Menu Planning Saturday.

An odd day to plan out next week's menu, to be sure, but My Man offered to run to the grocery store if I put a list together. My eyes lit up and got moving to make up a menu for the week and then a list from that (give or take a few items that a child or spouse hollered out as needed or wanted).

So...here's the plan, beginning with today:

Saturday: lunch meat for lunch (yes, I know it's 1:15 but we all slept in...it was heavenly!). Dinner...no one is home tonight. Boys are off to work the Nissan concert (Rascal Flats), Sarah, Trey & Brett are going to see Batman. Again. And I'm going to see Mama Mia with my next door neighbor, Flo.

Sunday: Lunch out after church, hopefully with Jill., since it is their last day on the East Coast. Dinner will be london broil, baked taters and green beans.

Monday: Breakfast for dinner...eggs, bacon, biscuits, grits.

Tuesday: We'll grab a bite out...we're all going in different directions.

Wednesday: Last Church Family Gathering night for the summer. It's pot luck at a friend's house. I'm bringing Mamie's Brownies and potato casserole.

Thursday: Leftovers and/or cereal. We LOVE cereal for dinner.

Friday: No one is home for dinner. I'll be here. The rest of the family will be here.

Saturday: When I come home from here, we're going to have a late lunch/early dinner. Russell is taking the kids here. I'll be home alone (she says rubbing her hands together gleefully!).

That's our week. It's tuff to plan out our menus, but I am determined to do it. Don't ask me how we're going to do it once football practice starts every day and Sarah starts two-a-day volleyball practices. Oy.

So, Who Knew?

My total gripe post yesterday made me totally better today! Who knew?

I took a couple of Advil PM last night. Wondering why I hadn't thought of it earlier. Because they've been in my bathroom cabinet for awhile. About an hour after I took them, I remembered why...I have serious reactions to all things that ease pain (codeine-ish) and/or help you to sleep. Serious as in...I said goodbye to my family when I went to bed because I was sure I wouldn't wake up. Ever.

Remaining Advil PM's...well...let's just say they've joined our deceased fish aka The Flushables.

Change.

I don't ever recall change bothering me more than change bothers the average person.

All that has changed now.

Change sucks.

I would always get impatient with my grandparents about not wanting to do something different, go here or there. I continued with that impatient, lack of grace, with my own parents and in-laws.

Now I'm there. I don't like change. I don't like it one bit.

A first born child turning eighteen, graduating from high school and heading three hours south-west to college.

An incredible BFF moving to Montana.

Montana. Might as well be Africa.

My baby already 5'10" at twelve years old heading into middle school.

I look around our church home and see a large handful of families leaving...one to Pastor a church (Praise Jesus!), military families moving on to their next assignment or retiring.

I have really struggled with this season of change. I cry all the time. I don't sleep more than a few hours every night. I have bouts of anxiety the likes of which I haven't experienced in years. My highs are very high. My lows, well, they're pretty bad. It has begun to impact my health in a huge, debilitating way.

And, yet...

There has been an incredible sweetness in all of this. A draw to the One True God that, even if I wanted to...and for awhile I did...I couldn't resist.

My senses have an acute awareness to them that I can't ever remember experiencing before. Especially one of my senses. My Girls...Jill, Lori, Jen and Vee...call it my Spidey Sense. God calls it Discernment. The ability to see the unseen, feel the intangible, know without really knowing how.

I knew awhile back that I was going to be heading into a difficult season. Frankly, I'm taken aback by just how difficult it has been. I'm also surprised that I can see it all so clearly.

I'm losing a child, but only to college. Unlike so many around me who have lost a child until they are reunited in Heaven.

One of the dearest friends I have ever had is moving, but we can still talk on the phone, blog together, fly to see each other.

My baby is twelve and moving into scary, stuff-of-my-nightmares-middle-school, but he's our third one to do it and we survived (okay, barely) the first two going.

With all of the families leaving our church, God is bringing new families in every week.

My health is declining, but most likely only for a time. I know that I need to get a handle on it...have known for a few years...and I pray He will cover me with His Grace again and get me on the path to healing.

I am very thankful during this difficult season. Very.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for...a Meme.

That's right, a Meme. Get over it. And yes...TAG you are IT.

Got this from Boo Mama's blog.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I was 37 years old. Oh...Brett was two. I think I had just discovered that I was the oldest mom at his preschool. And then I was the oldest mom from his kindergarten class. I was working from home (yay), writing programs for the law firm I had been working for since 1988. Holy. Crap. Twenty years ago. It seems like just...fifteen.

