My rollercoaster week

So the week started out rough, got worse, got better, and now I'm just tired. Let me explain. This was my birthday week. That brings issues to the surface for sure. I'm 31 this year, yes 31. Turning 30 was great. I felt like finally I've arrived, I'm an adult. 31 is more like crap, I'm an adult! For the past few weeks we have been leading our small group and Monday night we finished up our time together with a smore roast in our backyard, and a study on justification and adoption. It was a rich study and I see now how God's timing is more than perfect for this topic in my life at this time. Today as I'm sitting here on the computer I have felt all the highs and lows life has to offer. Not to give all the tiny details, but I've been dropped kicked by someone I thought was a close friend, I've open the doors to a mentoring relationship with a young lady, dealt with all the drama at work and at home, turned a year older, buried a family member, planned for a weekend with my best friend and her family.........and believe it or not I could go on, but I'll spare anyone who reads this the misery....ha. Yesterday I was determined to live out the verses of this song I've been singing in my head all week....today the reality of this week has hit me. So who do I go to for some lifting up?? Jesus, well no, Beth Moore and her blog. Jesus showed up for sure though. Her daughter Melissa is on mission is Calcutta India. The poorest place on the planet. As I read through the stories and looked at the pictures (with tears and a heart of despair) I suddenly realized that I'm a big cry baby, at least I have been this week. I have so much in my life to be thankful for. I have been blessed by a God whose love doesn't depend on my own merits (thank goodness). Really, I am still soaking all this in. But today was a big wake up call for me. I think I'll go do the pity party dance and shake my blues away, and try to live out the verses in this song:

Thirty-nine (39) candles burnt out on a cake
Each representin’ a million mistakes
The last one still burns, there’s a wish I can make
This time I’m getting’ it right
So I close my eyes and I take a deep breath
And I promise myself in the time I have left

I’m gonna work like I don’t need the money
I’m gonna laugh like I’m not afraid to cry
I’m gonna dance like nobody’s watchin’
I’m gonna love while I still got the time

Twister

I'm not sure what crazy person stood out in the twister to take a pic, BUT it was a great shot!!! This was in Murfreesboro last week. yikes

BFF

Baylee & her BFF, Elijah

My girl

So I've been working on some new parenting techniques with Baylee. SO far its been working out wonderfully. We haven't had a meltdown in two weeks. That's a big deal in our life around here. One of the things I am doing is giving her the freedom to choose things on her own. One would think that choosing your own clothes is really not the big of a deal, HOWEVER.......anyone who has children knows this is an all to serious task. She is free to dress herself however she sees fit (within proper guidelines already picked out by Mom and Dad).

My skills were put to the test this morning when she came downstairs ready for school (got ready all on her own, by the way, no fussing at all....HUGE deal for us). She had on her sparkly shorts, her dance team shirt and her cowboy boots......God love her.........she is my child......anyone should know cowboy boots match anything, even sparkly blue jean shorts......gotta love her spirit!!!! I just smiled as we walked out the door to school, hoping that her teachers and her classmates loved her sense of fashion the way a proud momma does.......