Unfair

All weekend Jackson and I received photos from Gracie, Kathi and Susie of their California spring break. Meanwhile we were here at home with me prepping Kathi and Susie's tax returns, Jackson and I listing and selling Susie's old appliances on Craigslist, and Jackson mowing Susie's lawn in her absence.

If anyone ever tells you that life is fair, they're lying.

;)

Words with Friends

My Mom (with her new iPad) introduced us to Words with Friends. She really shouldn't have. Really. Above is a screenshot of one of the games between my Mom and Jackson. He was able to use two questionable words in two turns. I was so embarrassed. Additionally he has become so obsessed that he has been skipping doing chores around the house to play.

This is not good.

I have been beating both my Mom and Jackson in all of our games, but Meg Lewis and Christina Caudell have beat my butt. Grumble. I hate losing.

Sir Alex update

Alex is truly his Mother's son--watching t.v. with his fingers in his mouth. I thought this was such a cute photo. He pulled his little chair from his bedroom so that he could watch his movie.
He has also started potty training with this weird duck toilet. It quacks when you pee in it. I think it is the creepest thing ever, but Kylie seemingly likes it.
Little man was a bit confused at to what the duck toilet was for and used it the same way he did his "recliner." Hilarious.
Alex also had an unfortunate incident with Peter- the family dog. Alex climbed on Peter when he was sleeping, Peter was startled and bit Alex on his face. Poor baby. Animal bites don't get stitches so he is just starting to scab now. Peter will be moving to Kylie's mother-in-law's home now. Here's hoping Alex feels better for his big 2nd birthday party this weekend!

Awesome teachers

My friend Kortnee is a teacher in Jacksonville, FL. I must admit that watching what she posts on Facebook makes me want to be back in school again. She's awesome. She is able to work sports into her lessons. I told her today that her students will forever remember how awesome she was. She accused me of only saying that because she's now rooting for IU. (She needs to get off the cynical bus. I really just like her approach.)

While I like to blow my teacher friends a lot of junk about breaks, summers off, etc. I do recall how important teachers were in shaping who I am today. If it were not for Mrs. Miller (1st grade) I wouldn't love to read. If it were not for Mrs. Reed (2nd grade) I wouldn't know that I should always stand up for myself. She was so proud of me for taking on the class bully! If it were not for Mrs. Cook (6th grade) I wouldn't strive to always be grammatically correct. If it weren't for Mr. Kerlin (9th grade) I wouldn't know that green beans don't grow on trees and to always show my work when solving math problems. Granted, the latter has served me a little more in my adult life, but it is still good to know about the beans. If it weren't for Mr. Drook (10th grade) I wouldn't know much about American history and how important it is to vote in each election. The list could go on and on. Teachers don't get enough respect and I'm sorry for that. I'm going to change my tune on this subject--even if I do wish I got a summer break.

Happy birthday, Patty!

MacKenzie would like to wish one of our only loyal blog readers, Ms. Patty Kay, a very happy birthday tomorrow- St. Patrick's Day! MacKenzie's mother is jealous that with each passing year Patty only gets more beautiful. :) We all hope you have a great birthday, Patty!

Favorites

I have a new favorite quote that I've added to my growing list so I decided to list them all- my new favorite is in bold. I think they must say a lot about who I am and what I struggle with because they all seem to have an overwhelming theme.

"Be careful what you value most! You've never seen a u-haul attached to a hearse. You can't take it with you!"~ Rev Run

"Correction and encouragement given without love will not correct or encourage." ~Rev Run

"If we could all hear one another's prayers, God might be relieved of some of his burden. Help somebody today." ~Rev Run

"Tough times are only there so you can have a good time later.. AND APPRECIATE IT!" ~Rev Run

"Never let several days attack you at once. When tomorrow gets here you'll be able to sort things out as you always have." ~Rev. Run

"Don't become so consumed while making a living that you forget to make a life. Work hard. Play harder. "~Rev Run

(I get daily emails from Rev Run. He's awesome.)

"God doesn't always give us what we want; He gives us what we would want if we knew everything He knows."

