Funnies of the Day

July 21, 2011 by · 2 Comments

Random…I just love some of the things that made me smile to day.

“Life’s rough with watered-down Starbucks.” Said by a friend to my fussy daughter, who was playing with an almost-empty Starbucks cup.

“What is that, a mannequin in a red dress?” Said by another friend after spotting something 50 yards away in a field.


“Um, no. It’s a fire hydrant.” Said by me.
Followed by a LOT of l

aughter. 😀

Advertisement for the fast food joint, Just Hot Dogs: Just Hot Dogs, Fresh Cut Fries.


Ok, then.
Does that strike anyone else as funny

?

R andom convers

ation about a crazy hair day in the past.


Mel: One year Tobin and I did a good job with crazy hair day.
Naomi: How did you manage that, Tobin

? (My hubby is bald, just so ya know.

;))

Ok, so you probably had to be there.

But it was good to laugh.

Really good.

Sig

Filed Under: random

My Funny Girl

July 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

From the beginning, I h ave h

ad a sweet girl.

And a slightly sn

arky one.

I mean, just look at this picture…taken the day after she was born.

She’s already sayin’, “Hey…I’ve got my own attitude!”

We totally fell in love with this photo…if you got her baby announcement, you may recognize it. We just love how it shows her personality so early. :)

Today, she let me know that she’s still got it, too.

Often, after I change her diaper, we’ll go into the bathroom and look in the mirror, and she’ll talk to her reflection.

Sometimes I’ll talk to her, and we usually end up giggling together.

Today:

Me: Who’s my favorite girl

?

Mae: (high-pitched squeal/giggle)

Me: Are you mommy’s favorite girl?

Mae: No!

Ha.

Ha.

I still laugh.

I love that girl.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, Maelie

Hello, 33

July 19, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I rang in 33 today.

It was a day that started out a bit rough with some recurring s tomach issues, but thankfully, I have a fantastic hubby who was flexible with his morning and stayed home a few extra hours

to give me some time to recover.

By 10:00 I was better and even up for a short (but HOT!) walk with Maelie.

Mae and I got home around 10:45, and I put her down for a nap, which she protested, loudly, until noon.

Then I gave in, rescued her from the evil confines of her crib, fed her some lunch, played with her, and tried the nap thing again at 1:30.

This time, it worked.

She was still sleeping at 3:45 when Tobin c ame home

and I left to go get a coffee

and pedicure with my good friend, Kris.

Two chai frapuccinos, pretty toenails with flowers, and over an hour in massaging chairs later, we headed to dinner with friends at The Village Squire, and were lucky enough that my birthday landed on half price burger night.

Score.

Then it was back to the house for DQ cake…mmmm. :)

Just about an hour ago, I “officially” turned 33.

It’ s gonna be a great year.

And, oh yeah.

I’m about the most blessed girl on the planet.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life

Goodbye, 32

July 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Today I’m bidding farewell to #32.

It was a good year… one with many unexpected blessings.

I’m not really going all out to say goodbye to 32…I’ m really looking forward to 33.

(And it was way too hot to do much celebrating today, anyway.)

I had coffee with a friend, a super-sweaty outdoor workout tonight (that I think counts as TWO workouts!), some chattin’ with another friend, and now I’m closing out the night with Mint Oreos.

Which will completely UNdo any good I did for my body tonight, but that’s ok.

32 deserves a proper goodbye, and anything involving chocolate qualifies.

Bring on 33!

Love.

Sig

Filed Under: just life

Never Enough Time

July 17, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Time is a funny thing.

Sometimes days stretch out, and the hours seem endless. Like those that are just long…when Maelie won’t nap, and it seems like 5:30 will never come so I can have a bit of relief.

Other times it flies. We blink and, suddenly, a year (or more) has passed, and we wonder things…like where our last year in Indonesia went or how our tiny little girl became an (almost) walking, talking toddler.

And no matter what happens with time, it seems like there’ s never enough of it.

