!!!
I am SO impressed!
Email me w/ your address so I can send the Bliss to your door.
I gotta tell ya, I thought that this would be a hard one.Y'all are better than I thought. But this was really so much fun for me.....I think that we MUST have more contests!!!! My brain is working feverishly on a plan.
In the meantime, I MUST get Janelle to guest blog about her night w/ Simon LeBon. Come to think of it, we MUST getThom to blog about it as well. She was the photographer/driver for this amazing night. And hey, just goes to show you. Don't give up on your dreams, man. I mean after all these years of faithful devotion........Wow. She's GOT to tell you the story.
Congrats Laney! Enjoy your silky smooth hands!
Cheers!
Melissa
*We are back home w/ our power back on(lap of luxury), but our phones are out.*(weak smile)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Bliss Contest!
Complete Delight. Happiness. Absolute Pleasure. Ultimate, child-like Joy. That is the emotion represented in this picture.
But.....WHY??
The girl in this picture is a dear friend of mine, and I think it's probably the best photo that I've ever seen of her. But..........
WHO IS THIS GUY???
I mean this girl is about to come undone, here! Who could be so special?? Study her face. Her expression.She's wearing the perfect black coat.......hair EXTRA-glossy...... and she is positively BEAMING. Nothing ordinary here, folks.
WHO IS THIS GUY??
That's what you have to figure out.
The first person to comment with the correct name of the dashing man in this photo will win THIS:
I LOVE the "Bliss" line, and I love this cream.It's an awesome hand cream that can smooth even the roughest hands and make them soft, smooth, and youthful. Nice enough to shake hands with someone famous!
So C'mon all you 80's gals.....You can get this!
If you have already heard this story and know the answer, then of course don't answer, but you can still comment....... Just don't give it away!!
I can't wait to see if someone gets this right away or if it's gonna be tough.
I'm so excited!!!
Put on those 80's thinking caps and give it a whirl!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Friday, February 08, 2008
Catchin' up!
Well, my sister has started blogging again. As you may have guessed, her attentions have been elsewhere. As in....she has ....a guy. So, hopefully she's back. She's a much better writer than I am. Hey maybe her boyfriend can do a guest blog!!! Hey "G" if you're readin' this, you can always be a guest blogger here, man!
To myother sister Em: Hell yes, I'm up to the challenge!!! I will find you THE BEST haircut/color combo EVER. WOO-HOO!! Now, you just relax, and wipe away all those years of curling iron burns and winged hair that I gave you when we were growing up. I TOTALLY know what I'm doing. It's alllllll....Gooooodddd.
To Melora and Dy:
About the Chicken mummy. Yes, Yes, do the cornish hen. That's what we did the first time around, thanks to TWTM boards. It was MUCH easier and I think a bit faster. If you follow the directions in the book, it will work out beautifully and your kidlits will be happily wrapping their preserved,mummified chicken for elaborate burial in no time. It's beautiful. (O.K., not really. It's not beautiful at all, but the kids LOVE this and it really DOES cement ancient Egypt deeply into thier minds forever).
I really will post pictures.
O.K., CONTEST on Monday people. Get out your thinking caps cause I've got a mystery photo for you. You're gonna love this. I think it'll be hard, but I maybe wrong y'all might get it right off. I'm so curious! (excited squeal!!!) I can't wait!!!!Monday!
G'night!
Melissa
To myother sister Em: Hell yes, I'm up to the challenge!!! I will find you THE BEST haircut/color combo EVER. WOO-HOO!! Now, you just relax, and wipe away all those years of curling iron burns and winged hair that I gave you when we were growing up. I TOTALLY know what I'm doing. It's alllllll....Gooooodddd.
To Melora and Dy:
About the Chicken mummy. Yes, Yes, do the cornish hen. That's what we did the first time around, thanks to TWTM boards. It was MUCH easier and I think a bit faster. If you follow the directions in the book, it will work out beautifully and your kidlits will be happily wrapping their preserved,mummified chicken for elaborate burial in no time. It's beautiful. (O.K., not really. It's not beautiful at all, but the kids LOVE this and it really DOES cement ancient Egypt deeply into thier minds forever).
I really will post pictures.
O.K., CONTEST on Monday people. Get out your thinking caps cause I've got a mystery photo for you. You're gonna love this. I think it'll be hard, but I maybe wrong y'all might get it right off. I'm so curious! (excited squeal!!!) I can't wait!!!!Monday!
G'night!
Melissa
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Night Out and the Chicken Mummy and bad hair
Race and Savannah just left for dinner out tonight. Her dad takes her out every year to celebrate her birthday. It has become something that they both really look forward to. I am really glad that he is the kind of guy who really "gets it" that his little girl is growing up. He really enjoys spending that time just with her and realizes how important it all is. I know that doesn't come naturally to many men and I just love that about him.(gush)
Jackson decided that he simply could not feel complete as a human being if he did not get to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings and create the dreaded..................CHICKEN MUMMY. For those who homeschool classically using The Story of The World for history, you know that the chicken mummy involves actually taking a real chicken carcass and preserving it for all eternity using the Egyptian methods of embalming. For those of you who DON'T homeschool......well.....this could be one more reason why you don't.
The last Chicken Mummy that we did, when the other 2 were about 10 and 8 was wildly successful, and I must admit that seeing the old, dry, shriveled up carcass left us all in awe of the Egyptians once again. I mean...........it REALLY works, man. It was simultaneously cool and gross all at the same time. And I swore I'd never do it again. It takes 4+weeks. BUT......here we are......2 weeks in, with a raw chicken being embalmed in laundry area. That should score us alot of freak points, huh? Oh, c'mon you KNOW you're curious................I'll get pics up soon.
I've got lots more to share. We have some exciting plans coming up that I can't wait to tell you about, and there's that contest thing I'm working on. I don't really know how to do this, but it'll be fun and the prize will be something girly from http://www.sephora.com/ , one of my all time favorite places to shop!!
Cheers!
Melissa
P.S. It was a good thing that I took that pic of my hair LAST night, after Jennifer The Hair Wizard had styled it, because after MY styling job today, I look more like a 10 yr old boy from a Charles Dickenson era novel. Only with boobs. Not attractive, my friends. Not attractive. I've gotta work w/ this one a little.
Jackson decided that he simply could not feel complete as a human being if he did not get to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings and create the dreaded..................CHICKEN MUMMY. For those who homeschool classically using The Story of The World for history, you know that the chicken mummy involves actually taking a real chicken carcass and preserving it for all eternity using the Egyptian methods of embalming. For those of you who DON'T homeschool......well.....this could be one more reason why you don't.
The last Chicken Mummy that we did, when the other 2 were about 10 and 8 was wildly successful, and I must admit that seeing the old, dry, shriveled up carcass left us all in awe of the Egyptians once again. I mean...........it REALLY works, man. It was simultaneously cool and gross all at the same time. And I swore I'd never do it again. It takes 4+weeks. BUT......here we are......2 weeks in, with a raw chicken being embalmed in laundry area. That should score us alot of freak points, huh? Oh, c'mon you KNOW you're curious................I'll get pics up soon.
I've got lots more to share. We have some exciting plans coming up that I can't wait to tell you about, and there's that contest thing I'm working on. I don't really know how to do this, but it'll be fun and the prize will be something girly from http://www.sephora.com/ , one of my all time favorite places to shop!!
Cheers!
Melissa
P.S. It was a good thing that I took that pic of my hair LAST night, after Jennifer The Hair Wizard had styled it, because after MY styling job today, I look more like a 10 yr old boy from a Charles Dickenson era novel. Only with boobs. Not attractive, my friends. Not attractive. I've gotta work w/ this one a little.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
We....Just...Couldn't ...Do..It.......
We just couldn't get in the car and go running around to all the usual activities. The errands, the various MMA classes......we....just...couldn't. It was too nice outside. It was GORGEOUS out today! It made me want to run around and examine all the bulbs beginning to poke out of the ground and look for little patches of green everywhere.
We DID have a really good day today.
The kids trudged through school today and managed to finish up the last page of Chemistry by 2:00 pm. Then it was ALL OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME. It was nature walking and photographing, it was baseball playing and basketball playing. It was fort building (the never-ending fort) and fetch-playing, it was creek wading and crawdad catching.It was tree climbing and nerf gun fighting. All snacks and drinks were served up outside. And looking back at this list, my kids sure can pack a lot into one afternoon!! But it was just a wonderful day.
Today was also Hair Day for me. As long as I have blonde hair, I am an "every-four-week-girl" at the salon. I crept in today with a wide headband covering my dark roots. I smuggled in my printed off copy of K#tie H0lmes.
Now, this next picture reveals several things. First of all it is an impossible task for one to take a serious picture os ones self in the ten minute window that the author of this blog is given whilst fixing up dinner for the carnivorous horde that I like to call my family. Secondly, it shows...um.....I dunno....what's the right word?......"confidence"? No that's not right.....But well it shows somethin' for ANYONE to post their own photo alongside of K#tie H0lmes' for comparison. Doesn't she look stunning? But it also shows a pretty darn good hair cut. Probably not my favorite, but definitely what I asked for.
We DID have a really good day today.
The kids trudged through school today and managed to finish up the last page of Chemistry by 2:00 pm. Then it was ALL OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME. It was nature walking and photographing, it was baseball playing and basketball playing. It was fort building (the never-ending fort) and fetch-playing, it was creek wading and crawdad catching.It was tree climbing and nerf gun fighting. All snacks and drinks were served up outside. And looking back at this list, my kids sure can pack a lot into one afternoon!! But it was just a wonderful day.
Today was also Hair Day for me. As long as I have blonde hair, I am an "every-four-week-girl" at the salon. I crept in today with a wide headband covering my dark roots. I smuggled in my printed off copy of K#tie H0lmes.
Now, this next picture reveals several things. First of all it is an impossible task for one to take a serious picture os ones self in the ten minute window that the author of this blog is given whilst fixing up dinner for the carnivorous horde that I like to call my family. Secondly, it shows...um.....I dunno....what's the right word?......"confidence"? No that's not right.....But well it shows somethin' for ANYONE to post their own photo alongside of K#tie H0lmes' for comparison. Doesn't she look stunning? But it also shows a pretty darn good hair cut. Probably not my favorite, but definitely what I asked for.
So all in all..............it was a GREAT DAY!!
Stay tuned this week, because I've got an idea for a contest.........With a PRIZE! It'll be fun! Be there or be square, man.
Cheers!
Melissa
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Gratuitous Kid Pictures!
My family is growing up so fast!
All photos are, of course, done by my sister Thomasina.
All photos are, of course, done by my sister Thomasina.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Just Joy. Just blissful joy.Big smiles,.. lots of em'.(Huge, deep sigh)
I think that we might be getting better at this.;-)
Having Race at home has been so incredibly relaxing. For BOTH of us. I think that as a family, we are definitely learning how to live this life better. And that's pretty big stuff, because for the record, I don't know ANY other family who is living this way.I am sure that they are out there somewhere, but I doubt that we'll ever meet. So we are pretty much wingin' it here. And I'm feeling pretty darn great about it!
This is for Dy:
When we brought Race home,the first thing that happened was the kids ran around in breathless circles trying to grab dad's arm and pull him to their room first. They were so excited to show him their gifts, rewards, and acheivements. It was great. And even though Race was fighting unbelievable jet lag, he was patient and enthusiastic with each of the kids. Right after that we had our second Christmas. The tree was still up, we put on a little Harry Connick Jr (my choice, of course) and all gathered around and handed Race the gifts that each of us had chosen for him. It was really sweet to watch the pure joy on the face of each kid as dad opened their gift. He was moved by the generosity and thoughtfulness of his kids.
After he had been home about a week, he and I took off for our little getaway. This was PERFECT timing. Jet lag was still very much an issue, so to get away and relax, eat, and hike in the outdoors was the perfect remedy.