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." ~Ephesians 4:32

"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who CRAVES MORE that is poor."-Seneca

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you." -Saint Augustine

"Too often a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner." ~ Warren Buffett"

Whoever I am, or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach." ~ John W. Gardner

"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self."~Joan Didion

"The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have." ~ Norman Vincent Peale, author and minister

Days off love me

I often tell Jackson that, "I love days off and days off love me!" It is so true. I get so much vacation time at work that I decided to take a few days to just "be." It was great. Tuesday I took MacKenzie to the groomer, went to a doctor's appointment, went to my personal trainer, met my Mom for lunch and pedicures, took a nap and then went out to dinner downtown and to a Pacers game with Jackson. Whew! It was awesome. I did almost nothing around the house and just soaked in finally having a day off since my weekends have been filled with tax prep recently.

Jackson took the day off Wednesday to hang out with me. He made me whole-grain pancakes with fresh blueberries. YUM! He's an amazing cook. I went to personal training and he installed the new sink in the powder room. We also- FINALLY- got our in-the-door ice and water dispenser repaired. $175 later and Jackson never has to hear me nag him (about that at least) again. Cha-ching. We had our counters measured for granite- WOO HOO- and will have it installed on March 28th. I'm AMPED. We went to lunch together before I went to some client meetings for a few hours and Jackson picked out our granite slabs. We met up again and had dinner at the Porterfield's house. Heidi made a delicious dinner and it is always good to see our dear friends. Jax is at such a fun age, but he is busy!! I don't know how pregnant Heidi keeps up!

Today it was back to reality and I was SLAMMED at work. I felt like I did not get to breathe once until around 4. Whew. It was kind of nice to be so busy because the day went quickly. I kept having to remind myself that it was not Monday- ha! It was such a wonderful feeling to know it was Thursday already. I could take every Tuesday and Wednesday off. :)

Today began one of my very favorite times of the year: MARCH MADNESS! I'm in a league at Jackson's office and I hope to win, of course. I love the madness! Love it! Love it!

Funny texts

This morning I stumbled upon a few photos of my nephew Alex on my computer (and all over my office, but who is counting?) which made me miss him being a real baby- though he will always be a baby in my mind.

I texted my sister and she texted back- the conversation made me laugh. It went as follows:

Me: I'm excited to see the "baby" in a couple of weeks. Will you please have another?

Kylie: No.

Me: I said please! ;)

Kylie: No, thank you.

Me: (dying laughing) HAHA Ok. Have a good day. :)

I must have laughed for 3 minutes at her response to my please with a "no, thank you"

Hilarious. Happy Monday! :)

Chasing happiness

The following message hit my inbox this morning:

Good morning.
"Seeking money or power for the sake of the ego is chasing the illusion of happiness instead of enjoying happiness in the moment." -Deepak Chopra
God is Love
Rev Run

Through my recent transition to a bit of a yogi (OK, I'm a work in progress that need a lot of work before I can be called a yogi, but I'm trying and that's all that matters) and listening to some books that discuss Buddhist principles (the Tiger Woods and Steve Jobs books) I've found myself more in the moment. I'm still a planner, of course, as I am a tax accountant and without planning I'd be professionally worthless. Personally, though, I can find happiness in a great cup of coffee, an intriguing read, an invigorating workout, a laugh with Jackson, a ballgame with MacKenzie and an instance where I really "see" God at work wherever that may be. I used to be so caught up in what was next that I think I missed the here and now. While I'm a firm Christian and won't be moving over to Buddhism, I do believe that some of the religion's teachings (not being materialistic for one- ouch a tough one for me!) are worth heeding and applying to our lives and walk with Christ.

I was always very skeptical of "slowing down" professionally like I have by leaving public accounting and even more skeptical of "listening to my breath" like we do in yoga but both have proven to be great things for me. I'm so thankful for new lifestyle. I actually have time to read, think, exercise, grow in many ways and spend time with my friends and family. I feel so lucky! While I harbor great sadness at the recent loss of my Grams, I feel better, more youthful, more thankful and closer to the Lord than I've ever been and that is a great feeling.

