For all of you who follow this blog…I don’t know why!! But I am moving…if you are looking for me, please come on over
I hope you enjoy.
in the process of moving May 5, 2009
after much thought and, well no prayer, I have decided to move. WordPress has been a good first “home” for my blog, but elements that I loved about it are no longer available. Facebook is about to hit that point with me too, but that is for another day.
That being said, I will let you know when the new place is ready for visitors. The nice thing about this move is I don’t have to pack and I don’t need to paint!
Crooked May 4, 2009
I saw a picture today of Rpatz. (aka Edward Cullen) No, I’m not obsessed, but stay with me here.
It was a close up from the Oscars. So I decided to study the picture and see why he is one of People’s 100 most beautiful people, and more importantly, why I think he is so darn sexy.
So, I looked, covered up his hair (which I LOVE, I *heart* greasy guys) his chin, his eyes…then I believe, I found it. He is crooked. Nose, chin, smile, teeth…crooked. He’s *gasp* not perfect!
My dear friend Kelley, once told me she loved crooked teeth. Straight, and perfect teeth were boring to her. I, on the other hand, adore a mouth full of horsey, white, straight teeth.
But it all boils down too, what makes someone…crooked…is what makes them beautiful. I tire of seeing perfection. I want imperfection, individuality. What David and I loved about London is people wore whatever they wanted. They also wore what fit them properly, but it was the most random array of clothing and accessories. There is no “style” in London, it is individuality. So no one looked each other over, stared or giggled, it was the opposite. Props and nods were given in respect to their choices for the day.
I love that, want that and am proud of the fact that I am crooked. Spaced teeth, too close, dark circled, deep set eyes. Large arms, legs and well, they whole of me! I am crooked and I wear what I want and want my kids to be proud of being crooked too. Beauty is crooked.
irritated… May 2, 2009
…beyond explanation.
-Hormones – check
-David out of town – check
-Tired – check
-Kids complaining, over EVERYTHING – check
-Logan tracking pollen footprints all over my just cleaned hardwoods - double check
My morning has dealt me a hand that sets me up to fail. As I keep looking down the hall, I swear the footprints get larger. Ugh. I have a day in front of me that is going to be hard. That is not the question. The question is whether or not I am a better person because of it. Will I make choices that are hard and lean towards the character I want, or choices that, hard as well, stay planted in the character I am…at the moment.
I roll my neck, let out a deep sigh and pray…inhale…Abba, exhale…I belong to you. Repeat…daily, hourly, momentarily…every second of my life. This makes me think
Have you read Brennan Manning’s new book? I need to get mine back from Chris, it is, as all of Brennan’s books are, a joy and struggle to read. I fall in love with him every time. I really do. He is someone who I look at and love, because I see my Father and brother and soul lover when I look at him. He is who I want to be like, because he is Christ like and not. He hasn’t gotten there yet, messes up continually, and still strives on, with the confidence of one who can, because of love…a furious love. (Read his new book)
So as I reflect(…Abba…I belong to you…Abba…) and remember as He smiles on me and runs His fingers through my hair. Kisses my head and tells me to go ahead with my day…I am going to TRY and make the better choice. Whether that be the character I am at the moment or who I want to be…
Stepping in.
Goop April 30, 2009
Some of you know exactly where I am going with this. Those are the people that know I love Gwyneth. Not as an actor per-say, but as a person, fashionista and well…would be friend.
When David and I got engaged, I had the most vivid dream that she was in my wedding. I remember thinking at that point (and still do) that if she were to meet me, I think we would be very good friends. She is someone who is of a sweet nature, honest and not easily jaded. She is a mother, who gratefully puts her family first. When in London, spotting all the “Mums” walking the babies in their bugaboos (literally EVERYONE had one) I knew that Gwynney and I would have been doing that…if she would only meet me. No I am not a stalker type, and no, this isn’t a girl crush, it is just that I think she has a lot of what I want to be in her. She is a naturalist, she is organic in every sense of the word. She wants to not only make the world a better place, but make people better, thus making the world better. she loves to cook, travel and can live in several countries at once, all while maintaining a family.
Now, I know, fantasy and reality…but I am just saying.
So, that is where GOOP comes in. it is her blog and it is fabulous and real. I love her recommendations and her advice and questions. As a mom, check it out…as a woman, check it out…I think you’ll like it.
And if you ever get a chance to meet her, tell her she is missing out on a great friend!
Ahhhh…cloudy daydreams!