We could walk to dinner each night, which probably increased the general wine consumption. ANd the meals were 5 star-incredible! Each meal was beautifully presented with so many flavors in each entree that it just made your mouth happy. And all this in a resturant that had 12 tables....................and you could wear jeans. Heaven.
When we went to hike, we had a bit of trouble finding the trail head.(O.K.-scratch that- *I* had trouble. ONE of us could actually READ a topo-map) When we got to the trail head..........it was a solid sheet of ICE. The whole mountain was covered in about 3 inches of snow that had been iced over. The temp at the trail head was 34 degrees. She wasn't going to get warmer as we went up!
*As an aside, I must say that once again, RACE KNOWS GEAR. My stuff held up so well that I couldn't believe it. I wasn't ever cold. Not even once. Even my feet were warm and dry. Remind me to tell you the whole set up that I have. It REALLY makes the difference in being able to ENJOY the great outdoors.*
We decided to give it a try and just go as far as we could. Without cramp-ons and actual picks there was NO WAY that we would be able to do the scrambling, but we figured we'd go as far as we could.
We started off:
I didn't fall until I had gone at least 3 feet. Yeah. That ice? That's hard to walk on. We decided to walk to the side of the trail. Each and every step had to be planned out because you couldn't tell what was hard,crumbly snow, and what was hard as glass ICE. Up we went.
The further we went, the smaller the icy trail became, and the overlooks were becoming treacherous. We never saw another soul, and the woods were snow covered and beautiful.....and totallyserene and quiet. After going up over 2000 feet we decided to head back down. It was taking us so long to climb, that we had to start back down. We didn't want to be stuck on that icy mountain in the dark .
I was a little dissapointed that we couldn't go to the top, but I was also relieved when Race thought we'd better head back down. We had both slipped several times, and the overhangs were starting to look pretty scary.
We got back down using switch-backs, which were much softer and less treacherous. When we got to the bottom, we pulled out the sandwiches that we had gotten at the local bakery. We sat and ate and enjoyed the surroundings. We also shared our lunch with the local "trail dog" who hangs out there looking for hikers just like us. It was really just such a wonderful time. I didn't get many pictures............mostly because I was concentrating on not splatting myself face-down on the ice. But the few that I did get help to show the icy trail.
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Thanks for checking back in on us. Race has Austin at Scouts tonight, so I am enjoying a little computer time!
I think that we might be getting better at this.;-)
Having Race at home has been so incredibly relaxing. For BOTH of us. I think that as a family, we are definitely learning how to live this life better. And that's pretty big stuff, because for the record, I don't know ANY other family who is living this way.I am sure that they are out there somewhere, but I doubt that we'll ever meet. So we are pretty much wingin' it here. And I'm feeling pretty darn great about it!
This is for Dy:
When we brought Race home,the first thing that happened was the kids ran around in breathless circles trying to grab dad's arm and pull him to their room first. They were so excited to show him their gifts, rewards, and acheivements. It was great. And even though Race was fighting unbelievable jet lag, he was patient and enthusiastic with each of the kids. Right after that we had our second Christmas. The tree was still up, we put on a little Harry Connick Jr (my choice, of course) and all gathered around and handed Race the gifts that each of us had chosen for him. It was really sweet to watch the pure joy on the face of each kid as dad opened their gift. He was moved by the generosity and thoughtfulness of his kids.
After he had been home about a week, he and I took off for our little getaway. This was PERFECT timing. Jet lag was still very much an issue, so to get away and relax, eat, and hike in the outdoors was the perfect remedy.
We could walk to dinner each night, which probably increased the general wine consumption. ANd the meals were 5 star-incredible! Each meal was beautifully presented with so many flavors in each entree that it just made your mouth happy. And all this in a resturant that had 12 tables....................and you could wear jeans. Heaven.
When we went to hike, we had a bit of trouble finding the trail head.(O.K.-scratch that- *I* had trouble. ONE of us could actually READ a topo-map) When we got to the trail head..........it was a solid sheet of ICE. The whole mountain was covered in about 3 inches of snow that had been iced over. The temp at the trail head was 34 degrees. She wasn't going to get warmer as we went up!
*As an aside, I must say that once again, RACE KNOWS GEAR. My stuff held up so well that I couldn't believe it. I wasn't ever cold. Not even once. Even my feet were warm and dry. Remind me to tell you the whole set up that I have. It REALLY makes the difference in being able to ENJOY the great outdoors.*
We decided to give it a try and just go as far as we could. Without cramp-ons and actual picks there was NO WAY that we would be able to do the scrambling, but we figured we'd go as far as we could.
We started off:
I didn't fall until I had gone at least 3 feet. Yeah. That ice? That's hard to walk on. We decided to walk to the side of the trail. Each and every step had to be planned out because you couldn't tell what was hard,crumbly snow, and what was hard as glass ICE. Up we went.
The further we went, the smaller the icy trail became, and the overlooks were becoming treacherous. We never saw another soul, and the woods were snow covered and beautiful.....and totallyserene and quiet. After going up over 2000 feet we decided to head back down. It was taking us so long to climb, that we had to start back down. We didn't want to be stuck on that icy mountain in the dark .
I was a little dissapointed that we couldn't go to the top, but I was also relieved when Race thought we'd better head back down. We had both slipped several times, and the overhangs were starting to look pretty scary.
We got back down using switch-backs, which were much softer and less treacherous. When we got to the bottom, we pulled out the sandwiches that we had gotten at the local bakery. We sat and ate and enjoyed the surroundings. We also shared our lunch with the local "trail dog" who hangs out there looking for hikers just like us. It was really just such a wonderful time. I didn't get many pictures............mostly because I was concentrating on not splatting myself face-down on the ice. But the few that I did get help to show the icy trail.
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Thanks for checking back in on us. Race has Austin at Scouts tonight, so I am enjoying a little computer time!Cheers!
Melissa
Happy 14th Birthday Savannah!!
Happy Birthday Savannah. We had a great day yesterday celebrating Savannah's birthday. We made homemade pizzas and Aunt Thomasina came over for dinner and the present opening. She got alot of art stuff. A table top easle, paints, new brushes, new canvases, etc. But her big gift was a Canon EUS D-60. This was ULTRA SPECIAL because it not only gives her the ability to take artistic photos and then enhance them further on Photo Shop, but this camera was also Aunt Thomasina's first professional digital camera. She was THRILLED. After pizza, cake and present opening, we were treated to a concert featuring the kids bringing out the kareoke machine and keeping us entertained with all the latest Blake Lewis songs. It was a great day! And I can't believe that my little girl is 14. I have a feeling that Herriott (Savanna's cat) will be the most photographed cat in the world for awhile.
O.k, O.k, REALLY Quick.............
I just GOTTA tell you.......this. is. GREAT!!
We drove up into the mountains this afternoon for a little getaway. A little time to unwind and relax. I wanted to help Race get back in the right time zone and get used to the slower pace that coming home brings.This is really perfect.
I just dropped him off up the road about a mile for a deep tissue massage.
So here I sit. In THIS lovely living room. There is a fire in the stove. There was already a cd in the player, so I hit the play button and the most wonderful soft jazz music started playing throughout the house. Ahhhhhhhh.............So, here I am. In this living room....
We drove up into the mountains this afternoon for a little getaway. A little time to unwind and relax. I wanted to help Race get back in the right time zone and get used to the slower pace that coming home brings.This is really perfect.
I just dropped him off up the road about a mile for a deep tissue massage.
So here I sit. In THIS lovely living room. There is a fire in the stove. There was already a cd in the player, so I hit the play button and the most wonderful soft jazz music started playing throughout the house. Ahhhhhhhh.............So, here I am. In this living room....
In THIS house.
In THIS little town. We have dinner reservations at this little restaurant tonight. It's right across the street.
And TOMORROW. We climb THIS.
It is all absolutely perfect!! (excited squeal!!!!!) I just had to tell you.
Oooops, times up! Gotta go pick up a more relaxed Race!!
I'll pop back with hiking pictures in a few days.
Cheers!
Melissa
Saturday, January 19, 2008
WOO-HOO!!!! Race is Home!
He is home safe and sound and we are so very thankful.
First it's like this joyous reunion with sqeals and yells and hugs and kisses and lots more hugs. And then we all just kind of sit around and smile really big and stare at him for awhile. (Probably a tad creepy for the recipient, but he doesn't seem to mind, cause he's smiling really big right back at us.) After all the initial marti-grah-like hooplah and then all the smiling and staring are over, we all just sort of fall back in step. It is such a wonderful feeling. We are all so much more relaxed. We all have so much to share about with each other. So much wonderful catching up. And my work-out partner is back! Oh- and we had a second Christmas, too!! It's just all so great!
I'll be back every week to post an update, or some pictures, but for the most part we are going to just wallow around in all this family time.So, I won't be posting as much as usual.
We are excitedly making some big plans together so I'll keep you posted as they develop.
Thanks so much to everyone who keeps us in your thoughts and prayers. We really do feel your prayers for us.
O.K., I'm going to go soak up some Race-time.
Cheers!
Melissa
First it's like this joyous reunion with sqeals and yells and hugs and kisses and lots more hugs. And then we all just kind of sit around and smile really big and stare at him for awhile. (Probably a tad creepy for the recipient, but he doesn't seem to mind, cause he's smiling really big right back at us.) After all the initial marti-grah-like hooplah and then all the smiling and staring are over, we all just sort of fall back in step. It is such a wonderful feeling. We are all so much more relaxed. We all have so much to share about with each other. So much wonderful catching up. And my work-out partner is back! Oh- and we had a second Christmas, too!! It's just all so great!
I'll be back every week to post an update, or some pictures, but for the most part we are going to just wallow around in all this family time.So, I won't be posting as much as usual.
We are excitedly making some big plans together so I'll keep you posted as they develop.
Thanks so much to everyone who keeps us in your thoughts and prayers. We really do feel your prayers for us.
O.K., I'm going to go soak up some Race-time.
Cheers!
Melissa
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Good day.......but with squirrel guts
A good day for us right now, is one in which we are able to be productive and not give in to the temptation to just sit down and not move until Race walks through that door. We are still waiting.
Today was a good day.
We got lessons done and some general cleaning. I made a huge grocery haul and got things put away and half-way straight in the pantry and fridge. I had a KILLER work-out today, which is always a big tension reliever for me.
Jack had a cool thing happen. Y'all know that we live in the sticks, right?
Jack was headed down to work on his fort in the woods behind our house. He and Scout (one of our chocolate labs) were running fast down the hill. Scout takes off in another direction and within seconds has a freshly killed squirrel in his mouth. Now, Jack knew that there was NO WAY he had killed the squirrel. Our dogs are labs, and don't kill and eat stuff. All of a sudden he heard something directly above him, and there, above his head and just a few yards from the ground, was a HUGE hawk. Apparently they had interrupted the hawk just as he had killed the squirrel and was about to have lunch. He was hanging out to see if they were going to leave. But within seconds, he knew he had been robbed, and spread his giant wings and flew off. Pretty cool.
Scout spent the remainder of the day tossing the squirrel up into the air with a toss of his head and then going after it, as if it were trying to get away.Over and over. You can imagine that this became difficult to watch by late in the afternoon. At that point he picked up on a new game. He would try to get the KIDS to play with the dead squirrel.Yes, Yes...that would be fun. So, he would chase the kids about, happily trying to share his newfound toy, all while they went screaming in all directions afraid that squirrel guts would land on them. Ahhhhhh.........good stuff.
We had martial arts this evening and when we got home, I made a big pot of Cream of Potato and Sausage soup with multi-grain rolls. It totally hit the spot. (I used turkey sausage to cut the fat.)
Tonight we tried to watch American Idol, but we really weren't thrilled. And seriously, after American Gladiator Monday it was bound to be a let-down.
