The Shack

I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young. I recommend it to everyone who struggles with their faith from time to time and to people who wonder why things happen to good people. It will renew your spirit! It is an incredible story about a man who goes through an intense loss, but with the help of three amazing friends finds his happiness and purpose once again. It is a fictional work...but after reading it you realize how true it is.

Running with J-Dog

My brother and I have a standing running date on Saturday mornings. We have had times when we have cancelled on one another, but, for the most part, we can be found at Woodward Park trotting out some miles in the coolness of a Saturday morning. I love these runs!

My brother is two years older than me and we both have families of our own now. It is so nice that we have this time to hang out and catch up on life in general. We talk about raising toddlers; childhood memories; our pets; our parents; our jobs. We even venture into politics and religion. My brother has an open-mindedness that allows me to see all sides of an issue. And, he has a whit that can make me laugh until I have tears in my eyes.

Siblings are blessed with the opportunity for incredible relationships. Who knows you better than a sibling? Who went through your childhood right along with you? My brother and I have laughed so hard our stomachs hurt while reminiscing about life in our household growing up. We were fortunate to have great childhoods and, now we even laugh about the times we got in trouble. Seriously. We remember Dad's lecture verbatim about how we should not fight over Cheerios which are nothing more than little oatmeal circles.

My brother once noted that he and I were as closely related as two people can be. We are the only two people created by our parents. I have always liked this thought and think of it when I look at my two children. They are inseparable by their very DNA. I wonder also, if my children will be as different and my brother and me. My brother is artistic and soulful. Me? Not so much. I cannot draw or play any musical instrument. I cannot carry a tune. I love to write though. And, I try to remember to stop and smell the roses but I am a bit antsy. But, regardless of our differences, my brother and I are friends.

I have to admit that I am happy he doesn't refer to me as "The Troll" these days. And, I am not sad that "Jennifart" is a label I have lost. I am just so thankful to have a brother that I truly enjoy hanging out with. So, with that, we run. We logged four miles today and there is no one that I would rather pound the pavement with.

Words of Wisdom

Yesterday was a particularly challenging day as a parent. It was one of those days when the kids seemingly team up against the parent until the parent collapses in exhaustion. In the late afternoon, I stood at the kitchen sink scrubbing dishes with ferocity.

My son came in and said, "Mommy?"

To which I replied, "What Mitchell?"

He looked at me and put his hand on my leg and said, "You know Mommy, sometimes things just happen."

Aw! I felt like mud! I knelt down and told my son that he was very smart and that I appreciated him sharing his wisdom.

Birthday wishes!

Miss Ellie turned 2 on July 3rd! We bought her a princess dress and some bling. My husband's only comment was, "And so it begins!"

Mitchell got a slick new bike for his 4th birthday. His birthday was July 5th though we had a dual party for him and his sis on the 4th! It was a small, family party, but it was fun-filled, firework affair!

OK...so I aged also. On the 2nd of July I turned 35! How did this happen! My mom made me my favorite dinner of spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. My sweet hubby bought me an ice cream cake!

Bad Travel Juju

I spent a week on the east coast for work. Inevitably, when I make this trek, something goes awry. It once took me 22 hours to get from Fresno, California to Washington D.C. This time, things went extremely well until the final leg of my journey. I was even awarded an exit row seat which allowed me to stretch my legs rather than contort them into fitting under the seat in front of me around my carry-on bag.

I landed in Denver, CO with 52 gates separating me from my flight home. I had less than 10 minutes to make my connection. I am a runner but running in the mile high city weighted with my carry-on bag and my laptop briefcase was anything but easy. I rounded the final curve in the terminal overjoyed to see my plane still at the gate. It hit me quite suddenly that the plane's door was closed. My flight was closed. I pleaded with the attendant at the gate to let me on the flight but there was simply nothing she could do. I felt tears escape my eyes as I saw my options dwindle.

