Blessings in a Simple LifeThere are tiny glimpses of miracles everyday in life; I am writing this blog as a way to keep track of the simple joys that God has given me in an ordinary day.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Hidy ho! Today will be busy. I have to paint some more of the nursery at church this morning, then clean my house before packing suit cases and kid car travel bags for our trip this weekend. We are going to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday in Pigeon Forge, TN, this weekend, along with my brother, parents, Oma, and my mom and dad's best friends Tammy and Mark from Illinois. I am looking forward to it. I haven't been there since Kevin Gladding and I went when we were still in college in TN. (And I kicked his butt in mini-golf - the one and only time I've ever played!) We are going to the aquarium tomorrow night at feeding time, then Dollywood and shopping (awesome outlets!) on Saturday. Sunday we will drive home and stop in Johnson City to look at a couple cars. We found a 2007 Santa Fe and a 2007 XTerra with low milage and priced reasonably online over there, so we are going to at least look at them to see if it is worth the drive to buy. Soooo, after my 3 hours of sleep last night (which was the most I've gotten all week), I had better get on the stick before I take an accidental nap! This picture was taken 3 minutes ago, so you can see how exhausted I am! I am hoping to catch up on my sleep next week. Love you all!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
My whole life I have been told that I was "not good enough". In elementary school, it was the "don't sit next to her, she has a disease" thing. By middle school, it had made me introverted and terrified of others my age. In middle school, I was made fun of for having 34 C boobs and I wasn't exactly rich or cute. High school...well, some of you know about the hurtful e-mail I got yesterday. Heck, I didn't get asked out for my first date until I was just days short of 21. So I have never been "good enough". Wes went through the same thing in a way. He was dislexic, though he did not find out until college, so he was held back twice. Kids made fun of him for being "stupid". His step-family always treated him differently when he was growing up. His dad told him that he never wanted him. Now he is in Law Enforcement and gets dirty looks in church for the ticket he wrote someone Friday night for a DUI. So here we are, two people in their late 20's that are still "not good enough". Church today really ticked me off. One person in particular treated me like crap today, at church and when I saw her out at lunch. Another person would not let her kid hug Abby goodbye Wednesday night and said, "Don't play with her. Her mommy and daddy aren't 'special members'." Whatever that means! Another parent said that she wants her kids to play with certain other kids, not mine, because we are not quite "the same class". I was thinking, "You're right. My husband doesn't get paid anything near what he deserves to work a job that risks his life so judgmental people like you can be safe." So, after today and after the VBS thing in July, I am going to be trying a new church. There are a small handful of people who treat me nicely, and my kids nicely, but a handful gets covered easily by the masses. I just have this nagging going on in my head that it won't be different anywhere else. You know? It was that way at the Christian schools I attended, it was that way at the many different churches I attended in FL and TN, and it was that way at the Christian college I attended. Christians should be the last to treat others like that. It seems to be a nationwide epedimic. Then I remind myself that trials and stepping out of our Christian comfort-zones are the only things that will help us grow in our spiritual walk. So maybe since I am terrified of meeting new people at a new church, it is exactly what we need to do. And I have to consider, I am not going to be on this planet as long as most others and I want my kids to be in a church that will love them enough to make up for my not being here loving them myself. Does that make sense? If my docs are right, my kids will only be in their teens when I go. They need to be somewhere that they will be loved and guided in a biblical manner, especially at that age. And please don't leave comments about the life expectancy bit...I do realize that only God knows when I am to go. And I trust Him to know when it is best. I just need to know we are at a church that will be supportive of Wes and my kids when it happens. I don't need much, but I do need that. I am just wondering why, all of a sudden, I get the stupid e-mail and the yucky church experience just after my critical grandmother left. What am I supposed to be learning here, God? I don't think I am learning much except that my best just isn't good enough for most. How do I make my best better? I have tried for years, and just haven't done it yet. I can almost understand why Wes chooses to be so anti-social. You know, though, I absolutely love people, so anti-social just won't work for me. I think I am going to spend a lot of time in prayer for growth and wisdom.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
This is a bit long, but worth the read...especially for parents:
Perspective: The Invisible Woman
By Nicole Johnson
It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you today?" "Nobody," my son shrugged. "Nobody?" The crossing guard and I chuckled. My son was only 5, but as we crossed the street, I thought, "How can I be 'Nobody'?"
I would walk into the room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family like, "Turen down the TV, please," and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote control. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn down the TV please?" Nothing.
Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We had been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I am ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.
That's when I started to put all the pieces together: "I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me. I am invisible."
