For weeks my husband and my girlfriends have been talking in whispers, having secret meetings and have stealthily planned a trist for my birthday. I have to congratulat them, they pulled it off...I did not know what was going on and they truly kept all the details from me. Here's how it went down,
Wednesday is coffee day and we had planned to go out for breakfast to celebrate. Laura came to pick up the kids to take them to the bus, she gave me one of those grins that said, "Let the games begin!" I was told that Tina was going to pick me up and drive me to breakfast. Strange... I thought something must be happening at breakfast....so my radar was up...way up! I sat at breakfast just waiting for something to happen but it didn't. We simply had a nice breakfast and then everybody left. Huh! Tina drove me home and we sat and talked for a while. Soon Laura was there too. We were just talking and I was planning my afternoon, I was going to take a LONG nap...it was dark and dreary outside...the perfect napping weather.
At noon, Doug walks in the door...strange! He hands me a WAD of cash and tells me that I have to go shopping and can't come back for 2 hours, strange! My birthday is a day away...why are we doing this now? Tina and Laura inform me they have work to do and that they can not come with me...strange...what the heck is going on here...what kind of work???I was completley snowed!
When I get back, my house is clean, my kids are gone, my bags are packed and my husband is ordering me back into the car....where are we going? OUT! OH, ok...strange...Turns out that the girls packed my bags while Doug took the baby to grandma's. Everything had been taken care of and I was going to be gone until SATURDAY! WOW!
We went to a beautiful hotel/timeshare at Eagle Ridge in Galena. The next morning, Doug woke me up early and told me to take a shower and get dressed in comfy clothes. I didn't need any make-up and my hair did not need to be done. Strange...he had booked me 1/2 a day at the Spa. A massage, a manicure and a pedicure was how I was going to spend my birthday...NICE! After the massage a bottle of champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries was waiting just for me...a WHOLE bottle of champagne at 10:30 in the morning...SWEET! The massage therapist had told me that I needed to learn to relax more...she should have started me with the champagne because after 1/2 a bottle I was starting to relax and after finishing the whole bottle let's just say I was WAY GIGGLY!
So, that was the story of how my husband and my girlfriend got me good! It is amazing to have so many people in my life who love me so much! Thank you to the girlfriends who helped Doug plan and took all my kids...I have a lot of them! And special thank you to Doug for working so hard to make my birthday so special...it takes a lot of work to plan and pack for 6 people...even harder when you are trying to keep it a secret...he did a great job! It's gonna be hard to top this one...but if anyone has any ideas let me know!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Remembering Tuesday September 11, 2001
I remember sitting on the coffee table in front of the TV just watching with disbelief at what was happening, I couldn't really even comprehend what was going on. Honestly, I saw the video of the first plane crashing into the tower, I thought it was a special effect...it didn't look real.
I needed to bring Christian to his 2nd day preschool...I didn't know if it was safe. I listened to the radio for the entire ride and kept looking outside wondering if the people around me knew what was going on??? On my way home, their was a report that there might be a plane headed to Chicago...what was happening?
I have never been so afraid.
I never thought this could happen.
Where were you??? What were you doing when you heard?? How did you feel?? How has your life changed??
I needed to bring Christian to his 2nd day preschool...I didn't know if it was safe. I listened to the radio for the entire ride and kept looking outside wondering if the people around me knew what was going on??? On my way home, their was a report that there might be a plane headed to Chicago...what was happening?
I have never been so afraid.
I never thought this could happen.
Where were you??? What were you doing when you heard?? How did you feel?? How has your life changed??
Thursday, September 07, 2006
What I Learned Today
The Chinese symbol for conflict has two parts...
One side is Danger the other side is Opportunity.
Discuss amongst yourselves ...
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Is it Fair?
Is it fair that I will soon be 34 years old and I still get zits? Shouldn't that time in my life be over by now? I'll spare you the pictures...but trust me if we were having a face to face conversation you would not be able to look me in the eys because you would be distracted by the enormous zit under my nose. This is just not fair!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
We are such fragile people!
Yesterday, we were invited to a Labor Day picnic with all of the families that my family used to hang out with "back in the day." It was a good time and my kids had a ball...for me it was also a time to ponder some "deep" thoughts about how fragile and forgetful people can be.
When I was growing up, my parents were very social. We went out every weekend...Friday was pizza night...Saturday was friend night, either we went there or they came to our house. A weekend wouldn't be complete unless those two nights were filled with friends, laughter and lots and lots of pizza. So needless to say, we, my brother and I, spent a lot of time with my parent's friends and their families. We "grew up" together.
Even with all that history, why is it so awkward to spend the afternoon with my "cousins?" Are we that shallow or that forgetful or that different??? It just seemed strange to me how awkward it was and that made me uncomfortable. I found myself thinking about the future for my own family...will there be a day when Ettemas, Deckers, Jacobsens and Nepkins force our children to come to a Labor Day party and our kids will act like they are surrounded by strangers? I guess it really wasn't that bad...in the end the atmosphere got more comfortable...but still it made me kind of sad when I thought of my own kids. How does the human mind forget friendships so quickly?? How do a group of kids who grew up together find themselves in such different worlds as adults? It's just strange.
