Hitting this a little late, because we were on our way home from our spring break get away, and I was busy washing, packing, loading, and getting one last tan in.

This week's topic:  If you met me.... 

GO.

If you met me, there would probably be a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.  You might think I was a bit stand off-ish, snobby even.  You might think that maybe I wasn't worth getting to know.  That someone who can't even make eye contact can't be an interesting person.

But you would be wrong.  Because instead of cold and uncaring, I am terribly shy and incredibly insecure.

This has been something that I have struggled with since I was a child.  I can't tell you how many times people have revealed to me their first impressions, and they haven't been pretty.  How many times people have thought I was slighting them by not saying hello or talking much, when inside, I have been struggling with the decision to speak, wondering if the person in question really wanted to talk to me, or hear my opinion.

Given enough time, though,  you would find that I love to laugh.  That I have a passion for my family, my faith, and my job, which I feel is a calling.  That I love to read, write, and sing.  That I think and act often with my heart instead of my head.  That I care way too much what people think, but that I am desperately trying to change that.

Most of all, if you met me, I hope you'd take the chance and get to know me.

STOP.

Eh...not my best work.  After I just read it back, I realize that it sounds like I just wrote off the top of my head (which...duh, Lisa...is the point).  It is worth mentioning that I wrote this with a toddler on my shoulder and a four year old chanting, "Mamamamamamamama, Mamamamamamama, Mamamamamama."  Surrounded by sheet rock dust and listening to the dogs dig in the trash.  Ahhhh....it's good to be home!

Have you ever done something, but known it was bad for you? Even though you knew the risks, knew people who had been harmed by it, you still loved it? Even though countless people had told you to give it up or to find an alternative, you refused and still dabbled in it from time to time?

This.

This is mine.

As long as I can remember, I have loved the feel of the sun on my face, the warmth of sun on a still mild spring day. My earliest memory is of me and the little girl next door, who I distinctly remember as having curls, swinging in my back yard. My mother said I would have to be about two or three to remember this, but I swear I do. I remember the feel of the wind through my hair and the sun on my face. And whether it was from the sheer exhileration of swinging, or being with a friend, or the first warm day of spring, I remember that feeling of being in the sun.

- Throughout my childhood, I remember loving the trips to the beach with my family. Leaving after school with the big car top carrier (we called it the Big Mac) on top of our super cool full sized van with shag carpeting on the inside and arriving late at night, but not to late for my brother and I to run to the ocean to cip our feet in the waves. Days spent on my Mickey Mouse/Olympic Ring/monogrammed electric pink beach towel in my brand new bathing suit, soaking up the sun. And my nose peeling the next week when we returned to school.

- As a teenager, I spent countless Saturday afternoons lathered in tanning oil in my backyard, on my deck, beside my best friend's neighbor's pool. I remember going to Panama City Beach with my high school friends as a junior, spending money in my pocket, and spending it all the first day we were there on suntan lotion guaranteed to get me the perfect tan. Funny how the cute young college boy who rubbed it on my back and convinced me to buy it was no where in sight when at the end of the day, I was a sporting a painful sunburn. In college, I continued the quest, even going so far as to go to a tanning bed before my spring break trip to Daytona, so that I wouldn't burn.

- And then came children. And not only did taking care of them strip me of my tanning time, it made me pay attention to the warnings that were starting to come out about the dangers of the sun. My tanning time became relegated to about an hour a day during our one week vacation to the lake with my parents. And now? Now that I have little children to care for and bigger kids to chauffer? A tan is a by product of walks in the afternoons to soothe a fussy toddler or an all day track meet.

- It's not so fashionable to have a great tan anymore. It's more in style to be healthy and slathered in sunscreen and wearing a hat. Before my own children go out into the sun, I cover them from head to toe in SPF 50.

 And yet. That smell. The coppertone smell. The feeling of the plastic fold out lawn chair and the terry cloth beach towel. The pink cheeks, pink nose, and freckles. It brings back memories, and while I'm basking in the sun, eyes closed, feeling the sun on my face, I'm not a 43 year old harried working mother with a messy house and dimply thighs. Just for that moment, I'm still young, with my entire life in front of me. Still carefree, with my biggest decision whether to wear my Candie's lace up sandals or my Keds with my purple painters pants. Still youthful, beautiful, not able to imagine life after highschool, much less past (gasp!) 30. And while I love my life and can not imagine a better, more fulfilled life, just for that moment, I am taken back. And I am golden.

Fun at Grandma's

When my parents retired, they had one goal: Move somewhere my dad could fish every day and build a house where the children and grandchildren would want to visit. And they did both. They live on Lake Oconee in a beautiful development and they built a great house. They have two boats for fishing and tubing, a dock for sunning, several pools, golf courses, a neat park for the kids. It's perfect for summer and spring. But wait, you say, it is spring. Let me rephrase that. It's perfect when it feels like spring. Lucky for them (and for us!), we love Grandma and Grandpa just as much as all the fun stuff at their house. We spent our first day enjoying our time with them.

