Saturday!!

I hope it is enjoyable for you, Melissa....especially since you have put so much effort into it!

I am going to get to work. Hoping for a super productive day!

Well, it's over! Went well and got a lot of compliments on the games and decorative elements. Nice!









Now onto the Bachelorette Party. Good lord.

So yesterday, the last full day of winter, I take the day off work, spend the entire day outside (took the kids for a hike). I'm in t-shirt and shorts the whole time. Then, today, first day of Spring, temp drops about fifty degrees, and we get snow. Go figure.

Pioneer Woman (in OK) blogged about the same thing today!

I moved back into my house today. The floors look really nice, the fumes are still pretty strong though, thankfully it was nice enough to have the doors and windows open most of today.
The floor guys didn't put the toe kicks on the edge of the carpet in the 2nd & 3rd bedroom so you can just lift it up, they also didn't do that to the edge of the linoleum in the kitchen either so I have to call them on Monday to have them come back out and fix that.
There's also a nail that popped out in my room and they didn't haul away the carpet, it's all just piled in my garage.

Oh, and they didn't leave my key where I told them to leave it and I looked all around and couldn't find it. So I cried and freaked out. I called my sister so I could call down enough to drive to Home Depot and get a new front door lock set. Now I can't sleep because I keep thinking maybe they're still in my attic or something...very scary.

maybe they weren't actually finished, and they know about the kickguards and stuff, and that is why they didn't leave you the key?

Well I thought about that, and I called and left a voicemail for people on Saturday and no one called me back. Very frustrating.
They told me they would be done and leave the key on Friday, which to me means they will be done and leave the key on Friday. If that changed then I should have been called.

My friend, Ann, and I started a book club with 2 girls today. The girls are in 8th and 9th grades in a pretty wealthy city in our area. They are Christian girls, really good girls. Smart, artistic, innocent, etc.

They were talking about their lives and the 5-8 hours of homework they get most nights, and how a kid OD-ed in the hallway, and how yesterday how in preparation for the Sadie Hawkins dance all the other kids were talking about how they were going to lie to their parents and sleep with their boyfriend/girlfriend.

I was a good kid, a Christian kid, a smart kid. And somehow, I avoided all of that stuff. I am sure it was going on, but it wasn't so in your face that I ever had to deal with it sitting in English or walking to gym.

It kind of makes my heart break a little bit for kids who are trying to make it through with any kind of morality in this world right now. I said to these two girls, "It isn't fair that adults don't take you seriously because in all honesty, you're dealing with things I haven't EVER had to deal with. I have never seen someone OD. You're kids and we always tell you that, don't we? But, you're facing really 'adult' situations."

I am really hoping this will be a fun experience, but also one where Ann and I can encourage these girls (who are really like us when we were their ages) to hold on, to know how precious and wonderful the gift of innocence and strength is that they have been given by God. And, so far, after this one meeting, I feel like I have learned a ton! Should make for a really interesting experience!

For the rest of today, I am hoping to run some errands and then spend some time with God.

that is really cool Melissa, that you can encourage these girls. What book are you reading with them?

I woke up with the dreaded bug, and I am still a little under right now. yuk

yuck is right!

We're going to read a book called, I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. Basically we're having the girls pick the books so they will be interested.

that's a good idea, Melissa.

I guess I'm surprised that more people don't know the stuff that's in your face in high school. Maybe my town was a little more in your face than most. We had a kid arrested in the 6th grade on rape charges, we had 34 girls give birth between 7th grade and graduation, not to mention the miscarriages, abortions and such along the way. A student died during a drug incident where she ended up getting run over by her boyfriend, drug busts every other month, and all that crap.....and I graduated 15 years ago.

I just figured it was because there was nothing for kids to do around here, so they found alternate means of entertainment. I'm always surprised that more people aren't exposed to these kinds of things.


It might also explain how I got so desensitized to this stuff.

You know, the older I get, the more I realize how much I was sheltered from as a kid/teen. And I am really grateful for that. It wasn't really my own doing, because even though I was a good kid, I felt like I was being rebellious then. I don't know the purpose--like why was I spared and not others--but I am grateful to God for it.

I know that the more I learn about things like this, the more shocked and broken-hearted I am and it makes me want to love this kids even more and encourage them as much as I can. Maybe that was part of the purpose, I don't know.

I have been reading Romans for part of the Lent Journal and I have been reading it in The Message and I am reminded of Chapter 6 in thinking about this...There is a lot of evil in this world, but thank God, he offers us the opportunity to 'leave the country where sin is sovereign' and have a 'new life in a new land' through Christ (Romans 6:1-3)!! And also, "Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word." v 11.

I want to hang on every word spoken in my mother tongue--not to be at sin's every beck and call any longer. I get discouraged by what I see going on in this world, especially the stuff directed at kids, but it is my hope that despite all of that, there are kids even stronger than me who are realizing in their teens (and even younger), that God is speaking a far better message than the world has to offer.

I think if more parents really looked at what was happening at the schools they might save more kids. I know my parents often thought I was just being over dramatic about a lot of the things going on. It's not that they didn't believe it was happening, they just didn't believe it was going on as often and as much as I was telling them.

Now when I talk about high school my parents believe a little more and are shocked at the things I've seen or been exposed to.

There are too many parents out there that are too busy to save their kids, I think that's a big difference in time periods. Not every family is willing or able to make the sacrifices that some families do to spend more time with their kids.

Saturday I went to Costco with my sister and the kiddos then basically layed around the rest of the day. My head hurt so much I ended up just curling up under the covers and watching Ally McBeal.
Oh, but I did go to Home Depot and almost have a nervous breakdown over picking out baseboards.

I picked up another job helping some friends put on chair covers for weddings and other events. $10 an hour and only Friday nights or Saturdays works for me!
I'm off to do that (thankfully I'm feeling MUCH better). Then right after that I'm heading to a baby shower for my friends Alexis and Ryan. They're having a boy in June, their first. I bought them a few things on their registry and then found the cutest Wheaties baseball tee and one with Chewbacca on it (the dad is a huge gaming/sci-fi guy). They're big for a newborn but I like to buy older clothes because the kids will eventually need them

Here's hoping my stomach holds up with all the excitement today!

I am really enjoying my time at this retreat. I didn't know what the topic was, but getting here, it is about Ruth and the concept of Soul Friendships.

Have fun, Bethany. Hope you stay healthy. I am still not the greatest.

wow, well, it sounds like everyone's weekend is starting off well. The sun is shining here, and I am hoping to do something outside, and just enjoy the day. Tomorrow I am working at the Beechwood...so I need to make today my fun day!

Less than 12 hours from now I'll be sitting in the Theater watching Wicked!!!!!!!!!


Just have to get through work first. lol.

We are going to watch Anveigh Lou play her first soccer game. Then we are going to lunch and to look at new phones for me.

Wicked was AMAZING!!!!!!!! Even better than I had anticipated!!!

If possible this Elphaba was even better than the one heard on the soundtrack!! It has to be one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen and our seats were the best I've ever had.

The evening was a HUGE success and I feel awesome!!!

That's cool, Pete. I love Wicked. It's probably my second favorite musical. Glad it was such a great experience for you!

What is your fist, mel?

My hand??

Les Miserables is my fav. Have seen it 7-8 times.

I love Les Mis too. It's my first right now. But I'm fairly certain Wicked will replace it.