There is a CHANCE this blog entry may come across to some as a little rant. I honestly wouldn't take the time to rant on here if I didn't feel it may help someone out a little. By someone...I mean me. We ended the year in a bit of a funk. It seemed like every time we turned around, someone was being mean and hurtful. If you are reading this, and think this blog pertains to you...it probably does. If you think it applies ONLY to you, it doesn't. There has been plenty of ugliness to go around. It left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth.
I am not saying that I am perfect. I am not saying that my family is perfect. The good Lord KNOWS that we are not perfect. But I do know that we are trying our best to be good. The way I was raised, you wake up and live your life searching for ways to make someones day brighter.
I have watched my mom live her life for her family. Make no mistake, she is NOT a martyr. She lived for us and loved every minute of it. Just as she had us out of the house and on our own, tragedy struck and she knew she was being called by God to do what HE had planned. She is now helping to raise two little boys, and let me tell you, she wouldn't have it any other way.
I grew up watching my Dad. A man who has never met a stranger and would do anything for anyone. I knew every year at Christmas, there would be two brand new bikes purchased. I also knew, no matter how shiny and awesome they were...they weren't ours. They belonged to two children who were less fortunate than us. I could write an entire post on all of the amazing things he has done for others, but I simply don't have a month to devote to such a post. Sadly, I could also write a post almost as long about people who were just flat rotten in return.
Over the past six months, I have cried numerous times out of sheer disappointment and disbelief. When you are doing things for people out of the kindness of your heart, how does it turn so ugly? So here is what I have come up with.
We are Christians. We are doing God's work. The more work we do for HIM, the more the devil wants to see us fall on our faces. The more work we do for HIM, the more we are persecuted. I'd rather spend a lifetime on earth doing HIS work and being persecuted for every bit of it than be enticed for ONE STINKING SECOND by the devil to rest on my laurels and not share my love with other people. PERIOD. However, I also know I have to protect my heart and my family. So my new philosophy in life is this.
Hurt me once....shame on you.
Hurt me twice...really? Again? OK, one more chance.
Hurt me three times...done. Even Jesus had his limits, so unless you want me to come into your temple and start turning over tables, we must bid farewell. BUT, you are more than welcome to come back when you are ready to play nice.
Whew. I feel better. Now I am ready to take on 2012. Well...maybe tomorrow. Today I am going to piddle in my house, play on Pinterest, drink coffee and eat Nutella stuffed crescent rolls. Maybe squeeze in a game of UNO or Sorry...maybe Cranium Jr. if things get really wild!!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A New Year.
If I may direct your attention to the title of my blog. It has changed. A Little Bit of Life, just seemed like a misrepresentation. There is nothing little going on around here. With Big Daddy standing at 6 foot 9 and our youngest (5 years old) topping the charts at 4 foot 4...our size is anything but little. Then add in our 130 pound dog and we are huge. However, the amount of space we take up on this earth isn't the only thing I'm referring to when I say BIG time. I am also talking about the LOVE and BLESSINGS in our world.
I am incredibly blessed to be a part of a pretty large family. By birth...we really aren't that large. By choice, my family is huge. I am blessed with some pretty great in-laws that came with the deal I sealed with a kiss on June 22, 2002. We have also "adopted" so many people into our family. I'm sure you know about the girl I call my sister. Because of her, my adopted family has become GINORMOUS!! I believe that what we do is actually not that normal. To some it may seem weird. Personally, my heart is so full of love and trust that when I make a new friend (and I feel they are TRUE) they become like family. Because of the way I was raised, I am loyal if nothing else.Trust me friends when I say, this does not always feel like a positive trait to possess. There are days when I want to pack up my stuff and the people who I KNOW would never hurt me and move to Hawaii. "Thank you for joining us on Chrissy's Ark of Trust, the beverage cart will be around soon!" You might be surprised at how seriously Big Daddy and I were considering selling everything and moving. I was even looking at real estate on the beach. In an effort to disprove Big Daddy's theory that we could "totally move to the beach," I found myself...wanting to do that very thing!!! However, I didn't see anything under 1.2 million that I liked, so I think maybe we have just settled on a vacation back to our honeymoon spot to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!
