Great Minds Think Alike

J Lo says it all:

Seriously- there are places with sunshine and dancing!!! Haha.

That's where I'll be living:)

Perspective

Lately I have been thinking a lot about others. Both people I know and some that I don't....

• A friend who is struggling in her marriage
• A blogger whose baby drown in the bathtub but was revived and is well now
• A friend with 4 babies who caught her husband in an affair
• A sweet family who lost two babies after a pest control incident gone wrong
• The Georgian luger who died the day of opening ceremonies
• A friend who is helping her 2 year old fight leukemia
• A cousin who just lost a premature set of twins
• A friend whose husband has been out of a job for over a year
• A friend struggling with coming home from a mission early
• The woman who died by getting attacked by a killer whale at Sea World
• Two friends who are battling breast cancer
• A cousin with a sick baby that's had all kinds of complications and continues to overcome them
• An adopted friend having trouble finding a place in the world
• Heartbroken wives helping their husbands fight addictions of every kind

These are only the really hard ones. Not to mention the silent sufferings of all people, like feeling unaccepted, depressed, struggling with weight, trying to feel comfortable in their own skin, etc.

I've just been thinking about how everyone's life is HARD. Whether it's now or later.

I often feel like my life is hard. Even really hard from time to time. Still, I am amazed at how our trials are catered to each of us. Yes, there are probably trials that I would choose over my own, but there are definitely those that I never would. I am amazed at those people who fight through their trials and inspire me and so many others around them. When I think of some of these people, I realize how life is really... good.

The Sore Loser

My husband is the WORST loser.

It's not even really worth playing games or getting in competitions with him because he makes your life miserable afterwards. This past weekend his parents were visiting and his mom said she used to have to calm him down during t-ball because he would get so riled up if they fell behind. He is just a raging ball of fire!

I wish it ended there. The thing is, he is also the WORST WINNER! UUUUGHHH! He can gloat to a point that I would almost consider it a talent. If it were an Olympic sport, he'd always win the gold for gloating. He will make your life just as miserable when he wins as when he loses!

In summary- never play games or get in competitions with my husband. Never. Either way you'll hear about it for days. It really concerns me for the kind of boys we'll have someday.... what a nightmare.

I'm Really Dating Myself Here....

Isn't it funny the difference 10 years can make? In all sorts of ways, really.

I'm approaching 10 years since I graduated from high school. I can barely think of anything that's the same since then.

Mostly, I am thinking about my recent girls trip. Three of the five of us are in their thirties and the other two (me being one), in their twenties. The funniest thing was when the older ones mentioned that they all learned to type on a typewriter! That's crazy! I don't feel like they are that much older than me, but that totally dates them!

My husband and I are always joking that our kids are gonna think we're ancient because we didn't have internet until I was in about 5th grade, which also happens to be when we got the first computer in our home. We took pictures with film and you never knew what you were gonna get until the film was developed. I got my first digital camera for my 22nd birthday. I had a CAR phone when I was 15, but it did me no good until I was 16 and actually had a car to use it in since it wouldn't hold a charge outside of a cigarette lighter. Then there was the short lived era of the pager. I did get a cell phone sometime in high school, but we still didn't have texting or national calling plans. I remember our principal giving us a "mouse demonstration" for the computer in 2nd grade and I think they were still running dos at the time. We just got gps in our cars a few years ago so it's still new to us and we still know a lot of people who don't have them, which I am sure will be silly to think about 5 years from now. Oh, how funny it is to consider these things!

Naturally things were different for our parents too, but we think the gap there is big enough to warrant drastic changes. People we hang out with? Not so much.

Still, my "older" friends said that the schools had internet when they were in college but nobody really trusted it. They didn't have cell phones until after they were married. It's amazing to think that the things I was going through as a child and adolescent they were going through in their young adult years and now I basically consider us in the same life phase. It just makes me chuckle.

So, here's to getting older and all the changes that lapse me and my brother, who happens to be 10 years younger. I'm sure I'm already sounding ancient to him!

The Things We Go Without

I have a friend named Sammi who adopted a baby girl almost 5 years ago- my sister's baby to be exact. We have been so blessed to stay in touch with this family and even be friends with them. We go out to dinner with them or even babysit from time to time, so it was not unusual for this family to be at my sister's wedding (this was almost 4 years ago). My best friend Britney was there as well and we were getting some pictures taken with various friends. Britney was pregnant with her second child at the time and expressed her desire to not be in any pictures because of her awkward, pregnant state. That's when Sammi chimed in and snapped, "Hey, there's a lot of people that would love to be in your situation." Being pregnant, that is. Having never had the opportunity, you could see where she was coming from.

The thing is, my sympathies have always gone out to this family. Even when my sister was giving up her child I knew that she couldn't provide the proper life for her and I could almost feel the heartbreak of this couple who were unable to bear their own children and wanted them so badly. I just knew it was the right thing to do. It has been such a blessing to everyone involved. This couple now has another daughter and my sister is happily married with 2.5 kids of her own.

I give the background only because I think I realized even then that I would feel more similarities to Sammi's position in my own life. My husband and I have been married for 5.5 years now. We chose to wait to have children, so for that I take responsibility. I wanted to finish school, and I wanted my husband to finish school. I wanted to feel like I could handle the responsibility of having a baby and have a home to raise it in. I wanted a cute little nursery and an ideal life for this child. Then doomsday came 2.5 years ago- my chronic illness that had been in remission for 8 years came back with a vengeance. Drugs, fatigue, and doctors were all part of the everyday routine again- along with the restriction of not being able to get pregnant.

I'm finally at a point where it's getting hard. Both my sisters have a baby on the way this year and being the oldest, it's a little strange to not be in the same life phase as they are. I want babies for sure, but even more it hurts not to share that with them. I'm a big believer that they will come when the time is right, but what do I do in the meantime? I am thankfully blessed with a rich and rewarding marriage to a husband without whom I would surely lose my way. Even though with every passing year I feel like I drift further away from my original family, I become closer and closer to the man I love. Life is turning out to be very different from the way I pictured it would be, but it is still filled with so many good things regardless of some voids that I someday hope to fill.

Life Rearranged

This past week has been a week of crazy emotions.

I have been thinking a lot about how hard life really can be sometimes. The funny thing is, I am not thinking that way because of my life but because of other people's lives. My heart has been breaking for a friend in a terrible situation right now and some various other things. I have just been feeling so much compassion and anguish all at the same time. I am so filled with love for this family who needs it so desperately right now.

On the other hand, I have really been appreciating how good it can be sometimes. After being severely depressed for months, I am feeling better and finding reasons to be at peace. I am so thankful for good friends who have become our world. Also, I just found out I am going to be an aunt again (twice this year) and sometimes I am terrified for those little lives and all they have to face here on Earth, but I am so thankful still to have them in my life and can't wait for all the ways they will expand the way I love.

Most of all, I am thankful for my husband who is my family, my world, my everything. Without him I would be nothing.

Superbowl

We LOVE the Superbowl at our house!! Yes, WE.

My husband loves it because it is so obviously the crowing glory of man's most macho sport. What else do you need? And let's be honest- the man loves football. Even with a love for all sports, football is just in a league of it's own.

And me? It's filled with food and friends and, most importantly, celebrates the end of football season! Woohoo! You mean, I get my husband back? He'll watch some of my favorite shows on Monday night with me? He'll spend his Saturdays on excursions or errands instead of on the couch? He'll mentally attend church without checking his phone every 30 seconds for game updates? YES! This and more.

All hail the Superbowl! To great commercials, fun parties, and about 7 months of (non) sports bliss!