Peyton Manning summed it up when he said that his critics can shove it. Let's be real here, folks: the game, Sunday afternoon, proved the critics wrong. Peyton Manning played incredibly, as did the rest of the Broncos. The commentators, some of which couldn't even get the names right over and over and TWICE referred back to stories about Julius Thomas while mixing him up with Demaryius Thomas, kept referring to dropped passes. Well, more than HALF of those dropped passes were not a direct result of Manning's throws. They were a result of the weather and the receiver. That's not to say that the rest of the team didn't play awesome. Passes get dropped, things happen. For God's sake, they still scored over 50 points....that says something BIG!
As for the critics of the record-setting kick, let's talk a little about the freezing cold which makes the ball, in general, not travel as far. The ball is heavier in the cold and the altitude component is removed when it's that cold outside. Prater's kick was unbelievable and the critics need to shut it, climb out of Tom Brady's ass, and realize that Manning is a better quarterback, the Broncos ARE the best team in the NFL currently, and all the trash talk means nothing.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Christmas Shopping is DONE!
With Christmas coming up quickly, I started worrying about getting it done before the final rush the week before Christmas. This weekend, I finished it all up. I went on Saturday morning and took care of the stocking stuffers (socks and underwear) and the last gift in our set. I did NOT come up with the idea for our gift giving but I'm inclined to share anyway.....
Santa brings ONE gift and ONE gift only. He does not bring anything outrageous for them. We are not a family that receives Mac Books from Santa. Santa looks at your list and decides if those are the best for you or if he wants to give you something else. The fact is this: you either appreciate what you get or you get nothing at all. With two tweens in the mix, I have yet to have a problem with this.
Gifts from us....
ONE YOU WANT. This is a gift that is generally from your list or has been requested throughout the year.
ONE YOU NEED: Sometimes this is a pillow or new shoes. This year, it's a tote container full of toiletries....body wash/soap, tooth paste, deodorant, flossers, etc
ONE YOU WEAR: This doesn't mean one outfit. For us (this year), it meant several pairs of jeans, shirts, etc. It all came from the thrift store but it's all name brand and fabulous (and barely used, it appears).
ONE YOU READ: Again, not just one book for us. Instead, I went to the thrift store and bought a stack of books for each child. They love to read and don't care if they're brand new.
Santa brings ONE gift and ONE gift only. He does not bring anything outrageous for them. We are not a family that receives Mac Books from Santa. Santa looks at your list and decides if those are the best for you or if he wants to give you something else. The fact is this: you either appreciate what you get or you get nothing at all. With two tweens in the mix, I have yet to have a problem with this.
Gifts from us....
ONE YOU WANT. This is a gift that is generally from your list or has been requested throughout the year.
ONE YOU NEED: Sometimes this is a pillow or new shoes. This year, it's a tote container full of toiletries....body wash/soap, tooth paste, deodorant, flossers, etc
ONE YOU WEAR: This doesn't mean one outfit. For us (this year), it meant several pairs of jeans, shirts, etc. It all came from the thrift store but it's all name brand and fabulous (and barely used, it appears).
ONE YOU READ: Again, not just one book for us. Instead, I went to the thrift store and bought a stack of books for each child. They love to read and don't care if they're brand new.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Boobs....Some are big and some are small, some are fat and some are tall...
After seeing a rather obvious "guy post" on Facebook just now, I feel the need to reiterate (because I'm pretty sure I've said it before in this blog but I know I've said it in person) my feelings on a topic that is near and dear to my heart (no pun intended)....boobs. Yes, boobs. Anyone who has NOT had children and is still young and perky, you can just ignore this post because you won't understand it unless or until you go through it.
Let's be honest: even men who SAY that they're butt men or leg men love boobs. Somehow, in the past decade or more, it's become a bigger is better game for a lot of them. Women in their 30s (and later) are expected to have the voluptuous body of a barely-legal-never-had-a-stretch mark girl. It's an unfair expectation. Meanwhile men are allowed to get pot bellies, thinning hair on their heads and increasing hair in their ears, noses, and body. Now I'm not a huge women's right advocate and I'm not gonna tell you to burn your bra in protest of this expectation but it definitely isn't fair and causes a lot of women to feel down on themselves.