Favorite Snacks
Dark chocolate covered almonds
California trail mix
Kettle chips
Blueberries
Red cherries
Cheese and crackers

Jobs I Have Had
Babysitter, vacuumed and cleaned a clothing store every morning before they opened one summer, ran the weight room on base (yes...I'm no dummy...I was a teenager and only young enlisted guys came in), bank teller (I quickly realized I was not created to work with The Public), law tech in an Army JAG office, legal assistant in a law firm, switched to computer programming work for same law firm (from home...yay), edited our preschool newsletter (it counts as a paid job cuz I got $$ off Brett's tuition to do it), sold jewelry on ebay for a friend of ours (don't ever work for a friend is my best advice), office manager/assistant to the pastor at our church, wife, mom and all THAT entails.

Oh, The Places I've Lived
Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Virginia, Nebraska, New York, Virginia, Turkey, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Virginia. In that order.

Bad Habits
Major procrastinator, anxiety-ridden-worrier, java junkie, tend to view things as half-empty vice half-full, lacking a bit in the trust area.

5 Random Things People May Not Know
1. Russell (my man) and I met when I was 15. And he was dating my best friend. And me. At the same time. Until I dumped him. She's no longer a friend. What's up with that?
2. My two oldest children are 11 months and 1 day apart. It was HIS fault.
3. I went to college pre-vet.
4. I love animals. All animals. Except snakes. And bugs.
5. I have a secret crush on Mark Harmon. Always have. Pretty sure I always will.

CDs I would want if stranded on an island
Any and all Travis Cottrell. Ditto for Journey. The Bible on CD.

What I’d Do if I Won the Big One (the Lottery) or suddenly found myself a multi-millionaire
1. Put at least 10% in the tithing plate.
2 Make sure my children's educations were completely paid for...thru graduate school.
3. Buy my husband this car:




4. Buy that land on the lake and build that house we want.
5. Help out any of our family members that need it.
None of this necessarily in any order, other than #1.

Okay, that's the Meme. You're it. And you know who you are...

Photos and Life.

We attended a wedding on Saturday. It was one of the most fun weddings ever! There was a lot of laughter and a few mistakes and it was all good, sweet and personable. Just like a wedding should be. During the wedding, Russell ran the sound system. I am an Event Widow. My spouse is always running sound. Or DJing. Or running the video. Or something. Saturday was no exception. I'm used to sitting by myself.

The wedding was at 1:00. The reception following was around 2:00. Then we all went home for an hour or so and then headed to the wedding dinner at a totally different location. It was very cool. It was on the Occoquan River. The food was delicious. Some folks (other than the bridal party) changed clothes. My husband was the DJ (although he did sit with me to eat dinner) and he had changed to a comfy and cool shirt. Here are two pics.


Russell dancing with Sarah


Sarah and Brett

Sarah and I talked all during the wedding and the reception about different thoughts and ideas for her EVENTUAL-LONG-TIME-FROM-NOW wedding. It was fun to toss ideas around. In a scary sorta way.

Speaking of which. We'll be seeing more of Trey this year. He's not going back to Old Dominion for the Fall session. His dad was not happy with his grades during his freshman year. His dad was not happy with his summer grades. So...he's taking the Fall session off. He's going to work and take some classes at the local community college. The Commonwealth of Virginia has an amazing community college system. I think My Girl will be doing that for at least her first year. I'm already lecturing (in a loving, calm way although I'm totally freaked out about it) to both Trey and Sarah that Trey needs to go back to school and get a degree. In something. Anything. Sarah needs to focus on her senior year, get good grades and then go on to college. I don't care in the least if she wants to go to junior college...just do something. And, Lord have mercy, do not tell me you are getting married anytime soon.

Like for at least five years.

Yes. Yes, I know...God is in control. He's got it. I totally believe that. I don't, however, believe that Sarah and Trey have it under control! Seriously...the entire free will thing...scares me. Big time.

I know I haven't posted any graduation pictures. It's because I have an attitude about it. No need to go into detail. Just know that I will eventually get over it and go through the grad pics, clean them up and post some here.

Did I mention I'm struggling with some things? Totally am. But it's okay. I'm talking to Him about it. He has me thirsting for Him, hungry for His Word, aching to be filled. It's all good.

Chat soon...