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Jennifer came to visit this week. And, it was fun from the beginning to the end. Well, not so much at the end because I was really sad she was leaving. Really sad.
I think we mostly stayed around the house on Sunday. Torrey was still fighting the bug she brought home from Rush Week, so it was a blur. There were Sunday afternoon naps, I forced encouraged Jen to make over my blog, we decided that blog makeovers were beyond us and we resorted to finding someone to do it professionally, which then led to the renaming of my blog (just like the "Rush Week Bug", the renaming of the blog would live on and on and on ... it is harder than it looks!) I made kettle corn, the best corn chowder any of us had ever eaten and an actual dinner. It was a full day and we went to bed with the blog still unnamed and Torrey starting to feel better.
On Monday, Torrey was at two-a-days for volleyball and Jennifer and I hit the road early. We had a lot to do. And, I do mean a lot. We got pedicures/manicures. Went to a scrapbook store ... while we were in the parking lot I got a call that my cabinets HAD to be cleaned out by Wednesday. I was not a happy camper. And, then we pulled on the door of the scrapbook store and realized it was closed. Forever. (I redeemed myself the next day.) We then went to Hobby Lobby. After that it was a visit to Harbor Freight Tools ... we were the only girls in there ... the price you will pay to be able to hammer words on washers. We had a quick lunch at Chick-Fil-A. And then we were off to see Dinner For Schmucks ... which just may be my funniest movie ever. But, as a disclaimer, you may need to be a fan of The Office to enjoy it. After that we ran by the school to see my cabinets and to measure for things and then we got Torrey and headed to the mall. Torrey got a makeover at Sephora, we picked up a ring at James Avery and I got pillows at Pottery Barn. We got dinner at Panera Bread and then hit up Target for organizational supplies. We dragged ourselves home around 9:00 and so ended our second day. With Torrey still well and my blog still unnamed.
And, then Tuesday came. And I took pictures (aaaaaaaaaaaah *in a singing voice*) We dropped Torrey at practice and went to Starbucks. Although, truthfully what we were about to attempt needed something stronger than Starbucks!
And, then we headed to the school to face the dreaded cabinets. I had two cabinets still in my room and two filing cabinets and both had to be emptied ... before 11:30 when Torrey was going to appear in my room for lunch.
We are professionals. All I am going to say.
Jen rocked the shoeboxes and shoeboxes and shoeboxes of doo-dads that teachers need. And, she barely mocked my need for a million rolls of masking tape. Barely.
Meanwhile, I was here ...
Trying to get these in a semblance of order. I like things to be just so. I do not like to search for hours to find something I know I have. Organization is my friend at school. My best friend.
We were done by 11:15 ... it took us about 2 hours. It helped to have a plan before we set foot in the room and it helped that we were moving organized cabinets into organized cabinets
Torrey arrived and we were done (and a bit giddy) and we left for lunch at Escalantes. Best chips and queso ever. Ever.
And since Jen had worked so hard in my classroom, we headed to Crave Cupcakes for what else ...
CUPCAKES! Strawberry for me. Peanut butter cup for Jen. Torrey got hers to go. Which posed a problem since we were running errands and it was 110 degrees out. Oh, Texas summers how I despise you.
We dropped Torrey off at volleyball practice and headed to a Scrapbook store ...
And, it was open for business. And we were glad. Very very glad.
Jen was in heaven. She is paper girl. I am fabric. At least that is what I keep saying.
We then went to Hobby Lobby and Lowes. And ran back to grab Torrey as fast as we could because we were making a run to Mamm's for the best snow cone ever.
All the while we were schlepping this in my purse ...
The things we will do to protect a delicious cupcake. And, just so you know ... it is totally natural to ask "Where is the cupcake?" and answer "In my purse." Jen barely mocked me. Barely.
Things started to go downhill from here because Torrey came out from practice sick sick sick. She still wanted to go to Mamm's though.
Because she is my girl.
When we got there, she decided she just wanted ice ... no flavoring. She was clearly sick.
She made us laugh when she announced just plain ice isn't as good as the real thing. Of course not, silly goose!
After a movie Tuesday night ended. With Torrey sick and my blog still unnamed.
Wednesday was a low-key day. A trip to the farm stand and the grocery store. More cooking of meals to put in my freezer. A movie. Projects in the clean craft room. And Wednesday night ended with Torrey still sick and my blog still unnamed.
Jen had an early morning flight. And it was gross ... not because her flight was early, but because she was leaving me.
But, we knew we would have fun. Partly because Jen has the sight. But, mostly because Jesus wanted us to have fun. And we did.
