Yet another life lesson....

This summer we went through a pretty rough time - health wise.

The mayor was scheduled to go on a missions trip to the Philippines with the high schoolers at our church. He had been planning this for about a year. Raised the necessary money, got his passport in order. Plane ticket was ordered. It was a done deal.

About 2 weeks before the scheduled trip, the Mayor started complaining of some burning feeling in his stomach. Eventually, this resulted in an unscheduled trip to the ER on a Sunday morning (aren't all ER visits unscheduled?).

While our children were in Transit, the Mayor and I 'snuck' off to the ER. Before you freak out about what a terrible parent I am, know that we made sure people were aware of what was going on. My plan was to get the Mayor checked in to the ER and then head back to church to pick up Songbird and Slugger. From there, I needed to find someone to take care of them so I could go back to the ER.

As I sat in that ER waiting room, I remember thinking 'Man, I am SO mad at the Professor for moving'. The Professor is BFF's husband and you'll remember that they moved to Iowa last year.

Why was I angry with the Professor? You see, my friendship with BFF was so secure that should this type of thing had happened while they were here, BFF and Professor would have just taken over, I would have remained at the ER and the kids would have been taken care of.

What that move did was totally push me out of my comfort zone. I knew that I could lean on BFF and the Professor, no questions asked. However, I hadn't established any other relationships remotely similar in trust.

The Mayor's health crisis forced me to step out of my comfort zone. I needed to learn that there are other people that God has placed in my life that I can trust. That are willing to step in during a time of need.

Man, what a humbling yet necessary lesson. Phone calls were made. The kids were taken care of that day and I was able to go back to the ER and hang with the Mayor until he was released.

Sadly, the Mayor still didn't make the trip. That's a WHOLE nother story!! He didn't make the trip, but we managed to utilize that time to strengthen our relationship.

I still miss BFF and the Professor. I probably will for a long time. There's a hole in our lives. We won't be able to fill that hole, but we will be able to lessen it by continuing to trust in God and the friends He has blessed us with.

So, to our friends - THANK YOU!!!!
To BFF and the Professor - WE MISS YOU!!
To the Mayor - I LOVE YOU BELOVED!!
To my Creator - THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME!!

Many blessings,

The beauty of.....

Yesterday, I wrote about my youngest sister, Jessica. Today you get to "meet" my middle sister, Christa.

You wouldn't think that 3 years between siblings would be a lot, but to kids it is a lifetime - especially when there is another sibling only 1 year younger than the the middle. Anyway, because I was only 3 at the time, I don't remember much about Christa's arrival into my life. Quite honestly, I don't remember when I became aware of her presence. In my mind, she was just always there.

Because of her close age with Jessica, I don't think I was necessarily 'needed' in Christa's world. Nor was she needed in mine. We just kind of coasted through life together. Always doing our own things. She was into cheering & I was into softball. The only thing that we really had in common, besides parents, was a volatile relationship with a certain teacher.

My fondest memory of Christa was one of her birthdays. It was summer... and we were older - I was in my 20's. We both happened to have the day off of work & impulsively decided to take a trip to Great Adventure - that's Six Flags to those who aren't from NJ. What a day!! Just the 2 of us, riding rides, doing goofy things like buying pictures from rides, photos in a photo booth, sitting on a GIANT chair. Nothing special, but one of the best days together.

Christa has grown into this amazing woman. She is a talented clothing designer - for herself & close friends. She's got this personality that just lights up a room when she enters. You KNOW she's there! You want to be with her. Her laugh in contagious. She always has a smile. She hides her heartbreak better than anyone I know - which can be a real bummer because you want to be there for her, not after its all over.

She's beautiful & seems comfortable in her own skin. I see a lot of her in my daughter, Chelsea. Little things that only the family would notice - taking other peoples shoes. Yet I love the fact that these 'things' were inherited some how.

I wish we spent more time together. We really don't have any excuses - we only live about 30 minutes from one another. Our lives couldn't be anymore different though. She's a city girl & I'm content in the country. When we are together, I just want to hug her. No matter what we are doing together, we always wind up having fun.

I'm lucky to have Christa as a sister. I look forward to growing old with her... it will definitely be an adventure!

Many blessings,
Allison

TGFJ.... (thank God for Jessica)

Growing up, my youngest sister, Jessica, & I didn't necessarily get along. There's a 4 year age difference between us with a middle sister in between. Actually, Jessica & the middle, Christa, are only a year apart, so they were close growing up - like twins. So, Jessica & I didn't have much of a relationship - I couldn't be bothered with her; mainly because we have similar personalities.

Even when I was in my late teens/early 20's, we'd argue & fight. Heck, one time we had a fist fight. Let's just say ambulance were involved.

It wasn't until my sister announced that she was pregnant with my niece that I really even tried to get to know her. The first thing that made me stop thinking of myself & start thinking of her was bringing her to one of her 1st doctor appointment. Listening to the heartbeat of the life who became my niece was life changing.

That's not to say we've always seen eye-to-eye. We're polar opposites, yet both VERY compassionate about our beliefs.

We've been talking more recently; really getting to know one another. Spending time really listening to one another. We're still very different, but I think we accept each other's differences instead of fighting them.

I loved spending Thanksgiving with her this year & was heartbroken when it was time to leave. One of those moments where I really wished we lived right next door to one another so we could share a cup of coffee in the mornings as we get the kids off to school (and I don't even drink coffee). Maybe one day.

I cherish this change in our relationship. It's become a grown-up relationship. I thank God for the change and pray that we will continue to grow together.

I love you Jess!

Many blessings,
Allison

Blessings abound

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

I remember singing this as a kid in church... never understood what it 'meant'. Just knew that it was a vital part of our religious ceremony. Every so often the tune would change slightly, but the words were always the same. I can't even remember which part of the service it was sung.

Enough of the stroll down memory lane.

God has been blessing us in small ways and each time this song pops in my head. I think it's because I love putting a 'soundtrack' to my life - I need to think in music. While His blessings may seem small to us - they're blessings nonetheless. He provides when we can't... heck, He provides no matter what.

As we enter into this season of thanksgiving, I know that I have much to be thankful for. What are you thankful for?

Many blessings,
Allison

So very thankful

Today is Veteran's Day.. a day that we should take a moment to stop & thank all of the Vets, young & old, for the sacrifices they made for our freedom.

As I sat to reflect on what this day meant to me, I realized just how many people in my life participated in some way, shape, or form instilling freedom in our beloved country. I may not be a fan of our current President, but I DO have the freedom to speak my mind about him, if I so choose. So many other countries do not have that luxury.

One person that came to mind was Craig's grandfather, Bud, who passed away earlier this year. Bud served our country in the merchant marines. While on his ship, it was torpedoed by Cubans. He was lost at sea for days, thankfully to be rescued.

Another person that hopped in my mind was my father, Bob. My dad joined the Army and fought in Viet Nam for 2 tours. I grew up among the monsters of that war and it has only been recent that I've learned more about what he endured over there.

Other relatives have been in the military, so have friends. I am always amazed at the sacrifices people are willing to make in order to keep our country free.

Thank you to all the vets and God bless you!!


Many blessings,
Allison