I also feel BIG things happening. I feel God has been working in our lives and has big plans for us. I am excited to see what 2012 holds for us. Here's to a new year of BIGness. (and let's hope that has nothing to do with my buns.)
I am incredibly blessed to be a part of a pretty large family. By birth...we really aren't that large. By choice, my family is huge. I am blessed with some pretty great in-laws that came with the deal I sealed with a kiss on June 22, 2002. We have also "adopted" so many people into our family. I'm sure you know about the girl I call my sister. Because of her, my adopted family has become GINORMOUS!! I believe that what we do is actually not that normal. To some it may seem weird. Personally, my heart is so full of love and trust that when I make a new friend (and I feel they are TRUE) they become like family. Because of the way I was raised, I am loyal if nothing else.Trust me friends when I say, this does not always feel like a positive trait to possess. There are days when I want to pack up my stuff and the people who I KNOW would never hurt me and move to Hawaii. "Thank you for joining us on Chrissy's Ark of Trust, the beverage cart will be around soon!" You might be surprised at how seriously Big Daddy and I were considering selling everything and moving. I was even looking at real estate on the beach. In an effort to disprove Big Daddy's theory that we could "totally move to the beach," I found myself...wanting to do that very thing!!! However, I didn't see anything under 1.2 million that I liked, so I think maybe we have just settled on a vacation back to our honeymoon spot to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!
I also feel BIG things happening. I feel God has been working in our lives and has big plans for us. I am excited to see what 2012 holds for us. Here's to a new year of BIGness. (and let's hope that has nothing to do with my buns.)
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Disney!!!
We took a FEW pictures on our trip to Disney...here are my favorites!!
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| Cohen is ready to GO!!! |
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| Indeed. |
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| Cohen loved "The Palace" |
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| The castle changes colors...this was my favorite! |
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| It was REALLY hard to catch Claire in a picture! |
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| Cohen at Epcot. He couldn't wait to walk under the big golf ball! |
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| Breakfast at our hotel |
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| Mickey waffles reminded us of Miss Robbie!! |
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| Claire waiting for the Safari...her favorite part of our trip! |
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| The kids decided it was a message from Heaven. |
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| He LOVED the parade at Animal Kingdom! |
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| So did she....I promise! |
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| Tree of Life |
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| Where I almost lost a really nice dinner. |
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| Waiting for Fantasmic. |
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| Watching Fantasmic...amazing!!!! |
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| THE Highlight of Cohen's trip! "Captain Jack Spawow!" |
At the risk of sounding super cheesy...this was truly a magical vacation. The feeling I got when walking up to the Magic Kingdom while it was all decorated for Christmas was seriously magic. As silly as it may sound, I was a little emotional. The fact that I was getting to take my kids on a vacation like this, was just such a blessing. I will never take it for granted. I loved seeing the looks on their faces. They were both so taken by the castle....and so was I. It was just beautiful. I can't possibly share all of our stories in a blog, but this melted my heart...While on Peter Pan's Flight, Cohen hugged me tight and said, "Oh momma, I'm thinking only all my happy thoughts!"
Saturday, September 10, 2011
10 Years Ago...
10 years ago, I don't remember exactly what I was doing. It is strange but I remember that my house was clean. I lived with my brother and a clean house was not something that happened on a regular basis. Chances are I went to sleep while watching either The Wedding Planner or My Best Friend's Wedding because I was newly engaged and had wedding on the brain. I went to sleep that night with absolutely no idea that I would wake up in the morning to a world that would never be the same.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on September 11, 2001 my brother ran into my room and woke me up yelling, "WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!!!" I, naturally, asked where the dog was and ran to the living room. We sat on my red flowered couch on the black cordless phone with my mom and watched in terror as the first tower collapsed. As news trickled in about the flight in Pennsylvania and the plane that hit the pentagon....I was stunned. I was not exactly shocked that something like this was happening, but the scope was incomprehensible. If they were going to hit the pentagon....what is stopping them from taking everyone out? Were we the safest because we are in the middle of the country? Where do I want to be if something like that happens here? The only answer I was sure of was the answer to the last question. I knew I didn't want to be at school. I skipped my IDS 110 class and took lunch to my dad's office. We sat and watched the coverage as we tried to eat our sandwiches. (Bacon Turkey Bravo from Panera) Luckily I had filled up with gas on the way because by the time I left his office, people had panicked and gas stations resembled Black Friday at Best Buy. Not good.
