My Funny Valentine

I'm not a big Valentine's day girl. Thinking back I don't know that I ever really have been. Maybe it's because I go from Christmas to Anniversary to my birthday . .. maybe I get "celebrated out"????

Anyhoo. . . we did get to spend the day with our friends. We made valentine cards for the elderly and our friend, Diana, who has cancer. . .

Alec led the devotion. He totally did this thing on his own. He read 1 Corinthians 13 and talked about what love was and was not, based on what Scripture says. Alec has had a crush on Shelby for quite awhile now and it really is no secret to no one. During one part of Alec talking about love, Cooper blurts out, "I can't believe you like Shelby". I about wet my pants I had to keep from laughing so hard. I did feel a tad bit bad for him b/c I was afraid he was embarrassed, but those things happen, and it was really.funny.

What we made . . .

Then, my funny Valentine came home from work. Know what he got me? A snack from HER. . . the snack machine. . . yes, he brought me home some pretzel Flips from THE snack machine. Honestly, I was quite honored :) Then he gave me a card.

He loves these cards with the little boy and little girl on them. . . I actaully am quite fond of them myself. . .

This is what it read on the inside. . .

He bought a birthday card! And, he's right since he found me his life hasn't been the same. I've rubbed off on the poor guy. . . I don't care though. Earlier that morning he sent me a sweet text that said, "I don't need some made-up holiday to tell you I love you. . . I love you". He really does show me how much he loves me every day. . . I'm just a blessed girl to have him! Plus, he's super cute and makes me laugh like crazy!

The Other Lady

Here I am getting it out in the open. . . the other lady. . .

She's at Jon's work. He visits her I know at least once a day. . . sometimes as much as 3 . . . or maybe more when he feels too ashamed to confess. . .

You would think I'd be jealous. But, thankfully, I'm not threatened by her at all. She's pretty boxy. I think she's pretty predictable. She doesn't wear a stitch of make-up, fix her hair, or put on her best outfit, and, yet, I think she literally makes Jon's mouth water. She can offer Jon things I can not. She certainly isn't moody or emotional, and I know she puts a smile on his face. I really do think if I ever get to meet her that we would be friends.

His mom even tried to curb this relationship. She bought Jon some things to keep with him by his desk that would keep him from being tempted to go and see her.

I asked Jon yesterday how it was going? If we was tempted to visit her? I know he must be missing her. He says, in a melancholy voice, "It's just not the same." Poor thing.

I know I have peaked your curiosity and you are dying to know her name?!? Her name. . . .

Snack machine.

Yes, my hubby loves the snack machine. He's like a little kid with that thing. He tries to leave his change at home so he doesn't go and grab a candy bar and then go again to get some chips. . . you know because he has to have something salty to get rid of the sweet taste. It has become such a laugh around here. . . . he and that dang snack machine :)

So, there you have it. Poor Jon. . .I actually understand. It is his way him mom loves on us all. . . through food. She's always bringing us snacks, cookies, breads. She cooks the best meals, etc., etc. He's bound to love food in the family he grew up in. . . .

Dear Booher

Dear Booher,

I promised you this post would be out by the end of this week. . . and, although I really am at heart a "wait to the last minute", here I am.

First let me say how your facebook post on my wall made me smile from ear-to-ear. I'm still a tried-and-true blogger, although from the lack 0f my posts it doesn't appear to be that way :) (**wink, wink** Lisa) However, I did browse around and found you have been quite the blogger. I'm so proud of you, my friend. Before Monday morning I hope to sit down and read your posts and see what has been going on with YOU!!!! You are so sweet to want to know what is going on with me and the fam. . . so here it goes.

Well, first of all you know the disease I have . . . "can't blog without a picture". Well, I have TONS of pictures, and I really just need to do a big 'ole slide show, but not today. . . coming soon though, pinky promise. I also am so anal I feel that I can't blog in the here and now. . . like last night we went over to the Cecils' office and ate pizza, hung out with friends, and the women got a beatdown in "Bible Outburst". . . sorry, I digress. . . I feel that I can't blog until I get all caught up on here. . . which may just take nothing short of a tiny decade. . . . so, I guess I'll have to get over myself and my analniss and start back on the "here and now" bloggy bandwagon!!! I'll go through a quick (well, as quick as this wordy girl can be) "catch-up" list.

**Hung out at the Cecils' farm one day and went on what my kids refer to "THE BEST HAYRIDE EVER". However, I refer to it as "THE DAY I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE". Seriously, the thing was so rough I literally texted Jon "Take out a life insurance policy on me NOW. Going on a hayride with John Cecil" I survived and we have great stories to tell from it. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Cecils. This deserves a post of its own.

**We celebrated Christmas with a bang. . . including a family game of "Minute to Win It". FUN, FUN, FUN. This, too, deserves a post of its own.

