Where you at?

Are you SO happy to pull up my blog and not see red lip stain anymore?! I apologize for the lack of posts, but we've had a lot of birthdays, a lot of work, a trip to Colorado, and now I can't remember what else. I'm going to do a special post to commemorate Sadie's first birthday, but I thought I'd at least put up one picture in the meantime.

This all reminds me that I want to have a mini-soap box for a second. I'm sick of people responding to "How are you?" with "Busy." Followed by an exhausted hmphf and an eye roll. We're all busy (at least as much as we think we are), and I can't really think of anyone that I know that is bored. Let me also interject that I am sick of myself answering with "busy, hmphf, eye roll." Don't I have more to tell people? Am I answering this way because I think it makes me look important and not so stay-at-home-momish? I am personally challenging myself to be more than a busy person, to have things of value to discuss with those around me. This also harkens back to another, and frankly more serious, soap box that I have with myself and with people in general. Why is it so easy to be negative? Why do conversations flourish when the topic is negative? Why does misery love company? Now I know I'll lose your blog reading attention if I don't move on to another picture soon, but just think about this...I know I am.

Pressing on, here's your Sadie birthday snippet! She was very sweet and LOVED her cake. Again, more to follow, but here's your teaser.

Stephen also celebrated a birthday- the big 2-9. I'm so thankful that he's been in my life for the last 7+ years, and I love when this day comes around each year to celebrate the wonderful guy that he is.
Yes. That is a homemade cookie cake- due to the unfortunate closing of the Toll House cookie store at our mall. Moment of silence, please.

Here are a few pictures from our time in Colorado Springs over Thanksgiving. Other than the cold we all passed around, we had a really nice time...we always love going out there, and Stephen's parents definitely spoiled us this go around by taking the night and morning shifts with Sadie. It was a wonderful gift, and I'm thankful for my thoughtful in-law's!
Everytime we go out there we walk around the Garden of the Gods since it is so close to Rick and Lucy's house. It's always so beautiful and the colors are so different than what we see here in NC.
Here's sweet Lucy and Sadie having a little playtime.

We also went to a wonderful Christmas concert at our church last week...

If it comes to your area, please see Behold the Lamb of God. Andrew Peterson is very talented and very humble. It was such a treat to celebrate the season, and most of all Jesus, in this way.

Anyway, let me tell you a funny story about last Thursday night. We bought our tickets for the concert more than a month ago, and a few weeks later, I invited my mentee to come along (who's awesome, by the way, and I'm so thankful for her). Tickets were sold out, but between the two of us, we found one through her roommate. This is relevant later in the story. Actually, I'm going to type this in a timeline so we don't all get bored in a sea of paragraphs...

4:30- Playgroup with fun friends I haven't seen for months

5:30- Leave playgroup, already running late to dinner with mentee Emily

5:40- Stuck in traffic, more late for dinner

5:50-Make it to dinner, 20 minutes late, Emily's gracious

6:15-Stephen calls to say he's leaving work. Confirms that I printed our tickets. I reply, "What tickets? Print them?"

6:15-Doors open at the concert

6:45- Emily and I arrive at church. They won't let me in because I don't have my ticket. Sweet Emily has to go in and save us seats. I'm an awesome mentor.

6:55- Usher asks me if 20 year old Emily is my daughter. Devastated. Do I look like I'm 45?

7:00- Concert starts

7:10- Stephen arrives

7:15- Sadie starts giggling and squirming and unfornately for us, this is an acoustic event for the first half

7:17- I'm out in the hallway with Sadie. Just what I wanted to do.

7:45- Stephen swaps me

8:30- Intermission. We thought this was going to be over by now, hence the company of our one year old.

9:00- Stephen gives up and takes Sadie, who's just exhausted beyond belief, home :(

9:45- Awesome concert finally ends. It really was great, we just should've gotten a sitter. Whoops. Live and learn

9:50- Meet Emily's roommate, who I'm supposed to reimburse for the ticket, and realize I've sent my wallet home with Stephen in the diaper bag. Again, up for mentor of the year.

Also, missed my dear friend's birthday party. I planned to go after the concert since I thought I could be there by 9.

Lessons to learn from this experience:

1. Whether it's one night or my whole life, don't plan too much. Stuff just happens. Go with it and laugh while you do.

2. Thank God for my wonderful husband who really sucked it up and took one for the team...both with the non-printed ticket situation and the missing half of the concert situation. He managed to be really gracious and patient about all of it. We could have had a major blow up over all of that, but because he kept his head, everything was fine.

3. Doing your best goes a long way, but don't forget to look out for yourself along the way.

4. Ignore random men when they put their foot in their mouth...I don't look like I'm 45, I don't look like I'm 45, I don't look like...

5. This sounds hokie, but don't get wound so tight that you can't laugh at yourselves and the times you fail. Hug your kids and love them even when your plans go awry. Be thankful for what you get along the way.

Now I have to go because I just turned on White Christmas. If you remember my post from last year, it's my all time favorite. Thanks for putting up with my absence, oh and the small pictures. I'm having a technical difficulty, but I'm trying to just roll with it :) Trying...

Be back soon with lots more- Sadie's birthday, pictures of some of my work, and more!

Happy December!!