Have a good night!
Melissa
Today was a good day.
We got lessons done and some general cleaning. I made a huge grocery haul and got things put away and half-way straight in the pantry and fridge. I had a KILLER work-out today, which is always a big tension reliever for me.
Jack had a cool thing happen. Y'all know that we live in the sticks, right?
Jack was headed down to work on his fort in the woods behind our house. He and Scout (one of our chocolate labs) were running fast down the hill. Scout takes off in another direction and within seconds has a freshly killed squirrel in his mouth. Now, Jack knew that there was NO WAY he had killed the squirrel. Our dogs are labs, and don't kill and eat stuff. All of a sudden he heard something directly above him, and there, above his head and just a few yards from the ground, was a HUGE hawk. Apparently they had interrupted the hawk just as he had killed the squirrel and was about to have lunch. He was hanging out to see if they were going to leave. But within seconds, he knew he had been robbed, and spread his giant wings and flew off. Pretty cool.
Scout spent the remainder of the day tossing the squirrel up into the air with a toss of his head and then going after it, as if it were trying to get away.Over and over. You can imagine that this became difficult to watch by late in the afternoon. At that point he picked up on a new game. He would try to get the KIDS to play with the dead squirrel.Yes, Yes...that would be fun. So, he would chase the kids about, happily trying to share his newfound toy, all while they went screaming in all directions afraid that squirrel guts would land on them. Ahhhhhh.........good stuff.
We had martial arts this evening and when we got home, I made a big pot of Cream of Potato and Sausage soup with multi-grain rolls. It totally hit the spot. (I used turkey sausage to cut the fat.)
Tonight we tried to watch American Idol, but we really weren't thrilled. And seriously, after American Gladiator Monday it was bound to be a let-down.
Have a good night!
Melissa
Monday, January 14, 2008
Love
I found this picture.
This picture has a story to tell. Actually, it has many stories to tell. ANd the stories aren't what you might think. "How to Look Like a Snob"? No, that's not it. "How to walk while holding onto a lamp post?" No, no. These stories are all about LOVE.
You see, this was who I was when I first started dating Race. This was me. Oh, yes this picture screams LOVE in so many ways.
First of all: those Ray Ban's. I bought those with my very first paycheck that DIDN'T come from my dad. My WHOLE paycheck. This was the only love affair I ever had with a pair of sunglasses. And it lasted 5 years, until they finally commit ed suicide by just up and snapping into 2 pieces. I was devastated.
Secondly, I LOVED that outfit. It was pale pink and was a medium knit. It cost another couple of paychecks. But the absolute defining piece of the whole thing was that attached belt trim on the bottom. It was made of black, soft, Italian leather. I would always wear the sheerest, soft black hose and a pair of black leather pumps with kitten heels. I.LOVED. THAT. OUTFIT. Now of course this was the 80's and the giant shoulder pad was very in. So, I had obviously hopped on that ship. But seriously, take out the pads and you could wear that outfit, today man. Classic.
Now this picture also reminds me of another love that I had when this picture was taken. Ahhh..yes....his name was Mr. American Express. My dad had introduced us, not knowing the hold that Mr. AmEx would immediately take on my heart. With HIM, I could do ANYTHING. Mr. AmEx never said no. No, he didn't. He and I ate lunch out with friends, we skipped class to shop for clothes, and we ordered take out from the dorm instead of eating in the nasty cafeteria. Oh.....we were so in love. So right for each other. But eventually my dad ended it between us. He forbid me to EVER see Mr. AmEx again. It changed my life.
And in my defense, both of my sisters dated him, too and I'm pretty sure that at least one of them went farther with him than I did. I mean, I'm just sayin'.
So, as I said, this is WHO I WAS when Race and I began dating. We began seriously dating in September and we were engaged by that Christmas. Now, here's where the other story comes in. I had been living a somewhat privileged lifestyle, as I've mentioned. College paid for, car paid for,overseas travel, spending money taken care of...(though I DID have to get a job after Mr. AmEx and I were torn apart). ANd now, here I was with the absolute love of my life, planning my WEDDING!!!
Oh ..life was so deliciously good!!!!!!
Now my dad, being the business man that he is, was seeing some big problems. Here was his first born, clickety-clicking about, having her hair and nails done, wearing beautiful designer clothes,and shoes with matching handbags. Always a constant bubbling fountain overflowing with snippets about invitations, hairstyles,bridesmaid gowns, etc. Delightfully planning her oh-so-southern wedding, all the while absolutely clueless as to what her new financial status would mean after she was married.
He was gravely concerned.
SO.
He called a meeting.
With myself and Race. He sat us down. And at the table was a yellow legal pad.
He began to calmly show us (ME actually) what was troubling him. He began to speak of the thing that he wanted to be SURE I understood before I decided to rush into anything. He flipped through some of the pages on the legal pad and he began to explain the amount of $$ that I spent on a daily, weekly, monthly, and finally a YEARLY basis. And then he showed us another amount. This was the amount that we would be MAKING with our combined income.I remember it so well. My dad with his southern drawl, saying "Now THIS is the what you cost me each year...this is how much money it takes to keep you livin' the life to which you have become accustomed...and that's fine..that's fine....but THIS...now THIS number here, is what the two of you will be MAKING this year." He paused here for effect and looked at me. My friends, those numbers didn't match. Not even close. Not even in the same ballpark. Not even on the same continent! Well, hell this was just the worst damned business deal EVER.
But wait. this is a story about love, remember?
That's right, it is. And I don't know what Race thought of that talk, or if it changed the way he did things, but I remember the way I felt. I remember what *I* heard.
I heard,"Blah,blah,money,blah,blah,blah married, blah,blah........" ANd that was pretty much it. I just sat there with my arm linked in Race's with this gigantic smile on my face thinking of all the rosy pink bows that we had to do for the church. Just happy. So very, very happy. Who needs money??? We were in love....
Love really is blind.
Of course, his conversation became clearer to me within the next few years. Yes, yes, eventually I DID see. But we were in love.
Thanks dad. I will never forget that talk.
So this picture is full of love. A girl who loved her comforts and privileges. A naive young woman who was hopelessly in love with the man she was about to marry. A father who loved his daughter.
I haven't even told you about HOW this picture came to be. It is the story of another love.........
This picture has a story to tell. Actually, it has many stories to tell. ANd the stories aren't what you might think. "How to Look Like a Snob"? No, that's not it. "How to walk while holding onto a lamp post?" No, no. These stories are all about LOVE.
You see, this was who I was when I first started dating Race. This was me. Oh, yes this picture screams LOVE in so many ways.
First of all: those Ray Ban's. I bought those with my very first paycheck that DIDN'T come from my dad. My WHOLE paycheck. This was the only love affair I ever had with a pair of sunglasses. And it lasted 5 years, until they finally commit ed suicide by just up and snapping into 2 pieces. I was devastated.
Secondly, I LOVED that outfit. It was pale pink and was a medium knit. It cost another couple of paychecks. But the absolute defining piece of the whole thing was that attached belt trim on the bottom. It was made of black, soft, Italian leather. I would always wear the sheerest, soft black hose and a pair of black leather pumps with kitten heels. I.LOVED. THAT. OUTFIT. Now of course this was the 80's and the giant shoulder pad was very in. So, I had obviously hopped on that ship. But seriously, take out the pads and you could wear that outfit, today man. Classic.
Now this picture also reminds me of another love that I had when this picture was taken. Ahhh..yes....his name was Mr. American Express. My dad had introduced us, not knowing the hold that Mr. AmEx would immediately take on my heart. With HIM, I could do ANYTHING. Mr. AmEx never said no. No, he didn't. He and I ate lunch out with friends, we skipped class to shop for clothes, and we ordered take out from the dorm instead of eating in the nasty cafeteria. Oh.....we were so in love. So right for each other. But eventually my dad ended it between us. He forbid me to EVER see Mr. AmEx again. It changed my life.
And in my defense, both of my sisters dated him, too and I'm pretty sure that at least one of them went farther with him than I did. I mean, I'm just sayin'.
So, as I said, this is WHO I WAS when Race and I began dating. We began seriously dating in September and we were engaged by that Christmas. Now, here's where the other story comes in. I had been living a somewhat privileged lifestyle, as I've mentioned. College paid for, car paid for,overseas travel, spending money taken care of...(though I DID have to get a job after Mr. AmEx and I were torn apart). ANd now, here I was with the absolute love of my life, planning my WEDDING!!!
Oh ..life was so deliciously good!!!!!!
Now my dad, being the business man that he is, was seeing some big problems. Here was his first born, clickety-clicking about, having her hair and nails done, wearing beautiful designer clothes,and shoes with matching handbags. Always a constant bubbling fountain overflowing with snippets about invitations, hairstyles,bridesmaid gowns, etc. Delightfully planning her oh-so-southern wedding, all the while absolutely clueless as to what her new financial status would mean after she was married.
He was gravely concerned.
SO.
He called a meeting.
With myself and Race. He sat us down. And at the table was a yellow legal pad.
He began to calmly show us (ME actually) what was troubling him. He began to speak of the thing that he wanted to be SURE I understood before I decided to rush into anything. He flipped through some of the pages on the legal pad and he began to explain the amount of $$ that I spent on a daily, weekly, monthly, and finally a YEARLY basis. And then he showed us another amount. This was the amount that we would be MAKING with our combined income.I remember it so well. My dad with his southern drawl, saying "Now THIS is the what you cost me each year...this is how much money it takes to keep you livin' the life to which you have become accustomed...and that's fine..that's fine....but THIS...now THIS number here, is what the two of you will be MAKING this year." He paused here for effect and looked at me. My friends, those numbers didn't match. Not even close. Not even in the same ballpark. Not even on the same continent! Well, hell this was just the worst damned business deal EVER.
But wait. this is a story about love, remember?
That's right, it is. And I don't know what Race thought of that talk, or if it changed the way he did things, but I remember the way I felt. I remember what *I* heard.
I heard,"Blah,blah,money,blah,blah,blah married, blah,blah........" ANd that was pretty much it. I just sat there with my arm linked in Race's with this gigantic smile on my face thinking of all the rosy pink bows that we had to do for the church. Just happy. So very, very happy. Who needs money??? We were in love....
Love really is blind.
Of course, his conversation became clearer to me within the next few years. Yes, yes, eventually I DID see. But we were in love.
Thanks dad. I will never forget that talk.
So this picture is full of love. A girl who loved her comforts and privileges. A naive young woman who was hopelessly in love with the man she was about to marry. A father who loved his daughter.
I haven't even told you about HOW this picture came to be. It is the story of another love.........
Saturday, January 12, 2008
A Sense of humor........or something
I crack myself up.
Seriously, all the time. I find things that happen to me SO funny. I always feel that I am trapped inside of a Seinfeld episode. I will laugh at myself for days sometimes. It's something Race will never understand. Who can blame him? How many times has the man been awakened in the middle of the night to the bed vibrating, only to find out it's his lunatic wife laughing silently to herself. I am trying so hard not to make any sound, so I have my hand over my mouth.But I am still laughing uncontrolably so my whole body is shaking. And then as soon as Race incoherantly mumbles something, I just let loose, "BWAHAHAHA!!!!I was just thinking about_______blah-blah-blah-blah!!!! ."
And of course it never translates in the middle of the night. (Somebody remind me about all that stuff I said in my last post when he doesnt get my humor in the middle of the night, o.k?)
The other day I was writing an email to him. I was typing out "Hey honey! How's it going?" Well, later I went back to check it, to see if he had actually gotten the email and realized that what I had actually typed out, "Hey, Homey! How's it going?" BWAHAHAHA!! The thought of Race reading that, out in the middle of nowhere just cracked me up for days. So of course, I say it all the time now. "Hey homey! How's it going?"