**I got to have lunch with my very favorite 19-year-old. She's precious, and you would just absolutely LOVE her!!! God is doing some really amazing things in her life. I'm just so honored she wanted to share them with me and have me praying over her. And, I've been going to the throne of God on her behalf. I served her my baked potato soup. We talked for 4-5 hours, but it seemed like only 30 minutes. It was a day of joy and delight and I hated for it to end. Oh, wait, you already know about that 'cause it was YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, I'm so looking forward to our next lunch date!

**Some friends of ours took us for a night out on the town with a Scavenger Hunt. It was so much fun and we made so many memories. . . more to come. . . you guessed it . . . deserves a post on its own.

**And, did you know about Shelby and Brian? They are now being homeschooled. They are doing a virtual academy online, but are coming here 3 days a week. It really has been good. Talk about true discipleship . . . life-on-life. . .The way this all came about was totally of the Lord and . . . everyone say it with me now . . . "deserves a post on its own".

**Oh, have you seen my really bad haircut? I saw you at a distance the other day. It is forever in the perpetual pony tail because I absolutely HATE it. When it is all down I look like Joan Jett. Don't worry, you don't know her. You were probably in the womb or maybe not even born when I was rocking out to her songs. Needless to say, in the 80s, it looked great on Joan Jett. Here, in January/February of 2011. . . it looks horrid on "Mama in High Heels". I've been dousing and dousing it with horse shampoo. Don't worry, it's not Natalie's fault, she did what I asked her to. My sister says I'm having a hair midlife crisis.

**Speaking of midlife. . . well, I hope it isn't midlife for me. . . but I've been celebrating my birthday. Normally I take a whole week to do this. However, this year, I actually just took the whole month of January. Now, before you go and start thinking I'm a narcissist and all. . . . hold your horses. . . there's a mighty fine reason for this. . . but, yep, "it deserves a post on its own."

**I also gave up on Trinitarianism. It got to the point where it made me cry. . . seriously. So confusing and philosophical. . . so I bailed out for several Wednesday nights and came home and worked. However, a new class is gearing up and I'm super excited.. . . Man and Sin. Now, THAT is something I can understand. :)

**Oh, I got another job too. . . transcription still. My company was losing work and it was such a blessing to get another job in a "dying field". The LORD has been so good to us. That is one reason why I haven't been blogging. It just takes a while to get used to working on a new platform. Hopefully I'm there now though.

**As far as running, well. . . if this weather doesn't stop acting up, my legs are going to forget how to run. That's all I'm sayin' about that!

**I've also been taking the kids to Spivey Hall to watch some plays. . . "All Around the World in Music" and "Twosome Seussical". We met the neatest woman there. Mother of 7, husband was in construction (which basically meant no work), ran up a lot of dept (unfortunately sounds so familiar I could choke J/K), sold their house, lives in a camper (yes, with 7 children), works from 1:30-10:30 at Chick-fil-A, and HOMESCHOOLS!!!! Now, if I ever go to feelin' sorry for myself because I'm a working and homeschooling mother, somebody SHUT ME UP QUICKLY!!! This woman was absolutely precious. I really wish she wasn't so busy because I want her to be my friend. Her story was inspiring and such a blessing.

**Oh yeah, I've also been showing my sister houses. We've put in a couple of offers, but nothing has worked out so far. Hopefully soon, very soon. I'm excited at the thought of them living nearby.

**Oh, and the Lord has been working on me about being honest in love. You know how I love for everyone to like me, even 14 and 15 year olds. I had to call one of the girls in my discipleship group out in some sin I was seeing in her life. Yikes, hated it. . had to do it. . .was so afraid she'd never enter the doors of my home again because she would hate me. . .but as her mentor and sister in Christ it had to be addressed. You know what? She still loves me. . . I think even more now, and she's still coming, and she wasn't angry, but very remorseful to first and foremost the LORD.

**We finished up 1,2, and 3 John in Sunday School. I have never learned so much in my LIFE!!! God is really teaching me so very much. And those girls. . . those 14 and 15 and 16 year old girls. . . seriously hold pieces of my heart. I'm praying they are taking hold of the truth that is being taught them. We're about to dive into 1 Peter. . .SO.VERY.EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! With that, I have to to tell you, one day a couple of weeks back I was talking to them about how we are always being watched. People are always looking up to us, watching how our walk with the Lord is, how we act, treat others, etc., etc. So, before I led into talking about THEM being watched, I asked them, "Tell me someone you look up to that you are watching. I don't care if you tell me Jennifer Lopez. Just be honest with me, and tell me who it is you are watching." Do you know that 3, yes, I said 3 different girls said, Booher? Yep, that's right. You are making a difference for the kingdom my sweet friend!

I love you, Booher! I'm so proud of you. I'm honored I get to pray for you and share in this life with you. God's fingerprints are ALL over you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, when are you coming over for lunch? Just mark your whole day off 'cause you know we'll get to chattin' and what seems like 30 minutes will go by and it will be almost 5:00 again :)