Driving My Own Car Again

Tahoe is back from the shop.  I didn't realize how much I would miss it.  I hope we can keep it running for at least a couple more years.  It has just over 170,000 miles now.  This is really the first major repair we have had to make on it.  We did replace the brakes but that is wear and tear.  And it is so fabulous NOT to have a car payment.

Filing Cabinets

I hate to file.  I really do.  But I am happy to have a way to organize all my paperwork.  I shudder to think how I would find all of the paperwork I have to keep otherwise.
I do get a little wistful at the Staples store when I walk past the electronic receipt and paper organizer.  You just scan it and you have a digital file. Then... wait for it... you throw the paper away.  Forever. Takes up ALOT less space in the house.  I just haven't been able to trust everything to digital yet.  Plus those puppies are expensive.  And - spending money on a/c in the Tahoe comes waaaayyy higher on the priority list than space saving 21st century filing.  But it is on the list.

July 29 - Mechanics

Yesterday I was talking to a friend about having to take our Tahoe to have the a/c compressor replaced.  A spendy but well worth it repair.  He told me how he and his grandson had to do a similar repair to his truck not too long ago.  They were able to buy the parts and do the work themselves saving him a lot of money.

 I grew up in a home like that, with a father like that.  He is still like that.  But I am so grateful for mechanics that will do it all for me.  I am grateful for a loaner car to use while they do it.  And I am grateful for a multi-talented hard working husband that makes it possible to hire the mechanic.  (I think my husband may be even more grateful for the mechanic.)

Unexpected Free Time

I love it when I have my time scheduled and have some free time.  I love it even more when the schedule changes giving me even more free time.

Independent Son Home

I love having a son that is independent and social.  But I love even more having a son that is responsible enough to give himself a curfew that is better than I was willing to give.

I Love it When a Plan Comes Together

I love planning something and then seeing it fall together without having to force it.  It makes me happy.

Chocolate Before Bed

Just one piece, or two.  Makes for sweet dreams.

Summer Nights

Even when it is hot and muggy, I still love summer evenings.

Getting Out of the House

Sometimes it is just fun to get out of the house.  It is even funner when you are sitting around eating great food with a bunch of fun women.  Why don't we do this more often ?

A Good Day

Today was a good day. Just that simple.

Clean Kitchen

When I was growing up my mom had the rule for us as well as for herself that the kitchen and living room were clean before we went to bed.  Many times I have ignored the kitchen before I went to bed because I didn't want to deal with it.  That always makes for a not so great start to my day.  I love waking up to the house in order and a kitchen that is clean.  Sounds so simple, but it is the best way to give me a head start on tomorrow.

Home

I love to travel.  But, I love home the most.

July 18 - Art and Food Choices

I enjoyed going to the art museum today.  I had never seen works by Picasso, Matisse and many other artists in person before.  I am one of those people that look at art, and once in awhile a piece will really move me.  Most of the time I am just really confused as to the authority that has officially deemed something "museum quality" art.

The best part of my day though was getting to eat some Greek food(which I LOVE) for lunch.  Don't get me wrong - I hadn't been starving.  We had been eating some good Asian cuisine (which I like) and French pastry(which I usually can't find) most of the week.  But it is a beautiful thing to eat something that you LOVE.

Help on the Homefront

So glad we have good friends that take care of the kids and the critters and the house when we are away.

Japanese French Bakery

It was a great surprise to be able to get yummy desserts and pastries in Little Tokyo. I am so glad we will be here a couple more days so I can try most of them.

As the Crow Flies

I don't get to travel as much as I would like. I have some minor anxiety about flying. Mostly the idea of making orphans of my children gives me the anxiety. But when I do get to fly it is so cool how quickly I can get from point a to point b just by getting on an airplane.  It takes me almost 5 hours to drive to see my family. It takes me 20 minutes to get to Wal-Mart. But today I went from SW Washington to southern California in 2 hours. It's an amazing thing mankind has figured out that is so commonplace only a hundred years later that we have let it lose some of it's wonder. If only the Wright brothers could see us now.

The Thrill of the Hunt

I have discovered in my life that I love to hunt for stuff.  Real estate for friends, bargains, missing stuff my kids can't find (don't tell them I like to do it).  There is just something I love about a mystery to be solved, a puzzle finished, and a missing item back home.

My Kids Like Each Other

I know it sounds like a really simple thing how happy it makes me that my children all genuinely like each other.  It is a simple, awesome thing.

Tidy

Sometimes I have projects I am working on in the house that make it start to look, shall we say, disheveled.  Piles of this and that on every horizontal surface.  Two days worth of dishes in the sink.  And if I haven't had to leave the house it might occur to me that I have been in the same pjs for 3 days.  But one of the best things ever is when I have finished the project.  Taken a shower.  Put on a bra and regular clothes.  And the house is once again tidy.  For now.