Help the homeless

I have such a soft spot in my heart for the homeless and for dogs. Call it a weird combination. It is mine. I have a cousin living in Seattle who posted the most beautiful story today about a homeless man named Tim. You can read about Tim's story here: http://www.myballard.com/2011/12/23/newly-homeless-man-helps-keep-ballard-clean/

Tim went on to thank the people of the city for their support here:
http://www.myballard.com/2011/12/29/a-thank-you-note-to-ballard/

The whole story just warms my heart. My cousin posted that she saw Tim and gave him $10. I cried. I couldn't help it. It was just so beautiful.

I'm asked a lot if I enjoy no longer "having to go downtown" for work. I do love being back on campus. I do miss, however, being able to give money to those less fortunate on my way into work. I miss sharing a smile and pleasantries with them. I miss seeing Christ in those less fortunate and remembering that He is in the least of these. I used to always take breakfast to a guy, Jim, in Denver when I worked downtown there. It was an important part of my day.

The next time that you pass a homeless person- whether it be tomorrow or 2 months from now- I urge you to stop, say hello, offer them some spare money and let them know that you care. You'll be surprised at what it means not to them but to you.

Coco

Gary Cosby Jr./The Decatur Daily/AP

I love this photo of Mr. Cook finding his "best friend" Coco alive after his house was destroyed by a tornado. The look of anguish mixed with relief on his face and Coco's sweet face just get me to the core. After all, things can be taken away in an instant. Love and friendship are lasting- even if the love and friendship is between a man and his dog.

My thoughts are certainly with those picking up the pieces after last week's storms. I'm certain they have a long road ahead of dealing with insurance companies. (Here's hoping no one had Allstate!)

Mr. Piano Puppy

Imagine that you are a singer and that you accompany yourself on the piano. You have a small dog, which is your constant companion, and who watches you closely as you rehearse.

Got the picture?

Now, imagine that you're away for a few hours, leaving the dog alone at home with the video camera on. Here is what happened while you were away!

I got this in an email and thought it was hilarious. I'm fairly certain MacKenzie would do something like this! ;)

Dining out

We've been doing pretty well on our "lifestyle change" (because it is not a diet!), but I have been slipping a little bit while doing lunch with assorted friends here in Muncie. I don't regret my lunch dates, but I do regret being a bad eater. I've decided to try to limit my dining out as much as possible during the month of March. I know, I'm weak. I should be able to go to a restaurant and contain myself, but I cannot so now I have to crack down. I think it will make dining out more special which is should be- not just a daily occurance like it is sometimes for me. I'm also working on writing down each thing that I eat to try to help myself not to eat worthless calories. (I wish losing weight was as easy as gaining it is!)

I expected to save some money on this venture but by the time we do extra grocery shopping and pay for my fitness pass to be able to go to classes 4 days a week during my lunch break here at BSU, I don't know if we'll even see a savings anywhere but on the scale. I'm OK with that. I just cannot believe it is already March! Shaya's July wedding is going to be here before I know it and I want to look good in that dress darnit!

Dreams

I do not dream all that often, but when I do they are always so real and almost always emotionally draining. Sometime Jackson is making me mad in my dream and I wake up mad at him for nothing! (He hates that.)

Last night I had my first dream with Grams in it since she passed. I was so happy to see her. We were at her house in Florida and she kept asking what I was doing there. I kept saying, "I'm here to visit you like I always do." She was just so surprised to see me and I couldn't understand that. Then I said something about an amount being "chump change" (I have no idea where that fits in, but dreams are weird) and she said "Grandpa always said that. I miss him so much!" I told her I was sorry that she missed him and that things would be OK. Then I woke up and had to remind myself that it was only a dream and she was really still gone. I was so sad.

I did some reading on dreams and saw that sometimes that is where we "deal" with things that we won't confront while we're awake. I also read that it just means you miss the person and they're on your mind whether you realized it or not. I'm pretty sure it is both in my case.

I greatly appreciated my bereavement leave right after Grams' death so that we could help get things in order, but I think I need it more now. Now that life is back to "normal" is when I need the break. I need to be able to sit and cry without worrying about who sees me or what I'm supposed to be doing at that moment. I think reality setting in has been the hardest part for me.