Present Thoughts

i don't have anything remotely profound to write but I feel like updating so I'm just going to talk about random things that I've been living lately. Pick a category, any category!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants I've lost a little baby fat over the last month. I'm not sure if it's just my body finally returning to normal after being pregnant for 3 years, or if it's medication or what, but it's kind of nice. Except that the clothes I've been wearing are starting to gap and bag. So I've been on the prowl for new jeans. Because I can't live without jeans. Any other form of pants, I can do without, but I am most comfortable in jeans. So. Consignment store, every department store, and back to consignment store. I finally found one pair of pants on sale at Sears that I liked, and two at Goodwill (after trying on at least a dozen pairs). I decided to be selective and not just pick any pair that fit over my thighs. I didn't want stretch ones, anything on the butt (especially jewels) too low or high cut, too loose around the waist, too tight around the ankles or anywhere else(thank you but I am not going to relive the eighties. I am not sixteen and don't want to pretend to be). The result were three pairs that I think will last. I'll keep my eye out, but the hard searching is done. I spent less than $40 total. Not bad, and they're all name brand.

Here comes the Bride (or groom) My cousin-in-law, Rachel, is engaged to a great guy from church, and they're going to be married in two weeks. I can't wait. Mostly because Arlene's a flower girl and Daniel's playing music and it's going to be a joyful family gathering. But also because Rachel is an example of a girl decided to follow God and wait for Him to bring her the right person instead of rushing in and taking the first thing that came along. And I like Jason a lot.

My own brother got engaged last month, but he's decided to wait for a year to get married. Mostly because his fiancee is from another country so there are a lot of details to work out. Also because our younger brother will be deployed to Afganistan for the next year and he wants him to be able to be present for the big life event.

My brother-in-law is also getting married in June. I love his fiancee. She's so awesome. I'm not sure that he's really worthy of her or mature enough to handle adult life, but I guess that's not my call to make (thankfully, because I'd probably screw things up).

Daniel's other cousin also got engaged a couple of weeks ago. To a girl I knew growing up, my mom's friend's daughter. It's kind of cool to hvae her back around and see how the families have changed. Anyway, i guess we'll have another big wedding year, after a couple years of no other weddings.

Simple Pleasures With summer approaching, I've been thinking about activities. I've thought about how busy people are in general driving kids to sports, dance classes, after school clubs, etc. And how families seem to have less and less time together. I don't want our family to be like that. So while I can control it, I think that we're going to forgo scheduled events that we can forgo. (Swimming lessons is a life skill and therefore a different category). I want to have time with my kids to teach them and mold them and help them and let them grow up at their own pace instead of rushing it.

In the same category, I've thought about all of the things we accumulate as we live life, and I've decided (yet again) to work harder at not accumulating them. To classify needs and wants in their true categories, and to avoid spending whenever possible. That's a big statement and probably worthy of its own post. But I won't give it one. I'm just going to make that a weekly prayer that I will discern wisely the difference between wants and needs. I've realized that my kids can't live happy and full lives with so little, that I don't need to set them up for failure by complicating things early on.

Apocalyptic Theories I think I mentioned I'm planning to read Revelation. well, I haven't gotten into it yet. But even though I haven't, I've had a few strange dreams where I've been telling people about Jesus returning or something like that. It's probably all of the economic talk that I don't really understand, and people planning for major downturns in the economy and emp's and nuclear warfare. And I think I won't say much about this lest I be label as a religious nut and/or conspiracy theorist and/or doom-seeker and/or something political. And I don't really want any of those stigmas. I'm not worried about the future, which is so nice.

Little Baby Bundles This really does belong in its own post. several friends have had babies lately or announced pregnancy. It sort of makes me want another one. But our house isn't big enough and our lives aren't settled enough, and I'm finally losing weight and other health issues are in play. So I won't. I'm not pregnant. If you see me bawling next week on Mother's Day, it's because it will probably always be a hard day for me, seeing as I was supposed to have a baby then. Please try not to say something stupid. I don't want to hate you. I'll probably have more to say on that soon.

The Green Thumb We've planted a garden this year. I decided it was a useful skill to hone, and would help us be more frugal and maybe even eat more vegitables. So I planted peas, corn, green beans, carrots and spinach. Daniel planted asparagus and a blueberry plant. He's already started growing grapes the last few years, but he transplanted them this year since someone put a garage in the sunlight's way. I also have a little flower garden that was here when we came. I've added gladiolus this year and they're popping up. I have a flower bed in the front we planted with memory of Grace flowers. Four of them made it this year, which made my heart so happy. I really suck at the "green thumb" thing, but practice makes perfect, right?

I guess that's all for now. I'm going to try to do other productive things. Ha ha.