Whew...I'm glad that's over!

Was it ever hectic today! I almost missed both of my flights (from San Jose and my layover) but all is well and I made it. It seems that every time I travel with the girls I learn something new about how to do things. This time I decided I was going to check all of my bags (including my stroller and Kailee's car seat). Kailee is big enough now to ride on the seat in the airplane by herself (hallelujah!). The girls both have toddler-sized backpacks on wheels (Dora and Diego, of course)...they both pulled these through the airport on their own. The bags were loaded down with snacks, toys, and a portable DVD player (as a backup plan). Both girls were wearing footed pajamas, pulling their backpacks behind them...each also wearing "harnesses" (or what I refer to as glorified "leashes"). I was carrying the car seat (for Sophia to sit in), my purse, and a "diaper bag" containing all of the last minute miscellaneous stuff that didn't fit anywhere else.



Let me just say that on the return trip I will check both car seats and all luggage. I will just say a lot of prayers that Sophia will actually sit in her seat the whole time without making too much of a disturbance. That car seat got heavy!! I needed to pick Sophia up and run a couple times but couldn't because of the seat. I also don't think I will bring a purse. I am pretty sure I can fit all of my "stuff" in one of the girls' bags. :)

Anyway...we made it safely to find out that my friend, Christina, had a beautiful, healthy 9 lb 4 oz baby girl today! YAY! She just had to come AFTER I left. haha. I guess I will just have to wait a couple weeks to see her.

Now I am sitting in the dark and both girls are still up. They had a looonnnggg day. We got them up at 4 a.m. and all though they took naps, they weren't very long, and they are wired. They are both laying on the floor beside my bed on an air mattress. Kailee insisted that she wanted to lay with Sophia. They keep giggling and laughing at one another and I feel like my mother saying "girls! Stop it and go to sleep. " haha. I feel old!

It is hot here. It is supposed to be in the 90's tomorrow. Ugh. Wish me luck with the handling of the heat and humidity; Monterey has spoiled me.

I'm off to sleep in hopes that the girls will decide that they, too, would like to do the same sometime before 1 a.m.

Thanks for all of the "safe/low stress travel" prayers!

Big trip to KS

The girls and I are headed to KS for 10 days starting this coming Sunday. I'm not really worried about the traveling this time around (like I have been in the past) but more so the time change/jet lag for the girls. Do I let them stay up until 9 p.m. KS time in order to stay on track? Do I put them to bed at the regular time of 7:30? How many days will it take to adjust? I'm guessing we will do what we always do and just play it by ear. This is definitely one of those times I am glad I am not the type of person who keeps the girls on a regular "schedule".

I have almost all of the laundry done and now I just have to figure out how to get this stroller into it's travel bag. I don't understand how a company can get the design of a stroller pretty spot on but can't make the bag just a tad bit larger to fit the stroller easier. I have been putting this off for several days -- I find that as soon as I start to try to get the stroller in the silly bag the girls decide it is time to crawl all over me and cry...really? I have zero patience some days.

It is kinda sad that I am blogging/complaining about my stroller not fitting in a bag. This world has so many bad things going on and this is what I have to complain about. God is so good. He has blessed me beyond measure. I'm just gonna shut up and go to bed now...thankful for the amazing life I have been blessed with.

Finding joy and appreciation in/for the unexpected intercessor(s)

Throughout my life I have learned that there are many different types of people in this world. I have heard the saying "It takes all kinds..." more times than I can begin to recall. I truly think that as we grow into ourselves (the selves that God ultimately would have us become and realize we are), we outgrow friends. I believe that there are three types of friends: 1) friends that are brought into our lives for a short time and teach us something about ourselves, 2) Life long friends that totally "get" you and understand that you develop and change throughout life and they continue to appreciate you for who you are and what you can bring to one anothers' lives. This second set of friends are the ones you can sit in the same room with and not say a word but leave feeling fulfilled and 3) A friend that is unlike you in so many ways that it just seems like the friendship could never work to the outsider, yet when you talk to or hang out with that person somehow it just works.

In my lifetime I have had a lot of friends that fall into the first category. These are the friends you might work with for a couple years, you hang out with, and then when you (or the other person) leaves their job, you move on; most of the time, better (or more well-rounded) for knowing the person. I have also found that I have a lot of friends in this category that I never thought would be in this category while I was actually in the friendship; most of my high school friends fall into this category. People change.

(*WARNING: I am about to rant for just a second*)
There is nothing that drives me more crazy than when someone doesn't just appreciate the friendship for what it was and accept that sometimes people change...and just because they change doesn't mean that they think they are "better than you" or "above you" it just means that they are a different person. I think change is healthy. I am the same person that I was in high school and yet I am not. My personality is the same but my views on life are quite a bit different. ENJOY PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE--NOT WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE.

(*Stepping off my soap box*)

I, also, have had (and still have) the privilege of having the second type of friend. Actually, I can say I have 3 VERY CLOSE friends...I guess some call them "best friends". Amazingly, my three best friends (I love you guys!) are all very different people -- different from each other and, in a lot of ways, different from myself. But these are definitely the women I know I can turn to for anything...at any time.

...and then there are the third type of friends. These are the types of friends that actually prompted the writing of this email. In my experience, the friendship is so unlikely and then you actually sit down and talk to this person and you find that on some level you really "click". I do think this third type of friend can (and will), more than likely, also fall into one of the aforementioned categories.

I was on the phone with my SIL the other day and for some reason it just dawned on me that we are so different and yet we really enjoy one another's company (or at least, I enjoy hers -- haha). It is a lot of fun hanging out with her. There are a lot of ways that we are different but the biggest difference is our view of religion and politics (the two big ones!). I am a Christian and she is atheist (I think). :) I am pretty conservative and she is pretty liberal. The more I think of our differences, the more I am amazed we can even be in the same room with one another. haha. And yet, she has come to visit me on more than one occasion (even flying all the way across the country to visit in NC once).

So, how does this third type of friendship happen? Who knows. I think they should just be appreciated for what they are. My SIL has completely different religious views than myself. Many Christians would say this is a bad thing. That I shouldn't intermingle with someone with different beliefs than myself. I have to disagree. Although she does not agree with me on this level, she has taught me to see other people's viewpoints and take them for what they are...Do we always have to agree with one another? Of course not. Do I wish she were a Christian? Of course I do. I would be lying if I said I didn't. Do I push my religious beliefs on her? No. If she decides to believe in Jesus as the sacrificial Savior and God as the omnipotent "being" that he is (I am sure she might think "what if God is a 'she'?" here - haha) then that is up to her...it is not my place to make her uncomfortable and it is not my place to judge. There is only one Judge and it most certainly isn't me.

I guess that is partially what it boils down to. The main thing we both have in common is the fact that we aren't judgemental.

You know, I just don't know. I think that somewhere deep down, you just have a "connection" with a person/people that is natural. I believe that God does this for a reason. Do I think he sent my SIL my way?...of course I do...and I will continue to thank him for this unexpected intercessor in my life. :)

(*sidenote) As I was looking for a picture for this blog it dawned on me that the third types of friendship are like the lion and the lamp. ;)


FYI: I started this email a week or two ago and am just now sitting down to finish it. This has taught me something -- ALWAYS finish your thoughts before stopping because my point has been diminished someone because my thought process has been thrown off track. Sheesh...I was on a roll...that is what I get for stopping 1/2 way through -- I forgot 1/2 the things I wanted to say.