And you thought you'd seen random...

More random thoughts today. With the pace of life right now, I think (and now post) just in very short snippets.

We left the garage door open last night. We also forgot to put out trash the night before last. We also had a full trash can in the garage and two bags that didn't fit in the can so were on the floor. We also had a cat or coon destroy those two bags of trash last night.

Adding to the fun of the morning, Jack wet the bed.

After watching this video that hit the viral scene today of a kid at a talent show, I am now listening to all five Michael Jackson songs on my phone - PYT, Billie Jean, The Way You Make Me Feel, and the Man in the Mirror. And now, later in this post, I am listening to the Michael Jackson Pandora Station.

I had to change my pants after getting half way to my first meeting this morning because there were pen marks all over it. More pen marks after I changed. It kept happening until around 1:30 when I realizes an ink pen had poked through a bag and was writing on my clothes every time I carried it.

My car also just stopped driving today. About 1/2 mile from the house, it just stopped accelerating. I managed to coast into the subdivision and then couldn't get up the ever so slight hill and had to park it there. It did work in reverse though and Tom managed to drive it backward and into our driveway. Tessa actually came up with the idea at the same time as Tom. My little creative thinkers! (And yes, I had plenty of gas... we're thinking transmission... fun!)

I think it's funny that sometimes the things that bug us the most are things other people admire. Case in point... Yesterday, someone commented on my bangs and how they always just looked great and swooped to the side. My bangs are my least favorite part of my hair and I feel like I never get them "right" - mainly that I can't get them to swoop right. Here's a pic of me in Jack's Spiderman sunglasses that I wore around all day and kept forgetting to take off in public. See the bangs? These wouldn't be my favorite but maybe I'm too hard on myself... :)

I managed to lose Tom's brand new GPS watch. We found it in a stack of his workout shirts. At least I had the right idea. I did manage to organize two drawers and clean the rest of the house while searching for it. Now, if we could just find his key fob for the gym.

Speaking of the gym... we joined Hancock Wellness last week on Monday. I'm super excited about it and really like how it works which is really for another post. I've been there every day this week - Monday through Thursday - doing everything from running to yoga to weights. (It helps that the kids beg to go to the kids area.) And, I ran on Sunday. That's five days in a row. Tomorrow I rest.

I ran a 7:42 mile on the treadmill today. Someday, I'd like to break 7:00. I'm not sure I ever did that in middle school/high school track, although 6:56 does stick in my head for some reason. Why not in my 30's?

Tom and I had our 14 year anniversary this week. We've officially owned our own business together more than half of our marriage. That would be two partnerships that are tough and even tougher when added together. I think we've done a pretty darned good job. We celebrated with tacos. :) The biggest difference I've noticed between us and other couples? We have never sat at a table in a restaurant and not had something to talk about even though we share an office the size of a large bathroom and see each other all the time.

We honored our Veteran's at our local Veteran's Memorial as part of our Rotary meeting today. This is one of my favorite meetings of the year. The man playing Taps on the bugle was fantastic. It reminded me of Girl Scout Camp.

I realized today that our kids will be able to say that three out of four grandfathers served in WWII. And, the fourth wanted to serve but couldn't due to medical issues. I'm sure that has to be rare and I also know it's something of which to be very proud. This is my dad's dad, Grandpa Chuck who was in the Army.

I'm so much happier when I have a clean house. And, a clean car helps too. Cleaning the house sure shook me out of my funk tonight. I always read those little, cute quotes about how when you die, you'll wish you hadn't spent as much time cleaning, etc. etc. However, if a clean house = a happy mama, just clean. Your kids will thank you for your mental sanity. If not now, it will come later when they become parents and they finally get it.

Four more days of school. And, they can't come soon enough.

Told you it was random. It's been a long, eventful day and now, it's time for a late dinner.

Super Spy Tip

So, I did a little science experiment on Monday. I remember seeing this in a movie, or reading it in a book, or hearing about it in science class. Actually, maybe it was Mr. Wizard. (Remember that show?!?!) Wherever I heard it, I'm glad I did because it saved me $60 in postage this week.

