My husband has recently become a twittering fool.
Jeff: Ashley Tisdale has over 5 million followers. Demi Lovato has over 4 million.
Me: Wow. That's a lot.
Jeff: I have 10.
If you're interested in things of the church growth, ministry persuasion, please (pretty please!) follow @jeff_mccarty. He'll send you a twitter shout-out. And maybe stop comparing his level of importance to that of teenage Disney stars.
Showing posts with label confessions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confessions. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
an unwanted guest, a hero, and fall from a grace
I yelled for Jeff as calmly as I possibly could. Oh, I wanted to scream. LOUD. Screaming wasn't going to do anything to help the situation, it would have only angered the intruder. I wondered if I could reach for some spray to defend myself and possibly slow down the assailant. But the mere contemplation of taking matters into my own hands sent me into full paralysis. I could hear Jeff coming, and I knew he would soon be to my rescue. I kept my eye on the trespasser. It was terrifying, but I needed to make sure I didn't let him out of my sight. Jeff finally arrived, after what seemed like hours.
"What's wrong?"
"There," I pointed.
"What? I don't see anything."
"Right there!" I shouted.
"Where? Oh. That's the biggest one I've seen."
"Do you need the Raid?" I asked.
"No. Just give me a shoe and stand back."And with three big whacks, the alien invader was crushed. My husband, who gets often frustrated with my slightly unreasonable fear of spiders, had gotten rid of the large arachnid that threatened to take over my basement. What a hero!
This morning, still freaking out at the thought of the villain and the friends he may have brought with him, I stumbled to the kitchen. I opened the freezer to retrieve the coffee grounds (NOTE: this was PRE-coffee), and was greeted with a busted diet coke. ALL over my freezer.
I guess fairy tales don't last forever :)
"What's wrong?"
"There," I pointed.
"What? I don't see anything."
"Right there!" I shouted.
"Where? Oh. That's the biggest one I've seen."
"Do you need the Raid?" I asked.
"No. Just give me a shoe and stand back."And with three big whacks, the alien invader was crushed. My husband, who gets often frustrated with my slightly unreasonable fear of spiders, had gotten rid of the large arachnid that threatened to take over my basement. What a hero!
This morning, still freaking out at the thought of the villain and the friends he may have brought with him, I stumbled to the kitchen. I opened the freezer to retrieve the coffee grounds (NOTE: this was PRE-coffee), and was greeted with a busted diet coke. ALL over my freezer.
I guess fairy tales don't last forever :)
Monday, May 9, 2011
mother's day
I really hate when things don't go my way. It never fails - you have an idea in your mind of how a day is going to go, and then you hit a bump in the road.
Yesterday morning I got up to take a bath. I heard Bella yelling from her room to get up, so I went and got her, stuck her in the bath with me and figured I could kill two birds with one stone that way. I went to start shampooing her hair and OH MY LORD!
Panic set in. What do I do? I don't know how to handle this. It's mother's day...and I need mine!
L - I - C - E. Lice. On my child. IN MY HOUSE. ON MOTHER'S DAY! Is this some kind of a joke?!
So, Jeff went to church (yes, unfortunately when you pastor a church, few things can relieve you from your duties behind the pulpit) and I stayed home and disinfected my house. And everything in it. While wearing a hazmat suit. (Just kidding about the hazmat suit. But don't think I didn't consider it.) As most of you probably know, there is no shortage of hair in our home. Tackling lice is no easy task anyway, but this - this is ridiculous. I had a momentary lapse in judgment and considered shaving my head. I didn't.
The funny thing I found about it all, was that even though de-lousing my home and everyone who walked through wasn't my idea of how to spend Mother's Day, it was still a really good day. It's just one of those things that come with being a mom. One way or another, I got to spend the day with my sweet little Bella - and later that day, my own mom. And because it has to be said - I appreciate her SO much more now that I'VE been the one to stand and shampoo, comb and pick lice out of someone's head, and wash everything in your home.
I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!
Yesterday morning I got up to take a bath. I heard Bella yelling from her room to get up, so I went and got her, stuck her in the bath with me and figured I could kill two birds with one stone that way. I went to start shampooing her hair and OH MY LORD!
Panic set in. What do I do? I don't know how to handle this. It's mother's day...and I need mine!
L - I - C - E. Lice. On my child. IN MY HOUSE. ON MOTHER'S DAY! Is this some kind of a joke?!
So, Jeff went to church (yes, unfortunately when you pastor a church, few things can relieve you from your duties behind the pulpit) and I stayed home and disinfected my house. And everything in it. While wearing a hazmat suit. (Just kidding about the hazmat suit. But don't think I didn't consider it.) As most of you probably know, there is no shortage of hair in our home. Tackling lice is no easy task anyway, but this - this is ridiculous. I had a momentary lapse in judgment and considered shaving my head. I didn't.
