Marriage...and "Ar-ca-teck-ing"

The other day, we were on our way home from Little Rock, Joshua and me...I...whatever. And in deep conversation.

Seems like we have a lot of good conversations on our drives.

I don't know why that is, since we are home together most of every day...and we TALK then, too.

Anyway, he was talking about marriage.

Side note: Every time I hear the word "marriage," all I can think of is the movie "Princess Bride." You know what scene I'm talking about? "Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today..."

We were at a wedding the other day...a solemn, serious event. I was cracking myself up as soon as the minister said the word, "marriage."

ANYway, Joshua said, "well, you've already got Holly married off. And Logan will be getting married in May. And Clark will be next." I said, "Clark has a while to wait, SINCE HE'S JUST IN HIGH SCHOOL." He said, "well, yes. It will be about 3 years for me and Jenni...5, if she doesn't behave."

Well.

"Mawwage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam..."

Sorry.

At this point, I might as well say...we don't know about the marriage thing for Joshua. We just don't know. There's really nothing in the books about what to do here. I mean, there probably is. I know there is. You find me the book and I will hit you over the head with read it. It's sooo much easier to just read about something on paper...than it is to actually be living it out. Because every situation is different.

It's so hard with Joshua, because he is high-functioning enough that he knows about all of these things, and what all you do at certain ages (drive a car, etc). ARRRGGGHHH. I hate seeing him confused about why he is not able to do them. He wants to get married. He wants to have children. But Jim and I? We don't want to be the one to burst his bubble about all of that...at least not right now. We just keep hoping to put things off as long as we can before we have to actually deal with it.  I call this the ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach.

Don't do what I do.

I told Joshua that it's our hope and plan that when we move again...or maybe when we move to where Dad will retire...we will have enough space to build a little house or apartment-type place on our property for him...or for him and Jenni. His eyes lit up and he said, "Aaron can ar-ca-teck (architect) it for me!"

Me: "'Scuse me?"

Joshua: "Aaron can arcateck it for me."

I said, "I didn't know Aaron could do that."

Joshua: "Yes! He's good at it!"

So, there you go. If we need any help designing a house, our son-in-law can arcateck it for us!

"And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah...so tweasuwe youw wove..."

"Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:13

Weekend Update

We've had a good weekend.

The BEST part of the weekend was that our college boy came home! We were so excited to see Logan on Friday afternoon! He got in just in time for a quick dinner on the way to Clark's football game. I was so thankful that he was able to be there, even tho Clark didn't play very much. I just know it meant the world to Clark, even tho he probably wouldn't admit it! Y'all know how boys are! And we won, so that's always good!

On Friday afternoon, Holly made Logan a Nutella cake as a "welcome home" surprise. Logan loves Nutella SO MUCH. The cake was really good! We busted out that bad boy after the game. Jim said it was the best cake he'd ever tasted...and, "if only it had pecans, that would take it over the top." He's pretty much the dessert connoisseur around here, so that was very high praise.

Jim got up early on Saturday morning and ran in a 5k...and Clark was out the door before 7:30 for a Key Club service project. The rest of us, as Joshua says, just "hanged around" the house. Logan went to meet a friend for lunch. Holly and Aaron came over and swam...Joshua and Clark got in the pool and they had a big time. Not much better than hearing the laughter of your kids...no matter how old they are.

Unless they're laughing at you.

Whaaaaat?

Last night we watched the games here at home. Our Razorbacks and Red Wolves lost again. Boo. But the OBU Tigers won again. Yay!

This morning, we went to church and then headed down to meet Jim's parents for lunch. Logan wanted to see them this weekend. Holly and Aaron joined us. Even tho it was wild and unorganized, as usual, we had a really nice visit. After lunch, we took Logan to fill up his car with gas. It was pouring down rain. Morgan's mom brought her over to meet him in the WM parking lot...and they left to head back to school from there.

Knock, knock?

I know...this post is a snooze-fest.

Tomorrow night, Clark's JV team plays at home. So excited! And it's almost October!

And, lastly...Aaron rode in the back of the Suburban with Joshua on the way home from lunch. We had 6 people in the Burb, so it was 2-2-2. It's a 45 minute drive, and Joshua talked the ENTIRE time to Aaron, mostly about the "stories" that he's writing. Bless Aaron's heart. When we got back to town, we dropped Clark off at the church because we had left his car there this morning. Joshua said to Aaron, "you can sit up there with your wife if I'm getting on your nerves." Aaron looked at him and said, "you're not getting on my nerves, buddy."

Is that not the sweetest thing? Love my son-in-law.

"...everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him." 1 John 5:1

Forever Friends--Lunch

There are some friends that we started out life with. Started out having our babies. Started being grown-ups.

We were all really close for 4 or 5 years, and then our family moved away. We didn't lose touch, but things were different. We got to see them several times a year...maybe not all at the same time, but in different groups...a girl's lunch, the guys playing golf, couples on a trip, meeting for dinner, someone having a baby.

So fast forward 25 years or so. This group of friends...our kids are in college, med school, nursing school, getting married, starting families of their own. We are taking care of aging parents. Some of our parents have passed away. Life is busy...and hard. And good. And sad.

I love the internet. It definitely has it's share of pitfalls and stumbling blocks, but in recent years, it has been such a blessing in my life. It keeps me in touch with my friends. I keeps me in touch with my family, since none of them live close to us.

We were all together at a wedding a couple of weeks ago. It was so great to see everyone. Right after that, we got a group text from one of the friends. She said that seeing everyone at the wedding made her want MORE of that...so she had set up a time for us to meet for lunch.

