Sunday, June 26, 2011

A Daily Choice

087In case you didn’t know --- my life isn’t perfect.  I know most of my posts are about my amazing family, my awesome mom, and my sweet daddy.  I talk about how lovable my puppies are, how happily married I am, and what a great life I’ve lived.  And all that stuff is true.  However, after reading over some of my past postings, I realized that I may come across a little “Pollyanna”. 

The truth is, I have had just as much heartache and sadness in my life as the next guy.  I lost a dear, sweet mom to breast cancer.  Todd and I have had a miscarriage, a house fire, and a failed business.  We’ve had financial problems, gone through some rough patches with our teens, and fought cancer.  089

Despite all these sad events, my basic nature is to look on the bright side of things.  In fact, I try to make a daily choice to be positive.  Consequently, my posts usually highlight the good memories, the positive aspects of my family life, happy events.  However, every once in awhile, there are days – maybe even weeks – of gloominess or sadness.  In fact, I’ve been a bit “down” for the last three or four weeks.  I can’t even pinpoint what started it, but I have been bored with my job, frustrated with housework, and have experienced just a general “blah-ness”.  

So, I had to wake up this morning and remind myself it’s time to “suck it up” and choose to have a positive attitude.  And, thanks to encouragement from a dear friend, I spent the day cleaning, followed by a little pampering with a pedicure and eyebrow waxing.  My house is clean, my toes are pretty and I’m back on track. 

Now, I can get back to writing all those ridiculously cheery posts about my wonderful family and blessed life -- which is a lot more interesting to read about than my boring job, my messy house and negative attitude!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Insomnia (ĭn-sŏm'nē-ə)

Insomnia is NOT usually a condition from which I suffer!  In fact, I have been known to fall asleep as early as 8:00 or 8:30 by light of the flickering TV screen.  Also, I'm one of the few people I know who has a problem reading -- I'm usually good for a chapter or two and then I find myself falling asleep.  It’s just that, by the time I get into my ‘jammas to relax in front of the TV, or lie on the bed to read, I’m ready to crash!  Also, I am not a worrier by any stretch of the imagination, and I don’t need to "wind down" or review the events of the day – so when my head hits the pillow, I am O.U.T. --  out!

This completely frustrates my hubby!  He tosses and turns, replays conversations and situations from his day, and worries about future decisions.  It can take him hours to fall asleep!  I usually try to let him get to sleep before I even go to bed.  I've started doing this because, if I should begin what I like to call loud breathing (NOT snoring), he can get so worked up and frustrated that one of us ends up having to move out to the couch so he can fall asleep!  

Insomnia is not a problem I deal with -- as a general rule.  However, every now and then I have a night where my mind spins.  I think about upcoming events, past events, and what to make for supper tomorrow night.  I get too hot and throw off the covers, then too cold and bundle back up.  I lie there and think about my kids and what’s going on in their lives, how bored I am with my job, and how much I’m looking forward to retirement some day. 

Tonight is one of those nights.  I’m wide-eyed and my mind is spinning.  Todd’s out of town, so I’ve got no one to talk it out with.  I’m thinking about my son’s upcoming wedding, the mother/daughter cruise my sisters and I are planning, and the humdrum of my job.  It’s driving me crazy!  I’m tired and I just want to sleep! 

It doesn’t help that both dogs are sprawled out next to me, snoring away.  Now I understand how Todd must feel. 

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Daddy-O

Daddy & Me - circa 1964It’s Father’s Day – I can’t let this day slip past without talking about one of the best men I know!  I’m sure many girls feel this way, but in my case it’s actually TRUE – my daddy is amazing!  I had such a good example of what a loving father and husband should be – which is what I used as an example when I bagged my sweet hubby!   (My hubby is an amazing daddy, too!  Just ask my kids!)

One of my dad’s best qualities is his patience.  Can you imagine the drama and nonsense that seven kids produced?  When my little brother – the baby of the family – was born, my dad was 37 years old.  So, at age 37, he had seven kids, ages 17 and younger!  That’s a lot of craziness!  Ours was a noisy, busy house.  There was teenage drama, young kids running around, baby diapers, and spit-up all at the same time.  Not to mention being the only man in a house full of women!  However, in the midst of it all, he maintained a cool, patient attitude – for the most part!  I’m sure there were instances when he was at the end of his rope, and I can think of a time or two when he lost his cool a bit; but I think he deserves a “my-life-is-crazy-but-I’m-staying-patient-in-the-midst-of-it-all” medal!

Another one of my dad’s amazing qualities is his steady, consistent goodness.  He is just a good man.  Honest, loyal, dependable, genuine.  I’ve never heard him lie and never seen him cheat.  That’s not a common claim these days.  It’s so easy to tell a “little white lie” or cheat on your taxes.  It’s almost expected.  I’m thankful for his awesome example of moral, Christian character. 

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My dad and all his kids - being silly.


My dad is also very fun and has a great sense of humor!  He loves a good clean joke, loves to sing silly songs, and have fun with his family.  I remember bouncing on his knee to “trot-little-pony”, going on camping trips, singing around the campfire, and listening to his corny jokes or silly poems he could still recite from childhood. 







grandpa loves cassie
Cassie loves her Grandpa!
 But, the number one thing about my dad that makes him so special is that he is – by far –
THE.  SWEETEST.  MAN. 

