Amazed and Not Deserving

It's been a while friends.  I would like to say that I've been doing great things like working out feverishly, saving the world, or cleaning house.  Alas, I've just been hanging out and enjoying my family. [Those other things, while important, wouldn't have been nearly as much fun as giggling underwater with Gabe and Emma.] I would say, without hesitation, that this has been one of the very best summers of all time. 

Emma and Gabe are really super excited about our upcoming trip to DC.  Not that Molly and Cooper aren't but they've been before and the little ones haven't.  About a month ago Emma really started cranking up the chores to earn some money. [Now let's just clarify Emma's version of chores as her room is clean only because she has crammed so much stuff under her bed or behind things that it isn't in the floor.  I think Cooper taught her how to clean.] Little by little she has earned some Benjamins.  Gabe, on the other hand, asked why couldn't we just give him some money without him having to clean.  Well heck boy, we'd all do that if we could!! He's not the housekeeping kind.  He just sort of hangs out and looks at all the junk laying in his floor.  [Again, I believe this is Cooper's direct influence.] Of course, when Emma brags over a dollar she's earned then he really gets torqued.

Emma decided that she wanted to up the stakes and go for a lemonade and cookie sale. We decided that the football field would be great for selling.  Tuesday we set out on our adventure. Monday night, while I baked, Emma made crafts for selling like door hangers, frames, and photo albums.  The girl sat at the table for three and half solid hours and made crafts.  In fact, she fell asleep just after 12:30am [yes, I am a slave driver] in the dining room floor but come Tuesday she was ready for her first entrepreneurial adventure.  We set up just by the road at the high school, she and Gabe held signs at the road, and the customers just poured in. [Craig did start the sale off by giving a few of his football players some dollar bills and asking them to buy something from the babies. Also, I might have tweeted a time or two on their behalf.] 

What amazed me was the number of people that we are lucky enough to call friends that came, gave them money [didn't want change], and supported their efforts.  I didn't grow up around here and I don't claim to know everything about Kings Mountain, but I love this place.  Now I know that some of you probably know things that I don't know and I realize that living in a small town can be tough but we have been very lucky to have crossed paths with some amazing people. [I believe there are posers and gossips everywhere but if I don't seek them then I am much happier.  If they have not audience then they can't affect me.  I like it better that way.] Our experience here has just been overwhelming and I feel so undeserving.  Why would anyone want to hang out with me?  [I am not fishing for compliments so please don't take this that way.] Yet, I have amazing friends who help with my children, who text me just to tell me to have a wonderful day and that they are thinking of me, that pray for me, that want to hang out with my family, that love me for me [which according to Short and my daddy is not an easy thing because apparently I can be a headcase sometimes....I think they lie].  Craig works with an amazing group of men that value God, family, and then football.  I have this awesome job and I work with friends not just co-workers. 

I am a firm believer in God's plan.  God always has a plan. [Which is really awesome considering my plans usually end up sucking:)] He placed us here because He knew we needed to grow closer to Him and we've done that in a way that I never understood until it happened. He allowed us to cross paths with some great folks, He lead us to a church that we love, and He sustained us when we thought all was hopeless.  We are truly, truly blessed.

Emma and Gabe are very excited about their little money making adventure.  They decided that they don't want to take all the money they made to DC but instead they are going to do something nice for someone less fortunate when we return.  Again, God's hand is in everything when we let Him in and stop believing we know what is best. [I can say, with 100% certainty, that this is my vice.  Well this and Investigation Discovery...and Pinterest.] I am so proud of them.  I love those babies.

We would appreciate your prayers for our upcoming trip [and the city of Washington, DC would greatly appreciate your prayers because the Shorties are coming to town] and I promise to post pics. As always, life is good :)