But first....there was business to take care of. See this cute little plastic squeaky sailor toy? My grandmother had it when I was little and probably before that. Harmless and cute, huh? Um....unless you are Hannah, and then it is absolutely terrifying. For a good year, she refused to open the toy cabinet in the breakfast room and we couldn't figure out why. Then at our last visit, we figured it out. She was afraid of this little guy. So with "the scary sailor toy" put up on a shelf, we were ready to have fun!

Grandma wasn't home when we got here, so Hannah convinced Grandpa to color. Charlotte got out of the car, took one look at Grandpa, screamed, and ran for my arms. It took a few minutes, but she soon got acclimated and spent most of her time looking out the window.

Hannah and big sister Sarah showing Dino the scenery. Yes, Dino came with us. Ach!

"Mom, I know you told me to leave Dino at home, but he would miss me too much!"

And Grandma always has popsicles!

Look at that hair! (I know that she really hasn't done anything special by finally growing hair, but I am just so incredibly proud of it!! yes, I know I'm lame!)

Tomorrow promises to be better. A little warmer, a little more sunny, and hopefully a little more outside fun!

Spring Break...Part 1

At exactly 3:35 on Friday afternoon, I texted my husband, gleefully, "WE'RE FREE!" and Spring Break began. It had been a long hard week at school. Crazy kids, crazy parents, impatient/hormonal me. It had been a long week at home--three nights out of five had been spent away from home at track meets, practices, or church. I was tired. My house was (is) a disaster. I missed my little girls terribly. At 3:40, I picked up Hannah from her classroom and she ran to me announcing that she was student of the week when we came back from break and so she got to bring Dino the dinosaur home and document his time with us. Cute idea. She'd been waiting all year for it to be her turn. But my, those words struck fear in my heart. We had the class "pet" that everyone loved and cherished. And it was coming to our house. And it had to come back...in one piece. If you know us even a little bit, you know that we live in the house of no return. Things come into our house and never come out. Reading folders, cake pans, 152 pieces of my mother in law's tupperware, checks (yes...checks)...not to mention the 39 matchless socks we have in our sock basket.

Here is what we did on Saturday while trying not to lose Dino...went to the park. We've been to this park three times in the last three years. The first time was the day before Charlotte was born. I sat on the bench and timed contractions, teary eyed that Hannah was not going to be the baby anymore. The second time was when Charlotte was just over a year old and she screamed every time her hands or feet touched sand (thereby ruining the plans I had to walk the track while she played peacefully with her sisters). This time, it was a big hit for all involved.

Then we came home and Sarah cooked us dinner. She had wanted to make beef stroganoff for a while, so she did. It was yummy!

Today, we took Josh back to Toccoa Falls Christian College for his second visit. We had visited before he graduated and loved it, but lacked the faith that we could pay for it. We made plans for him to live at home and go to a local college--plans that failed miserably when the college required that he live on campus, and we ended up paying just as much as we would have at Toccoa. (And whatta ya know? God did provide!) We had a great visit and once again, we were convinced that Josh should be there. We are trusting this time, that God will provide. It was a great day - one of which I have no pictures, and one during which I unknowingly wore my shirt inside out all. day. long.

Tomorrow, we're off to the lake to visit Grandma and Grandpa. I'm looking forward to some good time with my parents, a little sun, some fun, some good times with my girls.

This morning, I woke up earlier than my alarm clock, like usual. ( Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with it, but the first time I don't set it, I oversleep.) So I trudged upstairs for my diet coke and my morning computer time. The first post on my facebook page was a reminder from a friend to be thankful today, to give thanks with a grateful heart. (It was a general reminder, mind you, not one aimed specifically at me!) And oh, how grateful I am for my beautiful family.

For my husband, Daryl. God sent him to us right when He knew we needed him. He is my rock and my very best friend. He is an amazing father and the hardest worker I know. He works three jobs and does so willingly, just so we can have what we need and what we want. He is honest and loves the Lord and sets a great example for our children. He has taught our son how to treat the woman he loves, and our daughters to set their expectations high. My boy. What an amazing young man he has grown up to be. He is such a mini-me, with all of his little quirks and worries, but such a good good man child. Yes, the momma in me is not willing to give up the child part. He loves the Lord and wants to serve Him with his life. He is going to school and working many hours a week without too many grumbles. He treats his girlfriend like she is a princess, and still makes time to let his momma know that he still loves her too. Love him, love him, love him!

My Sarah. People always say that she looks just like me (neither of us see this, btw), but I see in her so many things that I wish I could have been at her age. She is wise beyond her years and such a little nurturer. She has confidence in herself, and realizes her value as a daughter of the King. She has set high standards for herself, and refuses to accept less. She has a beautiful voice and beautiful hair and a beautiful spirit. I am proud to call her my daughter and my friend.

