Friday, October 22, 2010

Making it all work

If you asked me 10 years ago if I would ever be married and have two children I probably would have laughed and said, "are you crazy or something!" "Heck no!" 11 years later though that is excatly what I am...Married, with two children, plus a dog, a mortgage, bills, a house with lots of love, and even the frustrations, and the trials of "Making it all work!"

It is not easy being a husband and a dad. There is a lot of pressure on us that we have to deal with and that we don't show to anyone, especially our wives, because hey...we are MEN and we are not suppose to show any kind of weakness or show that we are worried about this, that, or the other; especially when it involves providing for the family. We carry a lot on our shoulders and I know for me that there are things, usually financially, that I do not share with my wife because why bother her with things that I know are going to work out. God's word is clear that He will provide for us!

I know that I am blessed beyond measure and that the Lord watches my comings and goings. Even though I know this I can't help but to get weighed down with the cares of this world.

Yesterday, Pastor mentioned how we come into Gods house on Sundays, praising and worshiping Him, knowing that He is our all and all and then on Monday thru the rest of the week we are like, "lions and tigers and bears...oh my!"(my words, not his).

It is so true though! Take a look back in your past for a moment and see ALL that God has brought you through. Why do we worry for a moment that God cannot do above and beyond anything we can think or imagine!

I love Jesus with all my heart, soul, and mind and live in His grace everyday. One of my favorite songs is Alabaster Box. Enjoy the song!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Your advise is requested.

On the morning of Aug. 29th I was heading to work down 1st Ave. in Alabaster, near Fox Valley got pulled over by a police officer.

There were 2 cars in front of me and I had just got finished thinking to myself that, "this truck in front of me is smoking really bad. I can't believe I am going to have to follow this all the way to the interstate in Alabaster". I had already started slowing down before I saw the cop.

Once we all saw him he started to move and did a U-turn and got behind me. I thought, "I am sure he is about to pull over this guy in front of me because his truck is smoking or he is heading back to the police station". After the police followed me for about 30 seconds he turned on his lights and pulled me over.

Once he got to my window he asked for my license and insurance, asked me if my address was correct on my license and then started to walk off. I had to stop him and ask him why I was being pulled over. He said because I was speeding.

I told him, "sir, I am not sure what the speed limit is because I haven't lived at the address on my license for even a month yet and I haven't traveled this road enough to know." The speed limit on 1st ave. is 30mph. (let me just say here that I know ignorance of the law is not an excuse...I was just stating the truth.)

Either way, he walked back to his car and came back with ticket in hand. I asked him how fast I was going. I thought he said, "29 in a 30." I said, "29 in a 30!" And he said, "no, 39 in a 30." Then he said, "didn't you see me get behind you?" I said, "yes I did that I why I didn't think I was speeding." (come on now...would I knowingly be speeding with a cop behind me!!!...of course I thought about this after I was driving to work). I asked then asked him, "how fast the truck in front of me was going and he said 38."

Well, once I got to work I looked at the ticket and he had written down that I was doing 49 in a 30, instead of the 39 that he told me I was doing.

The Price of my ticket is $160.00.

My question to you for advise is...Should I go to contest the ticket on my court date or just stand before the Judge and ask him/her to let me go to driving school so it will stay off of my record?

I feel that I have reason to contest it because of the sequence of events that morning and from the information that the office told me about the speed of the truck in front of me. And even more so since he wrote down that I was doing 49 in a 30 and the car in front of me was doing 38. If that were true then I would have smashed into the back of the truck that I was following and then we would have had an accident report on our hands, not a speeding ticket.

I truly feel that he clocked my speed while he was traveling behind me and once I started up the hill towards Thompson Road he pulled me over. It is possible that he clocked me at 49 but again...I did not know what the speed was and I sure didn't think it was 30 being the type of road it is and I would not knowingly be speeding with a cop behind me.

