Maybe Next Year Big Tex

Well I just sent my daughter off to the great State Fair of Texas. We decided not to go as a family this year due to the sheer cost of parking, admission, and food. I'm sure we could have made it work, but it was decided that with a vacation just three weeks away saving a little wouldn't hurt. Kaylie got lucky with a free ticket from McDonalds and grandparents willing to tote her along.

I really thought I wouldn't miss it too much. The fair is a bit of a racket. Pay $15 to have hundreds of people try to hawk there stuff to you, and the privilege of signing up for free trips, cars, and money. Of course those freebie sign ups come at the cost of junk mail solicitation for the rest of your life, but hey it's a small price right? I just gave a lot of great reasons to not miss the fair, and yet I feel a twinge of sadness at missing this yearly fried fest. I actually have a lot of great memories from the fair. Chris and I went just a couple months after we started dating. We took a lot of silly pictures, ate a lot, and just had fun like kids. I don't know why, but that is a memory that always brings a well of nostalgia when I think of the fair. I also took Kaylie to the fair with my parents when she was barely a month old. I was home on maternity leave, which gets lonely for a new mom. My parents were nice enough to get me out of the house. Kaylie wasn't aware of much, but once again it was just one of those times that sticks with you. I still remember running all over the fair trying to find warm water to make a bottle. Then there was last year. I was working part time after having Micah. Chris took the day off and we all went to the fair. Micah was just a little older than Kaylie had been. It was just a lovely day with family. Kaylie even participated in her first backyard circus.

I suppose now I am just wanting to relive the memories and make more. The comforting thing to know is that Big Tex will always be there next year, along with free vacations, corn dogs, and knives so sharp you can cut steel.

Happy News

Good morning readers! Happy first day of October 2009. I am feeling more chipper than usual this morning. No, I did not get rid of the pile of laundry on my bed. Maybe that will be this evening. I am genuinly thrilled to announce that at work we have been given the privelege of working four 10 hour days which will give me a three day weekend. We are on a trial basis for two weeks, and if that goes well we will continue until the end of the year.

I cannot begin to tell you the things I will be able to get done with one extra day. The true reward is extra time with my kids. I will now be able to do some of those fun mom things like going to story time, an afternoon at the park, or just spending time doing this they like to do. It will only be for three months until we hit our busy season, but I will take whatever time I can get. I also hope to take advantage of this time to start with Kaylie on some preschool homeschooling materials. This really is an answer to prayer. I just wanted to share the good news.

Split Personality

I've been in sort of a sulky mood today. I can't pinpoint an exact cause, but I just feel tired and lackadaisacal. Now that is your S.A.T. word for the day, enjoy the fountain of knowledge I am imparting. This is your cue to roll your eyes at me.

The more I think about it I believe a good portion of my mood can be attributed to a pile of laundry that has rotated between my bed and the laundry basket since the weekend. I spent time cleaning other parts of the house this weekend. I gave myself a pass to delay laundry folding until a later date as a reward for all the other hard work. Ever since I have loathed the laid back Crystal of the weekend. Why oh why weekend Crystal, did you leave me with such a mess when you know good and well I am completely worthless during the work week?
I am still waiting for a reply.

I am also still trying to convince Kaylie that it is possible to keep her room clean during the week, not just on the weekends. This only means that I must make the time to supervise her cleaning efforts because every sane parent knows you cannot leave a four year old alone to clean their room. I suppose this is better than the alternative which includes me tripping over barbies and blocks when tucking the kids in or getting them up.

I believe we've come to the conclusion of this whole sulky bit. Weekend Crystal if you're reading, I'll be waiting for your apology.

Can't Slow It Down

I like to go back and read some of my old blogs from time to time. There is always a more objective viewpoint once some time has passed. I like to see where I have been and what I was thinking during different points of time. Today I was in one of those moods. I was reading some posts from the beginning of the year, and I honestly could not believe they were from that long ago. This year is flying past me.


I have seen my writing through peaks and valleys. I know it's not fabulous or anything, but it's just me and I can't apologize for that. I would say my only disappointment as I arrive soon at my one year with blogspot is the lack of comment or conversation. I myself am guilty of ghost reading blogs as well, so I should be preaching at myself. I know I have readers, at least that's what google analytics tells me. Hey I'm not picky, but if you have an opinion about something I write please feel free to share. In this big cyber world it can be nice to know a little more about the people out there.

I am ready to go home and see my kid's smiling faces, and then the deluge of requests will begin.
"Mommy, can I have a drink?"
"Mommy, can I have a snack?"
"Mommy, can I ride my bike outside?"
"Mommy, can you make Micah stop bothering me."

Oh how I love it though.

Welcome to the Age of Technology

I have forever been behind the curve of cutting age technology. Oh I know how to use a computer Mac as well as Windows, but when it comes to the latest and greatest I am usually a few years behind. This is mostly attributed to my penny pinching ways, which I'm sure you have all heard about by now.

The same has been true of every cell phone I have owned. My motto was always give me a phone that rings, and I will be happy. Each time my cell phone was eligible for upgrade I went in and asked for whatever I could get that was the closest to free. I kept said phone until it could no longer function, and the cycle began again.

Today all of this will change. I will be the owner of a brand new blackberry curve. It's not the coveted iphone, but I refuse to switch to ATT for those priveleges. Of course I am only getting this because we received an exceptionally good deal. I'm sure to many of you seasoned cell phone users this is humorous. I don't pretend that I will even know what to do with a blackberry. I will most likely spend hours pouring over my instruction manual just trying to figure out all the functions.

In the end as long as it rings and I can pick up a call with good reception I will be a happy camper.

Eight Minutes

until the weekend. Let's see what I can update you on in this short amount of time. Hmmmm, well I filed, answered phones, billed, and cleaned and sanitized my desk. With this whole swine flu thing you can't be too careful.


Speaking of swine flu I've learned that this is the perfect excuse for any and all circumastances in the world today.
Late for work....
school closed due to swine flu and you had to find alternate childcare.
Have an accident....
you were busy sneezing into the crook of you arm just to be on the safe side and rear ended another vehicle.
Need an excuse for the family as to why you have not gone grocery shopping ...
even with sanitizer wipes those shopping cart handles are a hotbed for germs.
Need to get out of a dinner party...
crowds in a confined space, need I say more?

Well my eight minutes are up. I hope you all learned something important.

That They Would Be Oaks

Isaiah 61:3To grant those who mourn in Zion,Giving them a garland instead of ashes,The oil of gladness instead of mourning,The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting So they will be called oaks of righteousness,The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

As I lay in bed last night Chris and I were discussing our children and the challenges of raising them in this crazy world. I thought about my true desires for each one of them, and this verse from Isaiah came to the forefront of my mind. I believe that each child has giftings and purpose, but no matter where they go or what they do I long to hear them called Oaks of righteoussness, the planting of the Lord. All of this so that He may be glorified.

I love the symbolism of the oak. It has a strong endurance about it. In this I realize that I cannot plant the oak. Of course I have been given the responsibility to care and nurture, to provide sort of a greenhouse for my kids. I feel great privlege and yes, the great gravity of it all. And so I lean heavily not on my own strength for these great tasks, but on my Source of life.

God let me also be an oak of righteousness that our legacy will be a glory only to You.