Twirly Love!

This is my first trip into twirly skirt territory. I found a tutorial on the internet on this site http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/photos/twirly_skirt/skirt_002_1_1.html and as you can see I really have no idea how to do those fancy linking things. Anyway...
This skirt takes almost no time and when I saw the whole outfit together I just about wet my pants. True story.

P.S. How cute is this baby?!

You would have to see to believe!

Today was day 1 of our 2 day garage sale and I am floored! I mean doesn't everyone expect a garage sale to be evil from the days before to the very bitter end. I know I do. When I was "pricing" and I use the term loosely, because as Karen would tell you I really let the customers set the prices. Anyway, when I was pricing I really didn't think I was up for having a garage sale. My husband was even less excited about it, he believes that hell will be a neverending yard sale with people parking in the street all willy nilly, and everyone will be asking if we are selling any antiques over and over. Sound familiar?

I stand corrected!! My girlfriends came over with all of there wares at around 8:00 am this morning and we cooperatively peddled them. It was so much fun!! I stand corrected! I highly recommend putting on a garage sale but only if your friends are willing to join you in your madness. Like me, you might not break even but your toenails will be painted, your children will be exhausted from running unsupervised through your house & your time will have been well spent changing the face of yard sales forever!

I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends.

I am still trying out the many different fonts, so please bear with the inconsistency until I ascertain (thank you online thesaurus) which one feels like my actual speaking voice. I am pretty sure my husband would say if only they made a nails-on-a-chalkboard style font. Today is Thurs. and next to Saturday it is my favorite day of the week. On Thursdays four of my very sweet friends and their kids trudge through the elements (pouring rain today, awful snow in March, etc.) to come and play at my house for just a couple of hours but still enough time to save my sanity and maybe our very lives. This couple of hours with them is such a gift.

When I was little my mom got together with a bunch of other moms, all with kids around the same age. When I look back on different parts of my childhood, I think of those times as maybe the happiest of my life. I still remember most of the kids and even still keep in touch with some of them though we are scattered throughout the country, but I digress.

Let me paint you a picture of Thursday. Moms arrive almost all at the same time which is pretty funny because we are usually 20 minutes late to every event we attend in order to get kids both in the car AND dressed. I may not be late to my own house but I am almost always doing either my hair or my makeup. Usually at least 6 kids are trying to take off coats and shoes at the same time right in front of the door. Little miss Ali barely gets her coat off before she is ready for princess attire. In the sweetest voice she asks "Miss Jen can I dress up?" followed quickly by Macy and then usually Hope. Who could say no to that or even want to for that matter? Then the 10 kiddos pile into Hayley's room for costumes and playtime.

It is usually about 11:30 by the time we all have made it inside so lunch is first on the list. Almost immediately each mom has some assembly line part in making sure each kid gets a plate of food, which is a joint effort of bringing whatever looks edible and fairly healthy to be added to the mix. Then we scavenge food for ourselves answering the many calls of "did I eat enough to get down and play?" and "Miss Jen can I please have some Daddy juice." (cran-raspberry for all of those who aren't familiar) Then the kids pile back into Hayley's room for more playtime where they will stay for the next 2 hours only coming out for snacks or the occasional disagreement. Sometimes we are drying tears, sometimes there is mom intervention but mostly just the sweet sounds of kids doing what they do best, having fun with their buddies.

This time has become such a huge answer to prayer. I am so thankful for the opportunity to get together like this. The first few minutes we seem to all share that look that says 'I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through this day' but by 2:00 when kiddos are tired and played out, there is a look of accomplishment, like the tank just got filled back up. I love these moms and even more I love their sweet babies too. I love all of my friends kids so if you are reading this you know they are all so special to me. However all of you mamas do an amazing job of restoring my soul and reminded me why I wanted so badly to be a mom. I love, love, love to see my children playing (well) with other kids. My eternal gratitude goes out to you! If you don't already attend thursdays, drop by sometime. It can, at the very least, change the course of your day.

How do you like your eggs?

Ok, so here is my first official blog entry! Holy cow what a huge amount of pressure to say something ground-breaking! Already I have used 2 exclamation points and I have only just begun. My friends Amanda and Jennille have already traversed this scary road (see blogs I have to check at least twice a day) and that should give me courage, but it doesn't. It kinda makes me sweat, and not the good Nike commercial sport sweat. It's the sticky, nasty, smelly kind of sweat. Right now you might be asking yourself, "why then would she put her crazy thoughts in Georgia font for others to see?" The answer is, because I want to know how I like my eggs. I know, just try to stay with me here. It might get a little dicey for a minute. I promise I have a point.

Jeff and I missed small group this week because the kids and I were visiting my grandma in St. Louis. When I asked my friend what I missed, she said our group had pondered one of the great theological questions of the ages. "What movie do you most relate to and why" If you are looking for the scripture it might be in um... one of the gospels maybe... Anyway when she told me her movie, Runaway Bride I'll admit I was puzzled but tried to look thoughtful. I have seen the movie before but it was ages ago and considering the title, I was hard pressed to believe she could really relate to a runaway bride. She explained that throughout the movie Julia Roberts' character takes on the likes and dislikes of her fiance of the moment, including the unique way he likes his eggs cooked. Anyway towards the end of the movie, she cooks plates of eggs to determine how SHE likes her eggs prepared. To make a short story long, she realizes she can't truly love someone else until she knows herself.

You might be wondering what this story has to do with me and my blog. Well it all comes down to getting to know myself better; for instance, my likes and dislikes. I have never felt truly comfortable with the person I am. I am always waiting for the "perfect" moment to present itself before I start to appreciate the person I have become. The Bible says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". I think it dishonors God when I am unhappy with what he created me to be. So I am hoping that through this blog, He will show me what he sees in me and what he wants me to see in myself.