If anyone of you went to a Labor Day picnic yesterday you will know that the bees were vicious! And they were everywhere! They literally swarmed around your head, buzzed in your ears and were constantly in your food. Early on in the afternoon, my mom got stung on her hand, right by her thumb knuckle. She was pretty brave about it but that really hurts. Her thumb swelled up and got really red, she couldn't bend it by the end of the evening. I too got stung. Dam bees! Right on my back! I was fishing with Christian & Jed and went to scratch my back and BAM! It hurt so bad. I was not brave like my mom...I was a baby! Got all weepy and flushed, it ruined the rest of my evening. After a while the pain got better but it was always there, mixing with my thoughts, invading my conversations and just plain making me crazy. And I thought again, how strange we humans are that a tiny bee could sting me and ruin my whole day. Sometimes we think we are so strong and in control when really all it takes is a tiny bee sting to halt everything we are doing and invade our lives.
Even today, the morning after, my mom and I are still miserable. We are so fragile!
Hope you had a good Labor Day. Spent time with good friends. Had time to reflect on human nature and learn something about yourself!
When I was growing up, my parents were very social. We went out every weekend...Friday was pizza night...Saturday was friend night, either we went there or they came to our house. A weekend wouldn't be complete unless those two nights were filled with friends, laughter and lots and lots of pizza. So needless to say, we, my brother and I, spent a lot of time with my parent's friends and their families. We "grew up" together.
Even with all that history, why is it so awkward to spend the afternoon with my "cousins?" Are we that shallow or that forgetful or that different??? It just seemed strange to me how awkward it was and that made me uncomfortable. I found myself thinking about the future for my own family...will there be a day when Ettemas, Deckers, Jacobsens and Nepkins force our children to come to a Labor Day party and our kids will act like they are surrounded by strangers? I guess it really wasn't that bad...in the end the atmosphere got more comfortable...but still it made me kind of sad when I thought of my own kids. How does the human mind forget friendships so quickly?? How do a group of kids who grew up together find themselves in such different worlds as adults? It's just strange.
If anyone of you went to a Labor Day picnic yesterday you will know that the bees were vicious! And they were everywhere! They literally swarmed around your head, buzzed in your ears and were constantly in your food. Early on in the afternoon, my mom got stung on her hand, right by her thumb knuckle. She was pretty brave about it but that really hurts. Her thumb swelled up and got really red, she couldn't bend it by the end of the evening. I too got stung. Dam bees! Right on my back! I was fishing with Christian & Jed and went to scratch my back and BAM! It hurt so bad. I was not brave like my mom...I was a baby! Got all weepy and flushed, it ruined the rest of my evening. After a while the pain got better but it was always there, mixing with my thoughts, invading my conversations and just plain making me crazy. And I thought again, how strange we humans are that a tiny bee could sting me and ruin my whole day. Sometimes we think we are so strong and in control when really all it takes is a tiny bee sting to halt everything we are doing and invade our lives.
Even today, the morning after, my mom and I are still miserable. We are so fragile!
Hope you had a good Labor Day. Spent time with good friends. Had time to reflect on human nature and learn something about yourself!
Sunday, September 03, 2006
My fingers ache
Have you ever had anyone ask you what your biggest regret was? Mine?? I never learned to play an instrument...well. I lugged a French horn around for a couple of years and besides a backache and having the opportunity to hit many small children in the head as I walked to the back of the bus with the monstrosity it became when placed in the carrying case, that was the end of that experience. My mom, bless her heart, saved her tips for a year to buy me a piano when I was 15(when I look back on that now I see what a sacrifice she made, but at the time I was too dumb and too egocentric to notice). I took a total of 3 lessons (they were interspersed with my voice lessons) and then gave up because it was no fun to play scales and I didn't like to practice. Voice came easier, mom didn't want to fight. That was the end of that…mom sold the piano to buy my wedding gown.
So after Emily was born, Doug bought me a guitar. I had such high hopes that I would be able to teach myself how to play...everybody else seems to do it. The problem back then was I had a baby who never slept and constantly cried. When she finally grew out of that stage I was pregnant again...it's really hard to play guitar with a swollen abdomen. And then I got pregnant again...and that brings me to today in a really fast track sort of way.
I've learned that I love to write songs and that some of them are really pretty good...they make people cry… and that is the hallmark of a “good” song in my book. The problem is that even though I hear the music in my head, I've never learned how to play an instrument well enough to get it out of my head so others can hear it. AND I want to be part of the band now. They look like they have so much fun...they are cool, they are confident and it looks like a blast. So, it's back to the guitar and the keyboard for me.
Lately, I've been practicing guitar. I have been trying to practice for 20-30 minutes a day...sounds easy enough…but it’s like exercise…get my drift? Guitar is one of those instruments that just looks easy when other people play it...it really is not. My fingers ache so bad right now that it is painful to type this...the calluses on the fingers on my left hand make it difficult to untie knots, take out my earrings and pick up really small things like paperclips. And I think playing the guitar must be like driving a stick shift car...once you get the feel you're good to go but you have to find the magic, until then you just struggle.
