The Blog and the Beautiful

I've had custom blog envy a long time and finally decided it was time to give my boring blog a beautiful new look. I give many kudos to Becky (http://www.adoptafrica.blogspot.com/) for sharing her talent and patience with me. Not really having a theme in mind, I was unsure of exactly what I wanted graphically but emotionally I wanted something "fun & happy." So I resorted to the creative source that inspires me most, fashion, for guidance. I told Becky I wanted the blog to look like Anthropologie and Boden had a virtual love child. Amazingly, she was able to hit the nail on the head and create my masterpiece. It's like getting that perfect pair of shoes! I just can't quit looking at it! Hope you like it too!

Wishing for Classrooms & Chalkboards

I'm realizing that getting older doesn't mean you stop learning; it actually is the opposite. You keep learning only the lessons get a lot tougher than multiplication tables and they don't happen in classrooms on chalkboards. Donald and I started a class at church last Wednesday based on the the book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." I really think God is going to speak to us through this study but I'll save that for another post. To get the class started the instructor asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell one thing they had done for the first time in the past 12 months. Of course our "first" thing was moving nearly 1,000 miles away from family. That seems like enough firsts for the year but today I got 2 more under my belt. I FINALLY chose a school to enroll Coco in for the upcoming school year. My Papa (mother's father) had it right when he said that nothing in life is free. The free VPK program here is wonderful don't get me wrong, but for someone brand new to the area it is not easy to figure out. Finding the obscurely located Early Learning Coalition took a few u-turns. Getting the voucher and figuring out real quick it's our golden ticket and not to be handed out lightly. Once you submit it, you get ONE time to change your mind/schools and that's it. Touring 6 schools all claiming to be the best; all having different learning and discipline philosophies. Choosing how important a faith-based program is versus one that's not. For an indecisive Libra like me, this was quickly turning into a tornado of pros & cons, none yielding a decision. As if divinely appointed, my dear friend Laura called this morning and gave me sage advice that helped me calm down and get the job done. She said, "just go with your heart and quit thinking about it so much." Well, that's just what I did and was able to choose what I hope will be a great Pre-K school for our daughter.

On an extreme high of having actually made a decision and feeling peace about it, the kids and I head to Target to pick up something for dinner. We're sitting at a redlight and of course one of the kids needs something. Keeping one hand on the wheel I turn around to help them, hear a horn honk and think the light must have turned green. I turned around to see that it was still red and wondered why the honk? Then, I feel a bump. Yep, another first for me...I got rear ended! Thankfully and most importantly, no one was hurt. I got out of the car to hear the lady calling the police saying she just got hit. WHAT?!?!??!?!? I quickly corrected her: "Ma'am, YOU hit ME." You can imagine that the next 45 minutes of waiting on the State Trooper was awkward to say the least. She claimed I backed up (seriously, at a red light on a super busy road?) and I claimed she rolled into me. Initially, the officer was going to site that no one was at fault. There were no witnesses and we had conflicting stories. That didn't settle well and I may have let some frustrations show. If you've never lived on one income, let me just tell you that having to fork out a $500 deductible to get a bumper fixed is a BIG, budget-breaking deal. I must have said something that triggered cause for him to do some more investigating. Sparing the details, he brought me the accident report and quietly remarked that he had listed the other driver as at fault & was giving her a ticket. Thank you Jesus! Needless to say, I gladly accepted the report, counted my blessings and scooted out of there before I had to see the smoke come out of that lady's ears when she got the news! I immediately called my Daddy to thank him for the gene that just couldn't help but argue a little when I felt wronged. And thank him for his example of how to do it in a Godly way.

The moral of this post? Even in my 31st year, God continues to teach me. There isn't a teacher standing in front of a classroom any more & the lessons aren't written on a chalkboard. Sometimes I find myself wishing for just that; I think it would be much easier. Nonetheless, He continues to teach me through great advice given by my friend and the great life lessons my father gave me. Honestly, I'm just thankful He finds me worthy to instruct.

Rough Day

While my personal philosophy in life is to always remain positive and try to look at the bright side of things, I am having trouble doing that today. It's just a rough day and all I want to do is go home. I want to be there for my friend who has a very sick little girl. I want to be there for my family when trials keep coming their way. I want Coco to be back in her preschool class she misses so much. I want to run into just ONE person who looks familiar. I want to have a conversation with someone who isn't "new." I somehow had convinced myself that if I didn't admit it, I wouldn't be homesick. Denial never works, does it? Tomorrow is a new day and I am faithful that God will sustain me.

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"Endure hardships as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12: 7 - 11

Awesome Baby!

We got to meet one of Donald's sports idols tonight, Dick Vitale, A.K.A Dicky V! I can honestly say I don't think I have seen my husband actually get excited like this in a long time, maybe ever? Anyone who really knows Donald knows he doesn't excite easily. I can remember planning our wedding and asking him over & over to please, PLEASE just show a little excitement. While the bridal to-do list didn't do it for him, meeting Dicky V did. Heck, I won't deny it, even I was excited. As it turns out we are likely to run in to him quite a bit; he lives very near us. We are in the "common folk" part of the neighborhood and I'm guessing he's in the gated, "not-so-common folk" part. Dicky V wrote a children's ABC's and 123's book & the Main St. children's bookstore hosted a book signing. We have been looking forward to it all week. So much so, we were the first in line! Mr. Vitale signed Sebastian's book on the letter 'S' page: "Sebastian, Awesome baby!" Knowing that Dick Vitale has a special passion for children with cancer, we brought along a "Pray for Lucy" picture to give him. After he signed the book, Donald told him about Lucy's diagnosis and handed him the picture. We also wrote the blog address on there so he too can join Team Lucy & follow her journey back to health. What a great night! I can't think of a better way to end this post than this (you guessed it...) AWESOME BABY!

DP chatting it up with Dicky V!

Team Lucy's newest member