Clearly I am an international superstar. I knew that as soon as I looked at my comment moderation page and it told me I had five comments to be moderated.
Five.
At one time. I have never had five comments to be moderated at one time. I will admit that I was a smidgen giddy as I opened the page.
Pride goes before a fall. All I'm sayin'.
Four of the five were written in Chinese. FOUR. Do I need to remind everyone of my stance on the Chinese comments? For the love of Pete.
So much for my five comments. At once. And, so much for my inflated head. But, shout out to Laurie for sending me some love ... my ego sure needed it today!
Last year Torrey went to camp AND a mission trip with our church. This year both camp and the mission trip were combined into one ... because our church wanted all of the kids to experience a mission trip and knew that some kids would JUST do camp. Not this year and hopefully ever again ... the kids are doing missions during the day and camp type activities at night.
Torrey lost her voice day 1. It is safe to assume she is having a great time. She is working in a VBS. They have passed out flyers. There is a sports camp. One group of kids painted the field house for a local high school. One group of kids cleared the yard of an elderly woman who told the kids her yard hadn't looked so good in 10 years. Um, 50 bags of yard waste will do that! The middle school evangelical team saw one woman come to Christ. These kids came to Pensacola to change the city for Christ ... little did they know they would be changed too!
There is a blog that is being updated every day ... some days we get a video (bonus!) We didn't see Torrey in the day 3 video, but she is in the day 1 video. Enjoy and keep praying for our girl!
Dean told me last night I needed to update my blog. And, I couldn't help but think, "On so many levels." I lost my blog background. I haven't written on it for months. I am struggling with the identity of the blog.
Because we all know a blog must have its own identity. I'm expecting to see self help books for blogs in bookstores any day. Good grief.
And, so I have been in a rut. My blog has been in a rut. And my loyal blog readers have paid the price. All two of you.
So, without further ado, I give you my 37th blog post of 2010. 37th. Can I still call myself a blogger when I only post 37 times in more than half the year?
My blog is for me and Dean and Torrey ... and anyone else who wants to lurk around. It isn't a cooking blog. It is about my family. It isn't a crafty blog. It is about my family. It isn't a preachy blog. It is about my family. And, today we are getting back to the basics. We are going back to the family.
Ahhhh ... the feeling of relief has just flooded over me. Because what I love and what I know and what I live for is my family. And, now my blog is going to live for my family too.
Today was a hard day ... for many different reasons. And, yet, it shouldn't have been hard. Make sense?
Torrey had a dentist appointment today ... for which we were late leaving the house. It sort of started my day off badly. That and the fact that insomnia is still hanging around. Dern.
I'm getting new cabinets in my classroom. Cabinets that came as a surprise at the end of the year. Cabinets that I did not want. They semi arrived today ... well, mine weren't actually in my room, but for the first time I found out where they were going to be. And, it may or may not have caused me to freak out.
Ok, it did.
The poor cabinet installer did his best to try to convince me it would be OK. He may or may not have succeeded.
Ok, he did not.
And, in the midst of being late to the dentist and the cabinet fiasco, we found out that Torrey HAS to wear knee-length shorts for her missions trip next week. Last week's email said they could wear her summer uniform of Nike shorts. Knee-length shorts we do not have. At all. And, I really didn't want to have to go out and buy new shorts ... especially when finding anything that fits Torrey is difficult.
I was not in a good way. At all.
And, at some point I decided to grow up and act my age ... or at least the age I wish I was. Which would be younger than my actual age, but I didn't need to say that did I?
And I realized things can't be as bad as I think they are.
Torrey was cavity-free today. As always. I may have a heart attack if they ever say she has a cavity. Her dentist was impressed with her teeth post-braces. Um, his wife is Torrey's orthodontist. HA!
Shorts ... we'll find shorts. Or, I will be sewing lace on Torrey's Nike shorts to make them knee-length.
I can't do a thing about the cabinets. They are what they are. I will probably hate them all year. Whatever.
Sometimes life is just hard. Not what you planned, but not the end of the world. You just have to figure out a way to muddle through ... we did that with snow cones today!
We made a trip to our favorite sno-cone stand ... and waited in line for over half an hour! We brought some friends ... Lauren who introduced me to the icy goodness and Roxanne (and her boys) who had never been. She was skeptical at first ... it didn't take more than one bite to realize the reason WHY the wait isn't so bad! We got a small dill pickle to try ... we all agreed it was disgusting and more than half of us spit it out. Goes to show not everything can be made into a sno-cone.