Moving Furniture.

Something about moving furniture around in a room makes me feel happy. Maybe it's the treasures you find underneath. Somehow it always seems to make the room feel bigger. I feel like I have more stuff than I realized too. Because nothing multiplies stuff like moving it around.

My Size 14 Gift

I, like many women struggle with self esteem issues attached to how I look physically.  I find myself reducing my worth to pounds and inches and years.  I have never lied about my age.  I see no reason to. I have always been comfortable with my age.  But my body weight and clothing size haunts me from time to time.  The scale is my least favorite part of any doctor visit.  But as I have gotten older I have had the epiphany to look at my body more as an awesome piece of equipment than a squishy prison my spirit is trapped in.  I know too many people that are fighting cancer, Parkinson's, fibromyalgia, have lost limbs, eyesight, hearing.  Many are on a list waiting for another person to lose their life so that a new heart, lung, liver, kidney or other vital organ might prolong theirs.
I am getting much better at embracing my healthy imperfect body for all it does for me.  Because, it is doing it's job.  And I am blessed each day that it does.

July 9 - My MOM

July 9 would have been my mom's 69th birthday.  That still sounds SO young.  I miss her each day.  I am thankful that she put so much energy into teaching me the things I needed to know to be an independent adult.  I am thankful for the decision she made when I was born to be active in church despite my father having no interest.  She did it alone.  I am thankful that she loved a rebellious, stubborn child despite the bad decisions I made many, many times.  I never felt unloved.  Even when I knew I was doing everything she wished I wouldn't.  I hope that she left this world knowing how loved she was.  I forgot to eat some Junior Mints yesterday in her memory.  I will have to do that today.

Spontaneous Movie

I love doing things that are unplanned.  They don't have to be extravagant.  There is something about the fact that they are spontaneous that makes the simplest thing more fun.  Tonight it was a movie with the kids and Chinese take out.

July 7 - Knowing What I Have

Every once in awhile I hear a new convert talk about finding the gospel. Finding answers to questions they have asked their whole lives. Finding light in the darkness.  I know people that have searched for the answers for years. I know people that are living with answers but are afraid to know for themselves.  I know I am a person that was born into a situation that gave me the gift of the answers being there before I had the question.  I have often wondered if I would have asked the questions if the answers weren't as easy to find.

July 6 - Knowing Potential

I went with Luke to a track meet in Seattle.  A big track meet where kids go to compete that have money, and programs backing them and training them from very young.  It was an eye opener for the kids.  I am so thankful that Luke sees it as a potential to step up to the situation instead of an impossible expectation.

Knock Knock, It's Dinner

I did not grow up being able to order food and have it brought to me.  At my house. This is one of the downsides of living out of town. So anytime I can make a phone call and have dinner brought to my door - it is good.

Freedom to be Lame

We for all intents and purposes are a boring lame family when it comes to big holiday celebrations.   I put my most effort into Christmas I will admit.  Today I am thankful for the many freedoms I have, but mostly I am thankful for the freedom to participate as little or as much as I prefer.  God Bless America!

Finding Something You Were Looking For When You Weren't Looking

Sometimes you are shopping or looking for one thing and stumble upon something else.  Something you have been looking for long enough that you have just about given up.  And then you turn around and bam! there it is.  I love that.  I will just find what I was actually looking for later.

Answered Prayers

Today prayers were answered for a friend of mine.  She has been living in limbo waiting to hear the results from medical tests that would let her know how serious some findings were.  She texted me with very good news.  She has been in my prayers and the prayers of others.  So happy to hear the news was positive and hopeful.

Faith in the Busdriver

I read something wise once.  It said "fear and faith cannot occupy the same space at the same time".  I try each day to live my life by faith and not fear.  Faith is such a gift.  Faith can bring great peace when you are troubled.  Faith that God is in charge and that he knows what is best for all of us.  To let go of the illusion that WE are in control is a struggle.  But it is important, to let the bus driver that knows the route and the road conditions,  drive the bus.  All we are asked to do is get on the right bus and stay on that bus until we have reached our destination.  Well, that and not stick gum under the seat while we are riding.

June 30 - Hanging Out in Nursery

I really enjoyed just getting to have my sisters hang out and participate in nursery today.  I love it in there and love that they had a chance to meet some of my favorite people.

June 29 - Unexpected Visits

So thankful for the unexpected visit of Leasa and Ann.  I love any time that I get to spend with my sisters.  I am so blessed to have 3 that are so awesome and amazing.

June 28 - 17

Birthdays are blessings.  Every single one.  I am so thankful for the birthday of my daughter.  I am so thankful of each year that we get to celebrate that occasion.