As it turned out, my luggage made the connection...how ironic! So, I was stuck in the airport with the clothes on my back. No toothpaste, no bottle of water, not even a stick of gum. It was already after 10pm and all of the shops and services in the airport were closed. I decided to just hang out at the airport rather than sleep for a few hours in a hotel and head back.

I learned that the Denver airport is a decent place to rest you head at night. The night crew directed me to the safest place to park myself and help me and other stranded passengers locate pillows and blankets. It wasn't long before I gave up on the chairs and sacked out on the floor. It seemed like just a moment and I found myself waking up to the sound of voices. A family with two children had just woken up. I sat up and saw on a clock that is was 5am. I had made it! I looked around and saw that at some point in the evening a number of other passengers had converged on the same area. It was like a camp out!

I gathered up my gear and headed to the bathroom to "freshen up". There was no freshening up to be done. I was beyond scary looking. I looked like I had been raised by wolves in the deep forest. Bags under my eyes indicated a briefness of sleep. My skin was broken out from fatigue. My hair was limp and greasy. I longed for a shower! I longed for clean underwear!

I found a Starbucks and slurped down a Venti coffee and treated myself to a second. Before long I was on my way home to see my husband and kids after a week away. The woman in the seat next to me complained that she woke up too early and just couldn't get a grip on the day. I told her I slept at the airport. She looked at me like she was trying to think of anything that could compete with my statement. I turned my face towards the window and proceeded to sleep the entire flight home.

Once in Fresno I found a skip to my step. I went to claim my bag that had arrived the night before. I was moving quickly to avoid being seen by too many people. As I was claiming my bag I heard a familiar voice behind me. I spun around expecting to see a friend but instead saw Brooke Shields. Yes, in Fresno. I have no idea why she was visiting our small town but I was keenly aware of ragged appearance. I have to say that Brooke Shields is as beautiful in person as she is on television. And, am happy to report that the people of Fresno did not glom onto her as she made her way outside. She got a few stares but no one approached her...least of all me in my troll-like state!

So that ended my adventure in Denver and beyond. I have another trip coming up in August. My destination is Baltimore but I am fearful of where my bad travel juju will take me.

Underwater babies!

We got underwater photos of our kiddos from their swim school. I love these!

Simple Pleasures

Right now I have the joy of watching my two children splash around in their kiddie pool. I can't imagine how long this blog will take me to write as I find myself looking up every few seconds...they are both in swim lessons but I trust my eyes more than their judgment right now!

My son is wearing his favorite "flower" swim trunks. He likes them because his Daddy has a pair just like them. My daughter is in a Little Mermaid one-piece that is just adorable. Their pool is maybe 10 feet in diameter with squishy sides and a built in seat that my son calls the "Hot Dog Seat." We have maybe 10 inches of water in the pool.

The kids are having an insane amount of fun. They have been squealing and splashing around for 30 minutes and show no signs of slowing down. I love that they can enjoy such simple pleasures. We don't have a fancy built-in pool with a diving board, but they don't mind one bit.

Earlier today we had the excitement of being able to drive through a construction zone. The county is building a new middle school across the street and, as a bonus, we are getting a new road put in. But, in order to leave our house, we literally must drive through construction with earth movers and water trucks cruising beside us. We had to make a run into town so off we went through the marking stakes and concrete pipes. The kids thought this was more fun than a full day at the park! They screamed and waved to the construction workers and enjoyed as our Escape slipped and slid through the recently watered dirt. Again they seem to enjoy the simplest of pleasures.

My kids are blessings in so many ways. One of the purest ways is how they show me how to have fun doing everyday things. They remind me to be content. They help me realize we don't have to have the fanciest toys or gadgets to have a good time. Their actions constantly remind me of what is most important. It doesn't matter what brand of clothes I wear or how big our home is. What matters is simply enjoying them and every precious moment we have together.

I am spending the day with them today because I will be on the east coast next week for work. I will miss them terribly. I will remember today though and look forward to the following weekend when we can have another day of simple fun. Which...of course...is the best type of fun!