Revisions

Sometimes in crafting (and in life!) you have to scrap the original plan and go with something else.

~Man, there is so much truth in that statement.~

You may remember that I ambitiously started a paper rose wreath eons ago... {http://lifeuncontainable.blogspot.com/2011/04/hot-glue-and-paper.html}. Well, more than two years later, the wreath sat unfinished in my closet until I packed it up and moved it to our new place.

That's when inspiration struck.

I realized I was ne-e-e-e-ever going to finish a wreath full of tedious paper roses without dying of boredom. Plus, there was these three menacing burlap sacks I picked up at a flea market in February and had yet to do anything with them. So, I decided that burlap would cover the wreath much more quickly and I could repurpose the roses.

I covered the wreath with burlap poufs and moved the roses to a "W". Fifty-eleven hot glue sticks later...

Ta-da!

Swamped

I just need a hug

And a live-in-chef-nanny-housekeeper-personal assistant.

Or an "Oprah vacation", the kind where they pack your bags, take care of your obligations, whisk you off to someplace relaxing and foot the bill.

Or family nearby.

Or just a hug.

Yesterday, at the bank, the teller who is a perfect stranger looked at me and said, "You look stressed." Holy cow?!? Is it that obvious? I mean, it's not without merit. 

We're moving, which is a long tale in and of itself. Long story short, it wasn't our plan, but it is apparently in God's plan, so I'm down with doing that. It's not easy. It means downsizing a lot for a little while. That's the cost of my one non-negotiable, which is that my kids stay in the same schools. I am going through the counter-culture process of getting rid of "stuff". Even some of that work has been, not just time-consuming, but hard as I come to terms with why I keep things. Who knew going through my belongings would cause me to address things like guilt, security and wastefulness? In the end, it's just things and I have some faith that a lighter load will be healthy for me. (I'm reading 7: A Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. It's really helping me keep this change in perspective.) Since everyone is asking, moving day(s) are July 21-31. We have a big overlap, which will either make it more chaotic or more manageable in bite size chunks. I'll let you know.

My kids are home for the summer and we are full force with their activities-all planned pre-move-awareness. Justus has enjoyed Strength Camp and is looking forward to church camp next week. He kicked off the summer with Musical Theatre camp and will conclude it with Football camp. Lexi is performing in Willy Wonka with Queen Theatre. She's working hard at three nights/two weekend rehearsals each week and Tech Week starts next week (eek!) She kicked off her summer with Musical Theatre camp, followed by VBS. We've had a fun summer! Needless to say, my Mazda has seen a few miles since school has been out.

Jeremy and I are both working from home, which anyone who has ever done it knows the perks and pitfalls of that! Correction: he designs patios at home and spends a lot of time in appointments and overseeing installations. He's been working jobs from Sugar Land/Richmond/Rosenberg to Cypress. His truck has seen a few miles, too.

I'm excited that one of my very best friends just got engaged this past weekend! Her wedding is fast approaching in November and I'm helping her plan it. If you know me, this event-planning thing is right up my alley. I love it! We're playing catch-up to get where we need to be for a wedding four and a half months from now. So that is busy-busy-busy.

Our small group has grown so large! It's thirteen families, which is sixty-four people. Whoa. We made the supremely difficult, but exciting decision to multiply into two groups. I'm excited to see what God will do as we create a little margin in our groups. I hope to grow deeper in our relationships with each other. I hope to continue to have room to add new families. I hope to be preparing the next set of leaders for the time when we've outgrown our homes again. Change always brings out all kinds of feelings. I'm  working on planning a special last time together in August before we multiply into two groups.

I'm sure there is bunch of normal life going on, too. I guess I'm feeling kind of numb to it all. That's what happens during stressful seasons. I put my head down and try to get after it. I guess this is a bit of an attempt to re-connect with people. I miss people. It will be good when July is over.

Failure and Growth

Without divulging all the ways I got irritated with myself for not meeting my own expectations, I wanted to share the conclusion I came to tonight.

One last thought that encourages me... 

"Everything is figure-outable" ~Marie Forleo's mom

Swinging for Curveballs

May has thrown some real curveballs. In a lot of ways I'm feeling like I've been pegged by every. single. one. It is beyond frustrating!