So I'm struggling with the hope of finding the magic, being in the band, getting the music out of my head and into people's hearts. I guess ultimately I feel that if I got really good at 1 instrument it would make me a legitimate musician and I really want that too.
That's what I want the most.
I still hate to practice!
So after Emily was born, Doug bought me a guitar. I had such high hopes that I would be able to teach myself how to play...everybody else seems to do it. The problem back then was I had a baby who never slept and constantly cried. When she finally grew out of that stage I was pregnant again...it's really hard to play guitar with a swollen abdomen. And then I got pregnant again...and that brings me to today in a really fast track sort of way.
I've learned that I love to write songs and that some of them are really pretty good...they make people cry… and that is the hallmark of a “good” song in my book. The problem is that even though I hear the music in my head, I've never learned how to play an instrument well enough to get it out of my head so others can hear it. AND I want to be part of the band now. They look like they have so much fun...they are cool, they are confident and it looks like a blast. So, it's back to the guitar and the keyboard for me.
Lately, I've been practicing guitar. I have been trying to practice for 20-30 minutes a day...sounds easy enough…but it’s like exercise…get my drift? Guitar is one of those instruments that just looks easy when other people play it...it really is not. My fingers ache so bad right now that it is painful to type this...the calluses on the fingers on my left hand make it difficult to untie knots, take out my earrings and pick up really small things like paperclips. And I think playing the guitar must be like driving a stick shift car...once you get the feel you're good to go but you have to find the magic, until then you just struggle.
So I'm struggling with the hope of finding the magic, being in the band, getting the music out of my head and into people's hearts. I guess ultimately I feel that if I got really good at 1 instrument it would make me a legitimate musician and I really want that too.
That's what I want the most.
I still hate to practice!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Need to recant...and clarify
In an earlier post, I wrote that "I was disgusted by the traditional tone" of the prayer and praise service. Somebody called me on it, although they didn't sign their name...I think that is cowardice but I'm going to address it anyhow.
I am sorry for the way I wrote that post and hope to recant my words and clarify them...I don't know why you care but I do and so I need to post this. I am not as I stated earlier "disgusted" by traditional worship. That is how I was raised and I have respect for the hymns of the faith that have endured generations and have timeless messages that will never die. I love hymns that are played on big organs and sung loudly by large groups of people. I love hymns that are sung in the quiet of a nursery while rocking a baby. And I love the words of old hymns that come to me in the midst of trial such as, It is Well with My Soul, I Surrender All, and My Jesus I Love Thee.
What I was disturbed about or disgusted as I wrote earlier...after 4 days of not sleeping so cut me some slack please, was that the style of worship that my church and other supporting churches in the area were not represented. It wasn't in my opinion even attempted. I believe that was a "judgment" call by the Christian Education community. Maybe I will never be able to explain this because there is so much history involved...but, I longed for all styles of worship to be represented. I longed to sing the songs of our fathers and the songs of today. I longed for the older people in the congregation to accept, if you will, our worship songs. I use the term "our" loosely. I feel that having a service of strictly traditional worship in a group of many traditions, schools and communities is wrong. It shows elitism and issues a judgment on others who are "not like us."
I guess I was disgusted by the unspoken but clearly heard judgment that "traditional is best and all that "we" accept." That disgusts me. I wishe "we" would entertain that there are infinite ways to praise our Savior and Lord. There is no one way that is more spiritual or biblical or more right than any other. And I am disgusted when presented with that kind of attitude.
I am sorry for the way I wrote that post and hope to recant my words and clarify them...I don't know why you care but I do and so I need to post this. I am not as I stated earlier "disgusted" by traditional worship. That is how I was raised and I have respect for the hymns of the faith that have endured generations and have timeless messages that will never die. I love hymns that are played on big organs and sung loudly by large groups of people. I love hymns that are sung in the quiet of a nursery while rocking a baby. And I love the words of old hymns that come to me in the midst of trial such as, It is Well with My Soul, I Surrender All, and My Jesus I Love Thee.
What I was disturbed about or disgusted as I wrote earlier...after 4 days of not sleeping so cut me some slack please, was that the style of worship that my church and other supporting churches in the area were not represented. It wasn't in my opinion even attempted. I believe that was a "judgment" call by the Christian Education community. Maybe I will never be able to explain this because there is so much history involved...but, I longed for all styles of worship to be represented. I longed to sing the songs of our fathers and the songs of today. I longed for the older people in the congregation to accept, if you will, our worship songs. I use the term "our" loosely. I feel that having a service of strictly traditional worship in a group of many traditions, schools and communities is wrong. It shows elitism and issues a judgment on others who are "not like us."
I guess I was disgusted by the unspoken but clearly heard judgment that "traditional is best and all that "we" accept." That disgusts me. I wishe "we" would entertain that there are infinite ways to praise our Savior and Lord. There is no one way that is more spiritual or biblical or more right than any other. And I am disgusted when presented with that kind of attitude.
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