I reported for duty at 4:00 for my shift at a drug and alcohol recovery center and it was like visiting a parallel universe. With the exception of a few women who were "upset" (read, "I'm going to freak out so I can milk this situation for an extra smoke break) most of them were not concerned. I heard things like, "Yeah, it sucks but it's not my problem." Someone actually said, "It doesn't affect me so I don't care." I could not believe they could be so flip about one of the biggest and most deadly events in history. The world around me began to make less and less sense. It stayed that way for months.
I called friends that I hadn't talked to in a while. I prayed with my parents at a local church that we had never attended. I watched the footage. I turned the footage off. I tried to be okay with planning a wedding. I tried to make sense of it all.
Ten years later...I still watch the footage and it is just as terrifying as it was the first time. I pray. I read the stories about the children who never met their fathers because they were born AFTER the attacks. I pray. I read the stories about the widows and widowers who have found true love again. I pray. I sit and wait for my husband's plane to land in Springfield tonight...and I pray. I pray to God and thank Him because I know, there is a place waiting for us where this kind of loss and pain will seize to exist.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on September 11, 2001 my brother ran into my room and woke me up yelling, "WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!!!" I, naturally, asked where the dog was and ran to the living room. We sat on my red flowered couch on the black cordless phone with my mom and watched in terror as the first tower collapsed. As news trickled in about the flight in Pennsylvania and the plane that hit the pentagon....I was stunned. I was not exactly shocked that something like this was happening, but the scope was incomprehensible. If they were going to hit the pentagon....what is stopping them from taking everyone out? Were we the safest because we are in the middle of the country? Where do I want to be if something like that happens here? The only answer I was sure of was the answer to the last question. I knew I didn't want to be at school. I skipped my IDS 110 class and took lunch to my dad's office. We sat and watched the coverage as we tried to eat our sandwiches. (Bacon Turkey Bravo from Panera) Luckily I had filled up with gas on the way because by the time I left his office, people had panicked and gas stations resembled Black Friday at Best Buy. Not good.
I reported for duty at 4:00 for my shift at a drug and alcohol recovery center and it was like visiting a parallel universe. With the exception of a few women who were "upset" (read, "I'm going to freak out so I can milk this situation for an extra smoke break) most of them were not concerned. I heard things like, "Yeah, it sucks but it's not my problem." Someone actually said, "It doesn't affect me so I don't care." I could not believe they could be so flip about one of the biggest and most deadly events in history. The world around me began to make less and less sense. It stayed that way for months.
I called friends that I hadn't talked to in a while. I prayed with my parents at a local church that we had never attended. I watched the footage. I turned the footage off. I tried to be okay with planning a wedding. I tried to make sense of it all.
Ten years later...I still watch the footage and it is just as terrifying as it was the first time. I pray. I read the stories about the children who never met their fathers because they were born AFTER the attacks. I pray. I read the stories about the widows and widowers who have found true love again. I pray. I sit and wait for my husband's plane to land in Springfield tonight...and I pray. I pray to God and thank Him because I know, there is a place waiting for us where this kind of loss and pain will seize to exist.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Batter Up!
Last night, as I was headed up the stairs to go to bed, something caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks and waited. I saw it again and BOLTED upstairs. "BIG DADDY...THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE HOUSE." He was not terribly concerned at first because I have a tendency to blow things out of proportion from time to time. "BABE. I'm serious...there is something flying around." That got his attention, because we have A LOT of bats out here in The Hills. If you want to freak Big Daddy's freak...talk about bats. He tried to keep it cool and told me, "Well...go look and see." I peeked out of our room and flipped on the lights just in time to see our little nocturnal friend buzz by again.
I ran back in our room and did the heebie geebie dance and informed him that it was indeed a bat. His eyes got huge and he froze. "Babe, you know I don't do bats." That's when I knew...I was on my own.
