Today’s coffee/Diet Coke date is happening outside. We shall see how long it lasts…the skies look a little iffy.

Before I start baring my soul, though, I need to share this one piece of sheer wisdom. I know you will be impressed.

Burger King = STUPID; McDonald’s = GENIUS

Why, you ask?

Because at McDonald’s I can get my huge Diet Coke for a buck. $1!

At BK? $2.19.

So wrong.

Ok, I’m done with that tangent, but please remember this piece of wisdom should you need to run through a drive-thru. Ok, that is all.

If you hopped over today, you’d find a semi-stressed out mommy. That’s what happens when Mae and I are stuck at home for three days in a row.

We did get out today, but she was less than content. I think it may h ave

had something to do with her favorite person not being at Bible Study today, but for whatever reason, she was a little spitfire. Fussy, getting into things…just cranky in general.

I know, I know. She’s just being 11 months old.

I know I need patience and infinite amounts of grace for this. Please, God, send them my way!

We did have a fun lunch with friends who played peek-a-boo with her and kept her somewhat entertained. But really, once Maelie has decided that crabby is the way to go, there is no turning back. Thankfully she is now down for a (hopefully) long nap which should cure any crabby tendencies.

And as a side note, I am so thankful for friends who extend grace to me on days when I feel like the worst in my parenting is brought out. So, thank you all of you…you know who you are.

And Maelie and I had some sweet cuddle time while she took her bottle before her nap so I can’t say the day was all bad. I love it when she snuggles…which isn’ t very of

ten anymore, so that time is so precious.

Unfortunately, her nap was just interrupted by two neighborhood dogs who got loose and were running around our yard making Andre and Sammy absolutely crazy. Tons of barking = no more nap.

I am leaving her in her crib for a few, hoping that maybe she will go back to sleep. My hopes are not very high, though.

It’s times like these that I’m tempted to get frustrated and really tell off some people, especially since I actually met the owner of the dogs, but then I remember something.

Yeah, I have dogs, too.

And what was it, Monday

? Sammy got loose and ran down to the river.

Just as mercy has so often been extended to me, now it’ s my turn to extend

some. I guess lessons can come in many different forms.

I realized today that I need to pull out my day planner, something that has been closed and unused for the last year. I guess that means my life is filling up again, and that is such a good feeling. We have a couple trips to look forward

to this summer, VBS, weekly get-togethers at parks, and other commitments at church.

It feels good to have a life again.

My husband totally made my week…probably my year…or even my life…on Tuesday night.

I’ll refrain from going into details, but basically a series of e-mails spurred a conversation between us about love.

That’s right, L-O-V-E.

One thing you need to know about my hubby is that I know he loves me.

He does so many things for me

to prove that every day, and I don’t need to be told that he loves me to believe it.

But sometimes it’s nice to hear.

And on Tuesday night we were just hanging out and chatting, and he was talking about how much he enjoys the life we have and how thankful he is that God brought us here. And then he said, in my paraphrased words, “Yeah, work can be stressful sometimes. But I love that I get to come home to you and our daughter. I’m just so happy right now…I love life.”

Those few sentences meant more to me than any gift

he could ever buy me, any nice thing he could ever do for me.

I’m going to hold them in my heart forever…because that night forgiveness happened.

There had been a few little things that I’d been hanging on to…wanting to make sure that he made them right so I could get over them. And I know that’s not right on my part, but in my selfishness, I wanted some redemption for some things that I thought I deserved.

It was SO COOL to literally watch those offenses melt away. And they haven’t been back.

I love my man…not just for who he is as a husband and father, but because of who he’s allowing God to help him become. What a gift.

I kinda want to end there…just cause I love a happy ending.

But we need a happy ending, and so I’m asking you to please, please pray for our house situation. There have been some recent developments, through no fault of our own, that could jeopardize everything.

Part of me is angry, and I am trying desperately to squelch that

and TRUST. I know that everything will work out, but we so, so badly want to stay here, to raise our little girl here, to have our life here.

And He hears the desires of my heart.

Thanks for praying.