Vacation Adventure-Part II- During my vacation

I can't even begin how to describe not having to get up and go to work for the past four days. It has been a great one so far. I'm gonna enjoy the rest of my time because I will have to go back on Monday, Nov. 30. But until then, let's have a little fun. It was Thursday, Nov. 19, the first day of being on vacation. Hubby and I went to Red Lobster for lunch and just as we were seated, he gets a call on his cell phone. It was our daughter calling from school. She said that she wanted us to come and get her from school because she didn't feel well. I'm not easily suckered so I needed to know what exactly was the problem. Hubby gives me the phone so I'm asking her what is wrong. It had better be something like she is bleeding from her eye, her small intestine is falling out or Mike Tyson bit her ear off. She says that her throat is hurting and wants us to come and get her. Not even a legitimate reason for me to check her out of school. She just wanted to be doing what we were doing. Hubby was going to go and get her but I said to him that he can go if he wants to but that he can't go running every time they say something is hurting them. He told me that I just didn't care. I don't even believe he fathomed them words to come out of his mouth.

I sent Ms. 16 year old a text message and told her that we were not coming to get her and to ride the bus home instead of staying after school for her weightlifting practice. She sent a message back saying she wanted to stay for weightlifting. I then told hubby she can't be that sick then if she wanted to stay. She wanted us to stop doing what we were doing, check her out of school so she can hang with us, then drive her back to school to participate in weightlifting?????? She had lost her mind. When I went to pick her up later that day, she was all bouncy and cheerful. I'm glad I listened to my own instinct instead of that Mr. Hubby.

Friday, November 20 - Today was not a day for me to sleep in. I had to take daughter to the dentist for an 8:00 a.m. appointment. It only lasted an hour and then I went to check her behind in school. She was not a happy camper because she said that I could just leave her out of school for her to hang with me and hubby. Sounds sweet - but I went and checked her in school anyway.

Saturday, November 21 - I've waited for this day for so long. Not because it was my birthday and yes I was extremely happy for that. But today, my 16 year old daughter got up and fixed me a birthday breakfast...AND... washed the dishes without me having to ask. Oh boy! I woke up around 6:21 and she was already up waiting on me to get up. That was soooooo punkin because this child getting up that early on a Saturday is strictly forbidden in the real world. She did a pretty good job fixing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. I had a selfish thought come over me like.....what if everyday was my birthday...I wouldn't worry about the breakfast....but can my kitchen get cleaned everyday without asking!!!

I am actually enjoying being off. And hubby hadn't gotten on my nerves...YET!! As the kids say, "Don't jinx it." I hope to have more to share after I come back from mama nem for Thanksgiving. My bags are packed and I am Mississippi bound.

Lovingly yours,

An expected surprise

Ok, I do know that sounds kind of like an oxymoron. How can it be a surprise if it is expected? (really laughing out loud). Well when I mentioned in my vacation adventure blog about my co-workers having a birthday celebration on the day that I will not be at work, the replies came back saying I should come if there are gifts involved. I was still contemplating about that but today when I came in to work and got settled at my desk, I had to go pee really bad. So off I go prodding to the ladies room to piss a pee like no other. After I came out, I went to the door that leads outside just to see how cool it was outside...weeeeellllllllll, that's when I saw it in the lounge...the cake...the big wrapped gift.....and no one around. I almost went inside but I kept walking back to my office as if I didn't see it. I didn't say a word but it was anticipation swelled all up inside me. Well after everyone had a break from their class, one of the faculty came to me and asked me if I could help him with something. I knew he didn't need help but I had to pretend that I didn't know.

So I get up and walk toward his office but he went the other way and I followed him into the lounge and that's when the gang sang happy birthday and gave me a gift. I'm telling you, I should be in acting because the look on my face said surprised, even though I knew I had seen it. I will never tell. Ok, it is now 15 minutes before my vacation starts. I am getting out of here and I will be getting with you all later.

Lovingly yours,

What's new?

Every time I wake up, my hubby is watching the news. When I go to bed, he is watching the news. When I come home from work, the news is on. I can't escape it. How much news is there in a single day? I just believe that when the anchor person goes home, he or she does not watch the news. I mean the same thing is being repeated through out the day and sometimes for more than one day at a time. This has got to be boring. I know for me, just seeing the news when I walk by is depressing. I'm sure if it was some major issue that I really need to know about, then my favorite television program will be interrupted....you know, like when a major storm is coming or something.