I did what any girl would do. I called my mommy and daddy of course! They tried, through their whooping laughter to guide me through this little adventure. I decided I would shoot it. I got my pellet gun and put the rents on speaker phone. I found our little buddy hanging out on our rock fire place. Here is the conversation that took place.
Me: "I'm just going to shoot it."
Dad: "Just reach up there and grab it and throw the D!#$ thing out the door."
Me: "Um....no. I'm gonna shoot it."
Mom: "YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!"
Me: "No I won't...but maybe I will put on some glasses."
(Found Big Daddy's shades. Put them on)
Dad: "make sure you are straight on."
Me: "Wouldn't it be better at a 45 degree angle?"
Dad: "No."
Me: "Ok."
Dad: "If you're gonna shoot it, steady your gun on a chair."
Me: "Got it."
Me: "You should see me. Sunglasses, greasy hair, pellet gun...hot."
Dad: "Where is Brian?"
Me: "UPSTAIRS!!!"
Dad: (laughing hysterically)
Mom: "Don't shoot! I'm googling!"
Mom: "It says, 'you should not have bats flying in your house!'"
Me: "NO $&#@ MOM!"
Me: "I can't see with these glasses on."
Dad: "Take them off."
Me: "I'm shooting." (Fires a shot) PING!
Mom and Dad: (laughing hysterically) "Did you get it?"
Me: "I don't think so."
Mom: "DON'T SHOOT IT!!! IT IS ILLEGAL!!!"
Me: "whoops."
Mom and Dad: (more laughing)
Big Daddy comes down at some point...wearing his superhero tighties. Awesome.
Big Daddy (from the staircase): "JUST KEEP SHOOTING!"
Me: PING! PING! PING!
Mom: "I WAS BEING SERIOUS!! IT'S ILLEGAL!!!"
Me: "Okay, fine."
Either I'm a bad shot (which I highly doubt), bats have really thick skin or the most likely of all...I couldn't bring myself to get close enough to do any real damage. At any rate, plan A was a major fail. Which is good because I don't look good in orange.
Dad: "Open all the windows and doors, go get Brian's ball retriever from his golf bag and smack it so it will fly out."
Big Daddy: "I will get the ball retriever."
**MY HEEEEERRRRROOOOO!**
Mom: "It says you should cover your skin in case the bat has rabies. Has it been in contact with your dog?"
Me: "No, Queen Google...not as far as I know."
Windows are open, and the house is now a cool 90 degrees. I grab a fleece blanket to cover myself and grab the ball retriever. I have started to sweat profusely...super sexy. I approach the bat....
Me: "I'm going to set the phone down...and I'm probably gonna scream."
Mom and Dad: "Okay."
I poke at the bat...it flies directly at my face. I collapse to the floor, covered in my blanket and scream my ever lovin' head off. I peek out of my blanket only to see that sucker flying straight for my face! I retreat back to my blanket fort and scream my ever lovin' head off again.
Mom: "ARE YOU OKAY?"
Me: "I'm FINE!"
Dad: "Is it out??"
Me: "I don't know! Brian! Is it out? Brian???? Babe?"
*Big Daddy had retreated to our bedroom...door shut.*
I peeked out and didn't see our furry friend. I checked the house and found no trace. I closed the windows back up and puffed my chest out. HMPF! I did it...and I didn't even break the law...that much.
I ran back in our room and did the heebie geebie dance and informed him that it was indeed a bat. His eyes got huge and he froze. "Babe, you know I don't do bats." That's when I knew...I was on my own.
I did what any girl would do. I called my mommy and daddy of course! They tried, through their whooping laughter to guide me through this little adventure. I decided I would shoot it. I got my pellet gun and put the rents on speaker phone. I found our little buddy hanging out on our rock fire place. Here is the conversation that took place.
Me: "I'm just going to shoot it."
Dad: "Just reach up there and grab it and throw the D!#$ thing out the door."
Me: "Um....no. I'm gonna shoot it."
Mom: "YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!"
Me: "No I won't...but maybe I will put on some glasses."
(Found Big Daddy's shades. Put them on)
Dad: "make sure you are straight on."
Me: "Wouldn't it be better at a 45 degree angle?"
