Tutus & Tornadoes

Yesterday was spent doing some common & uncommon things around here.  Last night about 11 P.M. the tornado sirens went off in Brownsville.  It's pretty typical this time of year for that to happen at least 1-2 times a month.  So we waited until the last possible minute (hail & high speed winds had really kicked in) to drag the boys out of bed & hang out in the hallway.  It's always great fun (ha-ha), but last night really wasn't too bad.  The boys slept for the most part & we only had to stay in the hallway about 15 minutes.  I've been reminded that this will NOT be a common occurrence in Seattle. :-)

But before that I had some alone time (thanks Kelly!) to start (yes, really start) packing.  Since our house has to be show ready all the time, everything got thrown into the attic.  Granted it wasn't that great before, but now it looks like a tornado went through it (ha!-couldn't resist).  So I spent a couple of hours going through boxes and trying to decide what would make the move.

Items (so far) that made the cut:

1. rainbow colored "magic" tutu from my first ballet recital
2. 1 Christmas wreath
3. "The Bear's Picnic" book with cassette tape
4. more fall decorations than I'd like to mention

Items that have NOT made the cut:

1. 6 pairs of dance tights & 2 other bags of dance costumes
2. 4 other Christmas wreaths
3. long Rubbermaid box filled with Christmas wrapping paper, ribbon, etc.
4. more Christmas decorations than I'd like to mention

After all that time up there, I'm left with this thought:  WHY DO WE HAVE SO MUCH STUFF?!?  Jason has asked this question many times, but we won't go there.  Part of me hates to let go of the past.  Part of me has bought into the American dream of "more stuff=happiness."  Another part of me is a, ahem, hoarder.  The last part of me is just lazy.  It's easier to store it away than to deal with it.

This is where the tutu meets the tornado.  Aren't we all just one tornado/fire/earthquake/flood/alien invasion away from losing it all anyway?  I should be rejoicing at the chance to thin the herd & give/sell my stuff to people who could really use it.  After all,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth , where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19



Our attic-yes, it's really as bad as it looks



Thankfully my 2nd grade teacher wasn't here to enforce the correct tornado position



Even in Australia

One of the reasons I started blogging was because of my friend Janna (http://mcgregorsrus.blogspot.com/).  She lost one of her twin boys last fall/winter & used blogging to help her through that terrible time in her life.  I'm not comparing moving to the death of a child, but I knew that if it helped her process her emotions during that time, that it could help me, too.

I have to be honest.  As I read through Janna's thoughts last fall, I kept thinking "Whew!  I'm glad that's not me."  Realizing everything she was going through made me hug my boys a little tighter & pray a little longer, but I still was just thankful that something like that wasn't happening to me.

Maybe that's how you feel about our move.  "Whew!  I'm glad that's not me."  I'm glad it's not you, too.  I know I'm allowed to feel frustrated, tired, grumpy, moody, anxious, etc., etc., but I don't like being here.  All I can think about is sleep & chocolate (or eating chocolate in bed).  The compilation of all the projects, packing, sorting, etc. is just overwhelming.  I'm not writing this to invite a pity party on my behalf of myself, but just to be honest with you (and me) through this process.

So if you're having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day", just remember that "some days are like that, even in Australia."  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p09_ULvFBlA).

(Thanks Ang & Sarah & Krista for reminding me that it's all going to be o.k.)

Choices

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  Ministers (& their families) don't always like to go to church.  Upon signing up to be a minister's wife almost 11 years ago, this was a small fact I somehow had missed.  I realized shortly into our marriage that I was going to have to get to go church every time the doors were open.  Growing up, our family was a mostly "Sunday morning" only family.  Not until I was I a teenager did I start going on Sunday nights.  And not until I was out of college did I start going regularly on Wednesday nights.  But not ALL the time, mind you.  On those pretty days I could still go on a picnic.  On rainy days I could still sleep in.  But whether or not it's actually in the church by-laws, it's one of those unwritten rules.  "Ministers shall always be at church with smiles on & pleasant attitudes in tow."