We made a quick six hour trip to Janesville today

to visit some dear friends who are home for the summer and about to head back to Indo. We saw them a few weeks ago but wanted to see them again, and today was really the only day that worked for all of us. It was so good…to talk, laugh, process, and pick up a friendship where it left off.

It means so much that they still want to be part of our lives…even though we’re on opposite sides of the world.

 

Toward the end of the evening, Mae was hanging out with Tobin, Gregg, Noah, Jana, and Amie, and Janine and I were having coffee and talking on the patio, and we ended up having one of those deep, I-have-so-needed-this, conversations that happen very rarely. It was a moment I wanted to hang onto forever and prayed that God would multiply the minutes.

 

Of course, those minutes flew…and it was time to go.

So we hugged and said our goodbyes… and that was it.

 

Not enough time…that’s how I’ m feeling after today.

 

I didn’t really cry until we pulled away, but even now the tears brim and threaten to stream down my face.

 

I guess with friends who have walked a path so unknown to most of the people in our lives, there will never be enough time.

 

Just memories and experiences…and the Fa

ther who holds us all together.

And those things have to be enough.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, Indonesia, where I am

paheoa;nfand;ajfdlmsa;w;lmvos

July 16, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

So, I let Maelie type the title of my post today.

~~ –>

No, not

really…although her new favorite activity is smacking her hand onto the keyboard if she can get to it while I’m working. I choose to lo ok

on the bright side and recognize the genius in my daughter…at a mere 13 months, she is already typing!

Wowsers. 😉

Today was just a day of blessings.

Some of you know this…we’ve been without a working shower for a few weeks now. Thankfully we lived in Indonesia and, on several occasions, had used a mandi, or bucket shower, so that’s what we’ ve been doing for the last month or so.

The problem with that is I never feel completely clean, especially since I really sweat when I work out.

We really tried not to complain, though, and for the most part did ok.

It was getting to be more than a sane person can handle, though.

So today was the day the shower got fixed.

(Insert HUGE HALLELUJAH! here.)

I don’t underst and the ins

and outs of what goes into replacing a shower valve, but I watched off and on throughout the day, and it looked far more complicated than I would have imagined.

(And also involved cutting part of Maelie’s wall out.) I am so thankful for an amazing friend who gave up most of his day to help us…

AND…

We both took showers late this afternoon. To try to explain how wonderful it was to have a working shower, water pressure, and hot water that doesn’t leak is something that, right now, cannot be described in words.

Maybe it’s silly to be overly thankful for a working shower…or maybe not.

All I know is that today was another reminder of how blessed we are.

:)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life

Foolish Choices

July 15, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Yesterday Maelie and I stopped in at the salon

where I get my hair cut. I needed to change my appointment, and since we were driving by, I figured we’d stop in and say hello.

We had to wait a few minutes before the girl who cuts my hair was free, and we weren’t in a hurry, so we kind of just hung out, chatted a bit…you know, what ENFP’s do best.

:)

While we were there, there was a woman paying for her haircut who lo oke

d pretty close to tears. She had super short hair, but it didn’t look bad, and I would never have thought anything of it if she hadn’t look so devastated.

The lady who had cut her hair said something to the effect of, Don’t feel so bad. I know it’s not what you wanted, but it’s looks good.

Of course, whether I was trying to eavesdrop or not, this totally piques the curiosity. (Especially when this is where I get my hair cut!

:))

I didn’t even have to ask, though.

It turned out, this woman, who’d had pretty long hair, had tried to give herself a haircut she saw and liked…and, um…no.

My first thought was, Duh, who does that

? Then I stopped myself, mostly because I’ve taken plenty of snips at my own head, though I’ve never tried to actually give myself a full haircut.

And? I was reminded of a time

when I did something similar…and the consequences were costly.

I was a junior in Bible college, and let’s just be blunt here…I’d bend rules wherever possible. And that included bleaching my hair to a very unnatural shade of blonde. Had I actually bleached it the right way, I would have probably been better off.

But, no.

I used Sun-In.

Every day.

For months.