The funny thing I found about it all, was that even though de-lousing my home and everyone who walked through wasn't my idea of how to spend Mother's Day, it was still a really good day. It's just one of those things that come with being a mom. One way or another, I got to spend the day with my sweet little Bella - and later that day, my own mom. And because it has to be said - I appreciate her SO much more now that I'VE been the one to stand and shampoo, comb and pick lice out of someone's head, and wash everything in your home.
I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
the little blue dress
"Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral color."Every girl has a "little black dress." I think I might even have one, although it has probably been pushed to the back of my closet since its last wear God knows how long ago. I do, however, know that I have a "little blue dress."
Last year, I let a good friend of mine borrow my "little blue dress." I remember her saying that it was a bit too small for her - which I of course, found absolutely no satisfaction in :). This past weekend she returned the dress. "I actually wore this dress!" I told my husband. "Can you believe there was a time that I could actually fit into this dress?!"
So I decided...I will fit into my blue dress again.
And so marks the re-beginning of a diet. Fun. We tried this a little over a year ago. I was successful - but Jeff was more successful. He could eat WAY more food than me and still lose weight. And for him, more food also meant blizzards, cookies, cakes, etc. So eventually I got frustrated and gave into the temptation of my sweet tooth. Sadly, all of my long lost friends (pounds) came back and brought new friends with it. The time has come that they must go.
All of this because of a little blue dress.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
blowouts
Blowouts are bad. You're never prepared for it. They interrupt what you're trying to do, stop you from getting where you're going. They leave a mess of debris in their wake. You're lucky most of the time if it doesn't cause a whole new chain of events to take place - a sort of domino effect. No matter how mild, how much control you happen to get over it when it happens or even if you anticipate it coming, it ends up costing you money you didn't want to spend in repairs and replacements. Most of all, you're lucky if you or someone else don't get killed in the process.
Yes...diaper blowouts can be extremely dangerous.
Yesterday evening when I got off work, Jeff and Bella met me to go get a bit to eat and do a little shopping. Bella seemed to be a little grouchy, however it was nothing that a little "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on the iPod couldn't cure. When we were done, Jeff took me back to my car and was helping me put in her in my car when he realized she was soaked.
And the he realized that she wasn't just wet.
He was freaking out. I knew there was no change of clothes in the car or her bag, so I wasn't sure what to do with her. So, I took her into work, propped her up on the dryer in the break room and stripped her down. After we gave the security camera a good show, we left with Bella wearing nothing but a diaper, her shoes and her new spring jacket. It was at a time like this, I appreciated my mom instilling in me the importance of multiple layers. Even if it is 70 degrees outside :)
Don't worry Lebliss girls...I cleaned the dryer off good when we were done.
Lesson learned: always carry an extra set of clothes. ALWAYS.
Yes...diaper blowouts can be extremely dangerous.
Yesterday evening when I got off work, Jeff and Bella met me to go get a bit to eat and do a little shopping. Bella seemed to be a little grouchy, however it was nothing that a little "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on the iPod couldn't cure. When we were done, Jeff took me back to my car and was helping me put in her in my car when he realized she was soaked.
And the he realized that she wasn't just wet.
He was freaking out. I knew there was no change of clothes in the car or her bag, so I wasn't sure what to do with her. So, I took her into work, propped her up on the dryer in the break room and stripped her down. After we gave the security camera a good show, we left with Bella wearing nothing but a diaper, her shoes and her new spring jacket. It was at a time like this, I appreciated my mom instilling in me the importance of multiple layers. Even if it is 70 degrees outside :)
Don't worry Lebliss girls...I cleaned the dryer off good when we were done.
Lesson learned: always carry an extra set of clothes. ALWAYS.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
the special cart
Tonight I had to run to Kroger for a couple of items I needed for tomorrow that I had forgotten about. I grabbed the cart that was sitting conveniently at arms reach and ran into the store.
I should have known. There's always a reason that one lone cart sits at arms reach so conveniently. It was a special cart. You know, the ones that have a jacked up wheel - and no matter how hard or fast you push it through the store it wants you to go left.
Thankfully I only needed 2 items, and I was by myself. But you know what I mean. You've gotten out of the car, hauled your kid, or even kids, up to the store, diaper bag, purse, grocery list in tow, strapped the little monster in once you've finally found a cart that actually has a safety belt. You feel like you've completed an Olympic decathalon and you victoriously push your way into the store only to find out...
you've picked the special cart.
