Pullin' on mah Big Girl Pants...

Once upon a time when I was a little girl and I was not feeling well...I could "get the stay home from school free" card and worry about nothing except what movies I was going to watch.  My friend would even bring my homework over (cuz he lived next door) and do it with me later on in the day. Mom and dad would check on me, I mean let's face it- if I was sick, I was pretty sure the world stopped functioning :)
So when did that stop being true!!!???
Regardless, today despite the deep and longing desire to hide under my blankets -the world somehow did not stop turning. So, with one million responsibilities today...I am pulling on my big girl pants :) Taking on the day....it just kinda stinks because with 5 hours of shooting ahead of me - I wanted to be super woman. (ha. yes. please picture the cape...not sure I could really pull of the rest of the outfit..so let's rock the cape shall we?)


For a moment this morning....I felt like I was in a Taylor Swift song...

Not State Farm, but such a good neighbor

Gonna give ya the short version.  The great idea was to go to Thacher Park and overlook the cliffs as the storms came rolling through.  During the breaks in the rain, the kiddos could ride their bikes all over the place. We got out of the truck at the overlook with HUGE black clouds rollin in. Lightning, rainbows, rain over Albany, sun on us...and one flat tire.
We punctured it in the parking lot. We left the spare at home when using the truck bed for something and never put it back. oops. So. now what? It was time to call someone for help. We called our dear neighbors and thankfully he was home. Not only that, he is a stock car racer and has changed more tires than anyone I know. This is important, because there were several things going awry with the changing of our tires on the 1997 pickup ;) I will spare the details.  Our neighbor got into our house, got the tire, drove to Thacher Park and in the now pouring rain, helped changed the tire..it would have taken two dudes to do it no matter what.
It rained on us, there was sunshine on either side of us, but we had to have seen the most brilliant rainbow. The camera didn't do it justice. So, we watched the storm roll in and were in awe. Side note: our neighbor wasn't even supposed to be home last night. At the last minute decided to come home and get some stuff when we called (haha - probably so glad he answered the phone!)

Rainy Days.

Sooo many rainy days...BUT they ARE good for something...getting some inside projects done, because it's not secret that when the sun is out, I tend to play more than work.
However, kitchen projects are almost done and I attacked the living room..with a vengeance.  It was a bold move. A scary move and I still have more to get done.  But at least it's a start.

We had that awesome 70's style plank board wall :)  whoo hoo! So, I changed it a little

 My super awesome chair that I had wanted that we ended up buying from a couple who was moving and needed to get rid of it. Got it for like a 1/4 of the store price! I'm still not done with this area, but it took forever to do the walls, moulding and beams...so taking a break.

And still haven't finished this area either. But It's a start.... here's to more HGTV in my life :P and no i didn't bother to remove the tshirt on the bench, the junior golf clubs by the door or the bball hoop hanging on the door...because that just wouldn't be a true picture now would it??

Creation/Evolution and an 8-year-old

These thoughts have turned over and over in my head.  And trust me, this post could be PAGES long, but the focus is on teaching.  I would love it if you emailed me or posted your thoughts :) But, we have come to the time when my eldest is learning "science" in school.  This also means the time has come to teach how to "respectfully disagree". That's not easy for a kid, to realize people he respect (friends, family and teachers) believe in something other than what the Bible says and what we as parents believe.  We have started with the basics...What does the Bible say? What does the science book say? Of course, they don't match up and at some point my son will have to decide for himself what he truly believes.  But, I will be honest..I was challenged in high school in this very area of evolution vs. creation. Was I just gonna regurgitate what I had been taught by my parents? OR...did I believe it.  So. I studied. I'm not gonna give a dissertation on all I learned, but I will tell you - this novel reading, soccer focused, social butterfly type of college girl - thoroughly absorbed her apologetics class.  Maybe it is because I learned under Dr. Dewitt - one of the leading scientist/creationists in the county, maybe it's because I was blown away by the concrete proof. Regardless, my son will understand both sides equally.  I have no problem studying the THEORY of evolution and he will learn the questions to pass the test, but he will have the option to KNOW both, to question both and to look at both sides in depth. I did and it may be the very reason I know what I believe is true today.
So,  the concept of understanding that those we love and respect will disagree with our beliefs is not easy to teach, but at this point in time it is necessary.
And just cuz i can't resist  - There is several written pieces that Darwin renounced his theories before he died that never made it to the text books ;)  Super interesting. Ya gotta pick one..God? or Evolution? Ya can't have both...even Theistic Evolution undermines what God says.
another thing is I am amazed at the people who get so upset when they learn I disagree...but here's the thing..I have literally STUDIED evolution, debated it on the college circuit and understand the thought behind it, the people who so adamantly disagree with me - have never studied creation.  It's a science believe it or not. The site Answer In Gensis, has resources above and beyond.   But it always throws me that those who disagree with me get so very upset! I dunno!
Last point - I have read HUNDREDS of testimonies on evolutionist who turned creationists after studying the science, I have not found one testimony of a creationist who turned against it.  Maybe they are out there, but I haven't read one.
So, it's gonna get uncomfortable at times I am sure as my son's eyes begin to open wider to the world and realize he will have to forge his way. But, far be it from me not to give him every tool, resource and support system he needs to know truth. God will lead, I will follow, my son will know. BUT, if you are someone who has kids in a public school or have had kids there and have had to balance this... I would love your thoughts. thx!

Wondering what I forgot!!

It's rarely, if ever, I think most of us feel that we have it ALL together. I guess "all" is subjective, but for a Tuesday in my world (deadline day) I rarely feel as if that is the case.  So, this morning when I got ready to go..I had my work out done, articles ready, photos cropped and fitted, lunch packed and I actually was early. Was I pleased? NO! I kept wondering what it was I was forgetting?  If things go THAT smoothly, surely I have forgotten something, misplaced something, overlooked an entire SOMETHING!  Alas, it is 8:30 p.m. and I have yet to find out what I forgot. (course the day is not over). Can we ever be truly satisfied?? Apparently not!  Just when I accomplish what I set out to do everyday- I have to feel I have missed something along the way..... wonder what it was :D?

Close my eyes

I close my eyes and clamp my hands over my ears and refuse to listen.  Ok, maybe not literally, but I think if i were to sum up my emotions sometimes...that is what I am doing.  For some reason, this week and last week a bunch of not so good news has come rolling in.  Friends fighting cancer, others unable to conceive a baby and giving up, relapses in sickness, finding out friends my age have had parents pass away - all in a short amount of time.  It's kinda overwhelming to take it all in. Sometimes ( and I admit) I can barely make myself pray - because it is emotionally exhausting to go there...I would rather close my eyes, clamps my ears, shake my head and cry out "I can't hear you!"  Tis true. But, I find myself also encouraged in many things.  In this book my Max Lucado "It's Not About Me" the last line of the second chapter is in regard to Max at 9 years old going to his first funeral. It is the first time he sees his uncle's dead body, his usually happy aunts crying, his other uncles stoic and his father somber.   It leads to this awesome passage :
"It's ok son," he assures, laying his hand on my leg. Somehow I know it is. Why it is, I don't know. My family still wails. Uncle Buck is still dead, but if Dad, in the midst of it all says it's okay, then that's enough. At that moment I realized something. I could look around and find fear, or look at my father and find faith. I chose  my father's face, so did Moses. So can you."
Open eyes. Unclamp ears. Breathe.