He loves that.;-)
Do you ever do that thing where you switch the first letters of words around? It's fun. It's like Sudoku.......only...it's....... fun, and you need very little intelligence to play.(ahem) I do it all the time when I have to wait in line somewhere.
Well, just the other day I was at the deli. The lady behind the counter was your typical deli gal. Rather husky, wearing a plastic cap over her hair(that, frankly could have done with a little moisture under it). She was none too pleased that I was taking her away from frying up potato wedges to so demandingly ask her to slice 2 lbs of turkey. I figure, it's probably a pretty thankless job, back there working with all that deli meat. I smiled and started looking around and sort of slipped into a familiar half comatose state. I start the word game. I go through a few...Premium Deli- Dremium Peli......Carolina's Best-Barolina's Cest.........and then.....wait-. No. It can't be. The mother of all word turn a rounds! Boars Head.....is........HOARS BED!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I just started laughing out loud. Right there. In the deli.I tried to explain it to Deli Lady, but again....didn't translate. Hell, it STILL makes me laugh. Hoars Bed!!
Yeah.............I know.........
Come back tomorrow for "More Word Games With Melissa"
Seriously, all the time. I find things that happen to me SO funny. I always feel that I am trapped inside of a Seinfeld episode. I will laugh at myself for days sometimes. It's something Race will never understand. Who can blame him? How many times has the man been awakened in the middle of the night to the bed vibrating, only to find out it's his lunatic wife laughing silently to herself. I am trying so hard not to make any sound, so I have my hand over my mouth.But I am still laughing uncontrolably so my whole body is shaking. And then as soon as Race incoherantly mumbles something, I just let loose, "BWAHAHAHA!!!!I was just thinking about_______blah-blah-blah-blah!!!! ."
And of course it never translates in the middle of the night. (Somebody remind me about all that stuff I said in my last post when he doesnt get my humor in the middle of the night, o.k?)
The other day I was writing an email to him. I was typing out "Hey honey! How's it going?" Well, later I went back to check it, to see if he had actually gotten the email and realized that what I had actually typed out, "Hey, Homey! How's it going?" BWAHAHAHA!! The thought of Race reading that, out in the middle of nowhere just cracked me up for days. So of course, I say it all the time now. "Hey homey! How's it going?"
He loves that.;-)
Do you ever do that thing where you switch the first letters of words around? It's fun. It's like Sudoku.......only...it's....... fun, and you need very little intelligence to play.(ahem) I do it all the time when I have to wait in line somewhere.
Well, just the other day I was at the deli. The lady behind the counter was your typical deli gal. Rather husky, wearing a plastic cap over her hair(that, frankly could have done with a little moisture under it). She was none too pleased that I was taking her away from frying up potato wedges to so demandingly ask her to slice 2 lbs of turkey. I figure, it's probably a pretty thankless job, back there working with all that deli meat. I smiled and started looking around and sort of slipped into a familiar half comatose state. I start the word game. I go through a few...Premium Deli- Dremium Peli......Carolina's Best-Barolina's Cest.........and then.....wait-. No. It can't be. The mother of all word turn a rounds! Boars Head.....is........HOARS BED!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I just started laughing out loud. Right there. In the deli.I tried to explain it to Deli Lady, but again....didn't translate. Hell, it STILL makes me laugh. Hoars Bed!!
Yeah.............I know.........
Come back tomorrow for "More Word Games With Melissa"
Friday, January 11, 2008
About Race......
We are still waiting.
The Christmas tree is still up.There are still unopened presents. The lights are still on the house. We're still waiting for Race to come home for Christmas. I really feel like writing about him so I thought I'd tell you a little bit about what makes him so special to us. To me.
Race is the kind of guy that EVERYONE wants on their team. It's true. Since he was a kid, he's always been a team player. That means that he IS NOT a glory hound, or a Rambo. He always puts the good of the team above his own personal goals. He has no problem being just "one of the team". HE doesn't want to win....he wants EVERYONE ON HIS TEAM to win.
He knows how to submit to authority. But he also knows how to be a leader. I've watched him over the years learn to step from one role to the other in a way that leaves me speechless.
Being such a team player is a wonderful quality in a husband, because he is always seeking to make it BETTER for us. For the kids. For me. He wants each of us to be able to reach our full potential. He is always encouraging me in all of my hair-brained schemes. He ALWAYS motivates me to reach for more. To do more than I thought personnaly possible. He believes that in each of us......his team......nothing is impossible.
We have been married for 17 years. In all those years he has NEVER raised his voice to me or to the kids in anger. Never. How's that for a record? Wish mine was that good.
My dad taught me how to shoot. Race taught me how to shoot REALLY well.
He respects me and knows that I can take care of myself while he is away. He knows that I am strong and he APPRECIATES it. He knows that I'll look after things while he is gone. He knows that our long term goals never change.
He taught our kids how to shoot and hunt. He has always made sure that they were confident in their own self defense skills.He taught the kids how to navigate both with map and compass as well as with a gps. He taught them survival training.And most importantly he taught them all of these things within the context of enjoying the great outdoors. And today there's nothing that our three kids would rather do.
Race is a man of prayer. He places his life before God and in so doing, he makes the way secure and safe for us. As a wife, it is easy to follow that lead. He MUST believe in what he is doing..........or he will walk away.
He is no respector of persons. No matter who you are he will treat you with respect and kindness. However, if it is your intent to do harm, he WILL see it as his duty to stop you.
He ALWAYS tells me that he loves me.He will call me in the middle of the night from God-knows-where and say, "I just wanted to tell you that I love you, before you fall asleep." He ALWAYS tells the kids the same.
He is always ready with a hug. Yep, that's right. He is the openly affectionate one in our home.
He still gives and gets daily hugs to our kids when he is home......even from Austin(16) whom he will discover is a good 2 inches taller than he is when he gets back. ;-)
He never gives up. Ever. And in his mind, nothing is impossible. Not for us, not for anyone. He never sees defeat.....only victory by a different route.
He has made friends all over the world. Friends who keep in touch. Friends whom, though I've never met many of them, would come to my aid with no more than a phone call.
What makes a man,.... at the sound of gunfire or peril or horrific danger,.... grab his weapon and head TOWARD that sound?
I don't know. I'll never know.
I don't think that it's something most people do. And rightfully so.
But it's IN him. That IS his first reaction. It's always been there. It will always be his first instinct.
He is all this wrapped up into one amazing package.
I am one lucky girl.
And he is my hero.
Hurry home Race!
The Christmas tree is still up.There are still unopened presents. The lights are still on the house. We're still waiting for Race to come home for Christmas. I really feel like writing about him so I thought I'd tell you a little bit about what makes him so special to us. To me.
Race is the kind of guy that EVERYONE wants on their team. It's true. Since he was a kid, he's always been a team player. That means that he IS NOT a glory hound, or a Rambo. He always puts the good of the team above his own personal goals. He has no problem being just "one of the team". HE doesn't want to win....he wants EVERYONE ON HIS TEAM to win.
He knows how to submit to authority. But he also knows how to be a leader. I've watched him over the years learn to step from one role to the other in a way that leaves me speechless.
Being such a team player is a wonderful quality in a husband, because he is always seeking to make it BETTER for us. For the kids. For me. He wants each of us to be able to reach our full potential. He is always encouraging me in all of my hair-brained schemes. He ALWAYS motivates me to reach for more. To do more than I thought personnaly possible. He believes that in each of us......his team......nothing is impossible.
We have been married for 17 years. In all those years he has NEVER raised his voice to me or to the kids in anger. Never. How's that for a record? Wish mine was that good.
My dad taught me how to shoot. Race taught me how to shoot REALLY well.
He respects me and knows that I can take care of myself while he is away. He knows that I am strong and he APPRECIATES it. He knows that I'll look after things while he is gone. He knows that our long term goals never change.
He taught our kids how to shoot and hunt. He has always made sure that they were confident in their own self defense skills.He taught the kids how to navigate both with map and compass as well as with a gps. He taught them survival training.And most importantly he taught them all of these things within the context of enjoying the great outdoors. And today there's nothing that our three kids would rather do.
Race is a man of prayer. He places his life before God and in so doing, he makes the way secure and safe for us. As a wife, it is easy to follow that lead. He MUST believe in what he is doing..........or he will walk away.
He is no respector of persons. No matter who you are he will treat you with respect and kindness. However, if it is your intent to do harm, he WILL see it as his duty to stop you.
He ALWAYS tells me that he loves me.He will call me in the middle of the night from God-knows-where and say, "I just wanted to tell you that I love you, before you fall asleep." He ALWAYS tells the kids the same.
He is always ready with a hug. Yep, that's right. He is the openly affectionate one in our home.
He still gives and gets daily hugs to our kids when he is home......even from Austin(16) whom he will discover is a good 2 inches taller than he is when he gets back. ;-)
He never gives up. Ever. And in his mind, nothing is impossible. Not for us, not for anyone. He never sees defeat.....only victory by a different route.
He has made friends all over the world. Friends who keep in touch. Friends whom, though I've never met many of them, would come to my aid with no more than a phone call.
What makes a man,.... at the sound of gunfire or peril or horrific danger,.... grab his weapon and head TOWARD that sound?
I don't know. I'll never know.
I don't think that it's something most people do. And rightfully so.
But it's IN him. That IS his first reaction. It's always been there. It will always be his first instinct.
He is all this wrapped up into one amazing package.
I am one lucky girl.
And he is my hero.
Hurry home Race!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The thing that I thought would never happen.....
You know you just never know WHAT you're gonna find here, folks. I swing from the very sincere and then back to the very shallow like a pendulum.
O.K, remember I told you that the last time I got my hair done, I had her give me bangs? Now, in retrospect, this was probably not the best hair decision I've ever made. But then I saw the whole Bangs are THE style of the season thing, and I figured, ya know...I'd better work it. So that's what I was doing. I was workin' it. ANd the easiest way to wear med-short hair w/ bangs and not look like you're a 4 year old is a headband. Not those plasticy ones, but the ones that sort of look like a scarf tied around your head.
So that's how I was wearing it when the thing that I thought would never happen......the thing that I never even dared to DREAM would happen......HAPPENED.
O.k, O.K....so I run into the Vitamin Shoppe. I grab some multi-vitamins and a jug of protein powder. Some old guy pats me on the shoulder and says, "Good girl, you'll live a long life". But that's not the thing that happened. I finally find the stuff I need the maze of bottles and jars that IS The Vitamin Shoppe. I go up to pay for my stuff and the little freshman-looking guy says, "That is so good. All women should take whey protein, but none of them do." But that's not the thing that happened either.
Is this hard to follow?
It was right then that the charming and beautiful lady next to him said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Olivia-Newton John?"
Don't ask me how, but at that exact moment there was this lightening bolt from heaven and somewhere in the distance angels began to sing,just faintly, as a ray of light shone down on me. Only on me.
I struggle to process the words that have just been uttered.
Wide-eyed with mouth gaping in a huge, goofy, big-toothed grin, I throw my hand across my heart and a little too eagerly, exclaim loudly "NOOOO!!!!" Now, of course I immediately wanted to ask if she meant "Grease"- Olivia Newton John....or older Olivia Newton John. But I must have been a little too aggressive in my response, because she sort of wretched back a little. So I let it go...I know what she meant. I just stood there. Not moving. Just grinning.
So,after a little time had passed(or did stand still?), she kind of glanced at the door and said, "Well, you do. You look just like her". Her voice didn't have exactly the same complimentary ring to it as before. But, hey, who am I to say? My new best friend Janet, (from her name tag) can't ALWAYS be so perky and bubbly. Cut her some slack. Seriously.
I gathered my things and made my way out the door. I resisted the overwhelming urge to use my jazz hands and sache' across the parking lot to the suburban singing, "You're The One That I Want oo-oo-oo".
What more can this life hold for me?