Happens to me all the time. In fact, it can easily ruin my days grocery shopping trip, which I find utterly unenjoyable in the first place. My husband enjoys making fun of my hatred of the the experience. I've tried to be have a better outlook on it. I've tried to look at the fact that Bella taking the grocery list out of my hand and tearing it in half is only her expression of desire to split up the responsibility of shopping. I've reasoned out that when she pulls things off of the shelves and throws them in the cart she's merely trying to free up my hands to only have to push the cart. I have even concluded that when she turns around and takes things out of the cart and and throws them on the ground, she's just going for quality assurance and getting rid of the items that are not up to par.
But the cart, with the special wheel. That's one I can't get past. No matter how you look at it. There is no way to put a positive spin on a grocery cart that has a mind of it's own.
I should have known. There's always a reason that one lone cart sits at arms reach so conveniently. It was a special cart. You know, the ones that have a jacked up wheel - and no matter how hard or fast you push it through the store it wants you to go left.
Thankfully I only needed 2 items, and I was by myself. But you know what I mean. You've gotten out of the car, hauled your kid, or even kids, up to the store, diaper bag, purse, grocery list in tow, strapped the little monster in once you've finally found a cart that actually has a safety belt. You feel like you've completed an Olympic decathalon and you victoriously push your way into the store only to find out...
you've picked the special cart.
Happens to me all the time. In fact, it can easily ruin my days grocery shopping trip, which I find utterly unenjoyable in the first place. My husband enjoys making fun of my hatred of the the experience. I've tried to be have a better outlook on it. I've tried to look at the fact that Bella taking the grocery list out of my hand and tearing it in half is only her expression of desire to split up the responsibility of shopping. I've reasoned out that when she pulls things off of the shelves and throws them in the cart she's merely trying to free up my hands to only have to push the cart. I have even concluded that when she turns around and takes things out of the cart and and throws them on the ground, she's just going for quality assurance and getting rid of the items that are not up to par.
But the cart, with the special wheel. That's one I can't get past. No matter how you look at it. There is no way to put a positive spin on a grocery cart that has a mind of it's own.
Friday, February 18, 2011
my prerogative
It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind.
Right?
I change things like the wind changes. The two of you who read my blog may have noticed this by the way the design of it changes all the time. I get bored easy and feel like I need something fresh. This happens with the smallest of things like, where the garbage can sits in the bathroom, to middle of the road things such as, how the kitchen is organized, or to big things, like how the furniture is arranged, or even what room it might be in.
A couple of years ago I had rearranged the layout of the house so much, that one day Yana came out of her room and asked me where the kitchen was now.
I will admit that I may have a problem. It probably frustrates Jeff the most. He is a creature of habit and set in his ways. He doesn't like coming home and now knowing where the silverware might be. In fact, just this evening when he pulled my blog up, his words were "This is an eyesore." And then I was all "why you gotta be hateful?"
So guess what? I changed it. It's my prerogative :)
Right?
I change things like the wind changes. The two of you who read my blog may have noticed this by the way the design of it changes all the time. I get bored easy and feel like I need something fresh. This happens with the smallest of things like, where the garbage can sits in the bathroom, to middle of the road things such as, how the kitchen is organized, or to big things, like how the furniture is arranged, or even what room it might be in.
A couple of years ago I had rearranged the layout of the house so much, that one day Yana came out of her room and asked me where the kitchen was now.
I will admit that I may have a problem. It probably frustrates Jeff the most. He is a creature of habit and set in his ways. He doesn't like coming home and now knowing where the silverware might be. In fact, just this evening when he pulled my blog up, his words were "This is an eyesore." And then I was all "why you gotta be hateful?"
So guess what? I changed it. It's my prerogative :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
confessions of the undomesticated
After taking the kids Christmas shopping for each other, and for me and Jeff, my husband says to me:
"Zeke wanted to get you one of those triple crockpot things. I said 'That's a really good idea. She hates to cook!' "
They decided against it, which I think was a smart idea :)
Although it irritated me at the time, for so many reasons, my husband is correct: I hate to cook. And while I do think they did the smart thing by getting me something other than an appliance to cook with for Christmas, it honestly isn't a bad idea. Think of the possibilities, you can have your meat AND sides cooking while you're gone (or even while you're home!) with little to no effort and ready for you whenever you want to eat it!
I have a confession to make: I am not domestic. This is not something that I discovered recently. It isn't even something that I didn't realize until after I got married. I always knew it - I am not domestic.
1. I hate cooking.
There is nothing enjoyable about it for me. I don't know much about it, it doesn't come easy to me, and frankly the thought of eating something that I've seen in its raw, uncooked, slimy form sounds about as appetizing as eating out of the garbage can.
