What's Happening...(or was)

Note: This post is from a couple of weeks ago. Tomorrow's post will tell, as Paul Harvey put it, "the rest of the story."

(Overused Blogger statement) It feels like I haven't written in forever.

There is lots going on in my world that probably is less than impressive in yours. But for those who might be interested/bored/procrastinating I will give you a rundown of what is on the radar (in installments)

THE KIDS

We have entered a very cool (and exhausting!) phase.

Daddy's Girl and I have really bonded over the last month or so and I am loving it! She likes to have me around. Thinks my clothes are cool (see post about cool college-roomate's hand-me-downs). Wanted her hair cut like mine and wants to study the Bible. I'm lovin' it! And I'm soaking it all in for when the next phase hits.

Little Prince is just that. So charming. He loves his momma and is very tenderhearted. On the flip-side of that, he in incessant with every request, has ceased voluntarily taking a nap and cries at the drop of a hat. Oh, and he is obsessed with Leapster and Crash Bandicoot which he calls "the wolf game." He talks a lot with his hands (like me) and teaches me so much about prayer.

Sunshine has come into her own. She is full-force whatever the emotion. She is not easily swayed from her stance and will let you know in a second if she is not happy with you. She is a pretty funny chick and much to her father's delight, is great with physical comedy. She adores her older siblings and has picked up on so many of their attitudes and sayings. For whatever reason she thinks the phrase "stinky diaper" is the funniest thing ever.

We are at that stage in family life where the house is never clean. In fact, Mr. Wonderful have pretty much thrown up the white flag . Every time we clean something up, some knee-knocker in another room pulls some multi-piece something-or-another onto the floor and proceeds to find a crayon or lip gloss from goodness only knows where and express their inner Monet all over a wall or door jam. Or our pre-pre-teen leaves a trail of bookbag-shoes-socks and 10 changes of clothes all over the place. It is pretty much a 24-hour cycle of, "Not until you clean up (insert disaray here)!" or "You will not get another thing to eat until you finish (insert somewhat healthy food here)!"

But, there is a lot of laughter too. Great conversations and traditions forming. It is a season. And I will take it.

Dear Coffee-Mate,

This is not a good day for you, especially your PR/Marketing folks.

Social Media created quite a frenzy for you with your Free Flavor Friday. But somehow things went terribly wrong.

Thousands of coffee-crazy individuals and saving-savvy shoppers sat anxiously at their computers at 8:59 am Pacific time (which is 10:58 am Central Time-I did have to Google it), and they waited for the roll of the clock.

And waited.

And waited.

And then the same Social Media that brought you the same warm feelings, as does that darkly-colored beverage that you adorn, brought you scorn.

You promised. You did not deliver.

Epic PR Fail.

By now everyone has told everyone and you have a long day ahead of you of sending out something to make it right. (And really, another day of us sitting in front of our computers probably isn't going to cut it.)

So I suggest you do something that proves that you are truly heartbroken to have disappointed us or else we may be forced to seek comfort in another creamy-non-dairy coffee lightener.

It's just my opinion. Well, mine and a few other thousand peeved-off Facebook users. (There Mr. Wonderful, I changed it.)

Bloggy Things I Do Not Know How to Do

1. Create a groovy template for my page. Or even know what to call the template.

2. Respond to people who comment. Do I respond on my page? Will they see it? Or do I e-mail and where do I get their address?

3. Add links. Maybe I knew once, but I forgot.

4. Take fantastic pictures of sub-fantastic food that I make.

5. Find new pictures for my page. The children are now in their mid-thirties and I still have baby pics up. I mean.

6. Make a button for my page.

7. Connect with readers outside my precious group of Facebook friends. (Hi! I love you guys!)

8. Go international. I just think that would be stellar.

9. To open up to the idea of advertisers on my page. I don't even know how that goes. (Ironic, after years in that business.)

10. Linky parties. I like the idea. Hate the name.

There are probably lots of things I don't know that I don't know how to do. But to list anymore would make me even less cool in the blogger world than I already have proven that I am.

A Tale of Two (Pairs of) Boots Part II

I'm not really sure where to begin my second boot story. There is what recently happened and what has long happened and how the two met.

I guess I'll begin with the boots.

Being unemployed, for me (probably not for Mr. Wonderful), has been one of the richest experiences of my life. I have experienced material blessing and more spiritual lessons than I could ever recount.

It never ceases to amaze me how generous and thoughtful people are, and I pray I never loose the "wonderment" (to use a favorite phrase of a precious friend) that spurs me to replicate the attitude and actions I've been the recipient of again and again.

Now, if you read ATO2B Part I, you know that I had already been given one pair of fantastic boots.

I had received the "Skittles" and was enjoying them (i.e., wearing them with everything but pajamas...as far as you know). But if you know me very well, you know that I am a bit...what is the word?...ok, I'm obsessive.

This whole new world of clothing had been opened up to me by my dear college roommate, and through her generosity, my eyes were opened to all sorts of fashion options. And precious readers, boots are a tremendous option! I mean tall ones, short ones, cowboy, stilletto, leather, suede...the choices are endless! (I'm sure you already knew this.)

So another dear friend of mine caught wind that I liked a rather expensive boot brand and that would love to have black boots.