You can only imagine the horrible shape my hair was in by the time I decided it was time to stop and return to the world of brunette glory.

I made an appointment to get it colored…and let’s give Mel a few points for brains here. At least I didn’t try to color it on my own…I knew better by then.

The day arrived, and I went into the salon. The guy colored it, but once he finished…

He knew.

I knew.

We. All. Knew.

This wasn’t good.

My hair took the color fine, but it was SO dry…SO breaking off.

Really…it was bad.

I had one option left…cut it all.

I ended up with the shortest haircut I’ve ever had…I think all of my hair was an inch long or shorter.

Thankfully, I’m cute and can pull it off. 😉 Just kidding.

For someone to go from shoulder-length, super blonde hair…to boy-short, dark brown hair

? That’s a shock to the system.

I couldn’t look in the mirror for a week without thinking I was seeing someone else.

And for a few hours, I wore a hat, hoping that by covering

that costly mistake that it would somehow be erased.

It wasn’t. (Obviously.) And it’s not like I could hide for very long.

I had to sing at church the very next morning and had classes on Monday…no hats allowed.

So, in my mind, my foolish choice was displayed for the world to see.

It was completely humbling.

And I tell you all of that…of course, because I love a good story, but also because there was a lesson to be learned there. Or more than one lesson…

One of the consequences of choosing to do things my own way.

Yet another on what it’s like to face those consequences with others watching.

And still another about the Grace of my Father and how He salvaged the wreck I had created.

I made a poor decision, and there was a costly consequence…well, at the time. My hair grew back when I actually took the time to grow it out. I ended up loving that haircut and kept it for about a year and half.

Sometimes we mess up… choose to do things our own way and pay for those mistakes.

I am so thankful for a Father Who loves me and extends His mercy and grace to cover those mistakes…and can even make something beautiful out of them.

Yet, while I am thankful for those things, I pray even more that He will keep me from making those foolish choices in the first place.

Amen?

Amen.

P.S. I looked for a good pic of that haircut but couldn’t find one (that’s scanned, anyway). This one was taken after it grew out a bit, but it’s still ok. And you get to see one of my buddies from Peru. Good memories. :)

Sig

Filed Under: hair, remembering, what I'm learning

Something Made Me Sad Last Night

July 14, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I saw the moon.

Then I sang that little song to myself in the version that

I know.

(Actually, I belted it out for the neighborhood to hear; thankfully I don’t think anyone did.)

I see

the moon and the moon sees me,
The moon sees someone that I’ d like to see.


God bless the moon and God bless me,
And God bless the someone that I’ d like to see.

And that’s when the tears welled up in my eyes.

Because as I was staring up at the moon,

I realized something.

There’s a crazy time change and large amounts of daylight here right now, so the moon isn’t shining here at the same time it’s shining in Indo.

Sad.

I miss my Indo friends…and can’t wait to hug them.

Soon, I hope.

G’nite.

Sig

Filed Under: friends, Indonesia, just life

Just Me

July 13, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I sorta started this several days ago. Since my brain is tired and wordless, yet completely sugar-rushed, I’m gonna post it tonight. Here’s everything you (n)ever wanted to know about me.

😉

I’m…Mel. Well, my full first name is Melinda, but for some reason, a lot of people never get that right.

I’ve bee

n called all kinds of names that start with M…Melissa, Melanie, McKenzie, and once…even Minerva (EW!) by my own grandpa. For a long time, I just answered to them. Then I decided, no, I’ll be Mel. It fits me better anyway.

I’m…a writer. At least I want to be. I love to share what’s going on in my heart, but I’ll be honest with you…the past almost-six months have brought out true writer’s block in my life. Dude, sometimes I really don’t have a clue how to even put things into words. But when the words are there, I love to share them.

I’m…a REDEEMED sinner. I blow it every day. I say something mean, I do something unkind, I lose my patience…it proves that I am a helpless sinner saved only by the grace of God.

And that Grace is everything to me.

I’m…a wife and mommy.

