It's official ! We celebrated my 30th Birthday !

Yesterday we officially celebrated my birthday. ( According to my husband, lol ) Eugene took me shopping at Old Navy (where they were having excellent sales, I might add ). I was able to add to my summer wardrobe a little. I think I could maybe wear a different outfit each day of the week now ! (LOL) For lunch we went to Red Lobster. Yummy ! Then to finish our day we went to a 9:40pm showing of the movie Killers. Oh yeah, did I mention that Chad went to a friends house and spent the night :) Unfortunately when we got back to our hotel room Eugene was then stressed about the money we just spent ! So we fell asleep on opposite sides of our King size bed. That's right, nothing but sleep ! Men, sometimes I just don't get them ! But hey my life isn't perfect and I don't pretend it is. The good thing about it is we can now laugh about it today and Gene realizes he totally messed up that one ! This afternoon after we picked up Chad we then returned $15.00 of clothes I bought because I volunteered to do so if that would make gene feel some what better. (LOL again, what else can we do but laugh ) After returning some items we headed "home" to make some lunch. Eugene cleaned out his work truck ( which took him 2 hrs ! ) and Chad and I relaxed. Then my mom called. They came down and got in town today ! So we headed over to the beach and chilled on the sand for a while. Chad and my dad had fun playing in the waves. My parents had some other things to do so Chad , Eugene and I did one of our favorites and went to the arcade on the boardwalk. We finished up our evening with Pizza Hut. While we were there the table next to us which had 8 people plus a baby ordered a ton ( I bet almost $100. worth ) of food. They ordered wings, bread sticks, pizza and drinks....and a lot of it. Then they sat there, ate all the food and walked out without paying or leaving a tip ! I couldn't believe it ! I knew what they were doing as they did it. I was telling Eugene but he though I was confused. I wasn't. The poor waiter, I felt so bad for him. I heard him telling another employee that for the last hour that was his only table because the party was so big. I went over to him and talked to him a little. Then I gave him some of my birthday $ and told him to keep it. At first he didn't want to but I insisted. So between giving him $ and our waitress a nice tip ( I didn't want her to feel bad if I gave the other guy more $ then her ) we "tipped" OVER 50 % of our total bill ! Man so much for just a cheap meal ! But the one thing the Lord has been impressing on me is to Always be ready to give or bless another. Do you know the only thing in the whole Bible that God tells us to test Him in is giving ? Anyway, I found that interesting. So now I am gonna get ready for bed. We are meeting my parents, Steff and her boyfriend Adam at church tomorrow. Then we are going back to my parents condo for lunch. So Goodnight dear readers. Be blessed.

My 30th Birthday

Today is my 30th Birthday. Thanks to friends I did not have to spend it alone. ( or should I say that Chad and I didn't have to spend it alone in the hotel room ) We went to see Toy Story #3 and then went back to their place for burgers and such. Oh, and yummy cheese cake. It is almost 8 pm and Eugene is on his way back from North Carolina. I think we are going out for a late cup of coffee yet tonight. This week was a great week and I feel blessed that we were able to spend so much time with friends. It has also been a tiring emotional week though. I do believe Chad and I have been cooped up in a little room for way to long. Only getting out on the weekends is not near enough. Chad has been so busy and full of energy. More then usual. He just talks and talks and talks. We do much better when we can have a little routine. When Chad can have his toys, his room, his life so to speak. I know we are blessed but to be honest after a week like this I just realize how different things are without our own home or without a car. Those of you who know Chad well, know his personality. Well, when we have routine, structure and daily activities it keeps him calmer but without that he has way to much energy. I feel so tired and overwhelmed right now. Please pray for us as we try and find the best solutions for us and our situation. And so is My Life as it is.......

Fathers Day weekend 6/2010

After noon and feels like 5 am to me. I am so tired ! I had the most wonderful weekend with my friends and family. It sure was a busy one though ! My poor hubby must really be exhausted. I do not know how he does it some weeks ! We started off Friday evening with a fun trip to Chicago's pizza. We met up with some friends from Pa. They were down here all last week for vacation and fixing to leave first thing Sat. morning. Some of their children were sick the whole week and finally by Friday they could have 1 good day. I was happy they chose to spend some time with us. Their son is a good friend of Chads and we love them all so was a great night for all of us ! Saturday we started off our day by going to Toys R' Us for a two hour Lego event. They had activities and free prizes. Chad built a "plane/boat" out of Lego's and then was able to keep it ! We played some games and Chad won some Lego stickers. He had a lot of fun and was able to spend his gift certificate that we have been holding onto since last Christmas. After we left there we made an impromptu stop to Broadway at the Beach where we took a stroll, checked out our new Ron Jons surf shop, and Chad had a few rides. Got in some grocery shopping and came back home to eat and relax a little. We ended our Saturday evening at Nascar speed park with a game of mini golf and go carts rides. They are open to 11 pm so we often head over there around 8 pm for a few hours. Sunday ( Fathers Day ) we started off our morning by taking Gene to Friendly's for breakfast. Then we went to the water park where we met up with some other friends that just came down from Pa. We stayed there for 5 hrs. I had so much fun and truly enjoyed myself. We never did anything one on one with this family before and I am so glad we were blessed with the opportunity to do so. We were able to get 3 people into the water park free on Fathers day and after praying about it Gene and I felt like we were to invite them. They have 2 children around Chad's age. Very sweet children. I felt truly blessed to be able to spend the day with their family :) They have invited us to spend a day at the beach with them this week and I look forward to that . After the water park Gene, Chad and I went out for Japanese food. After a tasty supper we then decided ( as we do every Sunday evening ) we were not quite ready for our weekend to end. So we took a drive down by the beach. Of course once we were down there we decided to park and take a stroll. ( once again as always happens ) So we did just that and also added a few arcade games into the mix ! I love spending time with my friends and family ! There gives me no greater joy. I feel so blessed. It is amazing how blessed I feel even though all I have for summer wear is 2 casual summer dresses and 2 pr. of shorts here. All my stuff is in storage and I had to give up a beautiful home. The joy that I have found in the last year is a joy only found in Christ. Don't get me wrong. I have my days of stressing. I am not near perfect ! But I do feel so thankful. Even though we went through some really difficult times I am thankful that we went through those things. Well, we were just invited out tonight for tacos and a evening at Barefoot landing with friends so I better go and start my list of things I wanted to accomplish today. Blessings to all my readers !

