The BIG red Tupperware bowl

It is Sunday.  I should be at church.  It would be about ending.  I miss it.  When I happen to not be there I get almost anxious about things.  I know where I belong.  I feel it when I am there, and I feel it when I am not there.  We had an interesting night at our house last night.  Those kinds of nights when you look back and things were just annoying, and if I had patience it might have turned out differently.  I had a great day yesterday.  I would almost say perfect.  I slept in, then made waffles for breakfast.  Maybe we should call it lunch-or at least brunch.  I think it was 10:30 when we ate.  Got ready for the day....you know normal stuff.  Awhile ago I found this cute little shop locally.  A group of women enjoy refurnishing things and being crafty then selling them.  They all work in the store selling these various items.  Tee Tree I think it is called.  Everything is super cute and pretty inexpensive.  I can't wait until I get in a different house and I am able to shop for bigger pieces of furniture.   Izzy and I checked out the store, then headed over to Bath & Body Works for some of our favorite soap.  Once we got home Kris and I had the chance to go out on a late lunch/dinner date.  Love time with my husband.  We sure have not have enough time together lately.  We are making what time we do have together.   I completely enjoyed every bite of everything I had.  My chicken was perfect.  Every single bite I took was Heaven in my mouth.  It was just one of those days that couldn't have gotten better.  I loved it.  We even ended up having ice cream at Cold Stones.  YUM.  Once we got home I was so out of it.  I get tired so easy.  I thought about taking a nap but it was already 6 and I knew if I got in bed I would not be able to sleep that night.  I tried just sitting in the chair in the living room reading-thinking if I could hold out to 7:30 or 8 it would be perfect.  I had Alex crawling all over me.  I lost my patience with his sharp elbows and ended up in bed.  Not good.  I think I slept til 10:30 maybe 11.  Way too long.  I tried to go back to sleep but Kris was up, then Elaine got up and said she wasn't feeling well.  Evan even came into to cuddle.  Once everyone found there place back in bed I was up and wired so I read.  I finished my book at 4:30.  UGH.  It was a good book.  Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas Sparks.  Getting up at 6 was something I planned to do.  With Elaine sick Kris or I needed to stay home.  I quickly volunteered.  So tired.  I went back to sleep, woke up in time to call and find a sub.  Went back to sleep.  Woke up again realized I still hear everyone in the house.    No one went to church.  If I had just asked Kris how he was feeling, I would have gotten up and let him sleep.  He was sick too.  What a guy.  Got up because I was tired, and he was sick.  Just so you know sick parent trumps tired parent.  Sick parent gets to sleep.  If you ask him he might say something on the lines of feeling like I didn't give him much choice. He should have been the one in bed, and then I would have taken the none sick kids to church.  Giving Elaine and Kris some quite.  Our house is loud.  I think part of my amazing day yesterday was not doing the dishes.  I got the well kids moving and generally picking up things in the house.  I started the dishes-the massive pile of dishes.  I have only ever been to one Tupperware party.  I think I even hosted it.  The stuff is expensive.  I have this pasta salad recipe that needs a huge bowl.  I broke down and got the biggest Tupperware bowl I could get.  I think it holds 32 cups.  HUGE bowl.  Mine is red.  I love the color red.  As I was washing my bowl I was thinking about how much I loved my bowl.  Ever have this imagine in your head-it is like the TV thing where they make things sparkle and everything seems brighter.  My bowl is like that.  I think of it all shiny and red and BIG.  All the thing that I can use it for. The massive amounts of watermelon, pasta salad, regular salad, fruit, chips, etc...that I can put in the bowl.  I really love this bowl.  As I am washing it I am just happy having it.  Weird I know.  But I think there are lots of women out there who get it.  I am paying close attention to getting my bowl clean.  I notice that it doesn't seem as bright as it once did.  It has scratches all over.  A gouge or two.  Clearly it is not a new bowl.  I felt kind of sad that it wasn't as great as it once was.  Then I realized how happy it still made me washing it.  Having it.  Being able to use it. How big it is.  Maybe it is because it is Sunday and maybe not.  I started relating this bowl to me.  How imperfect I am.  My scratches-I have plenty of scars.  Gouges-just take a look at my right calf-it has a huge gouge in it.  Not as bright as it used to be-I am a pale girl and feel like my skin as loosing it shine (I need a good moisturizer).   I still love my bowl.  It serves this great purpose.  New or not I really really still love it.  I think I love it even more because it has served me well.  There are people out there and here who I know love me.  Despite my scratches, gouges or personality flaws.  I know that I am loved.  Then I somehow related my love for this bowl to love that God has for each of us. No matter the scratches or flaws that we have he loves us.   We are so loved.  

I am back!

Two weeks ago I gave a talk in church about Journal keeping.  This is the second time I have given a talk about this subject.  I think just maybe I will actually apply the things that I learned this time around.  Keeping a journal...in any form is better than not keeping one at all.  I am using my blog as my journal.  There are times that it might not be as in-depth with my feelings as what I would write in an actual paper journal that I thought no one would ever see but this will do.  I will apologize now.  I am not great with grammar or spelling.  Please don't point it out.  I know it, I recognize it and if I continue to care a ton about it I will never write things down. I have gotten past it you can too.

When ever I see a blog that is not being updated.  I always wonder what happened?  Why is this person no longer writing for us see?  I love reading what other people have to say.  The last blog I posted was about Christmas of 2011.  Every time I think of writing again I can't make up my mind if I should start where I left on catch up?  That would talk forever.  Or maybe I should start from here, today?  Maybe through out things I will touch on things that have happened or memories that I have.  That seems to just be the easiest.  There were so many things that happened over the non-blogging days....Christmas', Elaine turning 11, 12 &13 (I have a teenager), moving to Omaha, NE (best city ever), Izzy turning 7,8 & 9, Alex turning 1 & 2, Evan turning 4 & 5, Drew turning 10 & 11.  Many many holidays-which were wonderful, many many visits from family heading to Wisconsin from CA, my parents getting a divorce-which is weird, happened a while ago and it is still weird.  Even as an adult weird weird weird. We loved Omaha, we had many kitchen dance parties while cooking dinner, loved the zoo and the many other things Omaha had to offer.  We made some amazing friends and can't wait to see them again. That sums up some of the past few years...the latest thing that has happened is that we have moved.  Yes again!!!  Morganton, NC.  Small town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The town is cute, the area is BEAUTIFUL!  People are nice, southern.  We have felt very welcomed and I am sure will grow to love it.  I don't know that we will ever love it as much as Omaha, but hopefully we will grow to love it almost as much.

Here is the most updated picture I have of our family taken on Easter Sunday.  I think we took 5 or 6 and this is the least blurry.  Everyone is standing still-always a plus.