I’m blessed to have found the one man in this world who will put up with my quirkiness, wordiness, and silliness…and still find love through all of the patience those things require. And Mae? Well, she puts up with the same…the only difference is that she doesn’ t know i

t all yet!

In all seriousness, my husband and daughter bless my life every single day. I can’t even put into words how much they mean to me and how thankful I am for them.

I’m…a friend. Friendships are necessary for my survival…but I also can’t im agine

my life without my close friends. I need those people willing to love me, do crazy things with me, and most importantly share their hearts with me.

(You thought I was going to say drink coffee with me

? HAHA! Just kidding. Had I added a 4th item, that would have been it. ;)) I love my friends…so if you’re reading this and you’re my friend, then I love you.

I’m…an ENFP. I wear my heart on my sleeve, even online.

I am overly emotional at times, always talking (whether to others or just to myself) and drift toward the drama side of life from time to time. Ask my husband the ISTJ…I can be a challenge to live with.

I’m…a goal-setter who needs help following through. I dream big and expect big things to happen, which isn’t always realistic. I am learning to make more worthwhile goals in life rather than to spend my days flying high on clouds of wishes. (Haha…that was a cheesy sentence. But I’m leaving it anyway. :))

I’m… often afraid. I let fear take over often, even though I pretend to be strong. I often worry about what could happen more than focusing on the blessings right in front of me.

I want to live the present fully and leave the future to my Father.

That is so much easier said than done…but THAT is one of my goals.

My perfect day…is spent with family and/or friends. I love social interaction and go crazy if I’m cooped up in the house too long.

Give me a friend, some coffee, and my wonderful daughter (of course!)…and I can’t imagine a better way to spend a day.

I…question a lot of things.

When I look over the past year, it almost scares me how much things have changed. My hubby and I have spent so much time sifting through everything we were raised believing vs. what God’ s Word actually

says. At times it has been ugly, nasty, and drowning. Thankfully we emerged, core beliefs still in tact, with a lot of answers to the questions we had.

And feeling so much freer than we ever have before.

I’ve…found home. Over the past months as my heart has ached for a place to call home, God has been teaching me that my only true home is Heaven. He gives us places on earth to call ours for awhile…but they are just stops on the journey. I am blessed and so very thankful to call C’ville my home for now…and Heaven my home for good.

I want my tombstone to read…She lived BIG but loved BIGGER. (That’s slightly morbid to think about dying, isn’t it?) True, though. And yeah, I made that up, but I’m pretty sure it’s not original with me.

Life…Is Good.

Sig

Filed Under: just life, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 2)

July 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Lately I’m j ust

really trying to focus on blessings. And there are tons of them… big and small!

:) A really wonderful day with my girl.

:) Having electricity when A LOT of people around us don’t. AND the fact that we didn’t lose any trees in yesterday’s crazy…um…”storm”?

:) The last big step toward buying our house was completed today!!! Closing should be soon.

YAY!

:) Coffee and a walk to the park with my girl and a good friend.

:) Much-needed friend time and a good chat during the above outing.

:) A hubby who’s going to hang white Christmas lights on our back porch. YAY again! (I always knew he was cool…)

:) A gift from Indonesia that arrived in the mail and is hanging on our back porch.

I will post a picture sometime.

:)

:) A free load of firewood.

:) Finding eyeliner that actually lasts all day.

(Even when I cry. When I cry. Miracles do happen.

;))

:) Time to strum my guitar and sing a few songs.

:) Workouts that make me sweat and stink and feel accomplished.

(And force me to do laundry to kill the stench. ;))

:) Diet Cherry Dr.

Pepper.

:) Reading Don’t Let Me Go, a gift I bought for my hubby last year for Father’s Day. It’s inspiring.

:) Watching my daughter get closer and closer to walking…and being so grateful for her life and the blessing she is to us.

:) Sparkly flip flops.

:) Hugs.

:) Looking forward to a trip we’re gonna take soon.

I could keep going, but there should be a Part 3 soon. Happy Tuesday, y’all!

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life
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