And I am back !

Dear readers, I am alive and well and back ! To all those who called thinking I died and you missed the funeral, I apologize ! Whether I am apologizing because there was no funeral or because I just stopped writing, is up to you ;) LOL Alas, I am alive and very healthy indeed. Unfortunately I can not say the same for my lap top. There was a funeral for her. I placed her on the floor for a minute and at that precise minute my wonderful son backed up and stepped right onto it. My husbands laptop has been in remission for some time but hurray, he has now recovered ! ( we finally purchased a new cord for him ) So, I am back.......hurray for me as I have been missing my free therapy sessions. Maybe not so big as a hurray for you my wonderful listeners. But you know I give you permission at any time to just stop reading ! So what is new you may be wondering ? ( if you were not then tough luck ! ) There is much new and at the same time not much at all. My wonderful husband (and best friend) is still working in North Carolina. We are still here in our suite ( minus the bugs ....thank God ! ...you don't know how long it took me to just relax and sleep good at night after all that drama ! ). Eugene bought our family season passes, to Myrtle Waves water park and Nascar speed park. Chad's also includes the rides at Broadway at the Beach. So pretty much our weekends consist of the beach, the water park, racing go carts, mini golf and watching Chad enjoy himself on the amusement park rides. I have to say That Life as it is......is pretty good right now ! No, we have not gotten a house yet but interestingly enough i came across a verse this past week that says we are to be content with food and clothing. It was like God was speaking right to me. Telling me to stop worrying about a house and just to be content. I thought hmmmm....if I would have wrote that verse I would have said to be content with a house and food and clothing but alas I did not help write the Bible ! So I have decided even if we live here or rent a home I will be content in what I have. God will provide all of our needs. I have been taking advantage of this time to spend more in the word. I am able to do this as I do not have a lot of house work to do ! LOL I know that will not always be the case so I am going to take advantage of this time right now. God has been really challenging me in the last little bit. I am sure I will write about it in the days to come. But for now I just want to say to all my readers I have found such freedom in Christ ! What joy it brings to no longer be bound by religion and other peoples opinions ! I had no idea I was even under such oppression. Which really led it self to depression. It occurred to me how in the first 8 yrs of my marriage I dealt with depression on and off. In the last 2 yrs it has really left me alone. God has shown me how to deal with it and to put it under the devils feet where it belongs. People talk about freedom in Christ but I am learning dear readers we will find true freedom once we put aside our and others thoughts about what church and life should be. How often we let church and church people dictate our thoughts and actions. God has shown me to stop comparing myself to the other people in the church and compare myself to Jesus instead. Even good people can keep us down and in their form of religion. We are going to answer to our Father in Heaven one day. Not our friends, best friends, family or even our pastors. Now don't get me wrong I love all the previously mentioned people but God is showing me that if we are content to just go along with every one elses ideas in our life we could very well miss out on the wonderful things God has for our lives ! Did you ever notice how cookie cutter we all can be ? I don't want to be cookie cutter anymore ! I want to be different ! I read a story the other day about a homeless man. It made me sick and sad and question my own relationship with the Lord. This man is an older man ( like really old ) he is an ex convict, ex drug user, ex alcoholic and a current chain smoker. He lives out of his truck on the beaches of California. What is so remarkable about this man is he is homeless by choice. He has the $ to have a home. Yet he chooses to use his $ every month to buy food for the other homeless. He lives out of his truck and every night preaches as he cooks up food for the other homeless. He tells them that if Jesus can save him he can save anybody. The first thing I thought was if I or most people in the church saw this man down at the beach how quickly we would probably turn the other way. Try to avoid contact with him. If your like me you will put your arm around your child and gently steer him away as to create more distance between him and you both. Maybe we would turn up our noses at him or maybe not but I'm sure we would deep down inside have some kind of negative thought.......... then I felt sad and sick because it occurred to me that this man most of us would walk the other way from is probably a better christian then me ! Picture an really old dirty man, tattoos all over, ex convict with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth living out of a truck then picture me......chubby but kinda cute ( come on, I am KINDA cute right ? I mean compared to him ! and I am clean ! ) Do you see where I am going with this......I mean what if God asked us to live out of our van and give all our $ towards making food for the homeless. To be really honest I do not think I am yet a place where I could say yes. And what if I would say yes....what do you think most people ( yes, church people ) would say about that ? I mean if a friend of ours came to us and told us they heard God tell them to do that we would probably think they are taking it a little to far ! So funny, when I shared the verse I shared earlier I had no intentions of sharing this story but there in that story is a man who is truly content with just food and clothing. Just a little something to ponder......and for those who think maybe I went a little to serious in my blog today.... I do NOT apologize ! :) Well, I need to let you go as we are fixing to leave soon. So until next time be blessed as we are all truly blessed !