Oh So Lonely....

Tonight Mike is away at a training conference in Greensboro. It's not often he has to go away for work, so I'm not used to being alone at night. I guess I've forgotten what it's like to live alone because I have found myself checking the locks, and closing the blinds and drapes- just in case. I don't actually think there's anybody out to get me, it's just nice to know I'm safe and secure, and it's eery being here alone at night. Plus, Parker the attack dog would be no help to an intruder- he would lick them to death!

I've actually gotten a few things accomplished this evening-some laundry and I swept the floors (which is an everyday thing with the dog and cat). Plus, I got to paint. I have all of mom's watercolor books, which is what she was good at and I now have several of her paintings hanging in my home. Now, I have never been any good at painting with watercolor, but I figured tonight would be a good time to practice. So, armed with book, paints and brushes, I sketched out a landscape and painted. To my surprise, it actually doesn't look half bad, and I learned a few new techniques.

Love....

It's hard to believe it's been almost 5 years since Mike and I were married. I can truly say I love him more today than I did then. Every weekend, without fail, Mike asks me to make a list. The list consists of things that need to get done before the new week begins. Normally, this includes dusting and cleaning, laundry, etc. I make out the list and we tackle it together. Now, some may think this means nothing, but to me it is a very romantic gesture. I grew up in a household where dad worked and mom did all the housework, so to me, it means a lot that he is willing to chip in. Sometimes, he even sees what needs to be done before I ask and he takes care of it. He truly is wonderful to me, I even got breakfast in bed this morning. What a treat! We've come a long way in five years, and I can wait to see what the next 5 bring!

Just Say NO!

So I tend to have a small problem getting the word "NO" out of my mouth. I have been struggling with this, particularly when it comes to school. People at school are ALWAYS asking me to help them do something, whether it is make a banner for their church (HELLO! Not school related!) or draw something for their bulletin board...I must have a sign on my forehead that says "I'll do anything you ask!" Today, I guess I needed a refresher course in saying no.
I've been giving a teacher a ride to school every morning, she lives in the same town I do and has no car at the moment. This is fine, and hopefully she will be getting her car fixed soon. ANOTHER teacher asked me today if I would give HIS sister a ride to and from school FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR! And get this, he wanted me to go and pick her up every morning (out of my way)and he wanted me to rearrange my schedule to take her home everyday at 4:00. Apparently she got a job at the high school and has no way to get there!! (Did I mention they are from India? So she doesn't drive.) I tried the nice way to tell him it was too much with me taking this other teacher to school, too. After all, I'm not a taxi service! He didn't accept that...and I ended up agreeing with him.
I walked away upset, not really wanting to become this taxi service, and feeling bad for wanting to say no. I love my morning drive BY MYSELF because for 50 minutes, I get to wake up and most days I sing and worship while I'm driving. I went to vent to my co-workers, who reassured me I should not feel bad about saying NO. So, I went back and told him I couldn't do it, and walked away. I said NO. (So I had to be given a refresher course) But still, I said no. It's a step in the right direction.
At the end of the day, one of my friends gave me an index card to carry around that says "NO". I think I'll keep it handy, and bring it out when I need it.

Little Mike and Becca

So I was looking on Mike's travel drive and look what I found! It's Mike and I when we were about 4 or 5 years old. Look how cute we were! Thought you all would enjoy this one.

Happy Valentine's Day

So on Thursday,I had a dentist appointment. I had a filling done back in October but that tooth had been bothering me. The dentist wanted to re-do it, and I stupidly made the appointment for Valentine's day. Mike and I had made plans to go out to eat after he got home from work. Well, needless to say, I was still numb at 8:00. I didn't feel much like going out and drooling all over myself. So, Mike got us some McDonald's (I know, SO bad for you, but still so good...) and we ate at home. It was still nice to spend time together, and we ended up going out for our VDay dinner on Friday night.
I told Mike not to get me anything. We both agree that Valentine's day is way too commercialized, and that it really is just another day. I would much rather have flowers "just because" on another day that on valentine's day. Anyway, I wanted to make cookies for Mike, but didn't get to it during the week because of our school's Valentine's day pageant of which I am the chair of the decorating committee. So, this weekend I finally got around to making his Vday gift. He was thrilled with this cookie, and just had to take a picture.

The Way Things Were...

Even the smallest things remind me of her. The sewing machine I will use tomorrow to make hall monitor sashes; the smell of Tide; the ceramic bowl that holds our fruit; the sight of a mother and her little girl. I miss her. I miss hearing her say, "Yes, Rebecca. This is mom." Every time she called; like I didn't know who it was. The sound of her voice, and the feel of her cheek on mine when we hugged. I miss the way she would encourage me without being asked. I often find myself feeling like the last 7 months weren't real...like it never happened. But it did, and life goes on...and I know she would want us to rejoice that she is with the Lord. I look forward to the day I will see her again. In the meantime, I am reminded that "the joy of the Lord is my strength." (Neh 8:10) He is my joy in times of sorrow, I will lean on Him. He's strength to the weary, joy to the sad and love to the lonely. I just pray that with time this sorrow with fade...

On another note, the breast cancer site donates a mammogram to a woman in need for every time you visit their website and click on the logo. So, visit the website. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2 Happy clicking!

The Big Stick

For those of you who don't know, Parker eats and swallows everything. Over Christmas, he ate a mystery "something" and got very ill. We rushed him to the vet, and they operated. During the operation, the vet discovered the piece of plastic and string he had swallowed had torn a hole in his small intestine. The vet did the best he could, and there wasn't much else we could do but pray! A month later, Parker is pretty much back to normal eating wise. We threw all his toys away, in a moment of panic, and I felt bad because he had nothing to play with. When you have no children, your animals become LIKE children. So, I made the trek to Woofers today, and purchased this wonderful "toy" that he can eat, is all natural and completely digestible! He also can't take it and hide it - it's so big! At first, he was scared. Mike and I thought this hilarious, Parker running around with this huge stick in his mouth. Here are some pictures of the fun...Oliver was wondering why we didn't bring him a big stick, too.

When Your Husband Is The Photographer...

So I asked Mike today to send me the Christmas pictures. The upside of having a photographer in the family is that you have beautiful pictures. The downside is that he is never in them! Looking through our pictures, they were all of me and his mom, as you can see from these two. Unfortunately, Mike is in none of our Christmas pictures! I think I'm gonna need to get my own camera too!

Welcome to Our World!

I'm in an incredibly bored mood....it is SuperBowl Sunday, which means Mike is relishing the last few hours of football for the season, while I am left...well, doing nothing! I watched a Lifetime movie (I just can't stomach watching that much football!) and I visited a friend's blog, so I thought, why not start my own! So I'm sitting here thinking, "who is really gonna be that interested in my blog?" I guess the answer is, it really doesn't matter! Recently, I have discovered that writing down my thoughts, feelings and general happenings in life helps me incredibly! I have a journal where I do all my writing, and it takes me forever to hand-write everything! I like to think I'm a GREAT typer, so I am going to attempt to keep things updated here.