Getting over the "What the hell were we thinking?!" phase.

When she asked what we thought of her going on a mission trip to Haiti the Big Guy and I thought it sounded great....fun, enlightening, good for her, good for them. Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of deep thought going on before the papers were signed and the deposits made...and there is a big difference between what sounds good and what sometimes is good.

When the "thinking" deepened and plans solidified so did the preparations. Leadership training at church (for the oldest Wild One), passport obtainment (with all the challenges of getting an underage child out of the country with no parent....which is actually easier than getting one out with only one parent)...travel clinics with all the warnings: typhoid, hepatitis, flu, tetanus, rabies, malaria, clean drinking water, slums, thieves, pedestrian safety, guard dogs and their last question to me, "Have you thought about travel insurance...incase she needs to be airlifted to Miami?" (Nooooo!)...internet research which I could have done without: US warnings against travel to areas including Haiti.

I thought I had gotten past that, talked myself into trusting that we had made the right decision. That was until we left her at the airport at four in the morning. The Big Guy and I left...he held my hand and didn't mention the tears. The ride home was pretty quiet, we talked about work and our schedule and then went about our day. It wasn't until later that night when we were getting ready to leave for an LAX game that we allowed ourselves to let it out.


We looked at each other and simultaneously said, "What have we done?" 

We have both commented in the past about news stories describing terrible things happening to missionaries, wondering why they would put themselves at such risk. What were they thinking? We started giggling through our (OK my) tears knowing that we were now a part of this craziness. In the same moment we both realized that what we had done...we allowed our daughter to make a choice, to live in the moment and not be held back by fear. We have taught our kids to live for what they believe, what makes them happy and to not let obstacles get in the way. 

I can't put in words how proud I am of my baby girl! 

And no, I won't sleep well until she is safely home, but in the mean time I know she is exactly where she is meant to be.

Healing Haiti Woodridge Church

File and Smake it.

We all know there is something irresistible about the hind end of football players on the field...all bent over waiting for the snap...tight poly stretched across their buns. OK snap out of it...entirelry different story when the players are 10 years old...and your offspring. Still cute in a skinny, "that's my boy" kind of way. It doesn't matter how good they are (unless they are really, really good...and then you don't really need to talk about it, everyone just knows), it really is about how much fun they have out there. They work together, they respect the coaches, they take crap from the coaches, they grow thicker skin, they sweat, they cry and they roll on the field when they win. It is all still new, they try different positions and they make mistakes. The coaches revert back to boyhood and the boys feel like men. Sometimes it just comes together...and sometimes they win...sometimes by one point.

Have Thoughts...Must Write.

My head is full. It feels like it may explode. Don't worry it won't be coming out orifices of my head...hopefully. If I am lucky it will all spew forth from the end of my fingertips. I must discipline the thoughts bouncing around the inside of my skull, tame them and mold them into coherent stories to be written and stored for as long as this thing they call the internet survives. Oh yeah...I must also find the time to tackle that mountain. This cannot including sleep time or running time when I just happen to have many great ideas...but fail to remember them when I actually have a key board or a pad of paper handy. However, the Big Guy has the perfect solution to that problem: nipple rings, one on each side...a pad of paper hanging from one and a pen from the other. How would I survive without him?!

Waiting for a rainy day.

I spend long winters waiting for hot sunny days...and then when they get here I feel the need to be outside enjoying them. But every once in a while it is nice to have a cool, rainy day to give me the excuse to stay inside and get a few things done. Yeah sure, I could do a load of laundry or wash the kitchen floor...which will just be dirty again tomorrow when we are all back to running in and out from the hot sunny day...the mud left over from the rain the day before...you get the picture...but I would much rather gather on the couch with the Wild Ones, have a few snuggles, read a few books, play a few games and then just in case we haven't had enough lazy time...head off to a movie that we have been dying to see. OK, it has rained and we've done all that, now...BRING BACK THE SUN...please!

Talk about neglect!

Something always has to give...as "they" say. I have been busy starting a business...spurred on by a client that thought I was already in business. She heard from a friend of a friend that I was ready to go and who was I to say I wasn't. Perhaps it was the kick in the butt I needed to take the leap...OK it WAS the kick I needed. I feel a bit behind the 8 ball with my own business, but my first project is complete...with a little on-going consultation to boot. With that done, I now have time for my life again...well a little anyway until school starts back up after labor day. Until then, I will try to take time for the kids, time for the Big Guy and a bit of time for myself...all mixed in with the continuation of the new business. Oh, the name of the business..."lollipop design"  Website Design, Communications and Marketing for small and start up businesses...website anyone?