15 Things

1. I just decided that I love being in my 30's. I don't know if it actually has to do with my age or just my place in life. I'm comfortable. I gave up impressing anyone, because I am so overwhelmed it is too much work to impress.

2. I like me. I've never been able to say that before. And I do believe that God made me this way because He likes what He put in me. He likes me too. And so does my husband. And I don't feel like I have to do something to maintain my likability with us. (By the way- God likes you too. I'm not bragging.)

3. Christmas lights make driving to the grocery store more fun.

4. I have not found a house yet that I want to move to. I thought I'd settle for one, but never felt peace. So I'm back to plan A. Build. Maybe rent then build.

5. Sook wants to take our family to France to visit relatives very soon.

6. I am dying to go to a friend's wedding in Thailand next year. Then hopping over to Laos to see where my love was when I was a toddler.

7a. I have no idea how this will all happen. Yet. But how cool would that be?
7b. Maybe we should start taking vacations in the country before we venture half way across the world?

8. Recently I've been convicted that I don't really see God as a person that I can have a real conversation with. I've been more like just sending up a prayer and hope an angel catches it with a butterfly net, dumps it in a big bin of prayer requests, and some day it will be found. But I am learning every day. How do you visualize your relationship with God, a person you can't see? (If you have a good answer, please let me know!)

9. Brooke told me she didn't know how to pray the other night. At that very moment, the K-Love DJ started his prayer with, "Lord, help me know how to pray for this person." Her eyes lit up and she said, "I know! Maybe I can ask God to help me pray!" She did. I thought she'd never end it.

10. Even afterward, she kept talking. I told her I had to go but she could keep talking to God. She said, "But I don't even know what He looks like!" I told her to ask God what He looks like so she can imagine Him when she talks to Him. "I think He has a mustache." she responded.

11. There is a part of me that never wants to not have children around. As long as there is someone who is willing to babysit.

12. I was playing around with the family, acting like I was mad about something when Max stomped up to me and said, "MOM! Top yeing!" authoritatively. It'll be fun to see how this one turns out. He does have personality.

13. I taught him the color orange today and he was very confused. He loves to eat oranges. I wonder what was going through his mind. Eventually he accepted the color name.

14. Brooke fell asleep early so I told the girls to be extremely quiet when they got ready for bed. Summer then, standing in the hallway wearing next to nothing, proceeded to tell me that she had elephant's feet. Followed by a long explanation of her analogy. I'm thankful that she knows about elephant's feet but.....not really an appropriate time to elaborate. Just go to bed already! Yet- really? I didn't know elephant could walk that quietly.

15. I am blessed. And I am wanting to take responsibility for that blessing. One of my favorite ministers has said that when we get to heaven and God is going to wipe away our tears, our tears will not be a result of the hardship of this life. He believes that our tears will be a result of a realization of what we do have here and now, and how we missed out on it. I know I've missed out thus far. I'd like to increase my percentage from here on out.