2. I hate cleaning.
I know, I know...who doesn't? I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination. Most days I look around at a mess and think about cleaning it up, but wonder what the point is. It will just get trashed again, and it seems counterproductive - especially when the whole time you're picking up, your 2-year-old comes right along behind you and undoes everything you just did.
3. I hate laundry.
Don't get me wrong - I like having clean clothes. But that mountain of laundry piled in my basement overwhelms me so much that I want to run screaming from it. I can sort it and throw it in the washer/dryer like a champ. But the part that comes after - the folding, ironing and putting away - make me want to curl up in the corner in a fetal position.
The list could go on...I like coffee, but I don't want to make it - because then there's the actually getting up and doing it, cleaning the pot and the cup - it all seems pointless. I love HGTV, but when I try to put any of those ideas into effect at my own house, I feel like I'm trying to put a square peg into a round hole.
So there you have it. My undomesticated confession. Hear this: I wouldn't trade getting to work part time so that I can be home with my sweet little Bella to avoid any of this. I am trying to become more domestic. But I can say this - I am good at being a mom. So if it means that my house is a little bit messier, that our meals are not always as good as they could be, and that the laundry pile gets taller than me sometimes, I can be ok with it. I would rather know that I took good care of my kiddos and raised them to be well-behaved, hard working, Godly people.
In the meantime, here is a little website that has recently changed my life - at least where cooking is concerned. E-mealz is a website that will plan your meals for you. For $5 a month, you can pick a meal plan based on diet or where you shop the most - or both. It will give you 7 meal plans (ingredient list plus recipe), plus a grocery list every week. Try it out - if you get bored like me and feel like you fix the same things all of the time, you will love it.
Happy Thursday!
"Zeke wanted to get you one of those triple crockpot things. I said 'That's a really good idea. She hates to cook!' "
They decided against it, which I think was a smart idea :)
Although it irritated me at the time, for so many reasons, my husband is correct: I hate to cook. And while I do think they did the smart thing by getting me something other than an appliance to cook with for Christmas, it honestly isn't a bad idea. Think of the possibilities, you can have your meat AND sides cooking while you're gone (or even while you're home!) with little to no effort and ready for you whenever you want to eat it!
I have a confession to make: I am not domestic. This is not something that I discovered recently. It isn't even something that I didn't realize until after I got married. I always knew it - I am not domestic.
1. I hate cooking.
There is nothing enjoyable about it for me. I don't know much about it, it doesn't come easy to me, and frankly the thought of eating something that I've seen in its raw, uncooked, slimy form sounds about as appetizing as eating out of the garbage can.
2. I hate cleaning.
I know, I know...who doesn't? I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination. Most days I look around at a mess and think about cleaning it up, but wonder what the point is. It will just get trashed again, and it seems counterproductive - especially when the whole time you're picking up, your 2-year-old comes right along behind you and undoes everything you just did.
3. I hate laundry.
Don't get me wrong - I like having clean clothes. But that mountain of laundry piled in my basement overwhelms me so much that I want to run screaming from it. I can sort it and throw it in the washer/dryer like a champ. But the part that comes after - the folding, ironing and putting away - make me want to curl up in the corner in a fetal position.
The list could go on...I like coffee, but I don't want to make it - because then there's the actually getting up and doing it, cleaning the pot and the cup - it all seems pointless. I love HGTV, but when I try to put any of those ideas into effect at my own house, I feel like I'm trying to put a square peg into a round hole.
So there you have it. My undomesticated confession. Hear this: I wouldn't trade getting to work part time so that I can be home with my sweet little Bella to avoid any of this. I am trying to become more domestic. But I can say this - I am good at being a mom. So if it means that my house is a little bit messier, that our meals are not always as good as they could be, and that the laundry pile gets taller than me sometimes, I can be ok with it. I would rather know that I took good care of my kiddos and raised them to be well-behaved, hard working, Godly people.
In the meantime, here is a little website that has recently changed my life - at least where cooking is concerned. E-mealz is a website that will plan your meals for you. For $5 a month, you can pick a meal plan based on diet or where you shop the most - or both. It will give you 7 meal plans (ingredient list plus recipe), plus a grocery list every week. Try it out - if you get bored like me and feel like you fix the same things all of the time, you will love it.
Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
i finally did it
I swore that I wouldn't. It was on my list of things to NEVER do. I was going to pride myself in the fact that I was one of those hold-outs. Even if I were ever to have an inkling of desire, to participate, I wouldn't, simply because it was the new craze.
But...I have caved.
I am reading Twilight.
I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies. I have never read or seen any Lord of the Rings series. To me this was just another teenage craze, that somehow managed to suck in even women up to their middle ages. I refused to be taken over by the obsession.
But alas, I have. And I will admit (albeit, kicking and screaming) that I actually. . . am. . . enjoyingit.