As a pastor, friend, husband, and father, he has won many hearts and affected many lives with his kind, sweet heart.  He loves his family deeply, and we all know it.  A few years ago, my sisters and I went on a weekend getaway and the conversation shifted to Dad.  Someone jokingly announced that they thought they were Dad’s “favorite”.  But, wait a minute!  thought was his “favorite”!  I’m his baby girl!  Before we knew it, we discovered that every single one of us felt the same way!  Of course, we didn’t really feel he was playing favorites.  It was just a joke among sisters.  But, how amazing is that!?  Somehow he has succeeded in making each one of us feel specifically loved! 

I’m so thankful for my daddy.  He is a man of character and sweetness and I love him with ALL MY HEART!!  Happy Father’s Day to the best daddy in the world!!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Here’s to Barney Rubble Feet!

It’s the 8th of June and I’ve only written one entry this month.  I’m feeling the pressure to write something, but I can’t seem to come up with anything interesting or clever!  Not sure why.  Maybe it’s because my hubby’s been out of town all week; or maybe it’s because I’ve been obsessing over finding a “mother of the groom” dress for my son’s upcoming wedding.  It could be because I haven’t been sleeping well lately.  Whatever it is, it has completely dried up my creative juices!

So, I’ve decided NOT to be interesting or clever today.  (Why start now, right?)  Instead, I’m just going to give a TOP TEN list. 

The TOP TEN Reasons I Love My Family:
100_0224(Of course, some of these are specific to one or two different people, but you should be able to figure out who I'm talking about . . . I know they will!)
10)   He can fix anything and everything – and is always willing to help others.   

  9)   They know their way around the kitchen.

  8)   They work hard, handle responsibility, and are respectful to others.


  7)   They love the puppies – gotta love a guy that’s not afraid to gush over a prissy little poodle! 
puppy
  6)   We can share shoes!

  5)   They possess a sincere appreciation of all types of music and know exactly who you mean when you talk about “Stevie”, “Billy”, or “Bob”.

  4)   They can quote lines word-for-word from more than 100 different movies . . . and can reference a “Friends” episode to fit just about any circumstance.
barney rubble
  3)  She has the cutest Barney Rubble feet!

  2)   He can spontaneously make up a song on the guitar and WOW us with his amazing falsetto voice!








. . . and the NUMBER ONE reason I love my family . . .

  1)   They are just plain goofy and they make me laugh every day – not just a snicker or a giggle, but an all-out, spit-out-your-drink, pee-your-pants kind of laugh!
goofy

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

A “Kick in the Seat”

Every life is peppered with major, life-changing events:  starting school, getting a driver’s license, graduating from high school and/or college, getting married, buying a house, having a child.  These events can be exciting, fun, scary, sad.  Sometimes they’re planned and anticipated for weeks – excitement and anxiety building until “the big day”.

 weddingbabycargraduation 2

Sometimes they’re unexpected and difficult to accept:  losing a job, caring for an ailing parent, breaking up with a mate, developing an illness.  These things can blindside you – knocking you down, taking your breath away like a punch in the stomach. 

I speak from experience.  I can tell you the very day it happened to us.  It was that day, just over two years ago, when we sat in the doctor’s office and heard the doctor say to Todd, “you have cancer.”  It was actually more like, “Blah blah blah blah blah.  Blah blah blah non-small cell carcinoma.  Blah blah blah blah."  He said it so nonchalantly that, if you weren’t paying attention, you’d totally miss it.  In fact, Todd did!  I had to stop the conversation and say, “Todd, he said it’s cancer.”

I remember the feeling of nausea that started deep in my stomach and grew up and up, into my throat.  My mind was racing.  “Who do we need to call?”  “How will we tell the kids?”  “What’s the next step?”  We had known it was a possibility, but I don’t think either of us really ever thought it would be cancer!  Our life together so far had been fairly charmed.  We were happily married, we had beautiful kids, we had good jobs.  We were going to grow old together and have amazing grandkids.  Anyone that knows my husband, knows that he has always been considered “lucky”.  Good things just happened to him.  We weren’t used to getting bad news! 

Leaving the office, we walked to the car in silence.  Once inside, he reached over and grabbed my hand and said a prayer.  I don’t remember exactly what was said, but I do remember the feeling of helplessness.  In that instance, I understood – maybe for the first time in my whole life – what it meant to rely completely on God.  We were both raised in Christian homes; we knew right from wrong.  But, somewhere along the line, we’d gotten lazy.  We hadn’t taken our family to church in years.  We’d strayed far from our childhood morals and ideals.  But, when faced with a problem bigger than we could handle, we knew what to do.  We hit our knees. 

Over the next several months, cancer consumed our lives.  It affected our diet, sleep habits, schedule, relationships.  The doctors didn’t give us much hope.  So we pumped vitamins and supplements, juiced more vegetables than you can imagine each day, and drank fruit smoothies every morning - doing our best to attack the cancer in the most natural way.  Upon finding out that the mass below his right ear was growing, we opted to have it removed, and traveled to Houston for a grueling 11-hour surgery.  And somewhere in the midst of all this fear and chaos, our home and family were restored.  While “getting our house in order”, we began praying together, reading our Bible, and going to church as a family again.  Todd and I grew closer and were reminded how blessed we were to have each other. 

drinking smoothieafter surgery

It has been over 2 years now - a milestone in recurrence expectations!  We PRAISE THE LORD everyday for His healing touch and for giving us this time together --- but, most of all, we THANK HIM FOR THE CHANGES IN OUR LIVES as a result of this cancer.  In many ways, our lives are sweeter and happier from going through this experience.

“Thank you, Lord, for giving us this ‘kick in the seat’ and reminding us how important it is to use our time on this earth wisely!  Through it all, we have felt Your hand in our lives and we know that, no matter what the future holds, You are in control.”