The fact is that EVERYONE'S bodies change as they age. It's a part of nature. It's a part that seems to be less and less apparent because of cosmetic surgery but it IS a part of nature. For women that means a lot of things including (insert sad music) sagging boobs. It can also mean weight gain which often either makes the breasts larger or makes them LOOK smaller because other parts of your body are bigger. Men want to be critical sometimes but ask them if their....ummmm male parts look the same as they looked when they were young. I'll bet you they get very very quiet.
The other fact I'd like to address is that when women birth babies, their bodies change too. This is especially true of women that choose to breast feed. Yes, there are the "freaks of nature" that birth a baby and don't have a single stretch mark and barely sagging breasts but guess what ladies...that will change when you age anyway. Women get stretch marks (some darker than others...I'm fortunate that mine are very light) on many parts of their bodies during pregnancy and their breasts lose volume and (occasionally) size after breast feeding. Is it fair? No. Is it the end of the world. No.
Women spend so much time worrying about their body looking the same as it did when they were young. "Oh I was 15 lbs lighter." Well you had a little less on your plate back then. "Oh my boobs were perfect back then." Yes they were. Buy a good bra, it'll work wonders on the girls. Men are no help in this, most of the time, because they ogle girls with perfect, often cosmetically enhanced, breasts and say things like, "Well I think yours are nice." NICE!?! What the hell am I, a turkey that you're planning on cooking up? LOL (No this isn't a personal experience here but I hear it frequently).
So here's my opinions.....
*Women's bodies change...so do men's. Men's just aren't apparent until they're naked, most of the time.
*Own whatever you've got. I'm on the small side and I own it. I have friends that are on the bigger side and THEY own it. Boobs are boobs and they may not be much but they're yours.
*Buy a good bra. Maybe you want something to boost the girls or pad them...great. Just make sure it's supportive and comfortable for you, in the process.
*Stop worrying so much about cosmetic surgery. In my opinion, the real thing is ALWAYS better than a fake. If you don't agree, you let me know how that tofurkey works out for you next Thanksgiving. The real thing might not be as aesthetically pleasing but it's natural and...gosh darn it, it's good for you.
*Realize that, despite how well they may hide it, there are a lot more women LIKE you than ones that are cosmetically enhanced.
and finally....
*There are a lot of health risks that CAN (don't martyr me on this because I know a lot of things go smoothly all the time) go wrong with breast augmentation and other such breast fixes. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather deal with boobs that aren't perfect than be one of those botched boob jobs you see on the internet...and believe me, that's my luck.
Whatever the case may be and whatever choice you make, own what you have. And men...try to be easy on your women and let her know that you still think she's sexy, maybe even more so because she embraces her imperfections.
Let's be honest: even men who SAY that they're butt men or leg men love boobs. Somehow, in the past decade or more, it's become a bigger is better game for a lot of them. Women in their 30s (and later) are expected to have the voluptuous body of a barely-legal-never-had-a-stretch mark girl. It's an unfair expectation. Meanwhile men are allowed to get pot bellies, thinning hair on their heads and increasing hair in their ears, noses, and body. Now I'm not a huge women's right advocate and I'm not gonna tell you to burn your bra in protest of this expectation but it definitely isn't fair and causes a lot of women to feel down on themselves.
The fact is that EVERYONE'S bodies change as they age. It's a part of nature. It's a part that seems to be less and less apparent because of cosmetic surgery but it IS a part of nature. For women that means a lot of things including (insert sad music) sagging boobs. It can also mean weight gain which often either makes the breasts larger or makes them LOOK smaller because other parts of your body are bigger. Men want to be critical sometimes but ask them if their....ummmm male parts look the same as they looked when they were young. I'll bet you they get very very quiet.