I printed, folded, stuffed, labeled and sealed 130 letters and envelopes soliciting donations for our Wine to Water event coming up in April. After sealing letter #129, I realized I left out an important form in every.single.last.envelope. And yes, they were already stamped.

So, the next day, I took on the task of unsealing each envelope, putting in the last paper and resealing it. Tessa helped too. :)

Now, for the science experiment. I steamed them open. I boiled a big pot of water, balanced a spoon over the edge and then balanced the envelopes two at a time on the spoon.

It worked and I was proud of myself. It doesn't take much.

January Randomness

It is cold. Very cold. And dreary. These are the days that make it seem as if winter will never end. Soup, coffee and hot tea have been my friend.

It's more fun to come home from vacation when you have kids. I missed them more than I would have thought. We had an excellent free day at home on Monday. We tye-dyed shirts, played Play-Doh and just hung out together.

I read three books on vacation. Now, my motivation to read is completely gone. Tom wants me to read "Great By Choice" and I'm having a hard time getting started. I also have a book club book in the line up that I need to get started. I've been spoiled by my fun vacation reading and anything more serious just seems... More serious. :)

Tom has major knee surgery - ACL reconstruction - on Friday. Neither of us are exactly sure what to expect. The whole process is reminding me of the last week of my pregnancies when I freak out that I can't plan for it. I'm afraid he's going to be in a lot of pain and I've never seen him like that. And, since its his right leg, there will be no driving for him for at least two weeks. That will be an interesting twist to our already busy schedule. Silver lining in the whole thing is that we will be forced to slow down a little. I see movies in his future and more cuddles on the couch with the kiddos.

In my free time since coming home, I've been very busy working on three Rotary projects. The first is coming up on Saturday. We are co-hosting an Italian dinner at our house for eight people that was purchased at the Gift of Life auction last year. This will be the day after Tom's surgery so I am so happy to have two wonderful, helpful cohorts and fellow club members taking on most of the hard work. It's coming together and I know it be a super fun evening.

The next big Rotary event is our Gift of Life auction is in February. I've been working on collecting auction items. It's our club's biggest fundraiser and a fun night to boot. It's the one time of year I get to dress up in a fancy dress and I look forward to it. Last year, I bought two dresses and said I would take one back. Guess what? I never did so I have a new dress for this year!!!

Finally, Wine to Water is just around the corner after that. This is a super fun event that raises money for fresh water wells in Sierra Leone. We bring in wineries and breweries for tastings plus have a band, tons of food and a silent auction. This year, we've got two vendors already signed up. One is new for us and one we've been hoping for since we started - Sunking Brewery. It's a personal favorite and I'm stoked they are coming! This is our fourth year for the event and we will likely break the $25,000 mark for money raised for fresh water.

So that's what happening at home during this frigid January!

Thanks Given - Day Twenty Nine

Another day late. At least I'm consistent...

Today, I am thankful to be a part of Rotary. I know I've said a word or two on here about our group, but it's probably time for more of an explanation. Rotary International is a service organization with a motto of "Service Above Self" with 34,000 clubs all over the world and over 1.2 million Rotarians. The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. One of their largest, and most familiar, initiatives is the eradication of Polio across the globe. Through the Rotary Foundation, individual clubs across the world work on projects that are in one of six areas of focus - 

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water and sanitation
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development

Source (and to learn more): Rotary International

So, what do we do? And, why am I thankful? Our club meets every Thursday at noon at the local Ponderosa and is comprised of a variety of business professionals throughout the community. Each meeting has a time of Happy Bucks where we each put money in the pot to talk about something, really anything, that has happened in the last week. This money goes towards our many projects throughout the community. Generally, we also have a speaker. 