Dad: "No."
Me: "Ok."
Dad: "If you're gonna shoot it, steady your gun on a chair."
Me: "Got it."
Me: "You should see me. Sunglasses, greasy hair, pellet gun...hot."
Dad: "Where is Brian?"
Me: "UPSTAIRS!!!"
Dad: (laughing hysterically)
Mom: "Don't shoot! I'm googling!"
Mom: "It says, 'you should not have bats flying in your house!'"
Me: "NO $&#@ MOM!"
Me: "I can't see with these glasses on."
Dad: "Take them off."
Me: "I'm shooting." (Fires a shot) PING!
Mom and Dad: (laughing hysterically) "Did you get it?"
Me: "I don't think so."
Mom: "DON'T SHOOT IT!!! IT IS ILLEGAL!!!"
Me: "whoops."
Mom and Dad: (more laughing)
Big Daddy comes down at some point...wearing his superhero tighties. Awesome.
Big Daddy (from the staircase): "JUST KEEP SHOOTING!"
Me: PING! PING! PING!
Mom: "I WAS BEING SERIOUS!! IT'S ILLEGAL!!!"
Me: "Okay, fine."
Either I'm a bad shot (which I highly doubt), bats have really thick skin or the most likely of all...I couldn't bring myself to get close enough to do any real damage. At any rate, plan A was a major fail. Which is good because I don't look good in orange.
Dad: "Open all the windows and doors, go get Brian's ball retriever from his golf bag and smack it so it will fly out."
Big Daddy: "I will get the ball retriever."
**MY HEEEEERRRRROOOOO!**
Mom: "It says you should cover your skin in case the bat has rabies. Has it been in contact with your dog?"
Me: "No, Queen Google...not as far as I know."
Windows are open, and the house is now a cool 90 degrees. I grab a fleece blanket to cover myself and grab the ball retriever. I have started to sweat profusely...super sexy. I approach the bat....
Me: "I'm going to set the phone down...and I'm probably gonna scream."
Mom and Dad: "Okay."
I poke at the bat...it flies directly at my face. I collapse to the floor, covered in my blanket and scream my ever lovin' head off. I peek out of my blanket only to see that sucker flying straight for my face! I retreat back to my blanket fort and scream my ever lovin' head off again.
Mom: "ARE YOU OKAY?"
Me: "I'm FINE!"
Dad: "Is it out??"
Me: "I don't know! Brian! Is it out? Brian???? Babe?"
*Big Daddy had retreated to our bedroom...door shut.*
I peeked out and didn't see our furry friend. I checked the house and found no trace. I closed the windows back up and puffed my chest out. HMPF! I did it...and I didn't even break the law...that much.
Monday, May 16, 2011
My Smarty
Today I was explaining to Cohen the purpose of Relay for Life. Here is our conversation.
Cohen- "What is Relay for Life?"
Mommy-"It's to raise money for cancer research."
Cohen-"What's cancer research?"
Mommy-"It means that someone really smart is going to find a cure for cancer, but they need money to help them."
Cohen-"Oh, I see. I'm smart!"
Mommy-"You most certainly are, are you going to find a cure for cancer?"
Cohen-"YUP....what's a cure?"
Cohen- "What is Relay for Life?"
Mommy-"It's to raise money for cancer research."
Cohen-"What's cancer research?"
Mommy-"It means that someone really smart is going to find a cure for cancer, but they need money to help them."
Cohen-"Oh, I see. I'm smart!"
Mommy-"You most certainly are, are you going to find a cure for cancer?"
Cohen-"YUP....what's a cure?"
Sunday, May 1, 2011
My Favorite DJ is DJ Tanner.
Friday night I had dinner with a group of wonderful ladies. Beautiful ladies who love the Lord. After our bellies were full, we headed north to fill our hearts with the word of God. You see Friday was the Women's Rally at James River Assembly. Pastor John's wife Debbie was able to secure a special speaker for this rally, and when I heard who it was...I could not pass it up!! Trust me, after a week preparing for our giant garage sale and all day with a garage FULL of people...a nap sounded really good. But missing CANDACE CAMERON BURE speak at our church, in person, was NOT an option!!