I wasn't sure I could go. It was going to be on a day that I did not take Joshua to LR. Altho Holly had the week off, I didn't want to ask her to watch Joshua. Aaron had taken off a few days, and I didn't want to ask her to give up any time with him. So I didn't even tell her about it. Of course, I knew she would do it...that's not the point. And the other thing was that I didn't want to make a special trip into LR on a day when I typically don't drive...AND we had an away football game that night.

We enjoy our Mondays around here, Joshua and I. Usually it's a time to unwind and regroup after a busy weekend. Laundry, wash sheets, plan meals, go to the grocery. I was still in my pajamas when Holly called. She and Aaron were going down to see the grandparents for the day, and wanted to know if Joshua could come. She asked him if he wanted to go and he did...and he started getting ready. I was looking at the clock...wondering.

Ii still didn't say anything to Holly, but when they came pretty quickly and picked up Joshua...I knew that I would be able to make lunch. I threw on some clothes...and flew out the door. I arrived at the restaurant and didn't see any of my friends' cars, so I got out my phone to check my messages. I re-read the message from my friend, making sure I was at the right restaurant at the right time. And...I was at the right place...but I was 30 minutes early! Hahahaha! I guess I was a little over-excited! But I had time to sit in the car and pray...and I prayed for my friends as they were getting ready to arrive, and for my husband and children and what I knew they had going on that day...and for what I didn't know.

The rest of my friends arrived at about the same time. We got a table out on the patio part of the restaurant. One of the friends usually takes charge of the conversation, and she did that again...and went around and encouraged each of us to tell about what was going on with us and in our families. It was so refreshing for me. Honestly, I would've been comfortable not sharing anything about me...and just hearing about the other girls and their lives. But I did share...about Jim, and all the kids, and about our move and life in our new town. I wasn't going to share about what had happened in my Sunday School class the day before, but I was just so shell-shocked about it...and my heart was so tender.

I love that my friends were as horrified as I was at the story. I love that they listened to me with compassion and without judgment for the person who had made those comments. And then they loved on me with their words...and said the nicest things about Joshua. It was so encouraging, and they will never know how much it meant to me.

I am so thankful that God is in the details. He arranged for Joshua to be taken care of at the exact time I would need to be gone. He worked the timing of this lunch out for exactly when He knew I would need it. And I needed it that day, desperately.

And even tho the lunch that day wasn't about me...God met me there, and used my friends to minister to me and my hurting heart.

I started life with this group of friends, and God has blessed us with many more along the way. If possible, I'd like to finish up life with all of them as well.

"...encourage each other..." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Joshua-Boot Camp and the Fire Station

Today's activities for Joshua's group included Boot Camp and a visit to the Fire Station.

He was sooo excited to meet his group this morning! He wore his red, sleeveless Under Armor shirt and his black and red shorts. And he spiked up his own hair. He looked AWESOME and strong!

As the little oriental man at the nail shop used to say, "Schnazzy!"

Holly went with me today. She got her hair done, and then we had lunch and shopped until it was time to pick up Joshua. It was a fun day!

The leader of the Boot Camp, the Black man with the bald head and the green shirt (we found out his name is Mr. Lee) had different stations set up around the floor where they were working out: push-ups, sit-ups, jump rope, free weights, bar weights, jumping jacks and running. He would blow his whistle when it was time to change. Joshua worked out a little too hard and got a little over-heated. He said, "I thought I was gonna PUKE up my breffas." (breakfast) Fortunately, the Director noticed him looking a little pale, and told him to go drink some water. Joshua loved Boot Camp, but boy! It was a work-out! Next week, they are doing Hip-Hop!

After that, they came back to the Center and had lunch. I had packed last night's left-overs for Joshua's lunch. Not only does the boy love to work-out...he loves left-overs more than any one person should. You just don't know. He calls them "re-runs." 

So he had re-runs of pork tenderloin, rice, green beans, a garlic biscuit and a brownie. And a drink. He said that the first thing he did was hide the brownie from Jenni. He is normally a gentleman, and offers his dessert, or a part of it, to Jenni. Or to any of his other friends.

NOT.TODAY.

He said he ate every bit of his lunch, and then busted out the brownie at the end when no one was looking. He said, "I hid my brownie from Jenni...you know how she is."

After they got through with lunch, they loaded up the vans and went to the local fire station. Joshua LOVED it. They saw the Bay area and all the equipment. They toured the living/sleeping quarters. They got to climb up in the fire trucks. He had a great time!

Tonight, I went up and helped some of the football moms stuff goody bags for the boys. Tomorrow, we have a HOME game...and, best of all, LOGAN is coming home!

"I will praise You every day..." Psalm 145:2

Joshua and Kick-Boxing

Last Thursday, the activity at Therapeutic Recreation was Kick-Boxing.

UP.JOSHUA'S.ALLEY.

He already told me that, on Zumba days, he adds some karate kicks of his own to the Zumba moves...to make it "more manlier." 

(Oh how I wish I could've been a fly on the wall)

Their fitness class was actual Kick-Boxing and they had an actual Kick-Boxing instructor. Joshua looked forward to it all week. When I picked him up, he was really tired. Tried, really. He said that he worked out harder than the rest of his friends. I am not surprised. The boy loves to exercise.

Jenni, on the other hand, told me she "only used her right hip."

What?

How is that even possible?

Anyway, Joshua said the "Black man with the bald head and the green shirt"...started them off slow and easy, but kept "turning it up" every few minutes. And he did "air quotes" over "turning it up."

He was worn plumb out, but he had a GREAT time!

Tomorrow, the fitness activity is "boot camp." AND they are going to a fire station downtown after lunch. Joshua is so excited! He may not even be able to sleep tonight!

"Let them praise His name with dancing..." Psalm 149:3