So...what is your advise?...contest, ask for driving school?!?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

15 Random Things about me.

I copied this from my friend Vals blog and thought I would compare myself to hers and inform you about the same 15 Random things about me. :) My "random things" are after the dash.(-)Enjoy:

1. I like to drink milk while eating chips...always have. - (I like drinking milk with pizza when delivered to the house)
2. I don't sit on the toilet of any place except for mine and other family member's homes. Not even friends! - (When I got to go I GOT TO GO, so I don't care where I am; I will roll the toilet lid if need be.)
3. I've been trying to kick the habit of biting my nails for 14 years now and I tend to only do it while watching a movie or t.v. show. - (I have a habit of biting the skin around my nails. I have gotten better at not doing it)
4. I frown while I sleep so I worry about wrinkle on my forehead. I don't want to have a perpetual frowny face (; - (I don't care if I get wrinkles or not. I get excited when I see a gray hair...yea baby!)
5. I think my feet are the most unattractive thing on my body and they turn blue easily due to even the slightest chill. - (I have sexy feet..really! lol)
6. I prefer to go without shoes all the time unless it is cold. - (I almost, always have something on my feet, even at home. Usually flip flops.)
7. My right hand is double jointed so my fingers are naturally crooked but my left hand is not. I was forever picked on in school due to this fact. - (One of my eyes is wider open than the other. You wouldn't notice unless I told you so...)
8. I want my floors to be spotless all the time, then and only then is my house "clean." - (sad...but true...it's an OCD thing)
9. I check the cleanliness of others based upon their floors. - (I check the cleanliness by their bathroom. But of course Val, you wouldn't do that because you don't use other people's bathroom. ha!)
10. I have an eye for details others wouldn't notice and can tell you random things about someone after seeing them. This fact drives Alex crazy because he doesn't notice anything. - (I notice details others wouldn't notice as well but it drives ME crazy that I do this. I am pretty good at remember names of people too.)
11. When I'm mad my jaw make a weird pulsing movement. This is something noticed by Alex and he laughs because he can tell when I'm mad. - (When I'm mad I tighten my jaw which can't be good for the teeth!)
12. I have a keen sense of smell and always worry about the smell of my own home...which I'm desensitized to. - (same...at times I wish I couldn't smell)
13. I am a germiphobe and must have everything clean for my kids. No licking the paci before sticking it back in my kid's mouth here! UGH! - (I consider the source of the germs and I lick the paci ALL THE TIME!)
14. I really love flowers and buy them for myself because most others do not...my grandmother shares this love. - (I like flowers but I don't by them for myself)
15. I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord and although my body may not be what it used to be I know that God makes each and every person beautiful in his sight. Our petty human thoughts on beauty are sad and I embrace the body God has given me as I teach my daughters to do likewise. (I am who I am!)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

SO TIRED

-I am SO TIRED of inviting people to do things but never getting invited.
-I am SO TIRED of being the one to initiate the phone call but never getting the call initiated by someone else.
-I am SO TIRED of people not responding to messages which tells them to reply back with a response.
-I am SO TIRED of how people who say they are my friend treat me. Heck, with friends like that why would I want enemies!
-I am SO TIRED of plans being made and then at the last moment, they are broken by the other person. Which heck, I should have known they would be; this isn't the 1st, 2nd, or even the 3rd time, but yet I keep trying.(fool me once...you know the rest).
-I am SO TIRED of being used!
-I am SO TIRED of having to feel that even though these things are done time and time again I feel obligated to still put on a smile and pretend that everything is okay. If I no longer/if ever fit into the "box" that you have made then just go your way and I'll go mine.

But I think the truth has just been revealed to me. You have gone your way by your actions. It is obviously I who did not, until now, get the picture. This is good though. At least now I can quit filling SO TIRED!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Making changes...

A little bit at a time.




Why keep posting?!?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

This, That, and the Other

Life is going by so fast already. This Friday Asher will be 3 weeks old and since birth he has been sleeping great. He is really putting his brother to shame. It is 5:08 am on this Tuesday and we, Corban and I, have been up since 3am. I think it might be a long day. I am sure I should be use to the lack of sleep by now but some days are harder than others.

The house is coming together nicely. We have the boys rooms painted and I am working from room to room and getting it the way we want it. I enjoyed the pool as much as I could before the cold weather set in. I guess by this weekend I will be needing to cover it until next summer.

Here are a few pics of what's been going on for the past month...house decorating, family and friend visits, parties, bringing Asher home, etc...no particular order: