Something very Pinteresting

Before

After

If your kids are anything like mine they have their favorite shirt but what happens to that shirt once it doesn't fit any longer. My kids try to hang on as long as they can making it a jammie shirt when it's no longer suitable to wear in public. But even that will only last so long! So I found  on Pinterest that you could make that old tshirt useful again (at least for awhile) by making it a tote bag. I think it would be great as a library bag. Here's the link to the blog with the directions:

http://www.moredesignplease.com/moredesignplease/2010/6/6/diy-recycled-t-shirt-tote-bag.html

My family!

My son never ceases to make me laugh. He is so much like me sometimes it's scary and he has my sense of humor. Last week I picked the kids up from school and for some reason we were talking about bad words. Now Andrew and I don't cuss in our house but the occasional crap or heck will pop out. We've taught our kids that these along with stupid, dumb, and shut up are all bad words. And to us are just a short cut to cussing. So as we're driving home and having this conversation Drew says "Mom, I didn't want to tell you but Harry Potter has a bad word in it." He was worried that if I found this out I would make him stop reading them and right now he's more than obsessed with everything HP. So I asked, Drew what bad word is in it? He said "Oh no I can't say it." So I asked him could you spell it then. So he precedes to spell the word S-H-I and by this point I'm like wow I really didn't think that word was in the book and then he ends with N. S-H-I-N! So I say N? He says yes. So I again ask Shin? Yes. I say really Shin? He says "Yes mom, quit saying it." So I say shin, as in the front part of your leg, shin? He gets this funny look on his face and says OH! I ask him Drew, what did you think a shin was? He whispers and points to his crotch "I thought it was something in this area." The book said one of the characters was going around kicking people in the shin and he thought it was a private area. The boy is beyond adorable! There's never a dull moment in the Swan house. We're always laughing about something. Just tonight we were dramatically reading the Walgreens digital  marque and just cracking up. Taking turns seeing who could say "Coke 12 packs 4/$13" in the most dramatic voice. I'm very blessed to have such a wonderful family. And if my kids only remember one thing from their childhood I hope it's that we laughed a lot.

Working like Crazy

As I lay alone in bed for what feels like the thousandth time and miss my Dude, I can't help but think of other Church on the Move employee spouses who might be going through the same thing. It's that time of year that every employee of COTM gets very busy and works until all hours of the night. I think it's especially hard on us this year because last week Andrew was in California all week for a Barco training class. He got home saturday and the kids and I counted down the minutes until we could see him. But we had to wait a little bit longer after service that Saturday because his boss wanted to have a meeting or a pep talk if you will about Celebrate with Family. He wanted to pump everyone up before the hard work started this week. A "keep your eyes on the prize" sort of meeting. And like I said as I lay here without him hoping he gets to come home soon for some rest before tackling tomorrow's tasks I can't help but wonder if that's what I and maybe other wives need, a "keep your eyes on the prize" kinda blog! We must remember that even though we're not physically putting Celebrate with Family on, we are still an important part of the process. It's us being home taking care of the kids and house that frees our husbands up to work with out worry. It's us making sure that the time they do have at home is restful and peaceful. I know that Andrew finds comfort in knowing that everything at home is running smoothly when he can't be around. We must remember that the time they are missing from home now is going to help other families come to know Christ. Yes Celebrate with Family is a fun time for COTM family members but it's also an opportunity for us to bring in people that might not go to church any other time of the year. And when those people see what our husbands and all the other employees of COTM have worked so tirelessly and diligently on they might come to know Christ as we do, as a savior and father. Therefore this time spent apart now though as difficult as it might be is worth it in the end.

My favorite sound

They say that a smell can bring back memories but I also believe certain sounds can stir the same emotions. For me it's the sound of a spoon stirring coffee, then clanging on the side of the cup, and being laid back down on the counter. That simple sound brings me back to laying in bed in the fresh morning light just waking up. The house would still be dark and quiet but I knew that sound was my dad getting up. It was that sound that made me feel warm and safe again. I was always so terribly afraid of the dark but that sound made me realize I had made it through another night and I was safe because my dad was awake and just in the next room. 

Why I write

I enjoy writing and have since I was a teenager. Mostly I write poetry but occasionally I'll write a short story. Blogging is great because even though many people may not read it, it still makes me feel like I'm getting my stuff out there to share with the world. Ok my mom and a few friends but to me that is my world. Writing for me is very therapeutic. It allows me to vent my frustration and once I see it on paper it's as if I can let it go. It's not inside haunting me anymore. I can look at it and evaluate it to determine its worth. Usually once I say it out loud I can see how impractical those feelings are and can start to heal from it. If those feelings actually have merit than it gives me a way to confront them and I can start to plan a course of action. I also have learned to write as I think other people may be feeling. I enjoy this because it gives me a better perspective on what they may be thinking. The following poem is one a wrote a few weeks ago. It's something that I've been dealing with and have been scared to admit. But writing it down and admitting it has taken the fear away and as I said I have started to heal and move on. 


Depression?
Why can't anyone see how unhappy I am?
Why do they just assume I've gone mad again?
Don't mind her, she's just crazy. I mean have you seen who she was raised by? 
But what if it's more than that?
What if I was lied to?
I can't remember this being what I signed up for. 
I always thought there would be more. 
What I'm not quite sure, but more.
Still, I don't like being this girl.
So needy yet so independent.
Surrounded by loneliness.
They should never tell little girls fairytales it only leaves them empty as women. 

Cutest couple at Target

I went to Target today with Dude and in line in front of us was the cutest older couple. They were probably in their 70s, well at least the husband was, the wife might have been in her 60s. The gentleman had their grocery cart tipped over to where it was seating on the front of the buggy. He was testing out the back wheels, spinning them one at a time. First he would spin one side then the other. The wife was lightly slapping him on the arm saying "Floyd, what are you doing?" (I don't know if that was really what she was calling him but it makes a great little old man name) He continued to spin the wheels intently examining them and mumbling to himself. I think he was saying there was something wrong with them. It was very sweet how the little old lady was with him. She had a look on her face that said "Oh he does this sort of thing all the time" and she simply laughed his behavior off. As we were leaving the store we walked past them again and Floyd was explaining to the young kid, bringing in the carts, what was wrong with the one he had been using. I made eye contact with the wife and she had the warmest smile. I could see how happy she was not, embarrassed at all. It was probably just another wonderful day in their marriage and I feel privileged that I got to share it with them.

Pity party reservation for 1

I have been feeling sorry for myself lately. You know the usual, this isn't the way I thought my life would go. Or I'm not that pretty and no one really likes me. Very pathetic stuff I know.  But then this morning I realized I have toilet paper. Yes you read that right I said toilet paper. And for that matter I have running water, hot or cold. I can shower, use the bathroom (indoors!) and even make sure my dishes are clean. Now how can one feel sorry for themselves with all the conveniences we have in this world today. No matter what is going on in your life it seems to me there is always something you can wake up and be thankful for. Today for me it's toilet paper and the silly little mood it put me in. 
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