Teeth, Trashcans, and Underwear

My children were at it again tonight...in typical Short children fashion. A friend, Robin, came by to see the house and my children acted like goofballs. [Which, of course, has to come from their father's side of the family.] First of all, Cooper [Who is old enough to know better] comes flying into the dining room to tell me that he has a tooth that is loose and bleeding. Forgive me if I am wrong but ewwwww!! Teeth gross me out anyway [I don't pull them for my children - remember that I don't deal with blood - so Craig has to pull them] and I sure didn't want to deal that while visiting with Robin. Seriously, was that necessary at that moment? He's almost 12 - it's not like this is the first tooth he's ever lost....GEEZ! Later, he came through from his room with his hand in his mouth, digging in his tooth. GROSS!!! [Again, acting like his daddy's side of the family :)]

Of course, it goes without saying that Gabriel was running around in his underwear. Today he was giving Robin random bits of information like "Hey, we got this out of storage!" and "Do you know what my name is?" [I guess it could have been worse since he has been known to parade around in just his undies - today he did still have on his collared shirt from church.] He did end up, outside, in the storage room, climbing on boxes...in his underwear.

Next comes Emma and she has this sudden fascination with climbing on the trashcan to get onto the counter - only she chooses to do it when there are guests over. So, as Robin and I are talking about the upcoming school year, Emma is taking flying leaps on the trashcan and climbing on my counter. [And, it was 5pm and she was in her pjs from the Sunday afternoon Short family nap...seriously, could be we be anymore redneck?]

Really, do the Short kids have to act like they are being raised by neanderthals all of the time? Is it so much to ask to:

1. Have Gabe in some kind of clothing that covers his body during company?

2. Keep Emma from climbing the walls, literally, like she's never been around humans before in her life?

3. Somehow contain Cooper's inappropriate actions [teeth pulling] and random comments [OMG - 11 years of age is going to KILL ME!] while people are visiting?

Poor old Molly...bless her heart.

Gabe and the "karen-dunken" machine was priceless today! [Karen-dunken = karaoke for those of you not up to par in the language of Gabenese.] America's GOTS Talent [That is how Gabe says it] was front and center on Fulton Drive! Apparently there is praise to Jesus for brains and hearts according to Emma and her rendition of Jesus Loves the Little Children. [Again...acting like their daddy. You know he just performed his THIRD show as Elvis last weekend. I promise people, I could not make this up if I tried. I have proof below]

Back to the land of the working folk tomorrow...not sure yet how I feel about that one. Life is good...even when you're children are pulling teeth, running around in their skivvies, and climbing the trashcans :)

Swimming - Oh my!

Ok...in some crack induced haze [I said last night I wasn't a crackhead...but I acted like one this one time] I signed up and got my mom and my sister to sign up for a women's only triathlon. I can ride a bike and I can run but swimming? OMG does not cover it! If you've seen me lately you know that I don't look like a swimmer [or that I should even don a bathing suit] and that is probably because I AM NOT A SWIMMER! I asked one of Molly's friends, who is a fabulous swimmer, to help me out tonight at the pool at the high school. [I bought some super cool goggles today but they don't help you breathe so they aren't that cool] I have a long way to go...but I'm going to do this if it kills me. [And it almost did tonight. So if you are on Phifer Rd. and see my car at the pool you might want to come in and make sure I'm ok. I'll be the fat chick with the super cool goggles...struggling in 4 feet of water.]

I feel like I need to tell more about Canada so here goes...

First of all, Canada is an amazingly beautfiul place. I mean seriously, gorgeous does not cover it. And the people of Canada are extremely eco-friendly - not a bit of litter and there are places to recycle EVERYWHERE. There are beautiful trees in everywhere...it is just amazingly green. On our last full day there we went on a sight seeing trip through the Canadian Rockies - WOW does not cover it. I do not think I have ever witnessed such breathtakingly beautiful scenery. We drove [Well Eddie, not we....I rode] almost 700 miles and spent 17 hours in the car but it was worth every minute. [Well, there was that five minute span where everyone in the car was eating sour cream and onion potato chips...which make me want to vomit...but other than that five minutes it was worth the 17 hours in the car.] I cannot describe the beauty of a world created by the hands of God that we witnessed on this trip. Moraine Lake might quite possibly be the most amazing display of water I've ever seen in person...magnificent and glorious. Plus, I saw a black bear and a moose! [I'm such a science nerd geek dork!!] Seriously people - I could not quit staring out the window [I was trying to help Michael look for a mountain goat too.]