O.K, remember I told you that the last time I got my hair done, I had her give me bangs? Now, in retrospect, this was probably not the best hair decision I've ever made. But then I saw the whole Bangs are THE style of the season thing, and I figured, ya know...I'd better work it. So that's what I was doing. I was workin' it. ANd the easiest way to wear med-short hair w/ bangs and not look like you're a 4 year old is a headband. Not those plasticy ones, but the ones that sort of look like a scarf tied around your head.
So that's how I was wearing it when the thing that I thought would never happen......the thing that I never even dared to DREAM would happen......HAPPENED.
O.k, O.K....so I run into the Vitamin Shoppe. I grab some multi-vitamins and a jug of protein powder. Some old guy pats me on the shoulder and says, "Good girl, you'll live a long life". But that's not the thing that happened. I finally find the stuff I need the maze of bottles and jars that IS The Vitamin Shoppe. I go up to pay for my stuff and the little freshman-looking guy says, "That is so good. All women should take whey protein, but none of them do." But that's not the thing that happened either.
Is this hard to follow?
It was right then that the charming and beautiful lady next to him said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Olivia-Newton John?"
Don't ask me how, but at that exact moment there was this lightening bolt from heaven and somewhere in the distance angels began to sing,just faintly, as a ray of light shone down on me. Only on me.
I struggle to process the words that have just been uttered.
Wide-eyed with mouth gaping in a huge, goofy, big-toothed grin, I throw my hand across my heart and a little too eagerly, exclaim loudly "NOOOO!!!!" Now, of course I immediately wanted to ask if she meant "Grease"- Olivia Newton John....or older Olivia Newton John. But I must have been a little too aggressive in my response, because she sort of wretched back a little. So I let it go...I know what she meant. I just stood there. Not moving. Just grinning.
So,after a little time had passed(or did stand still?), she kind of glanced at the door and said, "Well, you do. You look just like her". Her voice didn't have exactly the same complimentary ring to it as before. But, hey, who am I to say? My new best friend Janet, (from her name tag) can't ALWAYS be so perky and bubbly. Cut her some slack. Seriously.
I gathered my things and made my way out the door. I resisted the overwhelming urge to use my jazz hands and sache' across the parking lot to the suburban singing, "You're The One That I Want oo-oo-oo".
What more can this life hold for me?
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Prayer
Remember when I told you that I was going to begin asking God, very specifically for more TIME with Race? Not just for me, but for all of us as a family.
Sunday was Communion Sunday. I love the way that our church delivers communion, because we file up to the front quietly, in large groups at a time and form a semi-circle and the pastor and deacons actually come around and serve the sacrament to you. This is very personal and a wonderful way to worship. When the pastor got to the kids and I he could see that Race was still not with us. He stopped, and brought myself and the kids around him and prayed for Race with us. Then he gave us the bread and the wine, asked that God would bless it, and us....and then moved on to the next family. There is something so powerful in that. Of course it's wonderful that someone would take the time to think about you, your loved ones, etc. But it's so much more than that. Huge weights were lifted from our shoulders in that prayer. We were reminded that God works ALL things for our good.
That was Sunday.
On Monday, I received some pretty devastating news from Race. News that would mean, because of scheduling, he would be away much, MUCH, longer than ANY of us ever anticipated. In the form of many more MONTHS.
It was a situation that was completely out of our hands. Race said that he was praying. But, he cautioned me that things didn't look very favorable.
I resisted the urge to fall into a billion pieces right then and there. I almost did. But I resisted.
I reluctantly told the kids all that I knew. They are the bravest people that I know and they make me strong.
We began to pray that God would bring him home. That we would have more time. And we also prayed,... (and here's the hard part), that we would trust God's goodness no matter WHAT the outcome. And you know what? We meant it. In our hearts we were prepared to carry on no matter what the outcome.It would be so sad for us, but we just weren't going to break down or throw tantrums or lament our "horrible" situation. We really meant that we were trusting God to do what is best for us....not what we think is best.
Today the schedule was cleared. It was even better than cleared. Even more than we had hoped for.
Some might say that this answer would have been the same even if we hadn't ever uttered the first prayer. And maybe it would have. But would we have experienced the same feeling? That sort of joy that feels like sunshine filling you up inside?
In this we gained more than just the answer we were longing for.
We were BLESSED.
We were in closer communion to God. We grew a little bit, as Christians. All because of prayer.
Our asking and His giving. So simple and yet such a mystery.
And once again we are humbled beyond belief in God's grace and blessings that are extended to us.
We are so thankful.
Thank's to all who have ever said a prayer for us.
G'night
Melissa
Sunday was Communion Sunday. I love the way that our church delivers communion, because we file up to the front quietly, in large groups at a time and form a semi-circle and the pastor and deacons actually come around and serve the sacrament to you. This is very personal and a wonderful way to worship. When the pastor got to the kids and I he could see that Race was still not with us. He stopped, and brought myself and the kids around him and prayed for Race with us. Then he gave us the bread and the wine, asked that God would bless it, and us....and then moved on to the next family. There is something so powerful in that. Of course it's wonderful that someone would take the time to think about you, your loved ones, etc. But it's so much more than that. Huge weights were lifted from our shoulders in that prayer. We were reminded that God works ALL things for our good.
That was Sunday.
On Monday, I received some pretty devastating news from Race. News that would mean, because of scheduling, he would be away much, MUCH, longer than ANY of us ever anticipated. In the form of many more MONTHS.
It was a situation that was completely out of our hands. Race said that he was praying. But, he cautioned me that things didn't look very favorable.
I resisted the urge to fall into a billion pieces right then and there. I almost did. But I resisted.
I reluctantly told the kids all that I knew. They are the bravest people that I know and they make me strong.
We began to pray that God would bring him home. That we would have more time. And we also prayed,... (and here's the hard part), that we would trust God's goodness no matter WHAT the outcome. And you know what? We meant it. In our hearts we were prepared to carry on no matter what the outcome.It would be so sad for us, but we just weren't going to break down or throw tantrums or lament our "horrible" situation. We really meant that we were trusting God to do what is best for us....not what we think is best.
Today the schedule was cleared. It was even better than cleared. Even more than we had hoped for.
Some might say that this answer would have been the same even if we hadn't ever uttered the first prayer. And maybe it would have. But would we have experienced the same feeling? That sort of joy that feels like sunshine filling you up inside?
In this we gained more than just the answer we were longing for.
We were BLESSED.
We were in closer communion to God. We grew a little bit, as Christians. All because of prayer.
Our asking and His giving. So simple and yet such a mystery.
And once again we are humbled beyond belief in God's grace and blessings that are extended to us.
We are so thankful.
Thank's to all who have ever said a prayer for us.
G'night
Melissa
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Please choose your own title for this.......
I keep forgetting to remind everyone to please!Vote for Miss Pinky There are only a few days left!! Clueless? Read Here and Here And now back to our regularly scheduled blog..
We got back into school full swing this week. You know........you really have to. I mean you can't let em' go too long, or the first thing ya know, they're dumber than coal buckets.
One of my charges actually tried to convince me of this very thing. When faced with an entire sheet of math problems, he gave an oscar winning performance portraying a young boy whose brain had been sucked from his body whie he slept. But, alas, with CALM encouragement (I'm coming off a holiday, remember) and a few hershey's chocolates, the old gray matter returned and before you knew it, we were happily plugging along.
The weather has been so nice here, that we've actually done quite a bit outside.
The boys TORE UP the batting cages yesterday.
Savannah has been working on a nature journal in the form of "The Diary of an Edwardian Lady". The entries that she's done so far are amazing.
The fort that Jack has been working on FOREVER, is finally taking shape. He has used up every bit of old scrap wood and vinyl we've had laying around the place. So...win-win. I'll get some pictures after the final touches have been applied.
There has been a LOT of music in the house lately. Everyone has ipods and ipod speakers and things to play ipods over OTHER speakers and there are drums and a keyboard and a kareoke machine. So...ya know....it's loud here. Really loud. But man, oh man do they dig their music. Oh- and speaking of music-here's a weird, twighlight zone moment for ya:
We were in a dollar store the other day and the kids had all dispersed to go their different ways. I was perusing the picture frames when one of my "Blast-from-the-past" songs came on the radio."Sweet!...it's Cameo's Word-up!" I immediately revert back to my highschool years and start singin' along. Not missin' a beat. "Yo pretty ladies around the world"..... I was singing to myself, really getting into it, when all of a sudden I turn the corner and run smack into Austin.
AND HE'S SINGING THE SONG!!!!
We were both staring at each other singing..."Wave your hands in the air like you don't care..glide by the people as they stop to look and stare".
And then simultaneously we blurt out, "How do YOU know that song!!???"
It was weird man. Really weird.
If I told him the story and me and my best friend, who-shall-remain-nameless-Janelle,rapping on a street corner at Beach Week....well... he's probably never look at me the same again. And it might severely hinder my ability to discipline him, which slips a little more with each inch that he towers over me.
Oh- and please don't tell my dad about that Beach Week thing. He never really could get used to the fact that his daughter, whom he had spent a bajillion dollars on in the form of private school, charm school, ballet class, and etiquett training, really wanted to be a rapper for awhile.
So, let's not bring up those painful memories, shall we?
G'night,
Melissa
P.S.-glad you're back Bridg, you've been missed
We got back into school full swing this week. You know........you really have to. I mean you can't let em' go too long, or the first thing ya know, they're dumber than coal buckets.
One of my charges actually tried to convince me of this very thing. When faced with an entire sheet of math problems, he gave an oscar winning performance portraying a young boy whose brain had been sucked from his body whie he slept. But, alas, with CALM encouragement (I'm coming off a holiday, remember) and a few hershey's chocolates, the old gray matter returned and before you knew it, we were happily plugging along.
The weather has been so nice here, that we've actually done quite a bit outside.
The boys TORE UP the batting cages yesterday.
Savannah has been working on a nature journal in the form of "The Diary of an Edwardian Lady". The entries that she's done so far are amazing.
The fort that Jack has been working on FOREVER, is finally taking shape. He has used up every bit of old scrap wood and vinyl we've had laying around the place. So...win-win. I'll get some pictures after the final touches have been applied.
There has been a LOT of music in the house lately. Everyone has ipods and ipod speakers and things to play ipods over OTHER speakers and there are drums and a keyboard and a kareoke machine. So...ya know....it's loud here. Really loud. But man, oh man do they dig their music. Oh- and speaking of music-here's a weird, twighlight zone moment for ya:
We were in a dollar store the other day and the kids had all dispersed to go their different ways. I was perusing the picture frames when one of my "Blast-from-the-past" songs came on the radio."Sweet!...it's Cameo's Word-up!" I immediately revert back to my highschool years and start singin' along. Not missin' a beat. "Yo pretty ladies around the world"..... I was singing to myself, really getting into it, when all of a sudden I turn the corner and run smack into Austin.
AND HE'S SINGING THE SONG!!!!
We were both staring at each other singing..."Wave your hands in the air like you don't care..glide by the people as they stop to look and stare".
And then simultaneously we blurt out, "How do YOU know that song!!???"
It was weird man. Really weird.
If I told him the story and me and my best friend, who-shall-remain-nameless-Janelle,rapping on a street corner at Beach Week....well... he's probably never look at me the same again. And it might severely hinder my ability to discipline him, which slips a little more with each inch that he towers over me.
Oh- and please don't tell my dad about that Beach Week thing. He never really could get used to the fact that his daughter, whom he had spent a bajillion dollars on in the form of private school, charm school, ballet class, and etiquett training, really wanted to be a rapper for awhile.
So, let's not bring up those painful memories, shall we?
G'night,
Melissa
P.S.-glad you're back Bridg, you've been missed
Saturday, January 05, 2008
What works for me......
I wanted to note, for my own benefit what has worked for me, physically, in 2007. Maybe someone else might find something here for them too. I don't always get all this stuff done all the time, but I try never to skip work-outs or supplements.
