Prayer for Oklahoma

My heart goes out to those in Oklahoma who have been affected by the tornados that have wrecked havoc on the region. I know that many lives were lost and much property was damaged. I hope that you all know that we are all keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.  

May those that have been displaced find new homes and jobs to make the recovery easier. May the friends that have been lost be never forgotten.  May new friendships be built to help fill the voids left by those that were lost.  May you find comfort in the arms of someone who cares.  May you learn to love and support each other during this time of turmoil to help recover from this disaster, as those of us who care for you continue to surround you with love.  May you warm your heart, thoughts, and soul by once again finding your center.

Suddenly December

Last time I checked in here, things were heading toward change.  That time came and went and I'm finally settling into a new routine. I got myself, my son, and my stuff all moved into the new house. It's been a bit of a transition, but things have gone much more smoothly than I had anticipated that it would.

I have to admit, sometimes it still scares the crap out of me.  I know this is what I want to do and what I need to do, but that does not make it any less intimidating.  I've been hurt, but I'm learning to forgive and move on.  That is most definitely not my strong suite, but I'm trying.  Overall though, I'm so ecstatic to have my family back that I can't even begin to explain it.   I've made the decision (as if I weren't busy enough) that I'm going to go back to trying to blog a couple times a week.

New Beginnings

The last six months of my life have been a whirlwind to say the very least.  Because of that I've migrated a few of the posts form the past (maybe 10% of them?) and am going to be starting over with a brand new blog.  Today is as good a day as any to start over.  So what have I been up to you ask?  Well, let's make this photo intense.  Pictures speak louder than words right?......

 I was blonde for a while and made a costume for Pirate Festival!

I enjoyed some quality berry-picking time.  

We took a trip to the Wildlife Safari.

Went to a concert with my parents!

Visited Indian Caves.....

I spent some time in Kansas with my little sister...

I was a red-head again and went to Chicago for the first time!

We went to the Rainforest Cafe.  I've loved these places since I was a kid so it was awesome to get to share it with my son!

We blew things up for the 4th of July...

And then went to an Icon for Hire concert where we were able to meet and hangout with the band!

We played dress-up more than humanly necessary.

And Orion played photographer for geese and momma's legs

We got to go watch Bill Nye give a speech (which was AWESOME!). 

I tried to eat Sushi....and almost barfed (Ok, so I'm not totally grown up yet).

I rode a motorcycle!

Went to the pumpkin patch

And spent some quality time in nature.

I learned about hair chalking and probably did it more often than an adult should do.

And had a great Halloween dressed as a Pirate.



So as you can see, life has been full of adventures, and they just keep coming.  My birthday is just around the corner (I've got my eye on a few b-day tiaras!) and Thanksgiving will be here before I know it.  In other big news, I will be re-locating to the big city.  It's a pretty major change, but one that is necessary.  We have decided to try to get the family back together, and that means...well...getting the family back together.  It's a pretty big deal but I'm really excited (and nervous as hell).  Who knows what the future holds? 

People Watching

It always amazes me how much you can learn from people watching.  Sitting in a public place, just listening, people tend to forget you exist.  You hear their personal drama, woes, and misfortunes broadcast through one ended phone conversations and blasted through carrying voices.  Things are said in the company of strangers that most wouldn't share with anyone but their closest friends.  I realize that the "polite" thing to do is to tune them out, but you can't really be faulted for the things that you overhear.  It isn't as if I'm hiding in the bushes or sneaking around the corner.  Sitting in plain site or just walking down the street you can overhear things about strangers that you wouldn't care to know about family.

I've heard stories of secret love and romance, squishy words shared between a couple that is nauseatingly sweet.  I've listened as a woman shared her most recent bout of VERY "personal" problems with someone unknown on the phone.  I've heard admissions of secrets and woeful stories of regret.  I've caught whispered words shared within earshot of dozens of strangers.  I think part of it is as society we've become so self-involved that we don't always notice the people around us.  It's a world where it isn't uncommon to know the names of your neighbors, so why would a random stranger on the street be of any concern?  I admit that part of this project is counter-active to that self-indulgent side of society...being totally selfish in it's format.  On the other side though, I'm sharing myself and my story with the world.  Maybe that balances things out?  Who knows.

Spring Fever

Mondays are a time for new beginnings.  At least that's what I tell myself when 6am comes way too early and I have to crawl out of bed for another adventure in the working world.  Adult life is a vicious cycle sometimes, waking up early and hoping for the week to pass quickly so we can once again encounter the divine weekend...only to see our goal flash by way too quickly.  Lather, rinse, repeat. Part of me relishes that security and monotony.  The cyclical repetition makes things predictable and safe.  I appreciate that, especially during times where the rest of the world seems to be falling apart.  On the other hand, a small part of me misses the freedom of childhood.  I think I have spring fever desperately and want to escape for a little while.  I don't need any specific plans, but a brief moment where I can just relax would be spectacular. I find myself daydreaming of times when I could soak up the sun while lounging in a random body of water and hoping for that much needed escape.  I know the heat of summer will be here before I know it followed all too soon by the chill of fall.  It's a constant internal battle.  Part of me wants to jump forward, but the other part clings to the present hoping not to miss a second of it.  I guess that's the life of an adult.  Wanting to make it through everything in the right time frame...whatever that may be.  For now I'll just enjoy what I have while I've got it.  The weather is still cool and refreshing, Orion is a beacon of eternal joy, and life overall seems to be ok.  Tomorrow is another brand new day.  Who knows what it has waiting in the wings for me.  I'm looking forward and will meet the challenges head on.  

Valentine Rollercoaster

What a roller coaster of a day.  Orion woke up before the alarm clock this morning and the little dude was still sick.  We got up, got ready, and took him into town to spend the day with his daddy so I could go to work.  As I was leaving Seth's place, the front stairs of the apartment complex were...umm...well let's just say they were a little slippery.  I somehow managed to baseball slide down the entire flight.  Needless to say that hurt like a bitch! Of course there was an entire van full of people sitting there to see my graceful moves.  *sigh*

I picked myself up, brushed off my pride, and went to work...where of course I was now late! Luckily my boss is awesome and wasn't upset about it.   Work was ok, nothing terribly exciting.   However, today is Valentine's day...and for the first time ever I got flowers!  They are beautiful roses.  They smelled amazing and made the day seem a lot better off. I also got a carnation from Orion.  He was so proud.  I've always played off Valentine's day to be not a big deal...and really it isn't, but there is something that just makes you feel good to know that someone cares about you that much.  It also helps to be "that" girl with a dozen roses sitting at her desk.  It definitely helped to brighten my day a whole lot.   

After work I drove home and started cooking supper.  We got a phone call that Seth's grandpa is not doing well at all.  They said he is going downhill quickly so we may have to be making a trip out there sometime this week.   As I said, a roller coaster of a day. I'm in bed and just hoping to get some sleep once I get this all posted.  I hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's day.