Then we got to walk on a glacier!!! [Science geek dork nerd again people] How utterly awesome is that? I drank glacier water!! The glacier itself was 1000 ft thick and had blue ribbons of water rushing through it that were stunning. [Science Lesson 'O the Day: The water is blue because it has never been exposed to the oxygen in the air. Uh huh? You learned something cool just then didn't you?] The top of the very glacier we stood on is part of the tricontinental divide meaning the water flows into the three major oceans...totally cool!!!

But by far the best part of the week was the people I crossed paths with through the camp, at the block parties, and on our own team. I went up there with this expectation that I was going to do one of several things: 1. Have a terrible time and be miserable. 2. Have a terrible time and be homesick 3. Save the lost in Calgary in some miraculous breakthrough. 4. Find myself and listen, fully, to God's voice. Thank goodness I wasn't part of the equation when it came to making the decisions about what would happen on this mission trip because God had so much more in store.

Through nightly devotions we each revealed a part of our lives and our reasons for joining the team. Yet, from the beginning, it is like this group of 8 random people from KM were meant to be together, with Tim and Andrea. We just connected...it was very cool. This level of comfort, with each other and with Tim and Andrea was such a blessing for me. I've never been the kind of person to really open up around people I don't know. [Shocker I know considering the ranting and babbling I do on here.] But, around this group, I totally enjoyed opening up...laughing and crying...and laughing. My favorite part, by far, was the conversations that took place during and after devotions. God was just there, alive and moving. I learned so much about who I want to be and how I want to live when I finally got out of the way and let God in....moved doesn't begin to cover it.

I know I've babbled on now, over two posts and two nights, but I'm following instructions:) FFH sings a song, Move Me: Lord move in a way that I've never seen before...cause there's a mountain in the way and a lock on the door. I'm drifiting away....the waves are crashing on the shore. So move...or move me.

He moved me - why wouldn't I want to tell the world?

Overwhelmed

I've been on sort of a high for about a month now. [No, I'm not a crackhead though I may act a little neurotic at times]

The trip to Calgary in mid-July was simply amazing. I never, ever imagined that I would feel the way I did upon leaving. You see, honestly, I didn't want to go. [As in, I did not want to pack, get on the plane, move my body in the direction of Calgary - nada, nope, no way...did not want to go.] In my eyes, being 3000 miles from home and from my 4 children did not appeal to me at all. But you see, this is where God begins to laugh...because I told Him it wasn't MY plan to be away for a week and serve others. [Stacy K. said this on his facebook status the other night: If you want to hear God laugh then tell him your plans.] Yet, after the service with Southwinds church on Sunday, with people I didn't really know, God touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain. The people that serve in this church and reach out to these communities in Calgary do not have a church of their own...but that doesn't mean they aren't a church. You see, they have to bring the church to the community each week by setting up the entire sanctuary and children's Sunday School classes. From music, to lights, to chairs, to bulletins, to the pulpit, the church sets it up and takes it down....EVERY SUNDAY. I was amazed because there is SO MUCH I take for granted in regards to my own worship experience. I just have to show up...and sometimes I do that only physically. The people of Southwinds church love the Lord that much that they are willing to, in the snow, rain, sleet, freezing temperatures [As in -18...as in 18 below zero...as in freeze the snot on yo face cold] set up a place for worship every Sunday. The church isn't the building [or lack of one] but the people that gather to praise God. So God knew what He was doing by sending me to Calgary...He showed me that He has a plan for my life.