It may have something to do with the fact that I am reading it on my new nookcolor (have I mentioned that I got on of things for my birthday?!). Everything read on a nook is much more enjoyable. You can bookmark pages, highlight words or sections, lookup the definition to any word on the page, change the page color, font, font size, brightness, do a search. . . it even tells me that at this point, I am 63% done with the book. I can download books for Bella that will come to life on the page and will even read to her if I am unavailable to do so. I can even surf the web!
So, maybe I'm not really enjoying Twilight as much as I just enjoy reading it on my nook. Yeah...that must be what it is.
BTW...anybody got a copy of the movie I can borrow? ;)
But...I have caved.
I am reading Twilight.
I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies. I have never read or seen any Lord of the Rings series. To me this was just another teenage craze, that somehow managed to suck in even women up to their middle ages. I refused to be taken over by the obsession.
But alas, I have. And I will admit (albeit, kicking and screaming) that I actually. . . am. . . enjoyingit.
It may have something to do with the fact that I am reading it on my new nookcolor (have I mentioned that I got on of things for my birthday?!). Everything read on a nook is much more enjoyable. You can bookmark pages, highlight words or sections, lookup the definition to any word on the page, change the page color, font, font size, brightness, do a search. . . it even tells me that at this point, I am 63% done with the book. I can download books for Bella that will come to life on the page and will even read to her if I am unavailable to do so. I can even surf the web!
So, maybe I'm not really enjoying Twilight as much as I just enjoy reading it on my nook. Yeah...that must be what it is.
BTW...anybody got a copy of the movie I can borrow? ;)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Three
Three has always been my favorite number. Because my birthday is the 3rd of the month. Which is also today :) So I have decided, for 2011, that I am going to make some resolutions - and actually stick with them. Or try to at least. So, in the spirit of three, here are 3 New Year's Resolutions.
1. I am going to blog more. Please...don't get too excited. I know you are probably overwhelmed with the prospect of it.
2. I am going to try to do better. At everything. Better at keeping house, cooking regularly, being a better wife, mom, friend, employee, co-worker, exerciser, eater, writer....everything.
3. I am going to read more. Because really...it's good for the mind. And, because I got a nookcolor for my birthday :) And what better reason do you need to read more?!
Happy New Year! Happy Monday! And Happy Birthday to me!
1. I am going to blog more. Please...don't get too excited. I know you are probably overwhelmed with the prospect of it.
2. I am going to try to do better. At everything. Better at keeping house, cooking regularly, being a better wife, mom, friend, employee, co-worker, exerciser, eater, writer....everything.
3. I am going to read more. Because really...it's good for the mind. And, because I got a nookcolor for my birthday :) And what better reason do you need to read more?!
Happy New Year! Happy Monday! And Happy Birthday to me!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
tuesdays are speshl
I hate Tuesdays.
I don't have anything personal against Tuesday. But the schedule that engulfs my weekly Tuesday usually makes for a less than enjoyable day. I always pick up Zeke and Yana from school, but this year some genius decided it was good idea for them to go to school at 8am, meaning they get out at 2:20. Which means I have to leave to pick them up no later than 2. And Bella's naptime is at 1:30. You can see where I'm going with this.
I try to lay her down for an early nap, but she's just not ready for one. So we fight it out for a while until she finally does, which just means that she's in a little less of a bad mood on our way over to get them and back. What that also means is that by the time we get back home, she's tired again, but she doesn't really want to take another nap because she's already had one.
So...as you can imagine, much of my Tuesday is consumed with screaming. It's fun.
For the past few weeks, and for the next few, I've been doing a bible study with my mom and sister on Tuesday nights. That's usually something enjoyable to look forward to, however, it also means that after Jeff gets off work and gets home, and we eat dinner, he's left with the aftermath of the bad moods. I know this, and it causes me to have a less than enjoyable bible study.
Today has been no different. Bella is currently laying in her bed screaming. I am determined she won't win, but my sanity may get the better of me soon. Yana has knocked everything off of the playroom table about 5 times after I've told her at least that many to put it all away. Zeke, no matter how many times I've told him that the Wii won't turn on and I don't know why, has stood in front of it, pushing the power button over and over saying "The tv says no signal. I pushed the power button and it should come on when you do that, but it won't."
I've had my usually Tuesday rant where I've told them all in the most loving way possible that they are all driving me crazy :) I always follow it up with "I love you, but you are all driving me nuts."
Yana just came and gave me a handmade card that said "I love you Jess" on the outside and "You are speshl" on the inside. So even though I feel like I might lose my mind because everyone is driving me crazy, I can't help but remember that Tuesdays are "speshl" even in spite of their craziness.
