Oh, How Embarassing!

I know we all at some point in our lives has had at least one very embarassing moment…I, on the other hand, I have WAY too many!  For a while, a little incident at Kids Camp when I was 16 held the #1 spot for that title…and only people VERY close to me will ever know that story….but as of this year,  a new one has taken it’s place.  I’ll share my ignorance, I mean my embarassing moment with you…

While at a local Borders Bookstore, my children and I were about to checkout.  We stood in line, and as we waited, I couldn’t help but notice that the clerk TALKED like a woman, but LOOKED just like a man.  Not really a big deal in this day and age, however, for some odd reason, I found myself really wondering which one it was…I couldn’t let it go…I did the whole body glance over, hair – man, boobs – no, arm hair – a lot, hands – man – it really all pointed to man, but the voice…I couldn’t let go of the voice. 

 Now comes my turn to check out.  I was buying some of those little fancy chocolates in the shiny little wrappers that are ball-shaped, I told the kids to each pick 2 and I picked 2 for Dave and I…then the clerk advised me that I could get a couple more for free since there was a special going on for those.  The clerk then advised the “light blue” ones were the best.  No harm no foul…right…?  Until I opened my should have been born blonde mouth….I said to the kids – “Pick out two more – why don’t you get the light blue ones”  My son questioned why that one and I quickly said without thinking – “because SHE said it was good” – oh no….I didn’t KNOW that – I can’t believe I said that….I probably insulted this person if it was a man…1000 thoughts were going through my head as to how to make this better, nothing seemed to sound right in my head, so I decided not to say anything….then my son again asked “do I have to get those?”  I quickly responded with “No, you don’t have to, SHE, I mean HE just thought you might like it.”  OH MY GOODNESS!  How completely ignorant could I get?  It was like an out-of-body experience.  Did I really just say that?  How can I smooth this over, I know I totally insulted this person, with no intention of ever doing so!   The person was so nice, and never said a word, and kept up with their polite disposition, I couldn’t believe it.  I ran out of there so fast, and just got in the car and sat for a minute feeling like a complete jerk!  I was so embarassed, I have yet to grace that Borders with my presence since! 

So just when you think you might have said something stupid…think of me, and think your comment wasn’t THAT stupid!   Do you have a most embarassing moment you’d like to share?  I’d LOVE to hear stories…go on, make me feel better about mine.

#2…My Canon Rebel XTi

It’s no secret that I have a HUGE passion for photography.   I always have, but growing up, my mom could never afford to send me to any kind of school for it, so I had to learn things on my own by reading and just watching people who I admire’s work.

It took me a LONG time to go to the digital world.  I never thought the photographs came out near as good as a 35mm, until the last couple of years.  So, I finally decided to invest in a digital camera.  I did a great deal of research and found a camera shop that would customize my camera to my needs, and walah….the REAL passion began.

I have since, taken 1000’s of pictures.  Some of which I am quite proud of, some just plain crazy (thanks to my amazing zoom lens) and it’s mostly due to my Canon, I adore!  Thus, making it my “Material obsession” #2.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all…

13 year old dad!?  What!?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece

My Material Obsessions….Part I

I have said it before – I LOVE Yankee Candles,  There is just something about going to my closet and picking out the “perfect scent” for the day.   I don’t know what it is, but the house filled with a great scent,  and the calming glow of the candle…just relax me during my what is now become very chaotic days.  

The only thing I don’t like about these things, is they seem to always discontinue my fav’s…what’s up with that? 

Guess I just have to wait for the next scratch and sniff catalog in the mail and pick out new ones!  WOO HOO!

It’s a girl…

Today, the most beautiful girl in the world turned 6.   I actually cried this afternoon just thinking about it. 

You hear people say that “time flies” all the time, but today, I actually felt like it has.  It just seemed like not too long ago, we were picking her up from the hospital at just 2 days old.  We got a little more notice for her than Austin, but not much…just 5 days.  Her adoption was so touch and go til the very last second.

It started with the attorney calling us up on a Monday and telling us about a situation they had.  You see her birthmother had chosen a single mother to adopt her unborn baby, but that single mother had a deadline to turn in all the legal paperwork, and well, she didn’t.  Upon calling her to try to get it,  she was unreachable.  She told us of her “situation” which was she was a single mom already, the birthfather had been very supportive thru the pregnancy, but they were no longer together and was not interested in her keeping the baby, and she didn’t want to really do it alone.