Maddy, Maddy, Maddy. My sweet little Maddy. She wears her heart on her sleeve and loves with her whole heart. Her biggest love is Jesus, and she steadfastly works on being a better servant, better daughter, better witness for Him. She isn't afraid to speak her mind, and she doesn't accept no for an answer. She is up one minute and down the next, but I can always count on her to do everything she does with purpose and passion. She is unpredictable, but she makes things interesting and fun!

This picture just sums up Hannah perfectly....jumping for joy. She is our long awaited blessing who keeps us smiling every day. She is nonstop chatter, even in her sleep. She finds the wonder in every situation and makes me remember what fun it is to be a kid. She loves God and believes with the innocence and passion of a child. Her favorite thing to say to me is, "I love you too much, Mommy. More than anything in the world, except God." She has kept that sweetness close, but is starting to come out of her shell to others.

My Char Char. My unexpected blessing. My sweet sweet, laid back child. The baby who allowed me to enjoy infancy one last time. She is cuddly and spunky and is starting to love books. She has a little naughty streak in her lately--coloring on walls, throwing sand and anything else that isn't nailed down, but she still lights up my day, every day. I love the way she loves her sister, the ow-tie (outside), and her "ba."

Thank you, God, for these amazing blessings in my life. I am so undeserving, but so grateful for the chance to be their wife/mommy!

The ABC's of Me

Just because I vowed to post every day, and my day filled with laundry, cleaning, and packing isn't going to garner any cute pictures....

A. Age: 43 (For a short time last week, I thought I was still 42.  I think I may be showing my age!)


B. Bed size: Queen.  We had a king size on our honeymoon, and we ended up on the opposite sides of the bed every morning, so maybe a queen is a good idea, though, when Hannah ends up in our bed, a king would be nice!

C. Chore you hate: Laundry, dishes, floors, bathrooms...maybe it should be a chore I like?

D. Dogs: Four! (and why I thought this was a good idea....I'll never know!)

E. Essential start to your day: coffee or diet coke

F. Favorite color: purple, turquoise, orange, hot pink

G. Gold or silver: Silver

H. Height: 5'9"

I. Instruments: "Played" the clarinet in sixth grade, piano, and the keyboard part of the organ

J. Job title: first grade teacher

K. Kids: Five!  Josh (19), Sarah (16), Madeline (14), Hannah (almost 5), Charlotte (1.5)

L. Live: in Lake City...the city with no lakes, but on a street named after one of the "great" ones!

M. Mom’s name: Nora, but she goes by Noni

N. Nicknames: My mom calls me bits.  In college, my nickname at work was Wheels, because the guys I worked with thought I had great legs.  Those were the days....

O. Overnight hospital stays: knee surgery when I was 16, all five kiddos, and then an overnight stay when pregnant with Hannah for pre-term labor.  Stayed overnight in the hospital with Josh twice and Sarah once when they were little and had pneumonia

P. Pet peeve: many--I find myself easily annoyed lately.  But the big ones are loud chewers (lifetime annoyance there...just ask my brother!); people who don't spell, punctuate, or capitalize correctly; people reading over my shoulder

Q. Quote from a movie: How sad is it that I can't think of one except from Barbie and the Twelve Dancing Princesses?
R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: one younger sister, one younger brother
T. Time you wake up: Routinely at 4:00-4:15.  am.  then I go back to sleep until the alarm clock goes off or Charlotte does
U. Underwear: Yes, please.  TMI:  realized yesterday I have not bought new underwear of any kind since I've been married.  How sad is that?

V. Vegetables you dislike: sweet peas, cooked carrots, any kind of greens

W. What makes you run late: I am usually anally on time or early.  If I am late it is because Hannah throws a fit and wants something before we leave...or I can't find anything to wear.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: knees, sinuses, lungs, back, foot

Y, Yummy food you make: ???? I make a mean pot of chili, though only Daryl and I will eat it

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: otters...too cute!

This weeks topic:  My favorite things...

GO.

If I were to be honest, I would just post a picture of my kiddos and my husband, or refer you to the picture above.  But that's sorta boring and really wouldn't take up a whole five minutes.  So, in no particular order, some of my other favorite things:

*having my whole family home for dinner

*reality TV, cheesy entertainment shows, and People magazine

*thrift shopping--with no time limit

*losing myself in a book

*tanning (ice cold diet coke and People magazine required)

*Diet Coke

*Crushed ice

*Reduced Fat Crunchy Peanut Butter

*the smell of school supplies

*the crackly sound that books from the library make

*morning coffee, computer, and couch--by myself, in the morning

*Saturday mornings in bed with my husband (get your mind out of the gutter...just the fact that he is still in bed and not rushing off to go somewhere and for that one moment, alone, all is right with my world)

*getting fully dressed--shoes, make up, jewelry--and feeling pretty

*hymns sung with an acoustic guitar

*naps, baths, and pedicures

STOP.

Just realized how random my list is.  Might as well add brown paper packages tied up with string.  Raindrops on roses.  And whiskers on kittens.  Why do I feel like I'm channeling Julie Andrews?

The hills are alive.....