Wednesday… April 22, 2009
Waking this morning to a beautiful day, has progressed into a very enjoyable day.
An early trip to Lowes to splurge and by a couple of hanging Fuchsia. They aren’t as gorgeous as the ones my mom used to have from Trax, but they will do. That just says it’s going to be a good day. Windows open, sun shining and the smell of a clean house! Wednesdays aren’t usually this great!
It almost feels like things are too good. Not to say that everything is perfect in our lives, far from it. But when content has settled into my life before, big changes are just around the corner. Not kids or jobs, but…we’ll see. Maybe God just decided to give me a break. So this is my life at this moment
- Oprah is on celebrating Earth Day… eh
- Millie is asleep. She has been cutting out her naps, but about 3:30 she crashes, then is up until 10, we’ll re-set her soon.
- Eli and Logan are outside. Doing something, getting sweaty. My friend Karen loves the smell of “outside on boys”. I loathe it, it makes me gag. But I love seeing there faces from riding bikes, watering my plants or washing my car with water guns or finding treasures all over. I love it.
- Brennan, I have to make go outside sometimes. Today is one of those days. After he gave it a winning shot, he came and asked for his 30 minutes on the computer. I obliged and now he is not playing games, but writing a story. He is so creative and I love it.
- In about 15 minutes I will be dropping Logan off at baseball and heading to the school with Brennan for their Art Show. (you can pay $30 for a picture they drew in a frame, we opt to wait until the end of the year when they send their artwork home and frame it ourselves.)
- Who knows when we are going to fit in dinner or what it will be. Probably unhealthy and fast, but this is a day that our family is celebrating spring and what makes us individuals.
I love my husband, he makes me smile just by popping up on my facebook page.I love my kids, they love me unconditionally, I love my God, he really likes me and wants me to find my voice in His story, I love my friends, they accept me and make my life enjoyable, I love my family, they are my back-story and I love it, all of it. I love my life.
Stepping IN
My Life…and I wouldn’t trade it. April 20, 2009
What an insanely surreal week and weekend this has been. Tears well up in my eyes as I type and listen to DJ Lance Rock on the tele. Emotionally drained is not even touching how I feel. Physically spent is beyond understanding and spiritual wanting is absolutely there. The past few weeks I have been very aware. I don’t know why, but I have, something must be on the horizon. But I have fallen in love with my family again. Maybe it is just the ability to sit outback and watch the kids play, or feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride, or maybe it is just that I have paused for a few extra minutes and actually noticed what I have. Either way, I am blessed and aware of it.
Saturday we completed the half-marathon in Charlotte. It was no joke. My husaband just kind of “danced” along as he had to drag me through. This is a walk in the park for him. A hilly park, but a walk in it no less. Kim did awesome and new when to encourage and when to just keep quiet as I melted down at mile 11. Rhodes…well, he didn’t have his iPod on so I think he was talking to us a good bit, but I don’t know what he said…he did so great too. The course was tough, but enjoyable until about mile 9. Then the hills got steeper, longer and well, kicked my butt…legs…feet and mind. David kept telling me I could do it and I responded…”I DON”T WANT TO DO IT!” After 2 hours and 45 minutes I crossed the finish line. The winner crossed in 1 hour 6 minutes, but I ran the same course and crossed the same finish as he did. Pretty impressive. And no…I won’t be doing another one of these. The Ramblin’ Rose never smelled so sweet!
Chris told me Friday that our YMCA was having a kids Tri on Sunday, so all the boys went up and did that yesterday, it was wonderful, as they did their best and smiled the whole way and were so proud of themselves. I was too.
Millie and I are bonding while watching Jack Black on Yo Gabba Gabba (one of our faves!) we love it.
So as I think on all that my family attempted, accomplished and appreciated this weekend, I am in awe.
Great Friday! April 10, 2009
I just got of Skype with my dad and he asked if the boys had school today. My reply:
“Yes. we live in the Bible Belt, we don’t celebrate religious holidays!”
It is really sad, Logan even has a baseball game tonight…come on.
That isn’t stopping me though. I am thinking today, how to make it a little more real, not only for my children, but for me. If I could find my slides (and a slide projector at that!) from my trip to Israel, I would surely break those out. My faith, for the first time, was shattered. As all of my mental images of the “safe” Crucifixion and life of Christ were torn down, as the reality of the civilization, culture and tragedy came stacking up.
The “watering hole”, which is now a bus stop, where the Crucifixion began, the jagged cliff that he was moved up to, so the whole city could see, mock and stare at him. The small tomb that is nearby, where the bloody mess was laid. I am sure unrecognizable. Dehydrated in that climate is not hard to come by. Beaten beyond recognition, before bleeding and suffocating to death.