My natural inclination is to become cynical.

Fortunately, God knows me better than I know me. He keeps putting little reminders at just the right moments in my days to show me that He has a plan. Even in the chaos! He's using conversations and texts and messages from friends to keep me from diving head first into Cynical World.

I'm pushing forward.

I'm keeping my chin up. (ok... trying!)

I'm looking for that next right step.

I'll be grateful for the good.

And maybe even the annoying, bad and frustrating, too.

(Thankfulness is a pretty effective attitude adjuster.)

For those who have tossed me a "life raft" in the form of a gentle reminder or check-in, thanks!

______________________

Side note: We just finished Annie with Justus which features the song, Tomorrow. And we're gearing up for Willy Wonka with Think Positive. Maybe I need to pay attention. :)

Five years from today...

This morning, I found myself thinking about what my life might look like five years from now.

Source Dan Zadra. Looks interesting!

Frankly, my five year plan needs some serious fleshing out. The details are not clear. Maybe writing them will help. So here goes:

I see Justus, taller than me, as a high school Junior. He's playing football and thinking about college. He's still serving with his buddies at church, but their horizons have grown. And as long as I'm dreaming, he still wants to tell me all about his day.
Lexi is a fifth grader. She's a great student with a love for the stage. She has lots of friends and a full social calendar. I picture the children's ministers giving her opportunities to lead, as they have done so well with her big brother. We enjoy special mom/daughter times often.
Jeremy is rocking his job. We're still having a blast dating. We're showing hospitality and traveling more together. He hasn't quite mastered the art of a clean garage, yet, but the motorcycle is back in one piece. (Just teasin'.)
My career has taken off. I get to set my own schedule and work from virtually anywhere doing what I love and making a difference for many, many ministries around the world.
We're still in Sugar Land, enjoying the friendships we've built over many years. And (bonus, cause it's my dream!) some family members have taken up residence nearby. Yay!

Yes, that is a bit more clear now. I'm actually feeling a little reserved about hitting "Publish" on this one. But I think the conclusion is worth the risk of sharing. The point is this. I came to the conclusion that today needed to be filled with choices that my five-years-from-now-self would appreciate!

Every day, in every moment, you get to exercise choices that will determine whether or not you will become a great person, living a great life. Greatness is not something predetermined, predestined or carved into your fate by forces beyond your control. Greatness is always in the moment of the decision.” – Jeff Olson, Author The Slight Edge

10 Life Lessons I've Learned from Running and Boxing

1. The hardest part is getting started.

2. If you do, you'll be glad you did.

3. When you throw a punch, the power comes from your waist/hips more than your arms.  Know the source of your power to hang on... to accomplish any good... to overcome... (2 Cor 4:7-9)

4. You probably need less gear than you think. 

5. Keep your eyes on your own bag.

6. Somewhere along the way, you might reach a runner's high. Savor it. Enjoy it. Take advantage of the feeling that you can run forever.

7. Accountability will keep you in the game on the days you want to quit.

8. It is consistency that results in noticeable changes. You probably won't see them today or tomorrow, but they do accumulate into BIG changes over time.

9. Rest is necessary for peak performance.

10. Keep going. You can do more than you think you can.

So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.

(1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT)

This One Goes Out to the Real Girls

I just got home from a fun dinner with some of my girlfriends. I had a blast, but I've got something to say...

Love You to the Moon and Back

I woke up Valentine's morning and had a leisurely morning of work (if that's actually a thing!) at the Christiana's bay house on Tiki Island. Seriously, I think that place is magical. I can get so much done there.

An Instagram Journal of the February Freezer Experiment

I have a dream that one day that healthy dinners will cook themselves, set the table and light a candle.

Until then, I'll keep trying ways to make dinnertime for our family easier! Making decisions when I'm hungry is not my strong suit, so I usually plan ahead. In January and February, we planned WAY ahead and prepped 20+ dinners at one time each month. I was inspired by a Dump Chicken pin I saw on Pinterest. So last month, we made four batches of five different recipes. Most of the meals were good, but even I was groaning about having that again by the fourth time. Williams like variety!

true friends > Hard Times

Grateful for...