Not So SAHM

The Big One

I must say I got some pretty visceral reactions from my Ramblin’ Wreck post. 99% of them were from my husband. And he knows me the best. So that means that either you guys either don’t care that I cussed or were so put off that you chose not to comment. I hope you’re still reading my blog though. Hello?

I have to say that I deliberately chose to include the words because that’s the song. And I was really hyped up on adrenaline. And I really didn’t care at the moment. But when we’re actually at the games…In the stands. Wearing all the GA Tech paraphernalia. Eating the gross hotdogs and drinking the watered down cokes (which should both be made of gold because that’s how much they cost)…I usually don’t say those words. I kind of mumble through them.

In fact, I didn’t even know that the fight song was such a drinking song. I had never bothered to learn all the words. Why would I, I didn’t actually go to that school (although I still claim an MRS from there). It usually goes something like this: “I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a heckuv an engineer. A hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm of an engineer. I hmmm blah blah blah blah blah! something about whiskey clear. Hmmm hmmmm mmmmm something about engineers. Mmmmm hmmm blah blah blah blah to heck with Georgia! Hmm mmm blah blah blah blah.” And on and on until I can yell: Go Jackets! Bust their hmmm. Go Jackets! Bust their hmmm. Go Jackets! Fight!

I’m a rebel. I know.

There’s something about typing the words out instead of speaking them that tempers the harshness for me. I mean, I didn’t have to come up with those words to fit a craftily formulated sentence. They’ve already been made up. I just had to type them.

It’s funny because Heather just blogged the other day about foul language and how people perceive you when you use it. My response to her was something along the lines of: “I don’t cuss now. It makes a person look like an idiot.” And what do I go and do? Cuss in public on my blog. Touché. But I stand by my excuse…they weren’t my words.

This has been my tongue in cheek-y way of apologizing to my husband and to any other people who were offended at my choice of foul language. I think I almost knocked Kerith off her seat I shocked her so bad. Until now she’s only seen me as Virtuous Vicki. And Lula had to go and resurface on Facebook that day (I sort of cussed on there too, using $$ signs instead of s’s) and chastise me for cussing over a football game. I’m sure I shocked her with my exuberant display of excitement (not to mention, she’s a Georgia fan!). I will get a life and revert back to my wholesome speak. But Du, don’t ever let me hear a bomb slip from your mouth honey!

I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck…*

I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer,
A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer,
Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear,
I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer.
Oh, if I had a daughter, sir, I’d dress her in White and Gold,
And put her on the campus, to cheer the brave and bold.
But if I had a son, sir, I’ll tell you what he’d do.
He would yell, “To Hell with Georgia,” like his daddy used to do.
Oh, I wish I had a barrel of rum and sugar three thousand pounds,
A college bell to put it in and a clapper to stir it around.
I’d drink to all good fellows who come from far and near.
I’m a ramblin’, gamblin’, hell of an engineer.

GO JACKETS! Bust their ass!!
GO JACKETS! Bust their ass!!
GO JACKETS! Bust their ass!!
GO JACKETS! FIGHT!

yellowjacket

I’ve been waiting six long years for this day. Ga Tech finally beat GA in what was an awesome and very close game. My blood pressure is still through the roof and I almost had a heart attack a couple of times during the game. There was even a time where I just couldn’t even be in the room I was such a nervous WRECK.

But it happened. They won. IN ATHENS. Between the hedges. Take that Dawgs! I will now be on cloud nine for oh, about a year.

I just had to let you all know just how happy I am. Finally! Oh, and go ‘bama!

*I am not actually a Ramblin’ Wreck, but I did spend enough time there that I could get my honorary MRS degree from there. And I did live on campus one summer. So, yes, I do claim to be a Ramblin’ Wreck. Not as much as Kelly or Danyelle though. Go Jackets!

A visual reminder

This is what I’m particularly thankful for today. The small things:

Without you I wouldn’t have a turkey. We all know I ain’t killing and feathering one mahself.
Not to mention feeding to a nice plump size.

Without you we would all be in the hospital with food poisoning.
Thank you for being accurate. Please.

Thank you to the genius who made it easy for me.
(This is not a picture of my own personal cranberry sauce tower).

One cannot forget to be thankful for one of the most useful items of clothing ever created.
(This is not a picture of my own personal gut relief mechanism).

Happy Thanksgiving and may we all be reminded that it’s the small things, the things we often overlook, that we should be the most thankful for.

Life and death and life

Today I finally got around to searching for and finding podcasts by Greg Laurie. He is an amazing pastor out of California who I used to listen to in New Mexico. I downloaded what was available and we listened this morning. In July Greg lost his oldest son in a car accident and these podcasts were about the grieving and healing that has occurred since July.

