I know - Picture doesn't match words....

I’m really allowing myself to be stressed today, and I hate being this way. I am attending a meeting at work this afternoon, and it is going to be very “tense”, without a doubt. These meetings always are. And it just frustrates me…

I have contact with some of these ladies in other meetings, and we have already talked about many of these issues before. Some I thought were resolved, and some are still outstanding. In many cases, I have asked for specific case examples, which they have never provided to me. Now we are going to have a meeting which will include some of the “higher-ups”, and these issues are going to come up again. AND they have now provided the specific examples that I have been asking for over the past 2 months!

I am praying very, very hard that God will help me to keep control of my anger AND my tongue! I am really going to need to try to keep my mouth shut as much as possible…..

On a lighter note – Here’s Ian with my Mom recently!

Blogger Block!

A recent catoon that I saw in the newspaper depicted a little girl with blogger block!! I don't have blogger block, but I'm suffering from a lack of time to write!! I will strive to do better!

New Pics Of Sweeties!!

I'm too busy to post much right now, but wanted to post new pics of my sweeties!

Reasons why I love...

My sweet little boy!

The way that he stretches great big in the mornings when I wake him up. Then his sleepy little face looking up at me. He always sits up or stands up, and immediately starts handing me things… (pacifiers, stuffed toys..) Why he does this, I may never know..
There is no child on the face of the earth who loves green beans and macaroni and cheese as much as he does!! He double-fists those!
The laugh and smile that he gives when he is waving bye-bye to someone, like that is the most fun thing that he has ever done!
The way he opens the kitchen cabinet, finds the can of cookies, and brings it to me to get him a cookie.
The determined way that he plays with his toys in the bathtub.

It is impossible for me to sit here and list out all of the things that I love about this little guy. I love his every breath, his every move, his every word, his every thought, his every everything…

New Short-Term Goal

I may have already told some of you this, but I'm still gonna put it here so that everyone knows it and maybe you can help to keep me accountable.

I'm sick of these last few pounds that I have to go to reach my weight loss goal!! Seriously, I'm over them!! Starting tomorrow, I'm going to get back on-plan with WW hot and heavy, and I'm going to get to my goal in 2 weeks!!! 2 weeks!!!! No excuses!!! Surely I can knuckle down and stick with it for 2 more weeks!

Now I've got to think of some way to reward myself when I get there. Please share some ideas with me if you have any!

Fabulous Friday!!!

Sadie – These pics are for you!! They are from several years ago (feels like a lifetime ago), but I think you’ll get the message! Love ya sista!

OK – I am determined to keep this light and upbeat today! It’s Friday, and that is reason enough to be happy!

I’m really needing a weekend right about now. It’s been a tough work week – Since I will be covering for someone who will be off next week, I’ve tried to be extra-productive this week in preparation. Yes, I’ve managed to waste a little time here and there, but overall I’ve gotten a lot done. I wish that God would give me the motivation and focus that I need to be super-productive every single day. I pray for it, but I probably don’t really obey His directions for me regarding this issue… He gives me what I need, but I don’t always take it….

Yes, I know this is a little bit premature, but it’s ALMOST football time in Tennessee!!! I love football! UT football is my favorite, but I also like to follow the Colts and my beloved Cowboys. (Even though I am still upset about the whole T.O. thing…. How dare they do that to me!!)

This is a very emotional time for my family right now. Dad passed away in March. This weekend would have been Mom and Dad’s 46th wedding anniversary. I know that this must be very tough for Mom. She is quite the trooper and acts strong most of the time, but I know this is hard. If anyone is out there reading this, I ask that you please pray for her for the next few days. Dad always used to send her a dozen red roses for their anniversary. I am having an arrangement of multi-colored flowers delivered to her tomorrow from my family and my brother to acknowledge the anniversary. I will probably do that each year. My mom is such an incredible lady – She has always been my strength and my inspiration. I have always wanted to grow up to be just like her, and I hope that I have been successful. It hurts me deeply to know that she is hurting….

I really miss Dad. It seems that sometimes I make myself avoid thinking about him because it hurts. It still does not feel real that he is gone. Maybe I have not truly grieved as I should, but I’m just not sure how to go about it.

