Birthday Presence

So I haven't posted anything in a VERY long time, but today I need to say something that I can't leave unsaid.
If you know me well, you know that my life is not and has not been all roses and sunshine.
You also know that I experience deep joy.
My dad's birthday is October 11th. He's been gone for 10 years and each year on his birthday, I celebrate him. Only tears of joy on this day.
I was thinking about him this afternoon and I realized that he is the common thread in the tapestry of joy in my life.
A girl marries a man like her daddy. The qualities that Jay have that bring me the most joy and security are qualities that he shares with my dad.
The things that I love most about my relationships with my kids are modeled after the way my dad parented me. He was always for me. He taught me to ask questions and find answers. He encouraged kindness, respect, and empathy. He was fun and funny. Every second of the day, with every fiber of my being, I knew that he loved me and valued me.
My sister and I not only love each other but we enjoy each other and our respective spouses and kids. This is amazing because we couldn't be more different if we tried to be! At Christmas my dad would hang the stockings by political views, far-left to far-right (bro-in-law, sis, dad, me, husband) and there was no tension in this. It was funny and a celebration of differences. He demonstrated that having different opinions has no bearing on how we should treat others or how much love we extend.
Not only did I get to experience him as a father, but as an adult I knew him as a friend. His love was deep, steadfast, passionate, and selfless.
Experiencing the love of my earthly father made the road to understanding the Love of my Heavenly Father a gentle path.
I am overwhelmed that I got to spend 27 years with this man. What a gift!

Restoration

I wonder how Job felt after God restored his life. His "new" life was great and all, but his kids were gone. I suppose he trusted God completely. Perhaps he expected to see his kids again in death. New kids don't replace the old ones. (Whoa, my brain is exploding right now because comparing the old New Kids to the "new" NKOTB is the perfect analogy of how new is not the same or better.) OK, focus. The definition of restoration is: the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. What was the condition of Job's heart though? I'm telling you right now that he was NOT the man he was before his world fell apart. I imagine that Job's life ended with "and they lived happily ever after." The Bible says, "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part...After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years." Sounds good, right? The biblical version of happily ever after. There wasn't a better man than Job in his "first life", he had to have been an even better man in his "restored" life. That's the way it's supposed to be. That which does not kill us, gives us hope. It's in the Bible, look it up. I wonder about Job. Did he miss his kids or was he joyful for what he had? Sure, could've been both. What about that ache of missing someone you love? Was that in his heart?

Love.

Eight years ago today, I married my best friend. It would take most couples twenty years to go through what we experienced in the past eight. He was my knight in shining armor riding in on his white Subaru. I'm just thankful Subarus are dependable, made for adventure, and all-wheel drive. This road has been bumpy.

Mounting Evidence

Reasons my sister should move to our hometown...

Exhibit A: Job opportunities.




Exhibit B: Inspite of the wild animals....

the scenery is breathtaking.



Exhibit C: No one can resist the scrunchy face.



I rest my case.

Fairies are being born...

The sound is bad but the cuteness makes up for it. Also at :12 her hand freaks her out for a second.

Hau`oli Lā Hānau

Happy Birthday Christy!

Ummm...eww

If you have never opened up the drain of your dishwasher to clean, you must do it. It is life changing. Remember I have two small children. I clean up boogers and poop all day. I catch vomit in my hands regularly. The stuff inside the drain of my dishwasher was by far the the grossest thing I've ever seen or touched.

http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-and-Maintain-a-Dishwasher
I have a newer dishwasher so I didn't have to unscrew anything. The plastic pieces just popped apart.


Ugh the things I saw cannot be unseen.