Happy Tuesday :)
I don't have anything personal against Tuesday. But the schedule that engulfs my weekly Tuesday usually makes for a less than enjoyable day. I always pick up Zeke and Yana from school, but this year some genius decided it was good idea for them to go to school at 8am, meaning they get out at 2:20. Which means I have to leave to pick them up no later than 2. And Bella's naptime is at 1:30. You can see where I'm going with this.
I try to lay her down for an early nap, but she's just not ready for one. So we fight it out for a while until she finally does, which just means that she's in a little less of a bad mood on our way over to get them and back. What that also means is that by the time we get back home, she's tired again, but she doesn't really want to take another nap because she's already had one.
So...as you can imagine, much of my Tuesday is consumed with screaming. It's fun.
For the past few weeks, and for the next few, I've been doing a bible study with my mom and sister on Tuesday nights. That's usually something enjoyable to look forward to, however, it also means that after Jeff gets off work and gets home, and we eat dinner, he's left with the aftermath of the bad moods. I know this, and it causes me to have a less than enjoyable bible study.
Today has been no different. Bella is currently laying in her bed screaming. I am determined she won't win, but my sanity may get the better of me soon. Yana has knocked everything off of the playroom table about 5 times after I've told her at least that many to put it all away. Zeke, no matter how many times I've told him that the Wii won't turn on and I don't know why, has stood in front of it, pushing the power button over and over saying "The tv says no signal. I pushed the power button and it should come on when you do that, but it won't."
I've had my usually Tuesday rant where I've told them all in the most loving way possible that they are all driving me crazy :) I always follow it up with "I love you, but you are all driving me nuts."
Yana just came and gave me a handmade card that said "I love you Jess" on the outside and "You are speshl" on the inside. So even though I feel like I might lose my mind because everyone is driving me crazy, I can't help but remember that Tuesdays are "speshl" even in spite of their craziness.
Happy Tuesday :)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
v. a. c. a. tion: funny update
1) Rear turn signal bulb burned out. Add that to the list.
2) Left to replace the turn signal bulb. Backed over an entire box of scrapbooking supplies that I forgot to take in the house when I cleaned the van out.
3) Arrived at Walmart to have the bulb replaced. Sales associate says to me about the service worker standing right next to her at the desk "You can ask him yourself if we do that." The same associate then proceeds to put my information in their system as "Gassisa McCarty". Really?
Thanks Walmart. Once again your stellar customer service has exceeded my wildest expectations. Not.
4) They kept my keys. I had to go get the kids out of the car after checking the vehicle in. This seemed to anger the anti-theft system when I had them unlock the door for me from the inside, which followed by persistent honking of the car horn for the next 5 minutes.
Overall - you can see how it was a great day. T-minus 18 hours til vacation....and counting.
2) Left to replace the turn signal bulb. Backed over an entire box of scrapbooking supplies that I forgot to take in the house when I cleaned the van out.
3) Arrived at Walmart to have the bulb replaced. Sales associate says to me about the service worker standing right next to her at the desk "You can ask him yourself if we do that." The same associate then proceeds to put my information in their system as "Gassisa McCarty". Really?
Thanks Walmart. Once again your stellar customer service has exceeded my wildest expectations. Not.
4) They kept my keys. I had to go get the kids out of the car after checking the vehicle in. This seemed to anger the anti-theft system when I had them unlock the door for me from the inside, which followed by persistent honking of the car horn for the next 5 minutes.
Overall - you can see how it was a great day. T-minus 18 hours til vacation....and counting.
Monday, August 2, 2010
i heart donald miller
Awesome article by Donald Miller. Jeff has read all of his books. I've never read one. But I like his blog. Sometimes he's out there, but he's real...and I like it.
I’d rather be hated than loved with conditions. I think most people would agree. At least when people hate you, they are being intellectually honest. I mean you know where they stand. But we’ve all shared a political view or a struggle and had people take a half step back, or worse, reveal they no longer want the best for us. When this happens I get a hollow feeling and I associate that hollow feeling with the person and their ideas. So that begs the question, do we actually love our friends without conditions? Are we the kind of friend we hope to have? Ultimately, loving people conditionally is an attempt to control them. We are wrongly thinking that if we can make people “pay” for their faults, or their opinions that don’t match ours, they will have a negative association with their faults or their supposedly wrong opinions. But that’s not the way it works.
I’d rather be hated than loved with conditions. I think most people would agree. At least when people hate you, they are being intellectually honest. I mean you know where they stand. But we’ve all shared a political view or a struggle and had people take a half step back, or worse, reveal they no longer want the best for us. When this happens I get a hollow feeling and I associate that hollow feeling with the person and their ideas. So that begs the question, do we actually love our friends without conditions? Are we the kind of friend we hope to have? Ultimately, loving people conditionally is an attempt to control them. We are wrongly thinking that if we can make people “pay” for their faults, or their opinions that don’t match ours, they will have a negative association with their faults or their supposedly wrong opinions. But that’s not the way it works.