Her mother and family were really pushing her to give the baby up for adoption, but she was very hesitant.  We were to meet both the parents that Friday in Orlando over lunch, but on Thursday, she went into labor and gave birth the next morning.  The birthfather decided to meet us anyhow, and decide for the both of them.  Needless to say, I did NOT touch my food!  I was so nervous.  But by the end of the lunch, he said, “I am not going to leave you questioning whether or not we are going to pick you, we are.”  We were so happy.  The next morning we were to go to the hospital in Tampa to meet the new little girl.  WOAH….that was rough, I ain’t gonna lie…we were surrounded by HER family, and just us, no attorney, no nothing…they were all starring at us and I am sure sizing us up.  I finally looked over at the baby and said “she’s so beautiful” that sent the birthmother running out of bed into the bathroom crying!  We felt awful. 

We didn’t know whether to leave the room or not!  What was the proper thing to do?  So we just stood there…like deers in the headlights!  Finally after that meeting was over, I had a bad feeling…I felt that her family was FORCING her to give up the baby because that is what THEY thought was best.  We didn’t want to take anyone’s baby from them…we could wait for another.  So I called the attorney and told them just that.  She assured me she would check into and get back to us.  Then the call from the birthfather came and said she is “changing her mind and wants to keep her, but we’re going to talk her into it – so don’t worry…”  OH NO!  I told him we did not agree with that, and did NOT want to take her baby.  He then advised she couldn’t afford her and already had one taken away for neglect…well, our attorney knew our feelings, and we just waited….and waited….and waited…not knowing if we were getting her or not!  We were to pick her up the next day…well, we didn’t hear from our attorney until the next AFTERNOON!  It was stressful!!  She said that we could come to the hospital and pick her up…I asked how the birthmother felt about this and wondered if she was really okay with her decision, and she advised after thinking about it overnight, realized that that decision would be the best for the baby, but she wants to be updated every year on her well being.  We agreed, and off to get her we went.

I am not going to lie…until we put her in our car, and drove away…we were so nervous!  But home she came, and she has lit up our lives ever since.  She is the most AMAZING child!  What a blessing she has been.  I can’t imagine life without her.  She is so loving, affectionate and caring for others.  I have never seen a child like her.  If you are hurt, she will ask you if she can pray for you.  Out of the blue almost every day, she will say “Mom, did you know I love you?” or “Mom, do you know you’re beautiful?”  She melts me!  It’s hard to say “no” to her…..she is after all, the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on and she can work it!

She is a daddy’s girl though…too bad….

I’m sorry, but…c’mon RE/Max!

I could not resist posting this.  When we first saw this commercial, Dave and I were in tears we were laughing so hard.   I cannot believe they did this, and I can’t believe this woman did this with a straight face!!

We have a son!

10 years ago (boy that just seems so long ago when I think about it, but it still seems like yesterday), Dave and I were filling out adoption papers in hopes of being blessed with a baby.  After finding out the name of a reputable attorney that a friend of ours used, we felt like it was what God wanted us to do.

I have to admit, my faith is not at all what it is today, and I felt that maybe this would never happen for us.  We had tried to have a baby for 7 years, went through extensive fertility treatments, but to no avail.  So when the call came that we had a baby, it was probably one of the most, if not THE most surreal moment of my life.

You see, my friend, Suzy at the time was planning a baby shower for us, on Saturday June 19th.  And actually getting people questioning why she was doing this for us, when there was no guarantee we were getting a baby. (I know, not very nice, but…ya know) Anyhow…we had a crib, and a room, and that was about it.  My mom had come to stay with us on vacation for the week, so that she would get to attend the shower.

Dave and I worked directly across the street from each other, and rode into work together and ate lunch together every day.  But on Monday, June 14th, we had our regular lunch at the park, and when I came back to my office, there was a pink “While you Were Out” note sitting on my desk that said I needed to call my attorney.  “What now?”  I sat and wondered, because we had been through so many questions, etc…I figured it was just another question…and quite frankly I didn’t feel like dealing with it.  But as I sat and starred at that note…(which we still have to this day), I felt a tugging on my heart that said, you have GOT to call her back now.  So I did.

When I say I was not prepared for the next thing that happened, well, that would be an understatement!  When she got on the phone, she said to me these exact words…”What are you doing for the rest of the day?”  When I told her I was working, she said “Well, would you like to come to Tampa and pick up your newborn son?”  I think I didn’t breathe for at least 10 seconds, and then just started freaking out!  The whole office knew when they heard me scream and all started to scream and cry right along with me!

I immediately called Dave, of course to tell him the news, he wasn’t back to his office after dropping me off from lunch, so I left him a message, which I was hoping to share with you on here, but it wouldn’t let me download, but trust me, it breaks my heart listening to it everytime!   It simply said ”David, call me, we have a baby!” But I said it through a LOT of tears!  

