Sick Day

Tookie had a sick day yesterday.

Was glad I got to be here and not working. 

We watched a couple of movies. 
She read a million minutes.

And we got artsy with the fingernail polish.

Old Man Winter

Winter decided to show up again. 

Just when I was getting all comfortable with global warming.  darnit.

I do love winter....

...from the comfort of my own living room.

....or in pictures.

But driving in it stresses me out.

Bringing another layer to the idea of work-related stress.

Boo to winter.

decisions decisions.

So had a conversation by phone with a magazine editor from North Carolina. 

Pretty cool magazine.

Pretty cool potential opportunity.

The twist:  perhaps a job opportunity.  a job that is a bit out of my comfort zone.  but also a job with the potential to meet some great people in the writing and publishing industry. 

hmmmm.

I'm praying for direction.  and wisdom. 

Because I don't want to jump into anything that I am not ready for.

And I also don't want to miss something that could be a really great thing.

hmmmmm.

4-day Weekend in Review

Today is President's Day, and the last day of our 4-day weekend.

Friday happened to be a built-in snow day that we didn't have to use as a snow day. Yeah!

I worked on Saturday....boo for that.  But otherwise we:

Read a Million Minutes....

Watched  a couple of basketball games.....

Although, in this picture, it looks like Claire is demonstrating a football blocking technique than setting a screen.....

We slept in.....

Celebrated the cat's birthday....because that's what we do on "snow days"....

Wore our jammies with style, attitude and purpose....

...and we generally tortured each other in that fun-loving-family way that we like to torture each other....

And I didn't see much of the Wildcat this weekend.  He had it all planned out where he could spend the entire weekend, day and night, playing xbox live with his uncle.  I woke up one night in the middle of the night and had to venture down to the mancave and tell the "two of them" that they had to quiet down or I was gonna call aunt suzie and stage an xbox intervention.

They both came up with the idea that uncle Shawn was actually keeping Nathan out of the kind of troubles that some teenagers might otherwise be getting in to. 

Genious. 
And hard to argue with. 

So if Nathan shows up to school tomorrow with an indentation in his hair from wearing the headgear all weekend long, rest assured that he was merely bonding with his uncle and not out running around. 

Happy Valentine's Day

To the ones I love,

Mom and Dad:  Happy Anniversary.
Your love is proof to me that God is love.

My Kids:  I love you with my whole heart. 
You are proof to me that I can survive with my heart out there, walking around in the world. 
Because that is where you are.
And where you are is where my heart beats.

My Kids that aren't my Kids:  Oh how I love you too.
In a way that recognizes that you aren't my kids,
Respects those boundaries,
And loves you unconditionally, regardless.

To My Love:  Brian.
Not all of our dreams have come true.
But you are the man of my dreams
And we are together.
Proof that God is smiling down on us
And has bigger ideas for us
Than my mind can even dream.


To my friends and family~
I could not walk the path
Marked out for me
If it weren't for you
And your support.
I may not have named you here,
But please know
That I recognize
The gift
That you are
To me.
Happy Valentine's Day.

My Office

So on the weekends, my work is delivering mail. 
My office is a minivan with a flashing light on top.
I'd like to think that I am delivering good news, good fortune and hope to the hundreds of people that I could potentially come in contact with. 
The view from my office totally depends on the weather. 

Today, I helped out at the local coffee shop.
I used to work there during the week cooking lunch.
Recently I offerred to help out when they need extra help for large groups or catering.
Today was one of those days.
I didn't deliver good news, fortune or hope....
...but I did serve up an awesome meal for a large group holding a meeting.
The view consisted of smiles all around. 


Sometimes, when I am really lucky, my office looks like this:



This job is taking place in my living room.
I am busy reading, taking notes, interviewing extremely interesting people and calling BEST SELLING AUTHORS on the phone for quotes.
Yes.
True.
Sometimes I get paid to talk to people I want to be more like.
And if I haven't already mentioned it...
...I call BEST SELLING AUTHORS on the phone. 

And the view?
Well let me just tell you about the view....



The view is full of good news, good fortune and hope...

....the view is my heart.



Went to see Central Middle School Presents: State Fair.

Specifically we went to see Margy Frake...

 AKA:  Emma

Hanging out with these two was fun.  Obviously I was the third wheel in this company.  But I was the one who drove and paid for tickets.  Which means I was a key ingredient to this equation.

Speaking of wheels (i love cheesey transitions), We did a little off-road driving to get the perfect parking spot. 

In my defense...if a road isn't really a road, but a very large sidewalk posing as a road...whithout clearly being marked...I will try to drive on it. 

The girls were horrified. 

I loved it!