When we attach conditions to our love, what we are really doing is attaching a negative association with us! People don’t sit around saying, man, if I just didn’t have this fault or this opinion, that person would love me. What they actually think is this: Wow, that person is a jerk, and all they represent, including their morality and political beliefs must make people jerks. I never want to be like that, so I will seek another community that accepts me as I am.
It’s interesting to me that Jesus never forced anybody to agree with Him. Instead, He has a quiet confidence. He was responsible to say the truth and to be Himself and he let others take responsibility for their lives. He did not use love like money, paying some and withholding from others in an effort to control them. He spoke the truth, He wasn’t offended when people didn’t agree, and He gave them their own will to do as they wish. But what’s more, He loved them regardless. He loved them whether they followed Him or tried to kill them. He even loved them while they were killing Him.
If you have an opinion, and somebody disagrees, let them. Just make it know what you think about the issue, listen to them closely, and then love and care about them regardless. If they keep trying to change your mind, gently explain to them that you simply don’t agree, but you don’t want it to interrupt your friendship. If people can only be friends with others who think the way they think, this is a weakness in character.
The Jesus kind of love, the love that speaks the truth and yet does not try to control, is supernatural. It is a very confident position and it comes from God. Will it always win? No, but the point is not to win, the point is to love, even to our deaths. So make this commitment, I will tell the truth to the best of my ability, I will not try to control, and there is nothing anybody can do to get me to stop loving them.
v. a. c. a. tion
I grew up with older parents. Therefore I listened to older music. And I'll admit - I kind of like it. Sometimes. So my blog post - it's a nod to a Connie Francis song. Yup, I'm officially a dork.
My day today further confirmed that we are in need of a vacation. It wasn't a bad day. It was just one of those days when you are ready to leave reality behind and just go.
Thursday, Jeff and I got Droid's. I know, it's really exciting :) To make it even better, I got an incredible deal on them. Last night his went haywire and developed a red line on the display. Okay, so not haywire. But when you have a cool new phone, you want it to be awesome. And a red line down the middle of your display - not so awesome. So...I called the store. Bring it in, swap it out, no problem.
Right. Easier said than done.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Verizon. I will never leave them. We've had them for years. We spent so much time at the Oxmoor Mall kiosk one year that we still exchange Christmas cards with the sales rep there. (Not really...but we should.) My mom's phone number - the original cell phone number my dad had when he got his first cell phone 20 years ago. Me and Verizon - we're as good as married. BUT...I am overly irritated by how they handle their customer load these days. You walk in, go to a computer, sign in, and 45 minutes later, someone calls your name. It doesn't matter what you're there for - that's how they roll. I was inside long enough getting Jeff's phone switched out that I began to worry my family might think I had been kidnapped or held up.
To celebrate my escape from the Verizon store, we decided to eat at our favorite new restaurant, Senor Iguanas. They just opened a new location at Shelbyville Rd & Hurstbourne so we tried it out. (BTW...it used to be the India Palace. Just incase you were wondering.) Now, we always eat at the Central Station location, where Fernando is always our waiter. You should try it and ask for him. He's awesome. But, we thought we'd a give this one a go, since it was close.
Bad decision.
Crappy service. Full of drunks (isn't it Monday?). Totally disappointed. They seemed more concerned with the table full of young girls with the constant flow of margaritas. Nothing wrong with the occasional margarita. Just give me good service and I give you good tip. Easy as pie.
So, really, this post has nothing to do with vacation. Except that after this day, I am ready for mine. Wednesday, here I come!
My day today further confirmed that we are in need of a vacation. It wasn't a bad day. It was just one of those days when you are ready to leave reality behind and just go.
Thursday, Jeff and I got Droid's. I know, it's really exciting :) To make it even better, I got an incredible deal on them. Last night his went haywire and developed a red line on the display. Okay, so not haywire. But when you have a cool new phone, you want it to be awesome. And a red line down the middle of your display - not so awesome. So...I called the store. Bring it in, swap it out, no problem.
Right. Easier said than done.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Verizon. I will never leave them. We've had them for years. We spent so much time at the Oxmoor Mall kiosk one year that we still exchange Christmas cards with the sales rep there. (Not really...but we should.) My mom's phone number - the original cell phone number my dad had when he got his first cell phone 20 years ago. Me and Verizon - we're as good as married. BUT...I am overly irritated by how they handle their customer load these days. You walk in, go to a computer, sign in, and 45 minutes later, someone calls your name. It doesn't matter what you're there for - that's how they roll. I was inside long enough getting Jeff's phone switched out that I began to worry my family might think I had been kidnapped or held up.
