Monday, August 24, 2009

Moving in a DIFFERENT direction!



Saturday was a very fun day!

The morning started off with a whole house pick up. With the help of Jr I was able to get the entire house ready for company; floors mopped, swept & vacuumed, fresh sheets on beds, dusting, he even helped me dis-assemble the kitchen table and put it back together (one of the boards was stuck for the leaf to go in). My parents arrived a little after 1 and about 3:30 or 4, some amazing friends got here too. On top of it all, Sr was making a fantastic meal for us all. The babies were being overly fussy (teething, and all the commotion didn't contribute nicely to naps) but we managed to fit in a small 1st birthday celebration. L didn't understand the whole cake thing and was none too pleased to put her fingers into the mushy cake. Z took a little while to warm up to it and eventually had it all over the place (including the inside of his diaper). I still can't believe they're going to be a year old this weekend.

After we were all thoroughly stuffed, we descended into the living room for a haze filled gab session. Mom & Dad left for their hotel and Shari, Al, Woody & I sat around the table running our mouths about everything from religion to politics and beyond! I must say this was the highlight of my weekend.

Surrounded by friends & family with loud laughter and good food is the way I'd spend EVERY SINGLE DAY! I'm sure it would get old, but I'd definitely enjoy trying to wear it out!

Sunday morning, Sr got up and prepared another amazing meal. We all gathered around in my kitchen and ate and laughed some more.

When the dust settled, our visitors all got into their vehicles and headed to their respective homes. About an hour or so later, I found myself napping, snuggled sweetly beside my honey.

This weekend has made me reflect on a few things. I love living here. My only regret is that one friend in particular lives so far away. Sometimes in life you have to sacrifice things. This is not one of those things I wanted to sacrifice. So, for now, daily phone calls and e-mails will have to do. That is until I can convince her that she needs to live here too.

I've been able to spend more time with my family than ever since we've moved here. Even when we all lived 45 minutes away from one another, I don't think we saw each other as much as we do now. We may have, but it wasn't quality (not to say that I still didn't enjoy it). I've heard over and over again how quality over quantity was better. Now I'm a firm believer.

I said something to Shari yesterday morning that has been stuck in my head. I told her that if we lived closer that we wouldn't enjoy the time as much. In some ways, I still think that's true. But it would be nice, though, to be able to have her closer for an extra set of hands on occasion.

Another thing I said to her that's been stuck in my head is that I wanted to be her when I grow up. In my eyes, she's got such a knack for organization that I severely lack. She's always learning and teaching her children and I admire that. She's focused and determined to make things better for her husband and her children and herself all at the same time. By better, I don't mean that her life is bad. Rather that there is so much in this world that our families are exposed to that they REALLY shouldn't be. Sometimes its just easier to let "the system" tell you what's good and whats not without questioning why. I wonder if I'm guilty of that. I know I am to a certain degree. I'm more apt to sit back and accept something as truth without truly delving into it to find out the reasoning behind it. That can't be a crutch anymore. "The system" doesn't have my family's best interests in mind, and its my job to determine what's best for them.

Today I start moving in a different direction; trying to stay focused on a larger picture and managing myself and my family accordingly.

To my guests this weekend, I say, "Thank you".

1 comment:

Shari said...

I somehow missed this before. Thank you, from the depths of my heart, for what might be the nicest compliment I've ever been given. I miss you when we're not together. Love Ya!