I had such an amazing week. I made some great new friends [Apparently Craig got closer to some than anyone would have imagined....see picture below....what happens in Calgary stays in Calgary. You might be glad when you see the picture.] I realized what it means, for the first time in my entire life, to just follow God. Once I realized that I was in Calgary, then my anxiety disappeared and I began to just enjoy the glory of God's plan for me. I learned that cotton candy opens up a line of communication with lots of people, that water relays with cones on your head are fun, and that simply laughing at dumb things [Grown men in the same bathtub, Michael in the trunk, and Tim's "sock" ankles] are just what the heart needs. Not to mention that I saw some of the MOST spectacular and amazing wonders of God's creation...I stood on a glacier and saw a caribou walking down the street.

God is alive and moving in Calgary. I pray every night for the people I met [Joe, Deanne, Duane, Bo, Marni, Cyndi], for the children at the camp and block parties, for my fellow travelers [Eddie, Cheryl, Coach, Michael, Sharon, Bruce, and Craig] and for Tim and Andrea, our gracious host, church planters, and two of the most amazing people I've ever met.

[Small sidenote about traveling on an airplane: Bought Coop a sick slingshot in Banff, forgot it was in Craig's carry-on, got majorly searched leaving Canda, and now some TSA agent is thoroughly enjoying my son's slingshot. Yes, we are rookie travelers and a bit on the redneck side...oh well.]

When we returned to NC we faced a dilemma: where were we going to live? I mean, we could have signed a new lease for another six months living with the cast of Deliverance. [Really? Was there even a choice to make?] Or we could wait it out and hope that the loan we'd applied for before leaving for Canada would work out and we'd get the house in KM. During the entire house hunting process I really had a great peace about the situation. No, I did not want to spend another six months wondering about new Super Weird Guys and the new freaky man that moved in upstairs but if it meant that we had a place to live then we would stay. But I knew that God was not going to leave or forsake us and that He had a plan....

Fast forward to Friday, July 30 @ 1:30pm...you are approved and the house is yours! [I will not divulge all the details but will say that it wasn't as easy as going to the bank and getting a new mortgage...it was a God thing for sure.] So....now what do we do? You see, our lease was up on July 31. [Yes, that would be the very next day....] That decision came easily when Craig and Coop returned from the ABC store that evening [No, not for the Wild Turkey] with boxes for moving and found 5 cops, guns drawn at the top building of the papartments. When our good friend Robin dropped off Molly and saw the commotion she called her husband, Brad, and he showed up: Ya'll are getting out of here tonight!

The next thing I know we have managed to amass a small army of movers. Summer [my sister for those of you that don't know] and Sophie, Brad and Robin and their kids, Brad's parents Ronnie and Mary, and good friends Eddie and Cheryl all came to help us move. We didn't call any of them to ask for help with packing or vehicles or moving yet they came, out of the goodness of their hearts and willingly, to help us move. My best girl, Stacy, drove all the way from Boiling Springs to my house to pick up the smallest Shorties and keep them for the night. Overwhelmed does not cover how we felt. With all these hands, we managed to get almost everything from our apartment to our new house by around 12 midnight on Friday, July 30. [All during our move, several hoodlums, thugs, and idiots were out in the parking lots yelling about popping caps and fighting...only made us move faster.] We slept in our new house that night...

The next day more help showed up....Stacy came with his truck and trailer, mom and dad came down, plus Eddie, Cheryl, Marty, Ronnie, Mary, Brad, Robin, and Summer. Stacy [that would be her...they are both named Stacy] brought the babies home and stayed to help. Carpet was put down, the washer and dryer stacked, every bed put together and made up, and the kitchen completely put together - all thanks to these people. I spent most of the day crying to myself as I was so overwhelmed at the generosity of so many just for us. I did nothing to deserve any of this help yet they stayed and gave of their time...all for us. Wow...that's all I can say...and of course, thanks :)

I have learned many things over the last several weeks:

1. God has a plan.
2. If you're ever not sure, refer to #1.
3. Pay it forward...always.
4. Kings Mountain is a great place to live and raise a family.

Life is good :)