To do...

We leave Tuesday afternoon to go see Nate. I want to say that I'm so excited, but it may be more of a can-I-make-it-til-then-how-am-I-going-to-get-this-all-done-I-just-want-to-lounge-in-the-sun feeling.

My To-Do list...

As in, the absolutely must-get-done-before-I-can-leave list...

*Change Choppy's water.

(Our beta fish. There's mold on the rocks. I'd like him to live.)

*Oil change for the Suburban. 

(We ARE driving it to Florida. It DOES say there is 0% oil life left. This MAY be a wise thing.)

*Brit's soccer uniform.

(HAVE to get, since season starts before we get back. Nice that I went today and they aren't open on Sundays. Seriously, people! I mean, I'm glad you take Sundays off, but you should have sent a messenger to my door to tell ME.)

*Pay all the kids' sports fees that are due while we're gone.

*Call the Moving Claim Guy.

(Yes, that is his official title in Angela Land.)

*Send some urgent emails that HAVE to get out NOW.

*Remind all teachers and coaches that my children will be gone until April.

(And have children collect necessary assignments.)

*Buy stuff to go in Surprise Bag for kids for drive.

*Go to already scheduled school-volunteer thing and women's meeting and gymnastics practices.

*Oh, and at some point I may need to FINISH THE LAUNDRY and, oh... I don't know... PACK???

(Nate said he wanted me to get a good night's sleep for a few days before we left. Ummm...)

Stuff that's falling to the wayside...

*My pedicure.

(This was a have-to. I guess not anymore.)

*The boys' haircuts.

(I guess they do these in Florida, too.)

*Finding Brit a swimsuit.

(Because hopefully Florida will have ones that actually fit, unlike ones here.)

*Birthday gifts for Ian.

(He's 7 on Friday. I told Nate this evening that these were now officially his responsibility to find and procure before we arrive.)

*Taking the car through the wash.

(Yes, I know it will just get dirty again. But, it's more fun to drive a clean one than a dirty one. And right now it's really dirty.)

*Finding books on CD for me.

(The Surprise Bag takes precedence.)

*All the great posts that have been bouncing around in my head for weeks.

(I even have pictures, people! But, it's just. not. happening.)

*Getting that book to the person I wanted to get it to.

*Cleaning the house so it's clean when we come back.

So, forgive the absence, but know that my life is really full right now.

And, come Tuesday afternoon... whether I've done everything or not... we are pulling out of that driveway and I AM GOING TO SEE MY HUSBAND!!!!!!

And I will lay in the sun, whether or not I have had time to apply self-tanner so I don't blind the other tourists.

And I will wear my lovely strappy sandals, whether or not the winter-grown calluses have been removed from my feet.

And I will enjoy Disney and wear my Minnie Mouse tee with pride... complete with Mickey ears atop my head.

And I will finally visit an Ikea. (*gasp* I know!)

And I will snuggle my honey and forget about carpools and arranging rides and emails and phone calls and rushing to the school with the forgotten whatever and "Is my uniform clean?" and "We're out of milk again." and "Well, if you don't work, then what do you do all day?"

Wish me luck...

The Power of Goodwill

This is hands down one of the best things I have ever seen.

The power of music to transform lives.

With tears in my eyes I say "Beautiful! Beautiful!"

Brave

It's marching forward.

It's letting go.

It's speaking up.

It's choosing to remain calm.

It's embracing risk.

It's accepting help.

It's growing up.

It's staying young.

It's laughing. Hard.

It's not being afraid to cry.

It's choosing adventure.

It's a new hairstyle...

a new color...

a new pair of shoes.

It's a new friend...

a new treatment...

a new doctor.

It's saying something...

to a stranger...

to your family.

It's confiding.

It's trusting.

It's stepping out.

It's learning from mistakes.

It's looking to the future.

It's doing it... anyway.

It's raising up a generation that is not afraid...

that embraces life...

that, with God, knows no limits.

"I have come that you might have life, and life to the full."

~Jesus (John 10:10)

I am. So, she is.

Are you?




*photo by DHonea Photography*

A little tribute

A loving, 80's-crush tribute...
(although, I was more of a Feldman girl. I know. Don't ask.)

So long, Corey Haim. Sad you had to go this way.

Living life.

More often than not, it's simply about choosing your approach.

I choose...

Locks of Love

My daughter has the kindest heart. And I can brag on her, because I'm her mother. 

For quite some time now she has been begging to cut her hair and donate it to Locks of Love.

Begging.

Ever since she heard there was a program where you could give your hair to a child who doesn't have any because of cancer, she knew it was something she wanted to do.

We almost did it this past September, but she was in a wedding and I wanted her to have the long, flowing curls...

so she just got a trim...

with the agreement that when it was long enough again she could do what she's been longing to do.

A few weeks ago she realized it was long enough.

More than long enough, actually.

So, this last Saturday we went.

She was SO excited and could NOT stop smiling the enTIRE time.

(I don't know where she could possibly get that from.)

My adorable little girl.

Very loooooooooong hair.

Mom. Seriously. Would you STOP taking pictures?

(I had the stylist's permission, fyi.)

Making the cut. Eeeeek!

The immediate after.

See? Could NOT stop smiling. SO cute.

The happy donor and the victim donation.

You know, I want my daughter to be free to try new looks, new styles. So many of us get stuck in ruts and feel like we can never try anything that seemingly falls outside of our "box." (The "box" we've created for ourselves.)

I'm so glad Brit is adventurous! 

She's been skipping around ever since Saturday, swinging her head from side to side and giggling.

And, evidently change comes in waves, since we just found out last week that she'll also be getting braces in April. Good times, good times.

By the word of our testimony...

Okay, so I'm obviously a little passionate about this, because the video is longer than I wanted it to be. Gee. Imagine that. Me talking long. I know. Such a surprise. You're in shock.

But, it's Truth. And it's good stuff. And it needs to be talked about.

(And, what in the hiz-eck is up with youtube and the odd freeze-frames they choose for their videos? I think it's a conspiracy.)