When I talk with ladies about coming before the Lord, and bringing our wants and desires to him, I often refer to the prayer that Christ made in the Garden. “Lord take this cup from me, but your Will be done.” Christ was praying for God to change his hand. Asking and pleading to the point that he was sweating blood. I throw a temper tantrum every time that God doesn’t answer my “drive by” prayer. “I pleaded and begged God! What the…” Have I ever prayed and fought for something to the point that I was sweating blood? To the point I was sweating at all? Don’t forget this, that Christ pleaded for the Crucifixion not to happen, but still God said no. Why? Because he couldn’t live apart from you anymore. God…dare I say…betrayed his son…so that we could have a lover like no other. God loves you and I more than I can comprehend. Christ honored that love by allowing himself to be slaughtered. My heart is overwhelmed with love, it is a Great Friday.
Where I left off! March 27, 2009
Since my last post…
Sunday- We went to our local cafe for one last breakfast this time a little french. Quiche Lorraine, Cappuccino and Croissant. Very good and a much needed break from the English breakfast. The french bakeries are EVERYWHERE and in my opinion, just as good, the people that run them, at least the ones we went too were, well, FRENCH! I mean it’s right over the channel people! So after our yummy, buttery fatness, we hoped the tube to Victoria and took our Train to Rye. It was a beautiful 1 hour ride through the countryside and just sprinkled with fluffy white sheep. They were so cute!
When we arrived at Rye, we just laughed. It was straight out of a book. The tiny rail station, with no one there to greet you and an outside platform. We drug our luggage through town and headed towards the windmill. They we were greeted by Gill (pronounced Jill) and she showed us to our quaint room!
We then ventured out to town and just walked the tiny streets and dark hidden stairways until we reached the top of the hill and found the church and the UBER creepy graveyard. I don’t like graveyards, but this one they had the crypts just on top of the ground, shaped like caskets. I don’t do that. The other creepy thing (besides the fact that the town is haunted by the ghost of the mayor, who was killed by the butcher (whose bones are displayed in the town hall) is another thing) is that there is a nuclear plant just over the marsh powered by those huge Wind Mills, the new kind. I had no idea how giant those were and eerily quiet. I don’t like them at all. Mulder and Scully were close by, I’m sure of it.
After our walk, we headed to the Ship Inn, where Fish and Chips were no where on the menu. It was gourmet and Fru Fru. Didn’t match the ambiance at all. But it was good. Then we headed off to bed.
Monday-After ANOTHER breakfast of eggs, toast, sausage,ham and beans (this one at least came with all local ingredients) we browsed the shops of Rye. Some of the neatest and nicest shops we had seen yet. I found a GORGEOUS purse line called RADLEY, that I really wanted, but I opted for just a wallet. Someday. Upon talking to the Shop Keep (I’m British now people) we mentioned that town was much…um…fancier on the inside than it looked on the outside. She told us that there was a lot of money in the town. And Sir Paul McCartney actually lives 5 minutes away. He comes in regularly I guess. He moved back out there after his ugly divorce. So after a jaunt and a good pizza (don’t ask, we were craving) we went back and took a 3 hour nap. Much needed. Then as we played scrabble in the common room, Brian (Gill’s husband) recommended we take the windy walk up to Ypers (pro. Wipers) Inn and have their fish and chips. It was a long, cold and drizzly walk, but getting there was worth it. A typical old inn, with a fire roaring and HUGE fish and chips, so good!
Tuesday-Woke up and…just toast for me. I can’t look at another egg. Took the 10:50 back to London. Our hotel was a little hard to find and dragging our luggage all over Westminster was…well, it could have been raining. Honestly, I wish we never would have found it! The Cherry Court Hotel. Lovely people and it was clean…but the room…oh dear…panic attack central. David could not stay in there, so out we went. Lunch…hmm, we haven’t tried a Pasty yet…yeah, not so good. A little heavy and well…not so good. Off to Harrods! Well, it is indescribable and wonderful. I wish I could have bought the children’s floor, but I could barely touch the stuff. Most doesn’t have price tags on it. That should tell you enough. Off to Notting Hill to visit the best store of all Daylesford Organic. I could live there. The most holistic experience and just wonderful. I found my Tomato Vine Candles and would have loved to have stayed for hours. Not this time.