To celebrate my escape from the Verizon store, we decided to eat at our favorite new restaurant, Senor Iguanas. They just opened a new location at Shelbyville Rd & Hurstbourne so we tried it out. (BTW...it used to be the India Palace. Just incase you were wondering.) Now, we always eat at the Central Station location, where Fernando is always our waiter. You should try it and ask for him. He's awesome. But, we thought we'd a give this one a go, since it was close.
Bad decision.
Crappy service. Full of drunks (isn't it Monday?). Totally disappointed. They seemed more concerned with the table full of young girls with the constant flow of margaritas. Nothing wrong with the occasional margarita. Just give me good service and I give you good tip. Easy as pie.
So, really, this post has nothing to do with vacation. Except that after this day, I am ready for mine. Wednesday, here I come!
Monday, July 26, 2010
images from the weekend
Bella tried on my headband for size...
...and enjoyed a cookie with Sophie.
A bunch of ducks invaded the parking lot by Dooley's Bagels.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
hydrocephalus
It's been almost a year since Bella was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. It seems crazy to think that almost an entire year has passed since she had surgery. Since then, she's had her first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first birthday, started crawling, talking, walking, etc. I look back then and remember feeling like my world was crumbling around me. She's doing so well now, it's hard to imagine sometimes that it even happened, that she actually has a shunt in her brain that's doing this amazing, important thing that her body can't do on its own.
I remember seeing her right after she came out of recovery. It was so sad. She was so lifeless and helpless and I couldn't even hold her. A friend of mine had come to visit and she told me about a friend of hers named Jennifer - who I had actually met on a few occasions - who had a daughter that was born with hydrocephalus and had already had several surgeries. It was good to know at that moment that someone else understood what I was going through.
The next day, I got a phone call in the hospital room. It was Jennifer's mom. She said she just wanted to tell me that they were praying for us, that they understood what we were going through, that she didn't want us to feel like we were alone in our experience and if we ever needed anything or just needed someone to talk to about it, all I had to do was call. I don't think she knows to this day how much that phone call meant to me. I don't think I knew, until this day, how much that phone call meant to me.
Saturday, Jennifer participated in a Hydrocephalus walk in Iroquois Park and her story was featured on Fox 41. The link is below if you'd like to read it.
Jennifer's Story
My sweet little Bella, post-surgery and now.
I remember seeing her right after she came out of recovery. It was so sad. She was so lifeless and helpless and I couldn't even hold her. A friend of mine had come to visit and she told me about a friend of hers named Jennifer - who I had actually met on a few occasions - who had a daughter that was born with hydrocephalus and had already had several surgeries. It was good to know at that moment that someone else understood what I was going through.
The next day, I got a phone call in the hospital room. It was Jennifer's mom. She said she just wanted to tell me that they were praying for us, that they understood what we were going through, that she didn't want us to feel like we were alone in our experience and if we ever needed anything or just needed someone to talk to about it, all I had to do was call. I don't think she knows to this day how much that phone call meant to me. I don't think I knew, until this day, how much that phone call meant to me.
Saturday, Jennifer participated in a Hydrocephalus walk in Iroquois Park and her story was featured on Fox 41. The link is below if you'd like to read it.
Jennifer's Story
My sweet little Bella, post-surgery and now.
Monday, July 12, 2010
monday confession
I hate my neighbors.
Okay...I won't say hate. It's a strong word and we shouldn't hate anyone. But they drive me crazy. Everything from parking cars in the front yard, a chicken coop in the back yard, a week of fireworks after the fourth was over, building a cover over their back porch so they can party late into the evening - even when it's raining, trash all over their backyard (and mine), letting their kids use our basketball goal without permission when we were not home...I could go on.
Yesterday a pile of branches with leaves appeared in the backyard. Tonight when we left they were working on some type of framing. When we got home, this is what we found:
I'm not sure I want to know what it's going to be used for. I'll keep you posted.
Okay...I won't say hate. It's a strong word and we shouldn't hate anyone. But they drive me crazy. Everything from parking cars in the front yard, a chicken coop in the back yard, a week of fireworks after the fourth was over, building a cover over their back porch so they can party late into the evening - even when it's raining, trash all over their backyard (and mine), letting their kids use our basketball goal without permission when we were not home...I could go on.
Yesterday a pile of branches with leaves appeared in the backyard. Tonight when we left they were working on some type of framing. When we got home, this is what we found:I'm not sure I want to know what it's going to be used for. I'll keep you posted.
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