So when hubby is sitting around watching the news, which really ain't so new, I have a tendency to go in the other room and watch something that pertains to my liking. He will then ask me why do I have to leave the room....isn't it obvious why.....he will then say that he likes my company and wants me to stay with him. I mean, I don't have a problem with that if he turns the channel to something other than the news. Then it seems like I'm the big bad wolf if I ask him to change the channel and he'll say something like, "what....I can't watch the news?" For goodness sake, who am I to deprive someone from news watching? It's just not my thing, so don't get upset with me if I don't want to sit and watch it with you. I'm off to go and find something new to do.

Lovingly yours,

Vacation Adventure - Part I - Before my vacation

When my dear friend mentioned that I should write a blog before, during and after my vacation, I just wasn't too sure if I would have enough to write about on one particular subject. Well I am jumping in with both feet and going at it anyways. As of today, Friday, November 13, 2009, I have three working days until I am officially on vacation. I will be out of work for one whole week, AND my week runs into Thanksgiving holidays. Sooooooo, not only will I be off for five whole days, I get two extra days. Yippee....or not so yippee. I don't know yet. We will see when I post something during my vacation.

Here is where it gets stranger. I haven't taken annual leave in three years. Yes I said it, three whole years. So my co-workers are walking around here saying they don't know what they are going to do without me being here. I assure them they will be fine. I have done payroll early for the next week and I basically have everything taken care of what needs to be done in the office.....I hope. I remember I was out of the office one day a few years ago and it was crazy....people calling my house asking me where this file is and what they should do about this or that. And that was just one day. I can't even begin to imagine what it's going to be like for a whole week....but I think they can handle it. Life goes on.

Here is where it gets EVEN stranger. The peeps here at work normally do a birthday celebration like every other month or so for our birthday month peeps. Well on next Friday, the 20th, they will be doing a birthday celebration for Oct., Nov., and Dec. birthdays.....Hmmmmm, my birthday is Nov. 21 and guess what....I won't even be here for my birthday.....UNLESS.....I come to work just for the celebration.....but that would be kind of ghetto, huh? Even though they have asked me to come up here, I don't know if I want to be at work on my vacation day off.....should I? Should I not? I don't know yet. Well that's it for now. Until next time....ya'll stay out of trouble now, ya hear!!

Lovingly yours,

Are you afraid of your children?

Some people do have a tendency to be afraid of their kids. I'm not one of those parents who are afraid to tell my children what they need to hear instead of telling them what they want to hear. Here is the scenario. It's Wednesday night and 13 year old son is off with his friends so 16 year old is home with us. We were threatened by a hurricane earlier this week so that left the children home from school for three whole days. When we asked our daughter if she had any homework and she said yes, we told her that it would be a great idea to get it done on Monday since there would not be any school until Thursday, that way she could have it already out of the way.

Well when it was time to get ready for mid-week service, I told her to go ahead and get her stuff ready for church. She says, "I don't see why I have to go to church." That didn't even bother me because as long as they live in my house, they are getting up to go to church. And yes because I said so. So she is sulking around the house because she has to go to church. I pass by her room and I see her trying to get out homework so I back up and ask her how come she didn't get that done on Monday while she was out of school....now here we are about to leave for church and she is getting out homework. I don't feel any kind of remorse because not only did she have the entire weekend to do it but an excess of an extra three days. She must have thought that I would change my mind but I didn't.

When we get to church, she thought she would hide in the bathroom in order not to go and be with the other youth...interesting, I was right at the bathroom door when she walked out and she then asked, "What are you doing here?" No the question is, what are you doing here? I know teens would just love for us to give in to everything they ask or everything they want. Sorry not me. Heck, I'm an adult and don't even get to do everything I want. She is walking with her arms folded but you know what, that doesn't even phase me. I'm not afraid to tell them to do this or do that or my opinion in how they look. There are days when both children look like bums and I will tell them so. I am not afraid if my children grow up disliking me because if I know that I've done what I was suppose to do and do it in love, then I know I've done what I had to do.