The other fact I'd like to address is that when women birth babies, their bodies change too. This is especially true of women that choose to breast feed. Yes, there are the "freaks of nature" that birth a baby and don't have a single stretch mark and barely sagging breasts but guess what ladies...that will change when you age anyway. Women get stretch marks (some darker than others...I'm fortunate that mine are very light) on many parts of their bodies during pregnancy and their breasts lose volume and (occasionally) size after breast feeding. Is it fair? No. Is it the end of the world. No.
Women spend so much time worrying about their body looking the same as it did when they were young. "Oh I was 15 lbs lighter." Well you had a little less on your plate back then. "Oh my boobs were perfect back then." Yes they were. Buy a good bra, it'll work wonders on the girls. Men are no help in this, most of the time, because they ogle girls with perfect, often cosmetically enhanced, breasts and say things like, "Well I think yours are nice." NICE!?! What the hell am I, a turkey that you're planning on cooking up? LOL (No this isn't a personal experience here but I hear it frequently).
So here's my opinions.....
*Women's bodies change...so do men's. Men's just aren't apparent until they're naked, most of the time.
*Own whatever you've got. I'm on the small side and I own it. I have friends that are on the bigger side and THEY own it. Boobs are boobs and they may not be much but they're yours.
*Buy a good bra. Maybe you want something to boost the girls or pad them...great. Just make sure it's supportive and comfortable for you, in the process.
*Stop worrying so much about cosmetic surgery. In my opinion, the real thing is ALWAYS better than a fake. If you don't agree, you let me know how that tofurkey works out for you next Thanksgiving. The real thing might not be as aesthetically pleasing but it's natural and...gosh darn it, it's good for you.
*Realize that, despite how well they may hide it, there are a lot more women LIKE you than ones that are cosmetically enhanced.
and finally....
*There are a lot of health risks that CAN (don't martyr me on this because I know a lot of things go smoothly all the time) go wrong with breast augmentation and other such breast fixes. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather deal with boobs that aren't perfect than be one of those botched boob jobs you see on the internet...and believe me, that's my luck.
Whatever the case may be and whatever choice you make, own what you have. And men...try to be easy on your women and let her know that you still think she's sexy, maybe even more so because she embraces her imperfections.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Money
There's so much that I'd love to do for my kids but I don't have the opportunity to do it. The fact is that there are a lot of expressions about money...
"Money is the root of all evil."
"Money can't buy happiness."
"Money changes everything."
I have watched more than my share of shows about lottery winners that had their lives go to crap after they won. Money CAN cause a lot of drama and crap for people.
With all of that being said, I don't believe that money does those things. I believe that money gives people the opportunity to see who they really are. When their lives go to crap, it's because they realize they were selfish. I know plenty of "wealthy" people that are charitable, kind, hard-working people and who feel that while they HAVE money, it does not define who they are. Honestly, that is my goal. My goal is to have the money to give freely (and to be debt-free) but also to be able to allow my kids SOME privileges. For me, that would be putting them in an extra-curricular activity for each of them, doing a special thing once a month (museum, zoo, theme park) that costs money and keeping the rest free or cheap (hiking, etc), and having money in savings that will actually equal up to something. My goal is to finally be one of the people that proves these theories wrong.
Maybe God will bless this goal and maybe He won't but a dream is a dream and I'm going to continue to have it. I don't want money to achieve mega selfish goals (plastic surgery, mansion in the hills with servants and such, etc) but to be with my family more, do more for others and show that I would still be a thrify, Savers-shopping mama even if I was a millionaire.
Stay tune for updates on how this mission is going (and I'm not holding my breath.)
"Money is the root of all evil."
"Money can't buy happiness."
"Money changes everything."
I have watched more than my share of shows about lottery winners that had their lives go to crap after they won. Money CAN cause a lot of drama and crap for people.