Outside of our meetings, we work on all kinds of service projects. We take apples to all of the teachers in the local school district once a year. We raise money for fresh water in other countries. We ring the bell to raise money for the local Shop with a Deputy at Christmas. We pick up trash on the highway. We sponsor exchange students - both inbound and outbound. We put up pergolas on the local bike trail. 

Our largest, signature project is the Gift of Life program. I talked a little bit about it in this post. We have a huge auction every year to raise money for the program which funds heart surgeries for children around the world. This year, we are the sponsoring club for a Vocational Training Team heading out for Uganda tomorrow. One of our club members is the team leader and will take over a team of doctors and nurses to train the surgeons in the hospital there more about heart surgeries on children. That is what you call a sustainable project! You can follow their progress and cases on their blog. This is a photo from last year.

I am so proud to be a part of a club that does so much good in our local community and around the world. What a better path toward world peace than healing the sick, feeding the hungry and giving water to the thirsty. I am thankful to be a part of such a generous, hardworking club.

Gift of Life - Brought to Life

So, I had to go back through my posts to see if I have ever talked about Rotary. You can find all posts in which it is referenced here. But, I am sad to say, I haven't really talked about what we actually do as Rotarians. And, actually, the true details will need to be saved for another post. Suffice it to say, it's an awesome civic organization in which we've met a ton of new people with caring hearts. And, it's the reason I eat lunch at Ponderosa every Thursday. :)

One of the club's main fundraising efforts each year is for Gift of Life. Gift of Life International is a large organization that works on getting children all over the world life saving operations for heart conditions with tons of support from Rotary Clubs across the globe. Each year, our club puts on a huge auction to raise money for the same cause. (I'm sure my Rotarian friends would be able to put this all more eloquently, but honestly, I'm not sure of the connection between GOL International, our Rotary District and our club.) The auction raises around $50,000 a year and our club has saved the lives of a bunch of children due to this one night and all of the hard work that it takes. I will say this post will not do any of this justice...

We have also sent a vocational training team from Riley Hospital to Uganda two times in order to train Ugandan surgeons and staff to do the same surgeries as we do here. You can check out their blog for day to day updates about their trip. They are able to operate on more children while there for the same costs as flying one child here. And, the training the doctors and nurses receive while there makes it possible to do even more surgeries once we leave.

Every once in a while, though, we bring children to Indianapolis. This year, it will be five children. And, by we, I mean our club's Rotary District. This year, a member of our club, Stephanie, is the District Gift of Life chair. Fortunately for me, we are Stephanie's new neighbor. Sunday night was the night the new baby and her mother arrived at the airport from Kosovo. I went along for the ride, leaving the house after my normal bedtime... 10:15. Their flight was due to arrive around 11:30. We waited there with some other Rotarians.

Suzanna and Monica watched down the long hallway to try to see her. Monica ended up hurdling the couch once she saw her coming. :)

It was sometime during this wait that I realized what Mira (the mother) must be going through during this time. I know we work really hard at putting together the auction and getting the items and it can be very stressful at times. However, the stress and uncertainty of this woman's situation certainly outweighs all of that. She boarded a plane, alone, with a five month old for a 24 hour travel day. Then, she arrives in a foreign country and is not able to speak the language. She rides with a stranger to a strange place and has to eat strange food for the next six weeks. Meanwhile, her baby is operated on by a stranger too. I become very overwhelmed when I put myself in the same situation. I don't know that I would have the strength or courage...

Finally, they arrived. It was great to see them.

I snapped this photo while we were picking up their bags.

Stephanie putting Sara in the car seat.

We took them to the Ronald McDonald House and arrived there around 12:30AM or so. I have never been there, so that was an experience too. I can't imagine what comfort this place must give families when they need to be close to a loved one in the hospital. We got her settled into her room, made her bed and Sara's bed (she wasn't so sure about the pack and play). Then, we left to let her sleep. Once home, I tossed and turned all night - thinking about what a great thing Mira is doing and how scared I would be and praying for peace for them.

