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Today is my thirty-second birthday and I have to admit I am excited. At 5 am this morning, Todd kissed me goodbye and after that I couldn't go back to sleep. I laid in my nice warm bed thinking about what I had planned, and as simple as my day is going to be, I actually had butterflies in my stomach! This year, my age just doesn't seem to matter. I'm not sure if its because I've had 2 years to adjust to the big "3-0" or if I am just ready to embrace getting older. Whatever the reason, I feel good. My plans today consist of meeting my mom for lunch at Red Lobster, doing a little shopping and getting my HAIR done at a nice salon. The latter makes me most excited because it has been a year and a half since I've stepped into a salon that actually makes me feel a little glamorous. Usually, I visit the local "$10 Special" salon to get my split ends cut off. Today, I want to feel special. Today, I am splurging just a bit because after 3 pm my day of fun ends and my "mom" job takes over. So, for the next 5 1/2 hours, I celebrate my body getting older and hopefully my brain getting just a bit wiser.

Happy Birthday to me!

Fixing The Kitchen Sink

I love watching TLC's "Flip that House". I feel that I can somewhat live through the "flipper's" adventure as they go through the process of completely renovating a house. There are so many things that need to be done in and around our 50+ home. Its not a lack of motivation but rather money that has prevented my dream of fixing things up. With that said, I have found small projects that have given me a way to feel that some improvements have been made.

Three weeks ago, I came up with an idea to build shelves for a closet in the laundry room. We had bought a pantry, but it collected lots of stuff instead of food, so the shelves in the other closet would house the "stuff" and leave the pantry for what it was designed for. I always have good ideas when it comes to projects, however, my husband, Todd is the one that usually gets the job. Not because I couldn't necessarily do it, but because after bending his crow bar and other unmentionable tool dismemberments, he prefers to leave me to the ideas, not the work. So, after a trip to Home Depot and an hour of sawing and nailing, three wonderful shelves now sit in our closet.

The project that was even more needed, was the kitchen sink dilemma that we conquered this weekend. Not only did our faucet drip, but the pipes underneath literally poured water at times. I had to fasten a plastic bag so that it would collect the water and after showing my mom my temporary "tape job" on the pipes, I realized the need was immediate. Especially after I squeezed one of the pipes and I felt a "crunch".

We decided we would replace the old faucet and all the pipes except the one leading into the crawl space. That one would require more skill than Todd was capable of at that time. It was a big project, but there is a beautiful faucet and plastic pipes now where most of the leaking used to take place. As for the pipe that couldn't be replaced, it was resealed with plumbers putty and duct tape. Yes, that was my handy work. :)

All this fixing and replacing got me to think how in our own lives we "fix" things. There are relationships that I have or have had that have taken so much effort and pain to keep up that in a way I have treated them like those taped pipes. I have tried to mend holes that have occured over distance or time. Meanwhile, underneath the duct tape and putty there is a rusting pipe that just needs to be taken out. I know people are not expendable, but at the same time, there sometimes is a natural break in relationships that we need to recognize and let go of. I realize that this can seem too simple and maybe viewed as giving up, but I have experienced friendships that just don't seem to work anymore. Either because one side does not make an effort or maybe our lives are just too different now. I try to force things to stay the same, but the reality is that some friendships are only meant for certain moments in our lives and trying to keep something functional when its purpose no longer exists just creates hurt and frustration.

I am so thankful for the friendships I do have that have lasted over the years. Some of those friends live far away, yet the distance doesn't seem to matter. Some of them even live within a short distance, and even though we can not get together like we would like, both sides know our care for each other will not fade. The best friendships can be weighed on those things. I know I may still have moments of struggle when I feel the end of a friendship, but in those moments I hope that the reassurance of those lasting friends will help me to let go.

Its a new day

This time of year, everyone is busy making their new years resolutions. They are signing up for gym memberships, new diets and doing an inventory of their lives. Even though its just a change in numbers, the new year seems to allow people to mentally put the previous year behind and begin again. It all sounds really wonderful, except, that things aren't always so easy to move past. Some people are faced with the wreckage of 2007 and can't just "start fresh". I have friends who are dealing with impending divorces, addictions, bankruptcy and a sense of failure that doesn't just disappear with the drop of the ball.

I have come to be inspired by a new band, the Robbie Seay band. One song in particular has really struck me lately. The title is "New Day". The song expresses what so many need to hear.

I'm gonna sing this song
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you're like me
You need hope, coffee, and melody
So sit back down
Let the world keep spinning round
For yesterday's gone and today is waiting on you to show your face

It might not be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
But it's a new day, oh baby it's a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it's a new day, oh baby, it's a new day


I love the message because it tells the truth that most of us face. A new year doesn't always bring roses and sunshine. It might mean you are faced with the after math of a storm. It might mean that you are fighting with every ounce not take a drink. It might mean your marriage may not make it another day. The point is not to discourage, but rather to look at your life objectively and honestly and realize that even though those things are weighing you down, its still a new day each and every morning. You can choose to live in the pain and past or choose to let go however slowly of yesterday and look the new day in the face with courage.

One thing I have learned over all the years Todd and I have been together, is that the issues of today will not matter tomorrow. We have faced pain and rejection. We have faced tough financial times, not knowing how we were going to pay last month's mortgage payment. But God has also seen us through those times. We have never been alone, and though they were not easy or pain-free, they were only temporary. I know that had we been facing those things alone, we would have never become the people we are today. We are still facing storms, but our faith and love for God has only intensified.

And a new day came eventually.

Oh for the love of snow!

Our son, Caleb had told us that he needed a snow board BEFORE Christmas because the snow goes away after that. I told him reassuringly that there would be lots of snow after Christmas, but unfortunately my words were put to the test when Christmas came and there were only sprinkles on the ground. Fortunately, God heard his prayer and the snow has once again pounded down on us. Here are a few pictures I took of what we have so far. Caleb was too busy playing in it so, I had to take Hannah out for pictures instead.