With all of that being said, I don't believe that money does those things. I believe that money gives people the opportunity to see who they really are. When their lives go to crap, it's because they realize they were selfish. I know plenty of "wealthy" people that are charitable, kind, hard-working people and who feel that while they HAVE money, it does not define who they are. Honestly, that is my goal. My goal is to have the money to give freely (and to be debt-free) but also to be able to allow my kids SOME privileges. For me, that would be putting them in an extra-curricular activity for each of them, doing a special thing once a month (museum, zoo, theme park) that costs money and keeping the rest free or cheap (hiking, etc), and having money in savings that will actually equal up to something. My goal is to finally be one of the people that proves these theories wrong.
Maybe God will bless this goal and maybe He won't but a dream is a dream and I'm going to continue to have it. I don't want money to achieve mega selfish goals (plastic surgery, mansion in the hills with servants and such, etc) but to be with my family more, do more for others and show that I would still be a thrify, Savers-shopping mama even if I was a millionaire.
Stay tune for updates on how this mission is going (and I'm not holding my breath.)
Not Getting Your Respect
In my opinion, this all started in my parents' generation. The media likes to blame it on my generation but I believe that it stems back to theirs more than anything. You see, in my grandparents' generation, it was a very different time. People may have protested things but they protested things that truly mattered and that affected the people as a whole. Their focus was on the family and they knew that they had to live within their means to provide in the right way for their family. They didn't care if they liked or hated the people at work because they went to work to work, not to make friends. Their kids drove them crazy but they knew that they made the choice to be parents. Yes, there were people that acted promiscuously or were drunks or committed crimes, but there weren't as many because people actually understood that there were real consequences for their crimes.
Then came my parents' generation. Now I can't blame everything on them but I believe this is where the corruption truly hit hard. Protesting was a common part of life in that generation but people started to get selfish in their protests. It wasn't always about the good of mankind....some of it became about the good of "me." We came a long way towards equal rights in this generation which is FANTASTIC but we also came a long way toward the entitlement era that now plagues our nation. This was the generation (in my opinion) that started teaching their kids that they were entitled to special treatment, their feelings couldn't be hurt, and they were special. Now, before I get maimed for saying otherwise, I'm not saying that every person isn't special in their own way. What I AM saying is that this is where entitlement began. It wasn't something that just happened; it was something that was taught actively, though they didn't even know that they were doing it.
My generation grew up in a completely different way because of these lessons. Many of them grew up thinking that things needed to be done to cater to them. "You can be anything you want" taught kids that they didn't necessarily need to worry about what they were good at but that you can be an Olympic gymnast even if you have no coordination, an astronaut even if you couldn't pass elementary school math, and so on. "I want my kids to have it better off than I did" taught kids that they didn't have to work for what they wanted because it was their parents job to give them what they want and then THEY should do the same thing for THEIR kids down the line. Our generation was taught to be critical of everything and everyone because they weren't giving proper respect. Our generation as taught that kids can sass talk their parents and parents should just "deal with it." We were taught to play the blame game because everything is someone else's fault. We were taught that families are disposable and that friends are a dime a dozen. There are a million things that our generation was blamed for that weren't just a behavior we picked up; it was taught to us by well-meaning parents who didn't know what kind of a monster they were creating.
Fast forward to the current generation that is coming of age. The movement seems to be split into two COMPLETELY different sections. There is a population of parents that believe that kids are too entitled and are turning into spoiled brats. This group of parents often still believes in old school parenting methods such as spanking, standing in the corner, soap on the tongue, and so on. This group of parents believes in teaching their kids that talking back is not acceptable and, while they will deal with a certain amount of it, you often find that these kids are more accepting of authority because they understand that adults are the authority. This group tends to place a fair amount of responsibility on their children (chores, etc) because they want to teach their children real-world life skills. These parents may read parenting books and articles but they don't live their life by them; they live their lives by experience. They believe in kicking your kids out the door to play, letting them get dirty, and that there is a time and a place for medicine (and a time and place to let your body handle it). I could go on but you get the idea.
