New Every Morning...

What a week. First day of school was on Monday and the girls did great. Mama did great too. I spent literally two hours cleaning and organizing my LAUNDRY ROOM. Yeah, believe that. Trying to get a little organized for when the kiddos come home and drop their backpacks, lunchboxes, shoes, socks, folders and papers right there on the floor. We do not raise Type A children in this house. It sure would be nice if we had a touch of it, though.

Monday night Maggie came in my room with a headache. The next morning she had a fever, followed by a positive strep test, followed by a full week of bad sickness. I really felt for her...this is the kid who has been through so much over the past 6 months - strep followed by flu followed by bad tummy issues. Bless her heart. Bless my heart. Whew, it's been a doozy.

It's Saturday and she is still puny, though finally eating some and starting to bug her sisters - which as any mama knows is always a good sign. Praying, though, that she will continue to be positive and realize that the Lord's got her as we nurse her belly back to health. Yogurt, probiotics, reflux meds, staying calm. The phrase I kept repeating to her (and myself) this week was, "God's mercies are new every morning." It's amazing how simple your faith gets when you are going through some kind of suffering. I found myself clinging to short phrases of truth, repeating them like a mantra so that I would believe them both for myself and my little girl.

Another big deal this week is that our really fun, really crazy, really dear friend - the Kibbeys - are moving to Singapore (and yeah, you read that right). Last Sunday we had them over for Ian's barbeque, onion rings, potato salad and peach cobbler...followed by a mean game of Michael Jackson Wii. For those of you who are wondering, my hip is fine. It was a bittersweet time but as usual we had a blast.

Thankfully Mindy and I had a chance to visit yesterday and pray for a while. What a sweet friend. She is a total stud and if you're ever in Singapore you would be remiss not to look up this chick and get some time with her!

Here are some pics of sweet memories with this family:










BTW, they have a daughter that we LOVE named Chelsea, but she graduated from high school this year and was not there when we did these shindigs!

Blame it on the Boogie

I'm feeling my age. I know that sounds crazy because compared to other people, like old people, I'm not that old. But this June I turned 39 and for the first time my body is starting to feel different, though my mind refuses to follow.

Case in point: this Mother's Day I asked for one thing...The Michael Jackson Wii Experience. After all, isn't that what we all want in life? I played it a few times this spring, but it wasn't until a late night dance party with my sister and her husband that I really got the full effect of the MJ experience. I had caught the boogie bug in a bad way, so when I got back home the next week I decided to try it again...by myself...in my den...work it, own it, work it. It was fun, it was a workout, and I was awesome.

Until the next morning. I wasn't all that sore, like I thought I might be. Instead, I had this awful pain in my hip. I mean like pain that makes you limp, pain that makes you stretch all day, pain that reverberates all through your legs...then back...then neck. Ouch. I thought taking advil and stretching it out would help. It didn't. I thought wearing my tennis shoes instead of my trusty (i.e. only other pair of shoes I wear) flip flops would do the trick. It didn't. I thought sitting around and eating ice cream would help. It did...a little...but then it didn't.

What is happening to me? I am not bouncing back with the same spring I used to. I've spent quite a bit of time thinking through this over the past two weeks and it just doesn't make sense. You mean to tell me I can't "leave that 9-5 up on the shelf and just enjoy myself" like I used to? Annoying. Really annoying.

And I'm sure it can't be attributed to the fact that I NEVAH exercise and I'm carrying around 20 extra pounds, can it?

I've gotta pull myself together. Everyone says your metabolism slows down when you turn 40 and if that's so then my turtle trot pace will quickly become a snail. What can I do about this, you ask yourself? Two words... Bertha Kelley.

Prepare yourself...I am about to introduce you to a woman that defies all explanation...but I'll try anyway. This woman is on youtube and she makes a video or two almost every day...in her house...dancing...singing...with her karaoke machine...and the two fake deer on her coffee table.

It gets better.

Bertha Kelley lives in the house where my brother in law, Kelly, grew up. Kelly's pastor sent him this link when he found out about the sensation that is Mrs. Kelley. When I first saw it I couldn't contain myself and I watched it for about an hour straight. What an inspiration. I'll just let you be the judge:

Hot Stuff by Bertha Kelley

Yes, that is for real. Yes, that is her real hair. And yes, Kelly definitely had Christmas morning on that very same floor.

You're welcome.