What works for me:
Working out 3-4 times a week.
Ideally, 3 days of weights
2 days of treadmill and abs.
This year I learned that staying fit is not a complicated set of instructions. And I learned that setting aside 30-45 minutes a day isn't all that hard and that the pay-offs FOR ME and everyone around me are huge. Even if I don't stick to a set routine, just doing SOMETHING is so much better than skipping it altogether.
I don't count calories.
Lean protein...and lots of it.
Fresh, colorful veggies and
stuff like oatmeal and brown rice.
I still don't drink as much water as I should. But I don't drink ANY sodas, or sugary drinks. I have to remind myself to drink throughout the day because I'm just not usually that thirsty.
For supplements here's what I have figured out works the best for me:
1 multivitamin
1 acidophilous
3000 mg of fish oil
liquid B-complex
2 Dong Quai
1/8 tsp of progesterone cream once a day
Protein powder shakes after lifting.
Refined sugar and salt are my enemies.
I still have a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of red wine most nights.
These are the physical things that keep me balanced. It keeps away the mood swings, helps me sleep, and keeps me fit and happy.I am less irritable and more patient.
I save my food splurges for special times with my family and I find that I am able to enjoy those foods so much more than I ever did before.
Now mentally and spiritually there is a much bigger list, but I really wanted to get this down, so that I could look back on it. I am sure that this list will change over the years and I am pretty proud of myself for finding what works for me this year.And now...you know what it is too!
Oh yes I did post that picture!
What works for me:
Working out 3-4 times a week.
Ideally, 3 days of weights
2 days of treadmill and abs.
This year I learned that staying fit is not a complicated set of instructions. And I learned that setting aside 30-45 minutes a day isn't all that hard and that the pay-offs FOR ME and everyone around me are huge. Even if I don't stick to a set routine, just doing SOMETHING is so much better than skipping it altogether.
I don't count calories.
Lean protein...and lots of it.
Fresh, colorful veggies and
stuff like oatmeal and brown rice.
I still don't drink as much water as I should. But I don't drink ANY sodas, or sugary drinks. I have to remind myself to drink throughout the day because I'm just not usually that thirsty.
For supplements here's what I have figured out works the best for me:
1 multivitamin
1 acidophilous
3000 mg of fish oil
liquid B-complex
2 Dong Quai
1/8 tsp of progesterone cream once a day
Protein powder shakes after lifting.
Refined sugar and salt are my enemies.
I still have a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of red wine most nights.
These are the physical things that keep me balanced. It keeps away the mood swings, helps me sleep, and keeps me fit and happy.I am less irritable and more patient.
I save my food splurges for special times with my family and I find that I am able to enjoy those foods so much more than I ever did before.
Now mentally and spiritually there is a much bigger list, but I really wanted to get this down, so that I could look back on it. I am sure that this list will change over the years and I am pretty proud of myself for finding what works for me this year.And now...you know what it is too!
Oh yes I did post that picture!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Just when you think it's all gone to hell....
I got my hair done today. I felt like I wanted something a little different.I was confident. I told her to give me some good, strong bangs. Well, you know how it is with bangs...At first...you LOVE them...I mean LOVE them!! "My EYES!! Just look at my EYES!!! I should ALWAYS have bangs!".....then after awhile.. ..you're not so sure....."Hmmm..No one really said anything....It does look good...doesn't it? DOesn't it??.......then awhile later you're SURE it was a mistake. "Oh.My.Gosh! What was I thinking???I am an idiot. NO ONE has BANGS.I have screwed up. Royally."
(O.K. this actually may not be the way it plays out to anyone else but me....but for me...this is how it goes.)
But it was right about THEN that I I saw this: Hair Style of the Season: Bangs
YESSSSSSSssssssss!!!!! I have those! I have those!It's the new trend,don't cha know.
And THEN...(like that wasn't enough), as if dropped right from heaven itself I saw an article on AOL saying that drinking a glass of wine a day could actually help you get a flatter stomach!
Well, hot damn!!
This IS my night isn't it. I mean...HELLO... it was on AOL, people!!Flat Abs Diet
So, I guess I'm o.k for now.I will live to see another day. Major crisis averted. Life is good.
I think I'll go and get in an ab work-out and stare at my new bangs......oh, hell let's be British and call it "fringe". It sounds so much classier, doesn't it?
G'night,
Melissa
(O.K. this actually may not be the way it plays out to anyone else but me....but for me...this is how it goes.)
But it was right about THEN that I I saw this: Hair Style of the Season: Bangs
YESSSSSSSssssssss!!!!! I have those! I have those!It's the new trend,don't cha know.
And THEN...(like that wasn't enough), as if dropped right from heaven itself I saw an article on AOL saying that drinking a glass of wine a day could actually help you get a flatter stomach!
Well, hot damn!!
This IS my night isn't it. I mean...HELLO... it was on AOL, people!!Flat Abs Diet
So, I guess I'm o.k for now.I will live to see another day. Major crisis averted. Life is good.
I think I'll go and get in an ab work-out and stare at my new bangs......oh, hell let's be British and call it "fringe". It sounds so much classier, doesn't it?
G'night,
Melissa
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Reflections from the wife of Johnny Bad Ass....
It doesn't take much to send me into a downward spiral these days. I find myself fading fast when faced with what are actually small obstacles. I am really, REALLY tired of being without Race. I miss him so much. This is where it gets hard. I really can't give in right now. If anything, I need to bolster myself.
I am tired. But when he comes home, he will be exhausted in a way that I can't even imagine.
So, it is actually when he comes HOME that I really need strength, because that's where my job actually kicks into high gear.It's not the time for a mental break.
A man who spends 6 months out of every year blending into a strange and hostile environment can easily feel like a stranger in his own home. The place that he has been holding onto in that corner of his mind. The place that he has been longing to finally collaps into warm comfort can seem like another job if everyone is pulling him in different directions. Another set of missions to complete, with people to move and logistics to plan out. It can be too much.
So I am learning.
I am learning that the end of these long trips is really where I need strength. Where I need to learn to shove down my own wants and focus only on Race's. It's a time to really get close to God. To be able to see my husband as God sees him. It certainly doesn't come naturally. As soon as I see him, I want to BLAST him with all the things that have gone on around here while he's been gone....the gossip, the rewards, the fights, the achievments. For cryin' out loud, I've been storing EVERYTHING for the past 3 months!!! I want to make up for lost time. But as any good military wife will tell you......it just doesn't work that way. I mean...you can DO it that way.......but it doesn't WORK that way.
So I am trying to hang in there. To get STRONGER toward the end, not weaker. To anticipate just sort of soaking it all in and putting all of Race's needs first. Instead of selfishly looking forward to being some sort of crazy, bursting fountain.
You know, this probably doesn't translate very well at all. And it IS hard to explain. But those who have been there know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. So, if you pray, and if you think about it, keep me in your prayers. I still have a ways to go and I am seeing the signs of weariness. Thanks so much.
G'night,
Melissa
I am tired. But when he comes home, he will be exhausted in a way that I can't even imagine.
So, it is actually when he comes HOME that I really need strength, because that's where my job actually kicks into high gear.It's not the time for a mental break.
A man who spends 6 months out of every year blending into a strange and hostile environment can easily feel like a stranger in his own home. The place that he has been holding onto in that corner of his mind. The place that he has been longing to finally collaps into warm comfort can seem like another job if everyone is pulling him in different directions. Another set of missions to complete, with people to move and logistics to plan out. It can be too much.
So I am learning.
I am learning that the end of these long trips is really where I need strength. Where I need to learn to shove down my own wants and focus only on Race's. It's a time to really get close to God. To be able to see my husband as God sees him. It certainly doesn't come naturally. As soon as I see him, I want to BLAST him with all the things that have gone on around here while he's been gone....the gossip, the rewards, the fights, the achievments. For cryin' out loud, I've been storing EVERYTHING for the past 3 months!!! I want to make up for lost time. But as any good military wife will tell you......it just doesn't work that way. I mean...you can DO it that way.......but it doesn't WORK that way.
So I am trying to hang in there. To get STRONGER toward the end, not weaker. To anticipate just sort of soaking it all in and putting all of Race's needs first. Instead of selfishly looking forward to being some sort of crazy, bursting fountain.
You know, this probably doesn't translate very well at all. And it IS hard to explain. But those who have been there know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. So, if you pray, and if you think about it, keep me in your prayers. I still have a ways to go and I am seeing the signs of weariness. Thanks so much.
G'night,
Melissa
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year!!
I know it's time to look forward to the new year and all, but I have been having entirely too much fun looking back at the moment. Till Race gets home, I'm sort of stuck in 2007.
2008??? I just can't really wrap my brain around it yet.
So, Let's take a look BACK a ways, shall we? I have kind of a crummy scanner, so..bear with me.....It'll be worth it.
1971?? No, no. That's a bit too far. I know, I know....So cute, wasn't I?? No, really..stop. You're embarassing me.(Go ahead...enlarge it...I was adorable.)
2008??? I just can't really wrap my brain around it yet.
So, Let's take a look BACK a ways, shall we? I have kind of a crummy scanner, so..bear with me.....It'll be worth it.
1971?? No, no. That's a bit too far. I know, I know....So cute, wasn't I?? No, really..stop. You're embarassing me.(Go ahead...enlarge it...I was adorable.)
Let's talk highschool. As I have mentioned before I was imprisoned during my entire highschool years at a very, very, VERY small Baptist institution. It was my GOAL in life to break outta there. I NEEDED to belong to the mysterious and wonderful world of (whispered) "Public High School". The parties! The social life! And best of all, not a coulotte-clad gal in sight! Ohhhh..it was so unfair. It was all out there and I was being kept from it against my will!
*Now, in retrospect I realize that it was these EXACT thoughts and well-voiced opinions that actually forced my parents to place their poor delusional daughter into the aforementioned small Baptist institution.*
Let's move on..My best friend and I would spend hours on the phone lamenting our dismal social situation. How would we ever break through? HOW?? We needed an "In". Someone on the inside to get us onto the happenin' social scene.Someone to usher us into the life of partyin' that was supposed to BE the highschool experience.
Enter Jay.
Jay pumped gas at the station that I always stopped at to fill up my car. Remember when that was an actual JOB?? When someone ELSE put the gas into your car? Ahhhhhhh......those were the days, my friend.Thank-you women's rights movement once again. Anyway.
One day, I pulled my car in all lop-sided next to the pumps. I turned down the Bon Jovi BLASTIN' from my radio.
There was the usual small talk and he snickered at my ridiculous attempt to pull the car up to the pumps. I handed him cash that I had not earned to pay for the gas. I turned my radio back up and pulled away.
Jay was smitten.
Who can say what it was that attracted Jay to me on that first fateful day at the gas pumps?
Was it my hot car?
Or maybe the fact that my modeling career was about to really take off -just- ANY -day. The cover of "Seventeen" was just.......right......there. Apparently they decided to go with a more natural, freckled faced gal for the cover that year.I was, ya know....too mature for them.....too professional....they just....decided to go in a different direction. Yes, it still hurts. (But I still kinda like that outfit).
It was most likely the hair that drew him in at first. I had PERFECT 80's hair. It was very difficult to acheive, folks, and not to be taken lightly. The layers actually MET perfectly in the back. Ohhhh...I could work magic with a curling iron, my friends. People used to ask if they could just WATCH me fix my hair....Just WATCH. It was really something to behold. Mesmerizing. So, yeah...it was probably the hair.
I don't know what it was. But he liked me.
And I sorta liked him.(shrug)
Sorta.
He drove a white Camaro and wore a lot of stuff from Chess King.
But most important he went to the wonderful land of..(whisper it with me) "Public High School".
He called me to ask me out on our first date. After I accepted and hung up the phone, I nervously dialed my friend.