The other population of parents seems to be a generation of "our parents didn't know what they were doing" kids. A good portion of these parents will tell you that they were "abused" as children because they were spanked (a matter of opinion, to say the least). A good portion of these parents will also tell you how they were bullied or how terrible they had it (Not all parents of this population do this but a good portion do, in my opinion). This group of parents tends towards the "I don't want to hurt their feelings" way of parenting. You aren't allowed to raise your voice, spank, put them in the corner, etc because it's "damaging"....research shows it. You aren't allowed to feed them junk food EVER, send them to traditional school, and if you don't breast feed your child until they go to college, you're a bad parent (I'm exaggerating, of course). Now SOME of the kids from this are sweet, respectable (though often VERY naeive) kids and SOME of them turn out to be self-entitled jerks because their parents never tell them no.
So what's the answer? Maybe we should stop looking at what these doctors are claiming is well-founded research and really look at our grandparents' generation. Maybe we should make kids understand that actions have consequences. Maybe we should teach them that the world isn't fair but they always have a soft place to fall at home. Maybe we should teach them the value of a dollar and that time is just as important, if not more so, than stuff. Maybe we should teach them that adults ARE to be respected and that they don't have to "earn" their respect; they are elders and should be treated as such. Maybe we should talk to our grandparents and look a bit more at how they grew up. Instead of focusing on how we "aren't getting our respect", maybe we should think about what respect we're putting out into the world for ourselves, our children and others.
End of rant.
Then came my parents' generation. Now I can't blame everything on them but I believe this is where the corruption truly hit hard. Protesting was a common part of life in that generation but people started to get selfish in their protests. It wasn't always about the good of mankind....some of it became about the good of "me." We came a long way towards equal rights in this generation which is FANTASTIC but we also came a long way toward the entitlement era that now plagues our nation. This was the generation (in my opinion) that started teaching their kids that they were entitled to special treatment, their feelings couldn't be hurt, and they were special. Now, before I get maimed for saying otherwise, I'm not saying that every person isn't special in their own way. What I AM saying is that this is where entitlement began. It wasn't something that just happened; it was something that was taught actively, though they didn't even know that they were doing it.
My generation grew up in a completely different way because of these lessons. Many of them grew up thinking that things needed to be done to cater to them. "You can be anything you want" taught kids that they didn't necessarily need to worry about what they were good at but that you can be an Olympic gymnast even if you have no coordination, an astronaut even if you couldn't pass elementary school math, and so on. "I want my kids to have it better off than I did" taught kids that they didn't have to work for what they wanted because it was their parents job to give them what they want and then THEY should do the same thing for THEIR kids down the line. Our generation was taught to be critical of everything and everyone because they weren't giving proper respect. Our generation as taught that kids can sass talk their parents and parents should just "deal with it." We were taught to play the blame game because everything is someone else's fault. We were taught that families are disposable and that friends are a dime a dozen. There are a million things that our generation was blamed for that weren't just a behavior we picked up; it was taught to us by well-meaning parents who didn't know what kind of a monster they were creating.
Fast forward to the current generation that is coming of age. The movement seems to be split into two COMPLETELY different sections. There is a population of parents that believe that kids are too entitled and are turning into spoiled brats. This group of parents often still believes in old school parenting methods such as spanking, standing in the corner, soap on the tongue, and so on. This group of parents believes in teaching their kids that talking back is not acceptable and, while they will deal with a certain amount of it, you often find that these kids are more accepting of authority because they understand that adults are the authority. This group tends to place a fair amount of responsibility on their children (chores, etc) because they want to teach their children real-world life skills. These parents may read parenting books and articles but they don't live their life by them; they live their lives by experience. They believe in kicking your kids out the door to play, letting them get dirty, and that there is a time and a place for medicine (and a time and place to let your body handle it). I could go on but you get the idea.