It all began to make sense: the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I am on the phone and ask to be taken somewhere. Inside, I am thinking, "Can you not see that I am on the phone?
Obviously not! No one can see if I am on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I am invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: "Can you fix this?" "Can you tie this?" Some days I am not a pair of hands; I am a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disner Channel again?" I am a cab, "Pick me up around 5:30."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She is going, going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty patheitc, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I was not exactly sure why she had given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead, I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover, what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I would pattern my work:
*No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
*These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
*They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
*The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into the beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." The workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing pieces fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you have done, no sequin you have sewn, no cupcake you have baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you cannot see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibilty feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder, as one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in their lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he is bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I had built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we are doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Perspective: The Invisible Woman
By Nicole Johnson
It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you today?" "Nobody," my son shrugged. "Nobody?" The crossing guard and I chuckled. My son was only 5, but as we crossed the street, I thought, "How can I be 'Nobody'?"
I would walk into the room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family like, "Turen down the TV, please," and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote control. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn down the TV please?" Nothing.
Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We had been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I am ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.
That's when I started to put all the pieces together: "I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me. I am invisible."
It all began to make sense: the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I am on the phone and ask to be taken somewhere. Inside, I am thinking, "Can you not see that I am on the phone?
Obviously not! No one can see if I am on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I am invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: "Can you fix this?" "Can you tie this?" Some days I am not a pair of hands; I am a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disner Channel again?" I am a cab, "Pick me up around 5:30."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She is going, going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty patheitc, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I was not exactly sure why she had given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead, I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover, what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I would pattern my work:
*No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
*These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
*They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
*The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into the beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." The workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing pieces fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you have done, no sequin you have sewn, no cupcake you have baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you cannot see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibilty feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder, as one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in their lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he is bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I had built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we are doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Abby in her "Princess Tigerlily" costume for KatiMac's Princess birthday party. August 23, 2007.
Pool Peekin'. We had a week straight of perfect pool weather and made sure to enjoy it!
Abigail is suddenly very into drawing and writing her letters. Every piece of paper in our home has become fair game!
Aiden tried drinking from the hose like the neighbor's dog! (And, yes, my kids have "outies"!)
Abigail still hasn't outgrown her cheesy camera smile! 08/21/07
Braves outfit, Tonka cup...he's ready for his car ride! 08/21/07
Reading one of her Sight Words books. August 20, 2007
What sister does, brother must try...Aiden counting with Dora.
Mommy straightened Abby's hair for her "Jama Modeling". August 20, 2007
Aiden loves his new snow boots...even if there was no snow nor snow clothes on him at the time! 08/23/07
Another straight-haired Abigail. I can't believe how big she is getting!
Aiden with our neighbor's St Bernard, "Ellie". September 3, 2007
A girl with a drill...future independent woman! September 3, 2007
Ride 'em, Aiden! Got Along, Big Doggie!
I hope you all enjoyed a peek at my little blessings! It was amazing to see these compared to those I posted in August 2006. Time truly flies and they change so quickly! You are all in our prayers!
I know it has been a while, so here are the main points of the past week or so:
My best friend Daniel came up on Sunday, the 9th. I ended up renting a car so that I could spend the few moments I could with him, which was very much worth it. His visit was by far the best gift I've had in a very long time. Abigail absolutely adored him and asks every morning, even after he has left and gone back home, if she can see "her Daniel".
Last Wednesday night, after we got home from Cherub Choir and Mission Friends, Abigail's chronic cough that she's had since her pneumonia turned into a new, deeper, nasty cough. I kept the kids home on Thursday, hoping the rest would be good for them, but by Friday morning, Aiden developed a bilateral ear infection (again!) and Abby's cough was ridiculous. Off to the pediatrician we went Friday morning to find out that my little fairy princess has developed walking pneumonia. Both kids are on antibiotics, again. Aiden is scheduled to have a consult to get tubes in his next month. Ab is doing better on the antibiotic, but it still makes me a little nervous.
Friday, along with bringing a cold front, miserable rain, and child illnesses, brought the return of my dad's mom. She was terrible. Terrible enough that my dad actually saw how nasty she is to everybody. Usually she behaves around him for the most part, but she was so bad this time that my dad was blown away by her rude, crass mouth. Wes, the kids, my parents, Oma, Jason, and I met her for dinner on Saturday night. It lasted just over an hour, and that was bad enough that I flat out told her that she did not need to come back until she learned how to treat people with respect. I told her that she was a terrible example in front of my kids, that she only thinks of herself, and that none of us appreciated her obvious manipulations, guilt trips, and insults. She can just stay in Mass from now on. Just watch: she'll be here in the Spring.