Stephanie went back over to the hospital to be with Mira and Sara for their first pre-surgery appointment. Not having a translator was hard I'm sure but they started using the Google Translate app on her phone. I didn't think too much of it, but they had to call in a formal, official translator when it came down to the real medical sign off stuff. Mira only speaks Albanian and there is not an official translator in all of Indiana.

Here is a great picture of them in the hospital together.

Today, Jack and I took a trip over to see them. When I arrived, she was talking back and forth through the Google translate program with another family staying there. I think she was happy to have some socialization! We stayed and talked there a while and watched the kids play.

Eventually, I took her over to the community kitchen and asked if I could make her lunch. (All through the translate app on the phone.) Stephanie had told me she liked noodles, so I made mac and cheese. She liked it. Maybe comfort food is the same in any culture. :)

She is able to communicate with her family over instant messenger but we have not been able to get video chat up and running yet. I think I finally have it set up so it may work now. I was able to take a video of her and Sara and let her send it to her husband and family. She chatted a long time on the computer, which I can tell she appreciated.

In the meantime, I took photos. :)

Jack was really enthralled with her. I told him last night we were going to see a baby today and he talked about it non-stop. He got down and talked to her and she "talked" back. He was so sweet with her and kept saying "Mama, she's talking to me!" Here's a little video (please ignore the over protective woman in the background - she seriously needs to settle down...)

Sara will have surgery on Monday. I'm going to try to make it over again sometime during the week. It sounds like she will be in the hospital for at least a week but probably 10 days. So, Jack may not be able to visit again until later in their stay. I'm hoping to take the girls too. Mira and Sara are here until mid-September while she recovers.

I think it's important to help form a loving heart in our own kids. There is no way to teach them this without hands on experience. They won't need to wait to go on a mission trip in junior high to see that people need our help and our compassion. I want them to see mom and dad doing these things as they grow older not just talking about it. So, they'll come with us again when we set up for the auction and now they'll have a face to put with all of the hard work. And, so will we. :)

                                       

Emotional Day

Today was an emotional day all the way around. I feel like I have been on the verge of tears (or actually having them roll down my cheeks) all day! 

First - Josie's last day of school was today and watching the teacher give one last hug as they each walked out the door made me start bawling like a baby. She wrote a very nice note in Josie's book too - queue more tears. (I bought "Oh the Places You'll Go" with the hopes of having each teacher sign it at the end of the year - thanks Pinterest!) Josie was sad too because she said Mrs. Brown talked a lot about this class would always be special to her since it was her first kindergarden class. 

A photo from this morning...

Here's a page from her end of the year journal. I think she nailed it and am so glad this is what she got out of the year - the important stuff!

Second - Our Rotary Club put on the annual Memorial Day program. We start the meeting as usual at Ponderosa and have a brief program. This year, Rick Walker talked about a young boy from Hancock County who died in Vietnam. Talk about touching. We then headed down to the Veteran's Park for a prayer, 21 Gun Salute, and taps. I'm glad we do this every year as it always renews my pride in our country. Someone said today that these men died to ensure we were a sovereign nation and ruled by no other. Also, it's always a good reminder that we need to be telling our kids the true meaning of the holiday, just as we do Christmas and Easter. Tom got some great photos here a while back. It's really a fantastic memorial. 

Finally, Andrea visited Timber Run today with Lydia and her mom. Now, we saw her last weekend at the Big May 5K, but only briefly. Seeing her talk about her customers and seeing them again just brought it all rushing back. One of our homeowners went to visit her at Methodist and cried today just talking about it. I'm so proud of how far she has come and how much strength she and her family have demonstrated. The event last weekend was a raging success and more photos can be found on our Joyner Homes Facebook Page, but here are two of my favorites of Andrea.

So, all in all, I'm exhausted. But, just like always, getting my thoughts on paper has helped immensely. I'm ready for the holiday weekend so we can just chill out as a family for a while. We have lots of fun things planned but also lots of downtime planned. My definition of a perfect long weekend!