Now, again, I have a pair of fantastic boots already.

But she wanted to get me these boots.

"Absolutely not! That would be immoral."

She persisted.

"No. Thank you, you are precious, but no."

For sake of post length, I will spare you the details of the back-and-forth conversation and how the final shopping trip came about (and I hope you will not judge me for going on it.) Well, I agreed that I would go if I could contribute what was left of my Christmas money to these boots. She agreed and we were off.

Upon arriving at the boot store, I saw a pair of boots that looked really fabulous, and since my friend was not to the women's boots yet, I stole a peek at the price (with the salesman right at my shoulder) and knew that we would not be trying these boots on, no how, no way. And I said so to the salesman.

Well, we looked at lots of boots and tried them on and I began to try on different colors in the style I wanted (Cowgirl. And there is a entirely separate story about that too!). None of the black ones really suited me, because I am super particular when I know what I want.

I found some cocoa "suede" cowboy boots and said to my friend that these would be great and would really go with a lot, including black. (Plus, my Christmas money would all but cover them. Bonus!!) She responded that that was wonderful... "Now let's find some black ones."

Again, I will spare you the details of the back-and-forth and how it came to be and just say that I walked out of the store with the black cowboy boots that "we were not going to try on." And she was so happy.

After we had coffee, shared and cried, we each headed home.

As I drove home I was struck with another lesson from the boots.

(Here is what has long happened.)

My relationship with Christ and accepting of His gift of salvation has been a journey. Unlike some believers, I can't give you a date and time although I know there was a pivotal moment somewhere when I made the decision mine, but I won't go into all that here.

However, being obsessive, over the years I tend to think about things. A lot. And this journey caused me to question and worry from time to time. Not over whether or not God will do what He says He will do in regards to His grace and forgiveness. But I just wrestled with resting in it and the temptation to want to "do something to 'get it.'" (Which is another theological discussion entirely.)

Now, here is what happened on my ride home.

I began to wonder to myself, "Why would someone want to do this for me? This is just too extravagant a gift. I don't deserve her doing this. It is not right for me to take such generosity like this. It is selfish." I was overwhelmed.

I think you see where this is going.

And it hit me.

"That is the point!"

God's gift of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love is LAVISH! It is EXTRAVAGANT! It is UNDESERVED. Yet He delights, like my friend with the boots, in giving it to me. He knows I am choosing the most "expensive item" in His "store" and desiring it for myself even though I'm not able to pay for it and I'm not worthy of it. He WANTS me to take it and own it and not even begin to think of paying Him back. He delights in being extravagant! And it is ok to receive His grace. He knows we don't deserve it.

Wow!

And like my friend told me, "I had someone do this for me years ago (purchase something extravagant) and years from now you will do this for someone else."

God has done so much for me throughout my life. It wouldn't be right if I didn't pass it on, and so many times I don't.

If you made it to this point in this very long post, I want to thank you for letting me share the goofy way that God speaks to my heart. I mean really...boots? Yep.

A Tale of Two (Pairs of) Boots Part I

My first story begins with a fantastic pair of high-heel, to-the-knee, tan leather, Nine West boots. They may have possibly changed my life forever.

Over the summer and early fall, I lost some weight. Enough that I NEEDED some new clothes for winter. After Mr. Wonderful's sudden lay-off, a new wardrobe wasn't really in the budget.

Enter my former college roommate, present dear friend and forever fashion fairy. Upon seeing said weight-loss, she offered me some of the clothes that she felt she no longer needed. I was quick to accept, since she has always been infinitely cooler than me and a fabulous dresser.

After arriving at her house and going through the clothes she was giving me, she walked me back to her closet and began rummaging through the floor and pulled out "The Boots" and handed them to me.

Now, I NEEDED some winter shoes. But I WANTED some sassy boots. See the difference?

I was beyond ecstatic. These aren't just boots. They are serious, women-stop-me-in-public-to-compliment-them boots. And she just handed them to me. Wow! (Another post is necessary to explain the level of generosity here in letting me use these!)

On to the point. When I got home, I was so excited about my treasures that I couldn't wait to try them all on. Well, Mr. Wonderful could care less, but Daddy's Girl is a true fashionista and was so excited about the clothes. But the first thing I tried on was "The Boots."

I ran into the den with my sundress and knee-high boots and posed, waiting for her response. "Wow! Mom!" She thought they were awesome.

But what was really awesome was being able to share with her, "Daddy's Girl, God ALWAYS provides what we NEED. But the neat thing is, sometimes, He gives us our WANTS too. Even more than we could even imagine!" (This entire jobless season has provided an abundance of teachable moments for all of us!)

Now, providing me with sassy boots is not the greatest thing God does for me by any stretch of the imagination. Similarly, when I give my children Skittles or some treat, it certainly is not the most important expression of love or nurturing I do for them. But it brings them great delight and I love them and I love to spoil them sometimes just because THEY ARE MINE AND ARE PRECIOUS.

You see the point?

At this time in our journey, God was saying to me, "You don't have to worry about what is going to happen during this period of uncertainty. I am showing you that I can take care of you and if I want you to have more than you ever imagined, you will. And if this is what I can do for your footwear, imagine what I can do in things that really matter."

How rich!