Help with the Bill...

I have to say that my life has been crazy busy, but not really anything too blog worthy. I am still too close to VBS (I just have to make it through tomorrow, yay!) to post on that just yet. Today,though, Carson did something I thought was so cute.

I believe that I have blogged before about how much we love the Schwan's man but I didn't realize it trickled down to our smallest family member. Carson and I were playing in the living room today when the big, yellow truck pulled up. I got up but Carson beat me to the door. As soon as I opened it he greeted Don (yep, I know him by name, no apologies!) with a hearty "Hey-Dough!" and immediately tried to offer him the dollhouse person he had been playing with. "Herego" is Carson's sharing phrase. Don politely declined and Carson decided if Don didn't want the toy then maybe he wanted to hold Carson instead. I rescued the Schwan's man by giving him my order and he left to go fill it.

Carson was highly displeased so I took him with me to get my debit card. He loves anything from my purse mostly because he isn't supposed to be in there (which makes it all the more exciting) so he took it eagerly. As soon as I put him down, he raced towards the window and started banging it towards the truck and yelling, "Herego, Herego!". As soon as Don came back with our items Carson handed it right to him with a proud "Herego!". It was so cute. I guess they really do pick up things fast, although I didn't realize I had trained him in the use of plastic. I guess that is what I get for never having cash. I will be glad to let Carson pick up the tab from now on!

Excitement on an Endless Loop

Jocelyn has a new favorite movie. "Favorite" is not a word I use lightly. She would watch it from dawn until dusk. Anytime she gets to watch tv she wants to watch "Space Buddies". Definitely a cinematic masterpiece! I'm not really sure what she sees in it but I do know that there is a part when the "Buddies" (5 Lab puppies) have to pilot a rocket ship back to Earth. (Please, do not ask me how they got to space in the first place. See the above sarcastic comments to deduce my feelings on this movie.)All I know is that the first time it got to that part I hear vigorous pounding on the floor, squeaking and Josie yelling, "They did it, the puppies did it!". Later, she comes back downstairs and says, "Mom, the puppies did it! They got back to Earth! Yay!!"

So, that was the first time she watched the movie. Then the same thing the next time, and the next. No matter how many times she watches it, it never gets old. Her level of excitement remains the same. Always, the screaming, and the jumping up and down (on MY bed!). She loves that movie and she doesn't get tired of seeing it repeatedly. She rejoices in the success of the imaginary dogs as much as if the story was unfolding in real life (maybe more!).

I love that she loves it. I love that her enthusaism is not dampened by knowledge of what is to come. I hope that she will feel that way about Jesus someday. That His story will never get old. That is pretty much how I feel. No matter how many times I read it, there is always something to rejoice over. There is always something new to learn. I want to help her I can't say that I jump up and down, but maybe I should start!:)

Finding My Flip-Flops

Anyone that knows Carson knows that he is not a lover of shoes. Unless they are his sister's. Of course, he is fascinated with Josie's shoes. Which she obligingly leaves all over the house. This morning he repeatedly brought me one of her pink flip-flops. I couldn't figure out what he wanted until he threw it at his foot. Then I realized that he wanted me to put it on him. I tried to talk him out of it. It isn't that I care if he tries to wear them but he had on footed pajamas! He was insistent. I put the shoe on. Sure enough, he took two steps before it fell off. Back to me so I could put it on again. Needless to say, with a 1 year-old, we repeated this scene about 4 times. I tried to persuade him that they weren't his size, not his color, and he doesn't like shoes anyway! Finally, after he would not give up, I took off his pajamas. We put on both shoes and still, no success. He couldn't walk. I am sure that in his little mind, those flip-flops looked pretty exciting. They are hot pink, they are easy to put on and the biggest plus: they belong to Josie and anything that is her's is instantly attractive. I couldn't explain to him that they weren't meant for him, he just knew that he wanted what belonged to his sister.

I got out his shoes. No go, not what he wanted. His own shoes are adorable. They fit his chubby little feet and he can walk in them.But, they are his. He only wanted what wasn't his. He only wanted what belonged to somebody else. It didn't matter that they weren't meant for him, that they would never be the same on him as they are on Josie. He didn't even care that his Dad would be appalled by his fascination with hot pink footwear. He just knew he wanted them.