For me, today was one of those days.  At about 7 A.M., I realized that the "Prayer Walk" at church (that I had signed up to participate in) interferred with a 5K (that I had been looking forward to for about a month).  Decisions, decisions....  Minister's wife=at church when the doors are open.  Despite Jason, telling me I really did have a choice, I felt I had no choice.  So I had to tell one of my BFFs that she would have to run the race alone & tell my God that I was mad at Him & I didn't want to go to this stupid prayer walk (shocking, I know)!

Guess what?!  Despite the fact that I remained mad & grumpy for about the first 30 minutes of the event (sorry Jason, mom, Patsy, Leslie, Polly & anybody else that tried to talk to me), I had a great time.  I got to spend some time with 2 church members that aren't in my circle of friends & I got to pray for a few dozen families in my community.  We invited some to church & didn't get egg thrown at us by a guy that clearly thinks that the wind blows on its own.

So for me, I guess it's a good thing I "get" to go church every time the doors open.  I know that (most of the time) I'm glad I do.  Here's a little challenge for you this Easter season:  pretend you're a minister.  Pretend you HAVE to be at church for every service, meeting, etc.  I just bet that God will bless you, too.

Brownsville Baptist Church

To Market, To Market...

Anybody want to buy a house? :-)

The realtor came today to discuss plans for putting the house on the market.  I realize too late that I chose the wrong career.  Six percent!  Really?!  I'm sure it's really not as much money as I think, but six percent?!

We spent the better part of last night & this morning cleaning like crazy.  And I have to say (thanks to Ashley for keeping the boys!), that the house looked fabulous.  I don't want to mention how many piles were stuck places, but it looked great!  Exhausting, but great.

The realtor suggested we paint the kitchen (big shocker!) and a couple of other odds & ends.  So now we are wrestling with whether to sell the house with him or sell it ourselves.  I'd love comments/suggestions for either side.  And no, we're not considering renting it out if it doesn't sell.  Did I mention we bought this house right before the bubble burst?! (Audible sigh).  But at least we will only be losing thousands, not tens of or hundreds of like so many others have.  And that is something to end this day thankful for.

p.s. Just wanted to brag on my husband a little & show you before & after pictures.  He did have some help, but did the majority of it he did by himself. (And yes, there is carpet on the floor & wallpaper on the ceiling in the "before" pic)


Main bathroom (before)



Main bathroom (after)



Irises

I had a rare treat today.  I got to work in my flower beds 3 different times.  Gardening is soooo therapeutic!!  I mostly have irises with just a few lilies.  I'm not a pro by any means, but I do come from a long line of blue ribbon, award winning iris growers.  I cannot see an iris without thinking about my mother & grandmothers.

I really related today to my irises that I was working in.  Irises are basically impossible to kill & can grow anywhere.  They can be uprooted and replanted just about anywhere.  Within a couple of years they will have bloomed just as beautiful as before.  They also multiply like crazy.  Occasionally, you have to dig them up, pull them apart from the other irises around them, trim off their feet (extra bulb that they don't need anymore) & replant them all alone away from the other irises.

You see where I'm going with this, right? :-)  I am God's iris.  At this point in my growth, He knows that I needed to be uprooted, pruned & set apart in order to keep blooming.  (Audible sigh)  And even though I don't really like any of that process, I know that God always has my best in mind.

(Side note:  Jason is reading his letter of resignation to our church tomorrow.  No more secrets.  Posting this blog to FB.  Ahhh!)



My iris garden in full bloom



"Buisson de Roses"

Chick-fil-A

When I signed up to follow Christ (and my husband), of course I thought that I would be willing to give up anything.  But, I never thought I'd have to give up my beloved Chick-fil-A!!!

I recognize that I have a slightly unhealthy love for this restaurant, but REALLY, have you eaten there lately?!?  What's not to ♥(unless of course, you have a peanut allergy;right Melinda?)?!?  It is the cleanest, friendliest, yummiest restaurant on the planet.

So, what am I going to do in Seattle without Chick-fil-A?!?

1. Write the corporate office & demand kindly ask that they build a Chick-fil-A in Seattle A.S.A.P.!
2. Make several road trips a year to the following location (http://www.chick-fil-a.com/westernwashington).  My new Martha Lake Church girls have already promised that they would go with me!
3. Eat there as much as possible between now & our move.
4. Learn to love new restaurants.
5. Find my satisfaction more in the Bread of Life than the #1 combo (John 6:35).