Anyway, I really am not in a bad mood. Abigail was well enough today to have her very first ever swim lesson. She was a little nervous on the way there, but she was quite the brave trooper once we were inside. She did very well. She blew bubbles in the water, floated around with the teacher, kicked her feet...and loudly announced that "pool water tastes kind of like soap, just yuckier". Yeah. That's my kid! We'll be going each afternoon this week, so long as she continues to be doing better on her medicine.
Oh, and Wes, the kids and I went car shopping on Saturday. We think we may have found our new car. It is an '05 Nissan XTerra, 4WD, fully loaded, just not leather seats. It has abot 50K miles on it. It is a V6, so it is a little less power than the Jeep, but hopefully will be a little better on gas. As long as the flippin' thing runs, I don't care about the specifics. We are getting things in order before we make our final decision.
I also am going to start writing...a lot. I have three book ideas. Yeah, three. One of my clients is an accomplished author, and she has promised to hook me up with her editor and publisher, so we'll see if anything actually comes of it. I am excited to at least write, even if it goes no further than my home. I have really missed it.
Well, I hope you all are doing well. Let me know what's going on in your worlds. You all are in my prayers!
My best friend Daniel came up on Sunday, the 9th. I ended up renting a car so that I could spend the few moments I could with him, which was very much worth it. His visit was by far the best gift I've had in a very long time. Abigail absolutely adored him and asks every morning, even after he has left and gone back home, if she can see "her Daniel".
Last Wednesday night, after we got home from Cherub Choir and Mission Friends, Abigail's chronic cough that she's had since her pneumonia turned into a new, deeper, nasty cough. I kept the kids home on Thursday, hoping the rest would be good for them, but by Friday morning, Aiden developed a bilateral ear infection (again!) and Abby's cough was ridiculous. Off to the pediatrician we went Friday morning to find out that my little fairy princess has developed walking pneumonia. Both kids are on antibiotics, again. Aiden is scheduled to have a consult to get tubes in his next month. Ab is doing better on the antibiotic, but it still makes me a little nervous.
Friday, along with bringing a cold front, miserable rain, and child illnesses, brought the return of my dad's mom. She was terrible. Terrible enough that my dad actually saw how nasty she is to everybody. Usually she behaves around him for the most part, but she was so bad this time that my dad was blown away by her rude, crass mouth. Wes, the kids, my parents, Oma, Jason, and I met her for dinner on Saturday night. It lasted just over an hour, and that was bad enough that I flat out told her that she did not need to come back until she learned how to treat people with respect. I told her that she was a terrible example in front of my kids, that she only thinks of herself, and that none of us appreciated her obvious manipulations, guilt trips, and insults. She can just stay in Mass from now on. Just watch: she'll be here in the Spring.
Anyway, I really am not in a bad mood. Abigail was well enough today to have her very first ever swim lesson. She was a little nervous on the way there, but she was quite the brave trooper once we were inside. She did very well. She blew bubbles in the water, floated around with the teacher, kicked her feet...and loudly announced that "pool water tastes kind of like soap, just yuckier". Yeah. That's my kid! We'll be going each afternoon this week, so long as she continues to be doing better on her medicine.
Oh, and Wes, the kids and I went car shopping on Saturday. We think we may have found our new car. It is an '05 Nissan XTerra, 4WD, fully loaded, just not leather seats. It has abot 50K miles on it. It is a V6, so it is a little less power than the Jeep, but hopefully will be a little better on gas. As long as the flippin' thing runs, I don't care about the specifics. We are getting things in order before we make our final decision.
I also am going to start writing...a lot. I have three book ideas. Yeah, three. One of my clients is an accomplished author, and she has promised to hook me up with her editor and publisher, so we'll see if anything actually comes of it. I am excited to at least write, even if it goes no further than my home. I have really missed it.
