friday night fun!

Fifty years old. Fifty. Half a century. But I feel better now than I did for so many years....


My oldest "child", Emily...this may not be the greatest pic, but she is a lovely girl,she turned 31 a few weeks ago.


Miss Lydia, Mali's little sunshine.

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This is the lovely new cross stitch my mother-in-law did for me. :)

My day:

1. Out to breakfast with my brother, with Jon, Char, and Cam.

2. Library.

3. Dollar store.

4. Grocery store.

5. School to pick up Suzanne.

6. Home, ahh home.

7. Gas station to check air in van tires.

8. Walmart.

9. Pizza hut to pick up dinner:)

Regarding #9, we had free pan pizza coupons for the youngest three...then ordered online, three medium pizzas for $5 each. When I went to pick them up, the three mediums were done, but I had to wait 20 minutes for the small ones for the kids. As I stood there and watched a 30-something year old guy named Frank huffing and bustling, keeping up amazingly well with a seemingly unending barrage of orders, I realized how ridiculous it was to be impatient...upset...even though I had called to order the three personal pan pizzas, they had not made them. An oversight, a mistake. The didn't apologize, they just put the order in, made the pizzas, and I waited. So on the one hand, I had plenty of good reasons to be upset. But wait a minute. Do all things work together for our good EXCEPT for when we have to wait for pizza?

Anyway.

Today was busy enough. When I am out and about so much, of course the housework slips. And playing catch-up isn't my favorite. Paul is coming home from France tomorrow, and we wouldn't want him to think we just slacked off the whole time he was gone, now would we? What are you doing with YOUR Saturday?

Seriously though, for all the work I put into getting the floors clean, it should at least last a day. Three would be nice. Sweeping, vacuuming, mopping...

Anyway, also regarding #9, I tried to behave tonight. I browned up some fresh chicken breast that I had marinating in the refrigerator, and also made broccoli slaw...I mixed that chicken with hot sauce and butter, and ate it all together...and only had one small slice of the pizza, while we watched, "Home". After the little girls were tucked in, I watched, "The Age Of Adaline", with the older girls. Unfortunately, I made a big batch of popcorn popped in coconut oil, with butter...

So Paul is coming home tomorrow. Of course I'm glad, but to be honest, it's nice that he travels some, because then I miss him when he's gone. And missing someone means you can't wait until they come back, and that helps you appreciate them, and being glad to see someone you have been married to since 1984...well, that's a good thing. So shh, it's not just because he puts air in the van tires and can stop and get a gallon of milk on the way home from work.

I am thankful for our marriage. It isn't perfect. He is not a detail person. I can tell a story, and he'll start waving his hands in that, "hurry up and get to the point" motion. I say, that's the whole point of me telling this story, for the conversation, not just to pass on information. So I have had my share of hurt feelings. We're different, he and I. I am definitely a Drop Everything And Visit type when the older kids come over. And, I am a Clean Up Quick before company comes person, too. He thinks it looks fine in here. He's more practical, more responsible.

But...the thing about Paul is that he is very humble. Even if his initial reaction to something is strong, he'll second guess himself, talk to me about it, and then mellow out. No matter what the older kids come up with, he doesn't get too ruffled. He KNOWS it's not the end of the world when something challenging happens, and his calmness is very comforting. He rarely pursues his own interests, and when he does, I love it. It does my heart good to see him go fishing or hunting, or play his guitar.

He's a little naggy about us leaving the lights on, and turning the heat up too high, and if it were up to him, we wouldn't have overdue fees at the library every single time we get books out. Ha, he has a lot to put up with!

But we do love each other, and I am thankful that our differences haven't gotten in the way of that. Sparks still fly, sorry kids, if you are reading this. :)

Charlotte Claire and Camille Anaya had gym class this evening AFTER they watched their movie. They ran around and around and around. They have those foam interlocking mats, and they push the coffee table over, put the mats down, and drag a ten foot long two-by-four up the stairs, and use it as a balance beam. Because living rooms are also gymnasiums. Sometimes they put on rollerblades, and yeah, skate around the living room and kitchen. Is it GOOD for the floors? No, but it sure is fun for the kids. Winter is long and cold here in central New York state. They go out and play and go sledding but it's not enough exercise....

Yeah, so goodnight. My stagecoach has long turned back to a pumpkin.