Loving yours,

Only a vessel

On Saturday evening, hubby and I took both children to the mall to let them find something just because. It wasn't their birthdays, and it wasn't a Christmas gift either. They had been doing really well around the house and in school and we just wanted them to get something because we love them. I am not a mall person, but I know they would probably want to go. So I pulled out the Belk credit card and told them their limit was $25.00 each. I know it doesn't sound like much but it was an appreciation from us to them. Our 13 year old son was determined that he would find something no matter what it was. He said even if he had to buy a pack of underwear, he was gonna get it because we didn't have to do it. I was like, "Thank you Jesus for such an humble young man."

However, that 16 year old daughter of ours had a different attitude. She saw some jeans she wanted and I told her to go ahead and get them. She was very indecisive and walked around Belk for quite some time until she brought me to a pair of shoes. I looked at the shoes and thought to myself, "She has lost her everlasting rabbit mind, cause no rabbit in his right mind would have even tried me like that." These shoes cost $80.00 American dollars! Had she been on something? She must have been cause I specifically said $25.00. So I asked her how did she get 25 from 80....she said that she just FIGURED I loved her that much to do it for her. I'm like Tina Turner, "what's love got to do with it." I told her that she was not getting them shoes and that she could go back around the corner and get them jeans she saw. Well, she decides that if she can't have the shoes, she didn't want anything.

Hubby tried to talk to her and I wasn't gonna talk to anybody. I looked at son who had found him a nice shirt and I looked at hubby and I said, "Is everybody ready to go?" Hubby was hesitant and said to daughter, "You sure you don't want to look for anything?" Her music was in her ear and her arms were folded. She shook her head no and looked the other way. I made my way to the counter and I didn't give it a second thought. When we got home, Ms. 16 year old went to her room sulking...and I'm like, what the heck for because she knew the deal was 25.00 and that was it. Later that evening, her head starts hurting and I started thinking of how God says that vengeance was his. I started thinking about just how exactly does God deal with vengeance. I thought: Now we took the kids to the mall and the 16 year old was really showing some ungratefulness...could this be vengeance? I don't know.

Our way is not God's way. I am not here to understand God's purpose or His plan. If he wanted me to know it all, then I don't think I would have been made just a little lower than the angels. I think I would have been his right hand man giving him the peace sign and my "power to the people" fist. My point is this: I don't understand why we have to endure certain things, such as ungrateful children, nagging co-workers, selfish people here and there, headaches, pain., etc......could this be God's vengeance upon us for something we have done in our lives? I am only a vessel that will be used in many ways, bent and shaped and molded, Only a vessel where I will withstand harshness and many cracks. I am only a vessel that has so much to take in and so much to put out. I am only a vessel.

Lovingly yours,

Let the church say AMEN!!

When I got home from work on Wednesday, we sat down to eat and hubby asks me if I mind if our next door neighbor goes to mid-week service with us. I don't mind but he knows not to just spring stuff on me at the last minute either. So it was time to go and our neighbor comes hopping across the lawn. I say good evening and the conversation between he and hubby took off from there. Hubby said, "let me see what kind of Bible you got". I am already embarrassed just HOW he said it. I have told him over and over again that it's not merely WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. So Mr. Neighbor shows hubby the Bible and it says New American Bible...hubby says, "Oh no, you can't use this Bible, you need a New King James Version for our church." I was flabbergasted. No, seriously, my mouth flew open. I mumbled out the side of my mouth, "There is nothing wrong with his Bible."

So hubby and Mr. Neighbor got in this debate about the word of God. Mr. Neighbor asked hubby was it a sin to drink. Hubby said that the sin ain't drinking but the sin is getting drunk. They went on to talk about how Jesus turned water into wine and Mr. Neighbor wanted to know if Jesus tasted or sipped on any of it. In my mind I'm thinking just read the word for yourself. We are driving and I can hardly wait to get to the church because the two of them are getting on my nerves. Hubby then says to Mr. Neighbor, "Do you ever open up your Bible at all because it seems mighty new." In the name of Jesus, please let me just see the steeple of the church and I don't need to wait for him to park, I'm gonna just jump out and walk the rest of the way.

Finally, we arrive at the church (THEY ARE STILL TALKING) The car was barely in park good when I jumped out and hurried away. Whew....Now can the church please say AMEN!!

Lovingly yours,