I then quickly called my mother to tell her we were headed to Tampa, she didn’t believe me at first…but after a couple of seconds realized I was not playing a joke….and being the prayer warrior that she was,  let me in on the fact that she was in the baby’s room praying all morning that we would NOT go to that baby shower that weekend without a baby, and only came out of there to answer my call. 

That was 10 years ago…tomorrow, on June 12th, my baby will turn 10!  I can’t believe it has been that long.  He has blessed our lives in ways I could never describe, and continues to be a blessing to our family.  He is a true momma’s boy.  The only regret that I have, is my mom is not here to see her best buddy celebrate his 10th birthday, but I know, she is watching from above and so pleased with the little man he is becoming!

Happy Birthday, Austin (Auti) – we love you more than words can say.

David After the Dentist

This video is of a friends’ friend, little boy.  I saw this and couldn’t stop laughing.  Hope it brings a smile to your face!

“Walk by Faith and NOT by Sight…”

Dave woke up Saturday morning, to find that more of his vision has vanished.   It has really hit him/us hard.

He had and I think maybe I had too, convinced himself that it wasn’t going to get any worse, and when it did, and it’s going fast, it has been extremely hard!

I don’t ever think that I have had such a breakdown as I did Wednesday at about 2am. I was up all night, and screaming into the couch…and I just yelled, “GOD, I DON’T SEE YOUR HAND IN ANY OF THIS…I DON’T FEEL YOUR PRESENCE, AND I DON’T KNOW IF YOU ARE EVEN LISTENING!, WHERE ARE YOU?” (something to that affect)

Anyhow, in the morning, when Austin was doing his handwriting test, he lost his paper to copy from, this happens often, so I usually tell him just to pick a Bible verse and copy it, he randomly picked Psalm 23…as he was writing it, he said “Mom, listen to this verse I’m writing…” and he read it to me. 

I told him to go share that with Dave, as I thought that it would encourage him.  Soon after that, he was watching his school DVD and his language teacher said, “Weare going to study Psalm 23.”   He stopped the DVD and RAN to tell me! – then as he turned over his language assignment it had the words “Walk by faith, and not by sight!” Okay…hello!

 No coinky dink!

THEN…(yes, there is more…) We decide to go to Wednesday night service, which we haven’t really done in the past – and the pastor (which we hadn’t talked to since we left for GA) says this  “I don’t normally do this, but I feel lead to do things a little differently tonight…and he proceeded to read the verse about calling the elders of the church to annoint and pray, so he asked them to come up to the front and then he said, “I would like Dave and Monique Strickland to come up and let these elders pray and annoint them” Of course Dave and I just lost it immediately!

He shared with me later that there are these lights that circle slowly around his eyes on occassion (apparently something that happens with this disease) and he told me that when the elders and all the people that felt lead to come up and lay hands on us were praying for us, those lights were in both eyes and going crazy! He said they were circling around really fast and they have never done that!…

THEN….on our way home, we always pass this old baptist church, and it has a neon sign that usually has what’s happening at the church, etc…literally, literally….as we are passing it, in HUGE letters, it says PSALM 23.
Can you believe that?! There you are God….You ARE listening!

*Note*  Dave suffers from disease that gradually steals your eyesight called Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP

What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Cute squirrel, you might be thinking.  But the real reason I took this shot, well there is a story behind it.

You see, Dave and I REALLY get into our bird watching.  We have 3 birdfeeders around our property, and we get the most amazing birds here in the country…but we have a couple little problems…and that is 2 squirrels. 

We buy the “songbird” food for the birds, so we get the pretty birds, however, we have psycho squirrels that come and find ways to hang from these birdfeeders and eat all the food up, sometimes within a day of filling them up!  So we decided to try birdfood that was guaranteed that squirrels would NOT eat…but ours do.

When I say psycho, I mean exactly that!  They climb up our lanai screen and literally squeel and hiss at my cats, and when I try to scare them away, they have literally went flying over my head, but I think they meant to land on it!  (Could have been some great video if Dave was ready for it)  They flatten their bodies, and hiss at me and they charge at me.  They are nuts! (no pun intended)

But back to the reason that I took this particular photo.  Dave decided he had enough of these squirrels and spent the extra moolah on the “squirrel proof feeder”.  As you can see from this picture, our squirrels got the last laugh on that one…

Next step…I think these squirrels are gonna have to be relocated if you know what I mean.   Game on little guys!