I mean ... would you buy a liver flavored sno-cone? Not even on your hardest day.
For months Torrey has been asking for rain boots. I have not given in ... mostly because I figured they would sit in her closet and gather dust.
And, then we had the great monsoon of 2010 ... which were just the rain bands from the remnant of Hurricane Alex. Girlfriend now has the cutest pair of plaid rain boots ... and there has been no rain. None.
However, that will change on Wednesday. Yup, Bonnie is scheduled to make her appearance in Houston ... that would be "tropical something" Bonnie. (The weather man actually used those words on the news tonight!) There is no "cone of uncertainty" ... just 5 different models showing whatever coming ashore in Galveston. Just south of Houston ... fantastic.
Which means Torrey will get to wear her rain boots. When the second "tropical something" of the 2010 hurricane season makes an appearance in Houston. And, there have only been 2 "tropical somethings" this season. Yup, we are getting "something" from both of them.
Which means it may be a good thing we have hurricane insurance and rain boots ... looks like we might need it this year!
Every now and then I get insomnia ... sleep, no matter how hard I try, will not come. It is gross. And, on my last nerve. There is nothing big on my mind ... just a lot of little things. Like this ...
-Loved going to Wicked last night. Loved. Loved. Loved. When Elphaba came out I cheered ... and Dean whispered to me, "What are you doing?" Next time he sees it he will cheer when she makes it to the stage too!
-Going to Linda and Paul's for the 4th tomorrow. Torrey helped me ice cookies. I made cupcakes too ... Dean announced they are both delicious. But, he loves him a cupcake made from scratch a Duncan Hines cake mix.
-Torrey finished summer school with an A. She officially has 3 credits under her belt for high school. We will NOT be doing summer school next summer. It was painful ... for all of us!
-Zoey has joined Zack in the "ailment brigade" ... and not in a good way. Zack has hip displasia ... which means at some point (in the far distant future) he may need hip replacement surgery. Fantastic. He is a dog, for crying out loud. Zoey was recently diagnosed with something or other with her knee joints ... basically they are too loose. She will need to have surgery (in the near future) to have her ligaments or joints or something tightened up. Again, a dog. Do I really need to tell you that our vet rolls out a red carpet when we arrive with any or all of the pets. Torrey's decision to be a vet may or may not be her choice. (I kid ... all her. Thank goodness!)
-The youth interns will be coming over for dinner on Friday night. There are 8 of them. How much will 8 college students eat? I have no idea. Going with bar-b-cue.
-July 1st has passed. But, not without a weird "back to school" dream. Every year ... I kid you not. They are all the same ... class arrives before I am ready and I don't know anyone's names and I lose a kid (or two) on the way to or from convocation. Stress. I could so be those kids moping behind their dad in the Staples commercial.
-I have been cruising around crafting websites. I seriously have spent days looking at EVERY idea. This is going to be a handmade Christmas ... because it is what I would want and because I think it is more thoughtful. I have found a plethora of ideas ... quiet books to die for, washer necklaces etc. etc. etc.
-We bought new furniture for the family room. Joy! There may or may not have been an almost purchase of 3 pillows at an insane price. The cost of the fabric was $102 a yard. A YARD! Dean asked the sales woman if the fabric was made out of gold. I think that sticker shock is what sent me to crafting websites ... oh the pillows you could make!
-My mom called me on Thursday to see if we were floating away from Hurricane Alex. I laughed. Clearly I should not have done that ... yesterday was miserable. The last time I saw rain like that we had a day off from school because of flooding. We drove downtown to see Wicked. In the rain. Through puddles. There was a curb jumping incident because of flooding. FYI ... a navigation system in your car is no good when the streets ahead of you are flooded. Susie Sequoia kept trying to send us into the mess. Today, we all reveled at the sun ... and, wondered what it was!
-Yes, we name our navigation systems. The above mentioned Susie and there is also Elaine Garmain. We know for a fact we are not the only ones.
-Feeling like changes are coming for our family. Good changes. (Not getting bigger kind of changes!) Could be exciting changes. I am trying to become one with the changes ... because change is not always my friend.
-Dean and I have been married for EIGHTEEN years. Wowzers. We were such babies then ... still are.
-I have been getting comments written in Chinese. I usually post all of my comments, but I do not and will not post those ... simply because I can't read them. So, to the loyal person across the world who keeps coming back, I'm not trying to be mean, but, I don't know what you are saying.
And, I think that is all I got. Hopefully I will now be able to sleep ... if not, I may be back!
Happy 4th!