Gosh – I got deep again!

Here's my little man all dressed up for the baby dedication ceremony at church. And here's us lounging on the sofa! (This pic makes it look like I have more of a tummy than I really did....)

I've got the blues today - Don't know why. Think I'll waller around in it for a little while, then make myself snap out of it.

I just don't have much to write today.....

What a Terrific Tuesday!!

The devotional that I read yesterday was totally awesome! God is sovereign and is in charge of everything. "Isn't it glorious to know that no matter how unjust something may be, even when it seems to have come from Satan himself, by the time it reaches us it is God's will for us and will ultimately work to our good?" How incredibly awesome is that?? "Nothing that is not part of God's will is allowed to come into the life of someone who trusts and obeys Him." It is so reassuring to me to know that God is in control of what happens to me!!

Misc. Monday Musings...

Here’s my baby reading the Sunday paper! The paper turns out looking much like this when his daddy reads it too!

And this is me and my friend Lisa attending high tea at Crescent Bend in April with my Sunday School class. I had never worn a hat like this before, and probably never will again. My boss said that it was the first time anyone had ever asked to leave work early to attend high tea! It was a lot of fun, and the tulips were beautiful!

Do you ever feel really unsettled with your job? Boy, I do these days! There are still parts of my job that really give me a satisfied sense of accomplishment. But there are also a lot of things about my job that I dislike – The ongoing projects that never seem to end, the “list of things to do” that never gets any shorter, and the need to coordinate so many things with so many people. I know that these things are all part of management, but they can be such a hassle!! Sometimes I wonder if I really am in the center of God’s will in this job – I pray about it sometimes. I often think that it would be nice to go back to a lower-level position – There would be less responsibility, more distinct job duties on a daily basis, and a daily sense of accomplishment. There would also be less pay. I worked hard to get into this management position. I’ll just keep on praying for God’s guidance…..

Yesterday our ensemble sang “When You Speak To Me” at the morning services. The last line of this song says “Speak to me Lord, your servant is listening.” Do you ever have trouble hearing the Lord speaking to you like I do? It seems like there is always so much going on in my mind and my surroundings, that I know that I often miss what God is trying to tell me. I have to force myself to be quiet sometimes and just concentrate and listen. Sometimes I even repeat this song lyric over and over. I desperately want to hear what God wants to tell me.

Sunday Afternoon Ramblings

Here's my absolute favorite picture of my sweet precious angel. He's about 5 months old here. We have thought about sending this in to Taylor Made to see if they would use it in their advertisements!

He's a toddler now, and sometimes I wish that I were a toddler too. I wish that all I had to do was walk around in my barefeet and comfy play clothes, opening and closing drawers just to see how they work, pulling toys out of my toy chest, flipping through my pictures books, and pulling magazines off the coffee table. I would be so good at making funny noises with my throat, chewing on my toes, eating green beans with my fingers, and wrestling that big teddy bear. Yes, I would be a very good toddler.

But we can't go back to toddle-hood, can we? We have to grow up and deal with jobs that we aren't crazy about, bills that have to be paid, aging parents, and global warming. And we have to eat our green beans with a fork......


Wow - Didn't mean to get so deep!

Happy Saturday!!!

Here's Ian Jojo with his Daddy a few months ago, playing and having huge fun!! Aren't they both cuties?

This has been the most awesome Saturday!! I was very productive this morning - Got up early, swept and mopped the kitchen, did laundry, chopped veggies for soup to be made later, watered plants. I picked Mom up and took her out to lunch for her birthday, then we went shopping and I bought her a suit (her birthday suit!!). We then went to a housewarming party and put in a brief appearance.

I am so thankful for my Mom - God was so good for putting us together.

I am really looking forward to church tomorrow morning. Our ensemble, New Mercy, will be singing "When You Speak To Me". I am so blessed to be a part of this group and to be able to honor God in this way. Our Sunday School lesson is from Ecclesiates, and it is about handling uncertain times. How timely!! You can't get more uncertain than these times, can you?

Well, this is my very first post! This is gonna take some getting used to! Here's me and Ian Jojo - He was only 4 months old here, and I was about 30 pounds heavier. Much more to come!

Sing