This evening we went to visit a “home bound” member of our church. She is in a nursing home and shares a room with another patient. Her half of the room is the half farthest away from the door. She has the window on one side and the salmon pink curtain on the other which divides the room. The curtain blocks nothing but light. As we entered her room we had to walk past her roommate who was in the process of taking her last breaths. We visited for about ten minutes and then were asked to leave by one of the staff members. We’re almost sure it was so her roommate could die in what privacy that double room could muster. Reagan contemplated this on the drive home and ended up concluding, “at least she got to live out her life.”

Today I am thankful for life and every part we get to live while alive. I am reminded that I need to be thankful everyday for what time I have been given on this earth and what time I have been given to spend with loved ones. Only God knows if my story will be that of Greg’s who has to live past his child, Greg’s son who died at 33, or the lonely old lady in the shared room who got to live out her life.

I am thankful that I know for a certainty…without a shadow of a doubt…where I will be the moment my eyes close permanently here on earth. In each one of us there is a desire that we’re trying to fulfill. A desire for something greater than us to complete us. For something that will make us feel “settled” as a human being. Until that desire has been fulfilled we search for things that will placate us. This searching leads to temporary satisfaction, but always leaves us wanting something else. Something deeper.

Du calls this a God-sized hole in each of our hearts. We try to fill it with meaningless things. With things we think are meaningful. With things people tell us are what we need to be focused on. But those never work do they? Jesus Christ fills this hole perfectly. He gives me calm in the storm, assurance during uncertainty, elation during joyful times, peace no matter what. And He gives me an eternity during which I get to bask in His presence and worship Him unencumbered. I tell you, I can’t wait to be able to praise God the way Heaven intends.

That certainty of being able to live past this decrepit body and tainted earth is what I am thankful for today. It is what keeps Greg Laurie going each day. It is what he knows his son is experiencing right now. And Lord willing, it is what the little old lady has passed onto this very evening.

Ask me if you have any quesions,

Both real and otherwise

I’ll continue this week of thanks by remembering to be thankful for my friends. As much of an introvert as I am I still like companionship. I don’t need to be around others to be happy. I don’t need to talk on the phone or have someone over to chit chat. But having friends is still important. That just means that it takes longer for me to become close to my friends. This has been proven true time and time again as we move around. It takes us about a year or so to start making good friends…and then it’s time to leave. It’s not you. It’s me.

I’m grateful for my friends for various reason. Honestly, right now, it’s because they offer me adult conversation. They offer big girl topics and grown up humor that my little ones either wouldn’t get or shouldn’t hear. They affirm my feelings, offer advice when asked for and just make me feel loved.

I’ve got real-life friends that I’ve known almost all my life; that I knew back in high school and we’re getting reacquainted with each other (Facebook is fabulous for doing this by the way); that I’ve met since being a grown up and have managed to keep in touch with (too many to mention, and if I did start mentioning you all I would start to cry); and friends that I’ve made here in the neighborhood, through homeschooling and at church.

I’ve got other friends that I have been making online. You are becoming just as important to me as my RLF. My reader has 47 blogs in it right now and I’m beginning to get to know some of you pretty well (I think….you’re not lying about yourselves are you?). I enjoy reading about your lives (struggles and accomplishments) and commenting back and forth. That connection of understanding each other is what matters, whether I’ve met you face to face or not. So I am thankful for you as well.

The great thing about friends is that they don’t all have to be exactly alike, nor do they need to be exactly like me. This was made most evident to me with my circle of playgroup moms in Virginia. There were several of us who had daughters the same age and we would get together to let the girls play. Of course we grew close during those times. And the interesting thing was that we were all pretty different. And I loved them all for various reasons. Friends have so many things to give you through their attitudes, personalities and makeups. Even though I say I’m an introvert, I really couldn’t make it without them (you).

I don’t have pictures of all of you, so please “look” in the mirror above. There you are, my friend! (Wow, that was cheesy.)

Most Obviously

The holiday season puts me in a sentimental state of mind. I enjoy spending time with family and reminiscing about times past, present and future. Thanksgiving is naturally the time when we reflect on that for which we are most thankful. This year I find myself having to purposefully think about my thankfulness though, because, let’s face it, I’ve got a toddler whose enjoying the terri…fic(!) twos before she’s even reached that second birthday. Actually just having more than one child increases one’s busyness exponentially. I don’t exactly know how or why it works that way, but it does. So here goes…

I’m thankful for my family: my nuclear family who raised me and lived with me and helped shape who I am; my extended family who helped complete the picture and create a dynamic mix of fun and love. My mom, dad, step-mom and step-dad. My brother and stepsisters. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And I’m thankful for Du’s family. Without them we wouldn’t be.

I’m so thankful for Du. We’re so much alike, and yet we complete each other with our differences. We’ve grown closer to God together, which has brought us closer to each other. Amazing. And God’s given us our two girls, which I couldn’t be more thankful for. They have shown me that I could love unconditionally and that it’s not really that hard to do. They’ve taught me patience, perseverance and multitasking. They’ve shown me my weaknesses, usually by mirroring them, and have loved me unconditionally as well despite them. I love to laugh at them with them and am glad that they can do the same with me.