As we walked in, clips from Full House were playing on the screens in the sanctuary. I was immediately taken back to a time that my children cannot fathom. A time when we waited for Friday night at 7:00 so we could watch Full House. If you weren't home, you didn't see it. We found an entire row just for us and settled in. Little did I know, my world was about to be rocked.
She came out and was just adorable! She was rocking white pants (which made me regret not wearing my cute outfit that included a white dress for fear that I would violate the "white before Memorial Day" rule!) and was beautiful. She shared her testimony which you can read or listen to HERE. Her story really hit close to home. I could relate so well because she was a "good kid" too. Just like myself, a good kid for the most part. I did the same thing she did in college. "I'm a good person. I'm kind to people. I'm good to my parents. So I go to a few parties, use a few curse words and don't go to church regularly...it could be a lot worse. PLUS, I pray to God and He forgives me! So I'm good." Then she gave us an analogy that made SO much sense!
Picture a fluffy white sheep grazing in a pasture of green grass. He looks SO white and clean! Now picture a beautiful blanket of pure white snow all around that sheep. Against that backdrop, he now looks filthy dirty!!
I am SO very guilty of putting my sins up against the world. Compared to a lot of really bad sins, my sins don't look so bad. However, when I put my sins against the backdrop of a perfect son....not so great anymore!! I don't want this to sound like I think I am better than the next person just because I don't cheat on my husband or have a drug addiction. A sin is a sin and mine aren't any better than the next. The truth is, I have things that I know I need to work on. Things that deep down, I know I need to change but it's just easier to ask for forgiveness than to actually change them. I loved when she talked about the difference in diving into your sin and falling into it. God understands that we will mess up and He forgives us for those mess ups, but it's different when you dive right into sin KNOWING you are not doing the right thing.
I am looking forward to making some changes. One of my goals is to make quiet/prayer time my #1 goal. I have some soul searching to do and have been putting it off because I don't make time. To my family and friends, don't worry...I'm not in trouble or making some earth shattering, life changing decisions. Just "little" things that are going to make a huge difference in my family. I am so excited!
As we walked in, clips from Full House were playing on the screens in the sanctuary. I was immediately taken back to a time that my children cannot fathom. A time when we waited for Friday night at 7:00 so we could watch Full House. If you weren't home, you didn't see it. We found an entire row just for us and settled in. Little did I know, my world was about to be rocked.
She came out and was just adorable! She was rocking white pants (which made me regret not wearing my cute outfit that included a white dress for fear that I would violate the "white before Memorial Day" rule!) and was beautiful. She shared her testimony which you can read or listen to HERE. Her story really hit close to home. I could relate so well because she was a "good kid" too. Just like myself, a good kid for the most part. I did the same thing she did in college. "I'm a good person. I'm kind to people. I'm good to my parents. So I go to a few parties, use a few curse words and don't go to church regularly...it could be a lot worse. PLUS, I pray to God and He forgives me! So I'm good." Then she gave us an analogy that made SO much sense!
Picture a fluffy white sheep grazing in a pasture of green grass. He looks SO white and clean! Now picture a beautiful blanket of pure white snow all around that sheep. Against that backdrop, he now looks filthy dirty!!
I am SO very guilty of putting my sins up against the world. Compared to a lot of really bad sins, my sins don't look so bad. However, when I put my sins against the backdrop of a perfect son....not so great anymore!! I don't want this to sound like I think I am better than the next person just because I don't cheat on my husband or have a drug addiction. A sin is a sin and mine aren't any better than the next. The truth is, I have things that I know I need to work on. Things that deep down, I know I need to change but it's just easier to ask for forgiveness than to actually change them. I loved when she talked about the difference in diving into your sin and falling into it. God understands that we will mess up and He forgives us for those mess ups, but it's different when you dive right into sin KNOWING you are not doing the right thing.
I am looking forward to making some changes. One of my goals is to make quiet/prayer time my #1 goal. I have some soul searching to do and have been putting it off because I don't make time. To my family and friends, don't worry...I'm not in trouble or making some earth shattering, life changing decisions. Just "little" things that are going to make a huge difference in my family. I am so excited!
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