The other population of parents seems to be a generation of "our parents didn't know what they were doing" kids. A good portion of these parents will tell you that they were "abused" as children because they were spanked (a matter of opinion, to say the least). A good portion of these parents will also tell you how they were bullied or how terrible they had it (Not all parents of this population do this but a good portion do, in my opinion). This group of parents tends towards the "I don't want to hurt their feelings" way of parenting. You aren't allowed to raise your voice, spank, put them in the corner, etc because it's "damaging"....research shows it. You aren't allowed to feed them junk food EVER, send them to traditional school, and if you don't breast feed your child until they go to college, you're a bad parent (I'm exaggerating, of course). Now SOME of the kids from this are sweet, respectable (though often VERY naeive) kids and SOME of them turn out to be self-entitled jerks because their parents never tell them no.
So what's the answer? Maybe we should stop looking at what these doctors are claiming is well-founded research and really look at our grandparents' generation. Maybe we should make kids understand that actions have consequences. Maybe we should teach them that the world isn't fair but they always have a soft place to fall at home. Maybe we should teach them the value of a dollar and that time is just as important, if not more so, than stuff. Maybe we should teach them that adults ARE to be respected and that they don't have to "earn" their respect; they are elders and should be treated as such. Maybe we should talk to our grandparents and look a bit more at how they grew up. Instead of focusing on how we "aren't getting our respect", maybe we should think about what respect we're putting out into the world for ourselves, our children and others.
End of rant.
Take a Look at Other Nations
Since I'm back from my little hiatus, I feel like the first thing I want to discuss is family structure. Our nation is great because there are all types of families here in all shapes and sizes. We are generally told that our nation embraces that but that's not always the case. There are a million and one ways to be a family yet we're fighting for the rights of some to marry (or divorce), our divorce rate is outrageous, and things like wife swapping exist. So what's my little rant about? Here goes....
I have a tendency to believe that a lot of our nation's residents mock or poo-poo less fortunate nations for what they don't have. We try to go in and fix them. To be honest, some things they need....clean water, chance at education, and so on. There's also a lot we could learn from them, though. We could learn about family.
It seems that our nation has turned into a bunch of "Me mentality" buttholes. Oh sure, we all come together when there's a big crisis here or in other parts of the world. We all hold each others hands and feel good about ourselves for a little while because we sent clothes or money or food. I'm NOT saying that those things aren't great steps towards being a better person. They are all. I think we should aim to give each other a hand up more often. With that being said, a lot of people "help" all of these nations or crisis victims and forget about their families and being there for them.
In many other nations, it is not unusual for generations to all live in the same house or on the same general property. The grandparents help raise the kids, the kids learn to help out the grandparents. It's a smooth running and wonderful family unit. Do they argue and get irritated with each other? I'm sure they do. I don't know that anyone is completely immune from getting irritated with someone they're with non stop. The thing is...a lot of these families are together even more than we are with a lot less to entertain them (no tvs, etc) and they have more whole, smoother running families than we do. We keep saying what they DON'T have and how we need to fix them but the fact is that a lot of these people don't want to be corrupted like a lot of our nation's people.
I'm not suggesting that we all completely buck technology and become pseudo-Amish (and I'm NOT knocking Amish people because they have it together in a lot of ways too). What I am suggesting is that we should, perhaps, take a long hard look at how we treat each other, especially our families. Instead of viewing our families as disposable, irritating, convenience options, maybe we should truly begin to focus on our families as the amazing blessing that they can be. Maybe your family is related by blood and maybe you've been brought together by adoption or by chance. It doesn't matter, they are an important part of your life. Here are a few things I'd like to finish off with as a means to remember.....
*Your mom/dad may drive you nuts but they're (likely) the only mom/dad you're ever gonna have. As a parent, I daily look at my life and think, "my parents had the best intentions" and a lot of the time, they were right. I honestly believe that a lot of parents, I'd venture to say "most" parents, honestly do the best they can with the resources that they have. Do they make mistakes? Yes. I make mistakes as a parent now. The great news is that parents are intended to unconditionally love their children.
*Your family is NOT an aggravation unless you make them that. People come in all shapes and sizes and with all types of personalities. You might not mesh well personality-wise with all of your family but they are still your family. You are not entitled to choose people's personalities and reactions to things. You are only entitled to choosing your own reactions to them.
