Do you want to be water or lemonade?

I read this great article the other day that has really stuck with me. The story goes like this.

The little girl comes home from school and tells her mom that a certain girl does not like her. The mom asks the girl if she knows of anything that everybody likes. The girl thinks for a little bit and then the mom says, the only thing I can think of is water and that is because it is colorless and tasteless. Then she asks, "Do you want to be water?". The girl gets it and says no, I want to be hot chocolate or better than that , lemonade!

The lady goes on to explain that we do that so much in our lives. We want everyone to like us so we tone down ourselves so that more people will like us but what we lose is our real selves and the part of us that makes us interesting and makes us who we are. She also talked about how we do that to our kids also and want them to calm down, blend in and not make a scene. We want everyone to like them to.

I have to admit that this is really true for me. I find myself sitting and thinking about a certain person and wondering if they like me or not. Maybe they are annoyed by me, maybe I spoke my mind a little to much last time we talked, maybe I talked to much or not enough, or maybe they just plain don't like me. The problem is that then I try to figure out how I should do things different the next time I see them to make things go more smoothly. This is where I get into trouble. I should be saying, I am who I am and if that person does not like me because of that then that is all right. Everybody is not going to like everybody unless we are all water.

The truth is, I like people who are unique and different. Those are the people that I am drawn to. I like to talk to people who have different opinions and ideas then me. I can learn from them or just be entertained by someone who is different then me. I think if we really thought about it this would be true all around. I think that the things that make me uniquely me are what some people are drawn to also.

She talked about how it is the people in history that were a little bit different that did amazing things. I know this to be true because my husband is one of those people. He is very unique and does things his own way but it has gotten him really far but not only that but people really like him. Sometimes I will be out in town and meet someone that knows my husband and they will just rave about him. I think that is pretty amazing. I also know that sometimes I get annoyed and want him to do things my way but when I step back and look at it I know that life would be really boring if my husband was just like me. Just like life would be very bland and boring if everyone out there was just like me.

God made us all different for a reason and I want to embrace that and stop worrying if everybody likes me. I want to be LEMONADE.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

We are leaving tonight to the BIG APPLE. I should be finishing our packing but I just wanted to write a little. Just a couple of days ago my husband asked if I wanted to go to New York with him. He needs to meet with a guy there about his job and we thought it would be a good opportunity to take the kids on a quick little trip before we get a new addition. The adoption placement is taking longer than we were thinking so it is a nice time to travel before we can't as easily. Our kids are at great ages to travel. I put them to bed so that they can get a couple of hours sleep before we have to wake them up to go to the airport. We are leaving at 11:30pm. This will be my third trip to New York.I love it there. Not the " I want to live there, love" but the " I love to visit it, love. I am hoping for a smooth trip but with little kids there is always some kind of adventure.

Like the first time I went to New York. My girl was only about 8 or 9 months old. We went on the same late flight that is a red eye. We went with friends of ours. She did really good on the flight but as soon as we landed she threw-up. That was pretty bad. Then we got on a bus to go to our hotel and she throws up again on the bus. We get off the bus and into a van. Then my husband discovers that he left his wallet on the bus. We have this great van driver and he tracks down the bus and a total miracle happens. My husbands wallet is still on the seat of the bus. In the meantime my daughter has pooped and it is leaking out onto my lap. Nothing like being a mom. We arrive at this really nice hotel and I am covered in throw up and poop. Not the kind of impression I wanted to make. I was never so happy to get into a hotel room and take a shower. My daughter was such a trooper through the whole thing. She was not even crying or anything. So I am just praying that this trip with the kids goes a whole lot better. I don't know if it could get much worse than that.

SO, I better go pack and double check everything. I think we are going to freeze our butts off but we will have fun. We always do.

What Community Looks Like In My Life...

A little recap of the last few days for me and my family...