We walk down Portobello again, much more enjoyable today than Saturday. We step in Hummingbird Bakery and yes, I am home. Cupcakes, Pink and Brown, Birds! Yes please. A Black Bottom for David and A double Chocolate for me! Mmmmm. This is it!
But, we are beat! Do we see a show, go to the cinema (not for $20 each!) we head back to Westminster and grab some Thai at Noodle Noodle, it was good. Then we go to Tesco, buy Quantum of a Solace, back to the…shiver…hotel. Watch the movie leaning on our suitcases, because there is no where to lean against and then try to sleep. It rained that night. The first time.
Wednesday-Up at 7, we head to Paddington and grab a Croissant and Cap. I can’t even finish mine, I am done with the wonderful frothy goodness they make over there. I don’t think I can ever go to Starbucks again. Board our train to Heathrow and just make it onto our flight! 8 hours. ……….Did I mention it was 8 hours?!
JET LAG! We get into Chicago, feeling horrible, we have a 3 hour layover. We hit Chili’s for chips and salsa…nothing. It does nothing for me. We find our gate. David is about to keel over. I get on line and find there is a massage place in another terminal. I grab him up and drag him over, we have 30 minutes, lets go. We get there, pay WAY too much for 15 minutes and walk away feeling like it was worth every penny. Revitalized, ready for our 1 hour 15 minute trek to GSP!
So now we are home and the jet lag may just be wearing off. Kids are great, memories are starting to crystalize and stories are being told.
Thanks for reading!
Updates! March 21, 2009
Well, we are officially winding down from day 3 in the UK! David is watching soccer, I am gnoshing on a strawberry whip and a cup of Earl Gray before bed! Hopefully that will help my throat. I don’t know what it is about the air here. Maybe the diesel. Anyway, I am downing Nuprofen + (codiene incl!) like it is candy and have some cinnamon tasting spray the pharma across the street gave me. We feel like South Kensington is our own little village, we have local spots now and know our way around. Gloucester Street is our Oyster…card that is! So here is a recap
Wed-
Left Gsp at 6:45 and flew to DC. We then proceeded to board a HUGE plane, packed to the gills, or at least coach was. David tried to get us into First Class and the lady kindly, dumbfounded, told him no and brought us champagne! Everyone thought is was our honeymoon and treated us kindly. David proceeded to get sick, lack of sleep and motion sickness. All the flight attendants would walk past and smile at me! “too much champagne?!” we had a little chuckle at his expense! Once arriving in Heathrow, we picked up the Heathrow Connect to Paddington Station and their picked up our Oyster Cards and headed to Gloucester Road and up to our FABULOUS hotel! (Adrian, we are right across from the Millenium!)
Ok, once in we then went on a walk up to Kensington Park and just took it all in. Walked down the blocked Road with all the Ambassadors Mansions. It was gorgeous and surreal. On to Fish and Chips at the Local pub where table sharing is a must and good conversation. Up to Bliss to get some Nytol and a restless nights sleep.
Day2- Had English breakfast at a local cafe and went downtown to get on the Original Tour Bus and take the dreaded tour. Only, it wasn’t dreaded and totally worth it. We saw wonderful sights. We then came home and took a rest and found internet and then headed back down to walk around the sights. It was wonderful. David fell in love with Big Ben. Unfortunately we headed up to Soho for dinner and it was horrible. Don’t recommend it at all, unless you are 15 or so. Oh well, lesson learned, home to bed!
Day3-We woke up early for Holy Communion at Westminster Abbey, surreal but nice! It was wonderful. We then took the other part of our tour, which was a boat tour and ended up at Greenwich. We walked around this wonderful little town, and then headed to Notting Hill, for the famous walk about and Portobello Market. Oh my, that was overwhelming! It was fun to see the sights and now with DUPLICITY out, Julia’s face is on the Double Deckers like in the movie. It was fun, but we headed back to Kensington and made our Way to Bliss again for more Meds. We had lunch at Pret and surfed the net then headed back for a rest at the NH. We then headed up to Knightsbridge for a window shop at all the stores we can’t afford, but tried stuff on anyway. We then found a gem of a restaurant in Zia Teresa. It was wonderful food, great service and interesting conversation in 3 ladies talking about food around the world and Americans! Interesting. Also, a little girl celebrated her 4th birthday behind us and let us in a little on the celebration.
The kids are so darn adorable over here! They are all in uniforms and ride scooters, so cute
So tomorrow we are headed to Rye for a couple day trip and then back to London on Tuesday. We will update you soon.
Love to all and happy Mum’s Day!