*Your family is not just for your convenience. There are circumstances that lead families to be severed sometimes but your kids, your parents are not just a convenience.
*If you make a choice to ignore/deny contact with your family, you should be prepared to deal with the consequences down the line. Those that read regularly know that I'm a believer in karma and I believe that acting that way has consequences down the line.
Maybe if families focused a little MORE on this and a little LESS on who's driving them crazy, not giving them "the respect they deserve" and so on, they'd realize that life is a lot more than just me, me, me.
I have a tendency to believe that a lot of our nation's residents mock or poo-poo less fortunate nations for what they don't have. We try to go in and fix them. To be honest, some things they need....clean water, chance at education, and so on. There's also a lot we could learn from them, though. We could learn about family.
It seems that our nation has turned into a bunch of "Me mentality" buttholes. Oh sure, we all come together when there's a big crisis here or in other parts of the world. We all hold each others hands and feel good about ourselves for a little while because we sent clothes or money or food. I'm NOT saying that those things aren't great steps towards being a better person. They are all. I think we should aim to give each other a hand up more often. With that being said, a lot of people "help" all of these nations or crisis victims and forget about their families and being there for them.
In many other nations, it is not unusual for generations to all live in the same house or on the same general property. The grandparents help raise the kids, the kids learn to help out the grandparents. It's a smooth running and wonderful family unit. Do they argue and get irritated with each other? I'm sure they do. I don't know that anyone is completely immune from getting irritated with someone they're with non stop. The thing is...a lot of these families are together even more than we are with a lot less to entertain them (no tvs, etc) and they have more whole, smoother running families than we do. We keep saying what they DON'T have and how we need to fix them but the fact is that a lot of these people don't want to be corrupted like a lot of our nation's people.
I'm not suggesting that we all completely buck technology and become pseudo-Amish (and I'm NOT knocking Amish people because they have it together in a lot of ways too). What I am suggesting is that we should, perhaps, take a long hard look at how we treat each other, especially our families. Instead of viewing our families as disposable, irritating, convenience options, maybe we should truly begin to focus on our families as the amazing blessing that they can be. Maybe your family is related by blood and maybe you've been brought together by adoption or by chance. It doesn't matter, they are an important part of your life. Here are a few things I'd like to finish off with as a means to remember.....
*Your mom/dad may drive you nuts but they're (likely) the only mom/dad you're ever gonna have. As a parent, I daily look at my life and think, "my parents had the best intentions" and a lot of the time, they were right. I honestly believe that a lot of parents, I'd venture to say "most" parents, honestly do the best they can with the resources that they have. Do they make mistakes? Yes. I make mistakes as a parent now. The great news is that parents are intended to unconditionally love their children.
*Your family is NOT an aggravation unless you make them that. People come in all shapes and sizes and with all types of personalities. You might not mesh well personality-wise with all of your family but they are still your family. You are not entitled to choose people's personalities and reactions to things. You are only entitled to choosing your own reactions to them.
*Your family is not just for your convenience. There are circumstances that lead families to be severed sometimes but your kids, your parents are not just a convenience.
*If you make a choice to ignore/deny contact with your family, you should be prepared to deal with the consequences down the line. Those that read regularly know that I'm a believer in karma and I believe that acting that way has consequences down the line.
Maybe if families focused a little MORE on this and a little LESS on who's driving them crazy, not giving them "the respect they deserve" and so on, they'd realize that life is a lot more than just me, me, me.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Engaged!
I'm ENGAGED! The love of my life proposed to me on Thanksgiving in a completely unexpected but amazingly awesome way that made me feel so special that it was unreal. Just to know that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me makes everything in my life that much more special. The fact that he wants to spend the rest of his life with ALL of us (crazies included) makes it 1000 times more special. I'm so blessed to have him in my life.
The kids are all doing fantastic. Growing like weeds, but fantastic. LOL They're doing great in school and continuing to rock behaviorally...well most of the time. Kids are kids, right?
I feel the winds of change blowing in a positive direction and I'm waiting to see what God does next. He's surprised me thus far. :)
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