Since I am getting to be known for finding spiritual correlations in the strangest things it shouldn't surprise anyone that I started thinking about all the times I feel that way. All the times that I have wanted someone else's pink flip-flops and pouted when they didn't look as good on me. Or, I couldn't afford them. Or, they didn't fit my feet. Like when I wish my husband had someone else's job. Or I had their clothes. Or their abilities. Those aren't my flip-flops! It would be like me trying to wear skinny jeans- ha! Sometimes I just need to appreciate how great their flip-flops look on them. I have my own shoes, and if I let them they look just as good on me.

I just think it must make God sad when I don't appreciate my own shoes. He tries to convince me that what He gave me is just perfect- for me. Wanting what someone else has only leads to falls and disappointments. I don't have to settle for what I have. I can be content knowing my Father knows what is best for me. My flip-flops are just right.:)

8 Thankful Things

I am thankful today, and I thought if I wrote it down it would help me to remember the next time I am crabby. So, today I am thankful that:

1. Joel was able to Skype with us! It is truly a modern miracle to be able to see his face and hear his voice from so far away!

2. The sun is shining. I love "Mr. Golden Sun" and though the rain has been great I love sunshine!

3. My grass is growing! (See above!)

4. Payday is Friday. Yay for Payday, the best two days of any month!:)

5. Joel has been gone almost 9 months. Too bad this is not a pregnancy, or it would be almost over. (Okay, well that is probably a good thing that it is not, but that's a whole other post!) I have a lot less time to wait than I did when we started all this. Very exciting!

6. I purchased my dad's Father's Day card yesterday. Now if I could just think of a spectacular gift... but this is a post on thankfulness, and I will keep it that way.

7. I have a wonderful new car that always starts. God is so good to me...

8. God is good. I don't think I can ever be thankful enough for that.

Construction Ahead

I've discovered that spending time on the road offers me many opportunities for contemplation and reflection. My kids are contained, and being fairly familiar with the roads, I can enter "the zone". I was driving home the other night and had been pondering a number of things when I saw the dreaded orange signs: ROAD WORK AHEAD. Yuck! It was late at night and there were few other cars on the road. I hoped secretly that it was day time construction, but alas, night time work is becoming increasingly popular here (I think the companies have figured out there are fewer vehicles, too. Dang it!)

I suppose I should have just taken it in stride. It wasn't like I was going to be late for an appointment. I was tired but not exhausted. However, it was bridge work which caused me to have to exit the highway and stop at a light to cross over the street to go back up the ramp. Grrr! Probably, I still would not have been bothered, but since we have moved here there has been a non-stop construction party. Joel and I swore for a time that the Interstate was being used as orange barrel storage. Obviously tha had to be the case, due to the enormous numbers of them for no apparent purpose other than closing perfectly good lanes for miles the state must have just needed a place to put them! First, it was a main road near two of the gates, then it was each gate in turn (still working on those!),and the interstate has been under construction the entire time we have lived here. It just gets a little- no, a lot- frustrating. I mean, who are they to de-rail my plans? I have places to go, people to see. No time to stop for the flag-person, no time to slow for the crews. Besides, they are doing construction again on areas they have "fixed" already! What?!

So, anyway, I proceed back on to the highway. Thinking about how I was so frustrated by the delay. Even though it had only been a minor inconvenience it reminded me of all the times it had been significantly worse. Why don't I have any patience? After all, isn't this for my long-term benefit? Even though I can't necessarily see what is being fixed, even if I think the problem doesn't affect me. Hmmm, sound familiar?

I know the Lord does road construction in my life. I know there are some potholes He is working to fix right now, some bridges that need their supports shored up, some lines that need re-painting. More often than not, I need to see those ugly orange signs, cones and barrels. They remind me to pay closer attention, be alert for cops on the prowl for speeders, and to see the cars around me and the scenery, too. Maybe there are temptations that I am not aware of, maybe there are people around me who I am missing in my constant rush. Maybe I have forgotten my boundaries because they have become too familiar. Maybe I will never see the results in this life of what is being repaired but I know it is for my good. I am glad I am not the head of the construction crew. I just hope I will be patient enough to let Him do His job.