**Correction** This was not the election night like I thought. Give me a break people, it's been years! This was after the televised debate that we stood outside of cheering for Riley for hours. The day of the election I stood outside campaigning in the rain, got incredibly sick, and slept for the next 36 hours without food or bathroom (ahem, just in case you wanted to know that much...).
Oh, the joys of Facebook. A friend tagged me in this photo and I about fell out of my chair. Then I instantly went to the land of nostalgia. You see, this was the night the former Congressman, to be announced a few hours later, Governor was elected. This represents a time in my life that I am so proud of. I realized I was going to school and working, yet not working for the greater good of the world in any way. I found a leader I believed in and worked my tail off with my collegiate peers to have him elected. The organization I was employed by had a PAC that actively supported Riley, and was instrumental in several of his larger fundraisers. I was merely the file girl at this established organization, but I made my grassroot efforts known to the CEO one day (while dropping files in his office, nonetheless) and he did all he could to support my smaller efforts from that point forth. I was the Riley girl. I would go to school, go to work, then go to the local campaign office and call college students. I went to rallys, birthday partys, and best of all to see Riley alongside other GOP leaders and welcome President Bush to AL in October of 2002.
Those were great days. I felt like I was important (which whether I was or not is obsolete, I'm sure he could have won without me!) and a sense of importance gives some security to oneself. Fast forward 7 years. I know I am important now! Maybe not to you, but to three individuals that reside the closest to my heart, the ones my heart loves... my husband and our children. I have the opportunity to pour into these lives daily, to love them, to speak life, to train them in the ways of God. I am his wife, I am their mama; and these, I would not trade for all of the glory in the world.
So yes, I did take a stroll to the land of nostalgia; but the stroll back was all the more sweet. Ephesians 5:16 says "Redeem the time, for the days are evil"; another version says "make the best of today, for the days are evil". Today is all we have. Make the most of it, for today is a glory day.
How about something a little bit different tonight? Here are some digits for your viewing pleasure...
750 - number of Christmas lights on our tree this year
54 - number of months we've be married
60 - number of fingernails/toenails I am responsible for
25 - number of pounds I would like to lose
18 - number of months I've been pregnant
1 - number of televisions in our house
6 - loads of laundry I do each week
3 - gallons of milk we go through each week
33 - months I've spent nursing children (and counting)
6 - nights a week I wake up sometime between 2-4am
6 - months until our big anniversary trip to Boston
3 - other people sleeping in my house right now
1 - wondering why in tarnation she is still awake.
5 - blogs I follow each week
16 - number of states I've visited
1 - international trip to South America
11 - days since I've eaten fried food
3 - number of political campaigns I've worked for
2 - number of vehicles I've owned in my life
4 - number of cities I've lived in
... oh what fun things you can do in the middle of the night! No really; I seriously need to start sleeping better because I am a slacker of a mom in the day if I don't rest at night. Any suggestions? I've tried tylenol PM, calm's forte, and many many prayers... still awake at night. Yawn...
Hope you all had a merry Christmas and happy new year. Our family was struck with a 24 hour stomach virus on December 20 but thankfully... recovered the next day (guess that's the obvious). Our Christmas was wonderful. I love watching the children get so much more into it each year. T-Pup asked many questions and it is evident he is beginning to put the pieces together in his ever expanding mind. The week after Christmas we were blessed that W was off the whole week, so we just had some hard core family time. It was awesome! We ate a lot, watched Cars repeatedly, and really were just able to relax from work and school. Thank you Jesus for such a timely break!
My heart is heavy today. For one, some truly dear friends of ours moved today. We celebrated with them twice yesterday and had a wonderful time. I don't know what it is, but people around us just really never seem to notice us. It's rare anyone (in our small town) calls us and genuinely asks how we are doing. These were the folks who did. And I pray God's abundant blessings on their family. I'm sad they're gone, but this is a friendship I know will last over the years, so I'm not worried. I know the Lord has exciting things in store for their family.
Also, there is a family in our church who lost their 33 year old son yesterday. I have never met that son, but his mother is dear to my heart. We sat next to each other in the nursery for almost 2 years rocking babies and sharing our hearts. She is full of wisdom and grace, and the type of person I hope to be when I'm older. I hurt for her. I can't even imagine.
The only chance we had to go to the funeral home was right after lunch, after church. We had both of our children with us. On the way we were telling T-Pup to be a good boy, that Mr. and Mrs. were very sad - their son had been in a car accident. That's really all the information we shared with him. When we walked in I saw the casket was open and became a little skeptical. I turned to look at W, and he said it was ok, to go ahead. By the time we came to the mother in the receiving line, I was weeping. I hugged her and said "you know I love you?" and it took every breath in me to get that out. She replied "I know you do, I know that you do". She spoke to Sam and T-Pup, and we headed out. On the way out, T-Pup said "Daddy, is that a real man there?" and W responded "yeah bud, it is" and T said "what's he doing?" and W said "remember bud, we told you he was in a bad car accident and it was very sad". No more questions after that... or at least not yet.
I'm trying to figure out how to teach our children the things we don't fully understand. It scares me. W and I were talking once we got home - and some may think bad of us for even taking our kids to the funeral home, but we want to teach them the truth. Everyone experiences death at some point. It is sad, it hurts. But, how great of an oppurtunity we will have tonight when we pray with T-Pup to pray for their family, to pray for God's love and grace.
I just wish it were easier.
But, that's why I'm still learning and still seeking every day... because I, in no way, have it all figured out.
Your kingdom come, your will be done - On earth as it is in Heaven.