Well, I hope you all are doing well. Let me know what's going on in your worlds. You all are in my prayers!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
When Abigail was born, all of my non-local friends that called to check on us kept asking, "Who does she look like?" I always told them, she is very close to 50/50 between Wes and me. I was happy about that. I think it makes them so much more their own little person if they are not 100% one parent. They are both blessed in appearance in my opinion due to that fact! Aiden looks more like Abigail than he does like Wes or me. However, at birth he looked like Wes, and favors me a bit more now that he is in his toddler years. The two blogs below will show you all exactly how much my kids look like Wes and me. I thought it was a pretty cool thing MyHeritage.com does for free. Check them out!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Yes, I view this as a blessing. Why? Because it is very easy for me to see beauty in other people, but seemingly impossible to see it in myself. Katherine Heigl was in People's 100 Most Beautiful People, and apparently my face is 97% similar to hers. I am not claiming to look like her, nor do I think I would ever deserve to be part of those 100 chosen each year, but it is nice to see that a computer somewhere thinks I look a bit like someone so pretty. Let me know if you try this and who your celebrity look-alikes are!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Rocket (our Jeep) has been in the shop for four weeks now. Rocket is on its last leg. We have been told by three mechanics that we need to replace the engine. Wes and I are thinking we need to get a new car entirely after all of the fixing we have done. In the meantime, we have been driving my Oma's car around town. In her older years, she has become a bit paranoid, so when it came time for our trip to Atlanta (I bought Wes Braves tickets as an anniversary gift) last Friday, my parents, Wes and I all decided it would be best if we took my mom's new car and left her here with the kids with Oma's car.
So mom came to our house to spend Friday and Saturday with the kids and Chesska. Wes and I got ready to go. We ended up leaving an hour late because we had to have an appliance repair person come to our house to check why our washing machine quit working last Tuesday. It turns out, we blew the transmission on our washer. It would cost more to replace it than to buy a new one. As those of you with kids know, you cannot NOT have a washing machine!
Off we went on our way to Atlanta...late from the start. Wes had wanted to spend the day in Atlanta before the game to have some quality time with me. We decided to not stay in Atlanta the night, but to drive halfway home and stay in Anderson, SC, so that we could spend Saturday at our hotel together, too. After all, we haven't had quality time one-on-one in five years! Around lunch time, we were coming up on the exit for Anderson, SC, so I pointed it out to Wes that that was where we were going to stay that night. Wes wanted to see it really quickly, so he decided to pull off there to get lunch. As we started down the exit, my mom's car's engine decided to quit. Not only did it quit, it would not start again. Would NOT. So, we were stuck in Anderson, SC, for three hours trying to get her car towed to a good repair place that worked on VW's. We also had to find a rental car company that wasn't rented out considering it was Labor Day weekend. Praise God He had us breakdown in the same unknown town that we were to be spending the night!
We did rent a Chevy Malibu, and finally got back on the road, after a million phone calls and waiting on tow trucks. We got to Atlanta and found out that the rumors about Atlanta traffic were entirely true. I have personally driven through Atlanta at least 50 times, and have never had a problem. Apparently, I was overdue. It took us an hour and 50 minutes to get four miles down the road. Wes was absolutely beside himself. We made it to Turner Field 30 minutes before gametime. We went in and got Abigail and Aiden each a Braves stuffed animal. We found our seats and watched the game. The game was actually worth all of the yuck we went through to get there. We had such a great time, even if the Braves did lose. We walked around during the 9th inning, and just enjoyed our time.
Leaving the stadium was as bad traffic-wise as getting in, so Wes went from joyful to over-stressed again, but was fine once we got out of Atlanta and found a place open for dinner at midnight. We got back to Anderson around 1:30/2am and drove around the town a bit to find out where things were for the next day. Once we got to the hotel room, I absolutely passed out. I have never been so tired in my life! And, believe it or not, I actually slept until 10am. I haven't slept that late in years!
After spending the night in the hotel, Wes and I had some quality alone time before checking out. We then went out to lunch at Olive Garden and ate like we hadn't seen food in years. (I seriously recommend their pumpkin cheesecake!) Once we were miserably full, we returned the rental car and tried calling to check on Mom's car, which is still being fixed in Greenville.
My in-laws drove down from Boone to pick us up. We spent much of the afternoon tagging along with them as they shopped their way back to Boone. Just as we hit the state line, Wes got a text message telling him that all SWAT members were to be at the office at 10pm...it was 7:30. Ten minutes later my sister-in-law called to let us know that Appalachian State University won the game that day. It was the first game of the season. Not only did our little home team whoop a #5 ranked Div 1A team, but it was MICHIGAN, Ohio States rival. (I was born on OSU's campus, so I am a big Buckeye fan.) Michigan actually paid AppState $400,000 to come up there so that they could cream them for their first game. Big schools do that to start their ego off right for the season. It backfired. We are thrilled here! App is growing by leaps and bounds after winning the past two years' Championship games, so after Sat., I'd be willing to bet that it will triple size next year and bump us up a division. ESPN called it the biggest upset in college football history! Go App! So Wes, along with the other SWAT team members, were out from 10pm until 5am dealing with all of the crazy football fans, the parties, and the utter wildness going on in our county.