Tuesday night was back to soup night, me and a friend make soup, invite anyone that wants to come and we eat together and meet new people. I had really missed having it and I was so happy to start it up again. We had a very full house. Lots of kids running around and playing, people sitting and standing while they eat their soup and bread. One couple stayed a little later and we got to really talk to them. It was what you would call a really good conversation. I shut the door after them and felt blessed to have so many great people in our lives and in our city. My kids ask when soup night will happen again. It is a good time for everyone.

Community

Wednesday found me at a bible study that I go to called Community Bible Study. It is not led by one church but by a group of women that want all women to be invited and to study the Bible together. We are studying the book of Acts this year which deals a lot with community. I have learned a lot so far. The biggest realization so far is that the church of Acts lived in such a way that they we aware of each others needs. They felt safe enough to be vulnerable with each other so that in turn they could meet each others needs. That is what I want in my life. I want friends that we can be honest when we need something and everyone else will be willing to reach out and fill that need.

Community

Wednesday night I went to my mother in laws house (three blocks away) and meet with a bunch of ladies to raise money for some friends that have had some hard things happen in the last few months. We talked, drank wine, and just had a lovely time all around.

Community

Thursday my daughter was with my parents so my son and I packed up his school stuff and went to cafe Rufugio ( a wonderful cafe owned by a friend of mine). We got drinks and tim tams and hung out at the cafe for about two hours. Doing school work and reading. It was wonderful. It is a great space with wonderful coffee. The best part about it is the owners really want to reach out to the community that they are in and are always coming up with great ideas of different things to do to accomplish that goal.

Community

Having friends that live just blocks away, neighbors that know my kids names, my husbands business is full of people that I call my friends, the local librarian that greets my family every time we go to the library, having friends that will just stop by, never feeling alone, having some friends that live far away but feel so close and considering them an important part of my life, my blog "friends", getting together to share a meal or a cup of coffee or tea.


This is what community looks like in my life and I am thankful for it. What does community look like to you?

Treasure

I just went upstairs for the third time tonight to tell my daughter to go to sleep and stop banging on the wall. She asked if I would cuddle with her for a little bit. Usually I would tell her no because I had already cuddled with her and put her to bed and now it was time to just sleep but I decided a little bit would not hurt. I layed down next to her and she just layed there so still for awhile. Then she stroked my face and said, " you are my treasure" She has completely stolen my heart. I am so glad I agreed to one more cuddle.

It's a new year.... what does that mean

HAPPY NEW YEAR


I know that the normal thing to do for new years is to make resolutions. Or to reflect on the last year. I am having a hard time doing either because all I can think about is the new baby that will be joining our family some day (hopefully in the near future).

I tried to make resolutions and all I came up with was

1. exercise more ( that is always on my list)

2. have a new baby added to our family


Then I get stuck and start sitting and thinking about that.

It has been a great year. My kids have changed so much over the last year. I feel like I have changed also. I have read many good books, made new friends, and taken on the new endeavor to home school. But every time I try to look back and think about the last year all I can think about is the future and all the unknowns and I just kind of get stuck there.

So for this new year I think I will just sit and wait, well I have two kids so I will not really be sitting but you know what I mean.

Our life is a little bit on hold right now and I am so ready for us to be placed with a baby so that we can move on into the next stage of life as a family. I know it is in God's timing but that is easier to say than to live. I pray everyday for the new addition to our family. Wherever he or she might be and I will continue that from now on. I already feel like there is someone missing from our family and just want it to be complete. That might sound weird but we have made a place in our hearts for a child and now it needs to be filled.

On the other hand we had a wonderful vacation. My husband was back to work yesterday and I was back to teaching school and all the other normal things of life. It is hard to get back in the swing of things. It makes me feel like I am not doing a good job at homeschooling but I think we just need to get our rhythm back.

So, I am going to go jump feet first into our day and try to keep my mind off what is trying to fill every inch of my brain right now. I am so thankful that I have two wonderful distractions so that I do not drive myself completely crazy thinking about when and how and who ( the adoption will happen) It really is in God's timing and all this waiting will feel like seconds once I am holding our new baby in my arms.