"We. Are. In!!" (Lot's of excited squealing and laughing after that.)
Of course the initial excitement was somewhat short-lived, because it was on that first date that I would discover that the wildly popular Jay, had the very unfortunate luck of smelling like salami. Always. Just a hint---but all the same, it was there. Very unfortunate.
Here we are before Homecoming. I had braces, therefore it was absolutely imperative that my teeth not show in a picture. This smirk is much more attractive, don't you think? Please note that my shadow matched my dress. Very important.(Since I said he smelled of salami, I eventually felt that I should have the decency to shield his face from public humiliation.10 of you got to see his face. Sorry, Jay)
It was on this very night that I would meet my next boyfriend who was in fact higher up the social/party chain. The Inner Circle.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Nothin' New For New Year For Me......
Anybody know that song? Well, that's my tune tonight.(Click on it in the sidebar to listen). I have no festive event to attend. No party to dress up for..(and if I did I'd deffinitely wearThis Dress. No one to toast champagne with. Just me. Sittin' my loser butt on the sofa eatin chips and salsa. It's a sad picture isn't it? So, you're stuck with me tonight.
Austin was invited to a New Years Eve party. (I know.....how wrong is THAT??) The other two are doing a movie marathon all-nighter.
So here I'll be.
Here are some of my "Best Of 2007" posts that I'd really like to remember:
First of all there was the whole Isr@el Trip. Remember that? All the cool photos? Me having to find my way around Jerus@lem because Race got called away unexpectedly?? (Actually Austin LED me around Jerus@lem) Thank goodness he doesn't share his mothers directional impairment. Anyway all that stuff isHere This was also the trip that the wonderful Race-Man brought back a new engagement ring for me. (swoon) I had been without one for 3 years.
Ooooo....and don't forget that 2007 was the year that I wentBrunette. Let's face it. I rocked that color. Hmmmmm....I kinda miss it.
The whole month of month of March this year was chocked full of camping, kids activities and more camping (sigh) Man, I miss that.
In April, we actually caught thesnake boy on film in action.
May saw the passing of Jerry Falwell
In June I must have had too much to drink when I posted myHighschool Graduation photo. And who can forget my rivetting farm story that had you all laughing so hard. I don't know how I do it.
The heat of July found me musing about the horrors to be found for a girl atLowes. (shudder)
In August there was SO much going on. Our basement was finished, football had started, oh-oh- and I got my hair cut into The Pob
September was all about Savannah getting on with riding. ANd then inOctober we had all the beach pictures and tons of family stuff going on with Race. Heavenly.
November had some of my absolute favoriteHiking pictures MAn, I LOVE looking at those!
Which brings us back to December. which is all still pretty fresh but I still love the story ofJackson stripping downnaked after the ballet, along with the telling of ourfirst Christmas.
So, there you have it. The Best of Complete Chaos 2007 in a nutshell. As I look back, it's been a great year, Although we've spent a great deal of time away from Race, we've also been able to do some pretty amazing things WITH him this year. And for all that, I wouldn't trade one second of any of the tough times that we've gone through. What an amazing journey.
I am truly blessed
Happy New Year!
Vote for Miss pinky
Melissa
Austin was invited to a New Years Eve party. (I know.....how wrong is THAT??) The other two are doing a movie marathon all-nighter.
So here I'll be.
Here are some of my "Best Of 2007" posts that I'd really like to remember:
First of all there was the whole Isr@el Trip. Remember that? All the cool photos? Me having to find my way around Jerus@lem because Race got called away unexpectedly?? (Actually Austin LED me around Jerus@lem) Thank goodness he doesn't share his mothers directional impairment. Anyway all that stuff isHere This was also the trip that the wonderful Race-Man brought back a new engagement ring for me. (swoon) I had been without one for 3 years.
Ooooo....and don't forget that 2007 was the year that I wentBrunette. Let's face it. I rocked that color. Hmmmmm....I kinda miss it.
The whole month of month of March this year was chocked full of camping, kids activities and more camping (sigh) Man, I miss that.
In April, we actually caught thesnake boy on film in action.
May saw the passing of Jerry Falwell
In June I must have had too much to drink when I posted myHighschool Graduation photo. And who can forget my rivetting farm story that had you all laughing so hard. I don't know how I do it.
The heat of July found me musing about the horrors to be found for a girl atLowes. (shudder)
In August there was SO much going on. Our basement was finished, football had started, oh-oh- and I got my hair cut into The Pob
September was all about Savannah getting on with riding. ANd then inOctober we had all the beach pictures and tons of family stuff going on with Race. Heavenly.
November had some of my absolute favoriteHiking pictures MAn, I LOVE looking at those!
Which brings us back to December. which is all still pretty fresh but I still love the story ofJackson stripping downnaked after the ballet, along with the telling of ourfirst Christmas.
So, there you have it. The Best of Complete Chaos 2007 in a nutshell. As I look back, it's been a great year, Although we've spent a great deal of time away from Race, we've also been able to do some pretty amazing things WITH him this year. And for all that, I wouldn't trade one second of any of the tough times that we've gone through. What an amazing journey.
I am truly blessed
Happy New Year!
Vote for Miss pinky
Melissa
Sunday, December 30, 2007
As Promised...Words from Aunt D....
Aunt D kindly accepted my invitation to be a guest on my blog. Since you were already introduced in my last post, I'll hand the keyboard over to her. Take it away Aunt D.....
Thank you Melissa.
Rikki's Refuge in located in Orange County VA. They have over 500 cats and I want to win so I can buy at least $150.00 in food for there pets. They actually have lots of animals at Rikki's Refuge and here is just a few of them:
cats, dogs, sheep rabbits, geese, pigs, goats, chickens, guineas, Emus, etc.
They do not put Hiv Positive or Aid positive cats to sleep. They keep them all together in one large pen that has a house at the end of it for the cats to come in out of the cold. There are many pens there for the different cats. If any get sick they are taken to an inside house and put in individual cages are treated. When I went there, I fell in love with a HIV cat that was a calico and had no teeth and her tung hung out mostly on one side. She didn't look sick, but they brought her in are letting her live inside the house. They really need can food for the cats.
A lady I know goes every week to different food stores here to get there old vegetables they are throwing out to take to the pigs at Rikki's Refuge.
I want to thank everyone who is voting for Miss Pinky and if she makes it in the top 20 pics from her votes then she will have a chance of winning. I hope she does win so I can buy at least $150.00 of food for the animals.
If anyone is interested in making a donation to them, the address is as follows:
Rikki's Refuge
P.O. Box 1357
Orange, VA 22960
Melissa thank you so much for putting the website on your blog.
And thank you Aunt D, it was a pleasure having you. Isn't she great??There's no fakin' that my friends....No sir-ee, She's the real deal.And we really ARE related. I mean she is way, WAY nicer than me, of course. Cuz you know, all I'm sayin' is there ain't NO WAY I'd be bringing home an HIV cat with no teeth and it's tongue hangin' out. That's all I'm sayin'... She's nice and I very much wish that I had a photo to go with this post.
ANd don't forget to Vote For Miss Pinky 3 times a day.
And tomorrow......
"How Cats Get AIDS".....
O.K., that's a joke. I really have no idea. Multiple sex partners? Using dirty needles?Bad blood transfusion? O.K. enough. Just vote for the blasted fish, o.k?
Every vote counts
Thanks so much!
Melissa
Thank you Melissa.
Rikki's Refuge in located in Orange County VA. They have over 500 cats and I want to win so I can buy at least $150.00 in food for there pets. They actually have lots of animals at Rikki's Refuge and here is just a few of them:
cats, dogs, sheep rabbits, geese, pigs, goats, chickens, guineas, Emus, etc.
They do not put Hiv Positive or Aid positive cats to sleep. They keep them all together in one large pen that has a house at the end of it for the cats to come in out of the cold. There are many pens there for the different cats. If any get sick they are taken to an inside house and put in individual cages are treated. When I went there, I fell in love with a HIV cat that was a calico and had no teeth and her tung hung out mostly on one side. She didn't look sick, but they brought her in are letting her live inside the house. They really need can food for the cats.
A lady I know goes every week to different food stores here to get there old vegetables they are throwing out to take to the pigs at Rikki's Refuge.
I want to thank everyone who is voting for Miss Pinky and if she makes it in the top 20 pics from her votes then she will have a chance of winning. I hope she does win so I can buy at least $150.00 of food for the animals.
If anyone is interested in making a donation to them, the address is as follows:
Rikki's Refuge
P.O. Box 1357
Orange, VA 22960
Melissa thank you so much for putting the website on your blog.
And thank you Aunt D, it was a pleasure having you. Isn't she great??There's no fakin' that my friends....No sir-ee, She's the real deal.And we really ARE related. I mean she is way, WAY nicer than me, of course. Cuz you know, all I'm sayin' is there ain't NO WAY I'd be bringing home an HIV cat with no teeth and it's tongue hangin' out. That's all I'm sayin'... She's nice and I very much wish that I had a photo to go with this post.
ANd don't forget to Vote For Miss Pinky 3 times a day.
And tomorrow......
"How Cats Get AIDS".....
O.K., that's a joke. I really have no idea. Multiple sex partners? Using dirty needles?Bad blood transfusion? O.K. enough. Just vote for the blasted fish, o.k?
Every vote counts
Thanks so much!
Melissa
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Please Vote for Miss Pinky
How can I best describe my Aunt D?? Where are the words???
When I was little she was the only aunt I had that wore mini skirts and tall boots. She always comments on my hair or my outfit or something. She loved me as a brunette and at Thanksgiving,when she saw my hair was blonde again, she declared,"You don't look like Sophia Loren,NO MORE".
She used to have a lot of cats. In fact she's the only person that I know that had her brother actually BUILD her a "cat house".
She went through a big "native american" phase more than once. She could pull off wearing long braids and turqoise. And she did. She makes dream catchers and sells them.
For as long as I've known her she's been the independent sort, living in various apartments and such....but on her own.
She's always driven a little 2 wheel drive somthin'or other pick-up.
She has worked her whole life and has been everything from a waitress to a secretary and has sold everything from eye make-up to crystal vases. She settled into a job with the gov.'t and recently retired from there.
Now she paints t-shirts(with native american motiffs) and is a cat rescuer extrordinaire.
She also has fish.
Lots of fish.
One of her fish is in a contest. The contest is won through voting. And through her sheer persistence she has moved her fish,"Miss Pinky" up from 5,000,000,001st place to 26th place. If Miss pinky gets to #20 then she will be in the running to win $250. Holy cow, Miss Pinky's so close she can open her little gills and taste it. One look at Miss Pinky and you'll know she's no slacker. She's in it for the gold. And let's face it, you can buy a whole lot of cat and fish food for $250, folks.
So please,Vote For Miss Pinky (she's on the 7th row) Let's give her the chance she's been longing for. Her moment in the sun. Her time to shine. Do it for yourself. Do it for someone you love. DO it for your cat. DO it for your fish.....or for the fish you never had.
Aunt D, if you read this, I would like to invite you to be my guest blogger.
Stay tuned for words from Aunt D. She's one of the most non-judgemental people I know and she always does what she thinks is right. She's a Christian and the mother of 2. SHe always has a smile for everyone and is just alot of fun to talk to.I love ya Aunt D!
G'night!
and don't forget:
Vote For Miss Pinky (7th row) you can vote 3 times a day)
When I was little she was the only aunt I had that wore mini skirts and tall boots. She always comments on my hair or my outfit or something. She loved me as a brunette and at Thanksgiving,when she saw my hair was blonde again, she declared,"You don't look like Sophia Loren,NO MORE".
She used to have a lot of cats. In fact she's the only person that I know that had her brother actually BUILD her a "cat house".
She went through a big "native american" phase more than once. She could pull off wearing long braids and turqoise. And she did. She makes dream catchers and sells them.