Sunday came and we spent the afternoon buying and installing a new washing machine. Monday morning, the kids and I met my mom in town at the new park for a couple hours, then spent the afternoon doing a week's worth of laundry. Today, mommy is setting up the kids' pool and we are going to just have some lazy outside fun. I will download and post pictures as soon as I can. I hope you are all well and happy! Have a happy day!
So mom came to our house to spend Friday and Saturday with the kids and Chesska. Wes and I got ready to go. We ended up leaving an hour late because we had to have an appliance repair person come to our house to check why our washing machine quit working last Tuesday. It turns out, we blew the transmission on our washer. It would cost more to replace it than to buy a new one. As those of you with kids know, you cannot NOT have a washing machine!
Off we went on our way to Atlanta...late from the start. Wes had wanted to spend the day in Atlanta before the game to have some quality time with me. We decided to not stay in Atlanta the night, but to drive halfway home and stay in Anderson, SC, so that we could spend Saturday at our hotel together, too. After all, we haven't had quality time one-on-one in five years! Around lunch time, we were coming up on the exit for Anderson, SC, so I pointed it out to Wes that that was where we were going to stay that night. Wes wanted to see it really quickly, so he decided to pull off there to get lunch. As we started down the exit, my mom's car's engine decided to quit. Not only did it quit, it would not start again. Would NOT. So, we were stuck in Anderson, SC, for three hours trying to get her car towed to a good repair place that worked on VW's. We also had to find a rental car company that wasn't rented out considering it was Labor Day weekend. Praise God He had us breakdown in the same unknown town that we were to be spending the night!
We did rent a Chevy Malibu, and finally got back on the road, after a million phone calls and waiting on tow trucks. We got to Atlanta and found out that the rumors about Atlanta traffic were entirely true. I have personally driven through Atlanta at least 50 times, and have never had a problem. Apparently, I was overdue. It took us an hour and 50 minutes to get four miles down the road. Wes was absolutely beside himself. We made it to Turner Field 30 minutes before gametime. We went in and got Abigail and Aiden each a Braves stuffed animal. We found our seats and watched the game. The game was actually worth all of the yuck we went through to get there. We had such a great time, even if the Braves did lose. We walked around during the 9th inning, and just enjoyed our time.
Leaving the stadium was as bad traffic-wise as getting in, so Wes went from joyful to over-stressed again, but was fine once we got out of Atlanta and found a place open for dinner at midnight. We got back to Anderson around 1:30/2am and drove around the town a bit to find out where things were for the next day. Once we got to the hotel room, I absolutely passed out. I have never been so tired in my life! And, believe it or not, I actually slept until 10am. I haven't slept that late in years!
After spending the night in the hotel, Wes and I had some quality alone time before checking out. We then went out to lunch at Olive Garden and ate like we hadn't seen food in years. (I seriously recommend their pumpkin cheesecake!) Once we were miserably full, we returned the rental car and tried calling to check on Mom's car, which is still being fixed in Greenville.
My in-laws drove down from Boone to pick us up. We spent much of the afternoon tagging along with them as they shopped their way back to Boone. Just as we hit the state line, Wes got a text message telling him that all SWAT members were to be at the office at 10pm...it was 7:30. Ten minutes later my sister-in-law called to let us know that Appalachian State University won the game that day. It was the first game of the season. Not only did our little home team whoop a #5 ranked Div 1A team, but it was MICHIGAN, Ohio States rival. (I was born on OSU's campus, so I am a big Buckeye fan.) Michigan actually paid AppState $400,000 to come up there so that they could cream them for their first game. Big schools do that to start their ego off right for the season. It backfired. We are thrilled here! App is growing by leaps and bounds after winning the past two years' Championship games, so after Sat., I'd be willing to bet that it will triple size next year and bump us up a division. ESPN called it the biggest upset in college football history! Go App! So Wes, along with the other SWAT team members, were out from 10pm until 5am dealing with all of the crazy football fans, the parties, and the utter wildness going on in our county.
Sunday came and we spent the afternoon buying and installing a new washing machine. Monday morning, the kids and I met my mom in town at the new park for a couple hours, then spent the afternoon doing a week's worth of laundry. Today, mommy is setting up the kids' pool and we are going to just have some lazy outside fun. I will download and post pictures as soon as I can. I hope you are all well and happy! Have a happy day!