For as long as I've known her she's been the independent sort, living in various apartments and such....but on her own.
She's always driven a little 2 wheel drive somthin'or other pick-up.
She has worked her whole life and has been everything from a waitress to a secretary and has sold everything from eye make-up to crystal vases. She settled into a job with the gov.'t and recently retired from there.
Now she paints t-shirts(with native american motiffs) and is a cat rescuer extrordinaire.
She also has fish.
Lots of fish.
One of her fish is in a contest. The contest is won through voting. And through her sheer persistence she has moved her fish,"Miss Pinky" up from 5,000,000,001st place to 26th place. If Miss pinky gets to #20 then she will be in the running to win $250. Holy cow, Miss Pinky's so close she can open her little gills and taste it. One look at Miss Pinky and you'll know she's no slacker. She's in it for the gold. And let's face it, you can buy a whole lot of cat and fish food for $250, folks.
So please,Vote For Miss Pinky (she's on the 7th row) Let's give her the chance she's been longing for. Her moment in the sun. Her time to shine. Do it for yourself. Do it for someone you love. DO it for your cat. DO it for your fish.....or for the fish you never had.
Aunt D, if you read this, I would like to invite you to be my guest blogger.
Stay tuned for words from Aunt D. She's one of the most non-judgemental people I know and she always does what she thinks is right. She's a Christian and the mother of 2. SHe always has a smile for everyone and is just alot of fun to talk to.I love ya Aunt D!
G'night!
and don't forget:
Vote For Miss Pinky (7th row) you can vote 3 times a day)
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Celebrate
Catching up with family, seeing old friends, laughing so hard that you spit out your drink, eating more sinfully delicious food than you should, hugging laughing little kids and not caring if they smear stuff on your pants.....ahhhhhhhhhh......that's what it's about. That's how we've been celebrating and it's been like a breath of fresh air.
And tonight I got to go out to eat with my best friend. We've been best friends since the first grade and while I still yak her ear off on the phone most weeks, we just don't get together as much as we would like. But tonight we got to dress up and head downtown to one of our favorite resturants. It was an outstanding night.
And because of this night I feel obligated to share with you a bit of Melissa's Worldly Wisdom:(go get a pen) " Never underestimate the merits of dining out." There are very few things in life that cannot be made better by it. You heard it here first.....no thanks necessary. I live to serve.
Headed home tomorrow and feeling refreshed and ready to tackle bringing in the New Year.
And tonight I got to go out to eat with my best friend. We've been best friends since the first grade and while I still yak her ear off on the phone most weeks, we just don't get together as much as we would like. But tonight we got to dress up and head downtown to one of our favorite resturants. It was an outstanding night.
And because of this night I feel obligated to share with you a bit of Melissa's Worldly Wisdom:(go get a pen) " Never underestimate the merits of dining out." There are very few things in life that cannot be made better by it. You heard it here first.....no thanks necessary. I live to serve.
Headed home tomorrow and feeling refreshed and ready to tackle bringing in the New Year.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas!!!
It isn't the same without Race here at home to celebrate Christmas with us, but it has still been a good day. I know that he wants us to keep everything the same while he is away. It is the privelege of being able to worship and celebrate that makes his job seem so much more important. The people where he is have neither of those priveleges.
On the Christmas Eve menu tonight was roast tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and carmelizes shallots. I made a wine reduction and we had a nice salad of mixed greens and mushrooms. It was delicious. Later, while they watched A Christmas Carol, the kids had hot mugs of cocoa topped with whipped cream and garnished with candy canes. Just before bedtime we read from the picture book "The First Christmas" by Carol Heyer. It is a wonderful telling of the First Christmas with lovely,thoughtful illustrations.
I didn't really feel lonely until I had to set out all Santa's gifts by myself. Then it hit me. But as I was sitting there thinking of Race and how far apart we are and how much we have always enjoyed this particular part of Christmas for ourselves, I remembered something. And I wanted to write it here so that I would never forget it.
Race and I had decided that we would exchange gifts together at a later time when we could just relax and just enjoy being together. We figured that we'd do some shopping together,have dinner out somewhere nice,... you get the picture. When you live apart for 6 months out of every year, you learn to be flexible and to enjoy the time that you have together whenever you might have it.
Well, the other day a large Fed-Ex box arrived. This wasn't anything that I had ordered and the kids, (having been instructed by their dad in a phone call or email or something) sprung into action.They whisked the box away and wrapped it's contents and placed the gifts under the tree with tags that read :To MOM, From: Dad.
A few days later, Race called! I was so excited and went on to spill all the things that we had been doing....the Christmas show, The Nutcracker, all the parties, etc.I remebered the Christmas gifts.
ME: " You really didn't have to do that."
Race: "I know"
Me: Seriously, I mean I know that I've been a good girl and all, but you didn't have to go to all the trouble from THERE."
Race: "I know. I know I didn't. (in a quiet tone) But....I just love you so much."
Well, somebody come and mop me up, cause I just melted into a big ole' Melissa puddle. I love that man.
Merry Christmas Race! We love you, be safe, and come home soon.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
So, here's the thing...
I ordered EVERYTHING online. EVERYTHING. I didn't shop in an actual department store for even one gift. This was wonderful. This is a major reason why I am still in the holiday spirit. I tipped my mail lady and my UPS guy well.Again, because I am STILL in the holiday spirit....And because I felt ULTRA sorry for the mail lady the day that she delivered 10 boxes to my door. Delivering the boxes was bad enough, but I have 2 chocolate labs and well...they're OVERLY friendly...and well ya know...it was just bad. (ALso, that particular day the mail lady's large granny underpants were sticking WAY out from where her festive velvety stretch pants ended and her pink sweatshirt began....so....I felt she deserved a huge break.)I don't know why my deranged mind remembers stuff like that. (sigh)
So. All my gifts have arrived. Most are wrapped.
But my bedroom looks like a packing and supply storage house. I mean it. It's BAD. Really BAD. ANd y'all remember that I don't have trash pick-up right? So...this is a bit of a problem actually. I mean, I don't really care. I'd happily just climb over the boxes every night to get to my bed. And at the moment I don't care about kicking some empty boxes aside to get to my shoes in the closet. Who cares?
I'm thinkin' Race might care. I mean it doesn't exactly scream "Welcome Home Honey" ya know? SO, I've got my work cut out for me. He's not due home right away or anything....but I figure it's gonna take quite awhile. See for yourself.
Isn't that sad? But, I'll tell ya, when Race isn't home........I just.don't.care. Not about the bedroom anyway. I mean the rest of the house still gets cleaned regularly. But it's just little ole me in the bedroom right now. So......whatever.
So. All my gifts have arrived. Most are wrapped.
But my bedroom looks like a packing and supply storage house. I mean it. It's BAD. Really BAD. ANd y'all remember that I don't have trash pick-up right? So...this is a bit of a problem actually. I mean, I don't really care. I'd happily just climb over the boxes every night to get to my bed. And at the moment I don't care about kicking some empty boxes aside to get to my shoes in the closet. Who cares?
I'm thinkin' Race might care. I mean it doesn't exactly scream "Welcome Home Honey" ya know? SO, I've got my work cut out for me. He's not due home right away or anything....but I figure it's gonna take quite awhile. See for yourself.
Isn't that sad? But, I'll tell ya, when Race isn't home........I just.don't.care. Not about the bedroom anyway. I mean the rest of the house still gets cleaned regularly. But it's just little ole me in the bedroom right now. So......whatever.
Those little gold things laying on the bed are bags of chocolate coins to go in the kids stockings. SOmething I put in every year. That's my snazzy green Banana Republic trench coat on the bed. I got to wear it to church this morning because of the down pour.
Those are my all-time FAVORITE cowboy boots that Race got for me from Brazil. LOVE,LOVE,LOVE them. And my big, pink ball for ab work-outs every morning. Errr...well...it's getting ready to be every morning. ANd yes, we have an entire wall devoted to back-packs. What can I say, my man is the rugged, outdoorsy type who collects high-end gear like old ladies collect cookie jars.. And he even got a job to support his habit.
Isn't it sad that someone actually lives like this? I haven't enlarged these pics to see what else you can see. But hey- maybe a game of "I Spy"? Anyway, feel my pain, o.k? Before Race gets home I gotta get this done. As I look at these pictures I'm thinkin' it's gonna require a new chest of drawers. What do ya think?
And lest you think that there is an end to which I will humiliate myself, I wan you to know that Savannah has been going through old pictures and I've been steadily scanning them for a bit of a look to the past. A fashion and hair extravaganza, if you will. A real treat.
G'night,
Me and the Scalded Dog
Melissa
Thursday, December 20, 2007
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!
The kids have all these parties going on right now. I mean a TON of parties. I am the mere "buyer-of-white-elephant-gifts". (Although I am quite good at it). However nothing says "thank-you" like walking into a Christmas party filled with uniformed men and boys just in time to hear YOUR son scream upon entering "EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!" You know the song right? Yeah, he can sound just like that. It's one of his favorite party tricks and is always met cheers and a wild uproar. WHo knew he'd get Race's vice of being an attention-hound? huh. ANyway, in googling that song, for those that might not know it....I came across these young gals. And at first they made me laugh so hard I thought that I would need a gut replacement. AND THEN I got down on my knees to thank the good Lord that You Tube was not available when I was a teen. THAT.WOULD.HAVE.BEEN.ME. Fer,sure. But, anyway....look at em' go. You GO girls! That's how they stay so skinny. I wonder what their mom is doing while they're jammin? Probably bloggin'.
These girls must be the very best of friends, because look how they share the camera. Each giving the other equal time to shine.
I gotta go tape myself bustin' a move. Oh-ho-ho yeah....I still got em'.You know I do.Coming soon to a You Tube near you.
These girls must be the very best of friends, because look how they share the camera. Each giving the other equal time to shine.
I gotta go tape myself bustin' a move. Oh-ho-ho yeah....I still got em'.You know I do.Coming soon to a You Tube near you.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
What's filling up your week?
What are you going to do this week?
We are going to take a mighty stab at the kids school work all week, but I think that mostly we will be baking and assembling our gingerbread houses! The gingerbread house is a tradition that I started for us when Austin was just a baby. We do one every year and we *try* to be creative. The kids usually help me come up with the theme and sometimes it works out and sometimes it looks more like a blind man was walking through the kitchen and RAN INTO the gingerbread house as it was being made. But it's always fun. I'll get out the pictures later and post some of the ones that we've done in the past.(Lower your expectations now please)
We thought that this year we would try to do a gingerbread village, with each of us making a small house of a little different shape and size and then combining them to look like a little village. I think it's a good idea, but we'll see how it turns out.That means cutting out pieces for 4 houses. Gah! ANyway, that will be our little project for the week, along with wrapping gifts and grabbing last minute items. The boys also have martial arts this week, so I'll have to drag my sorry carcass to that as well.
SO what are you doing this week?
We are going to take a mighty stab at the kids school work all week, but I think that mostly we will be baking and assembling our gingerbread houses! The gingerbread house is a tradition that I started for us when Austin was just a baby. We do one every year and we *try* to be creative. The kids usually help me come up with the theme and sometimes it works out and sometimes it looks more like a blind man was walking through the kitchen and RAN INTO the gingerbread house as it was being made. But it's always fun. I'll get out the pictures later and post some of the ones that we've done in the past.(Lower your expectations now please)
We thought that this year we would try to do a gingerbread village, with each of us making a small house of a little different shape and size and then combining them to look like a little village. I think it's a good idea, but we'll see how it turns out.That means cutting out pieces for 4 houses. Gah! ANyway, that will be our little project for the week, along with wrapping gifts and grabbing last minute items. The boys also have martial arts this week, so I'll have to drag my sorry carcass to that as well.
SO what are you doing this week?
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