All Good in Our Hood

I asked Craig last a question last night:

Why do people feel the need to be so petty and backstabbing?

Let it go. 
We are certainly over you. 
And the drama you seem to drag with you.  

I am not quite sure I understand the motivation behind people who just want to cause problems and just instigate drama. I am baffled, quite honestly. [And a little perturbed at the boldness with which some adults spin a tale to suit their purpose or situation.]

But my oldest son said something profound, that I already knew, but needed to hear again: I'm not worried.  I know who I am and for what I stand.  I don't need affirmation nor do I need to win over people.  If someone doesn't like me then I don't care.  God has got this.

I love it when God uses our children to remind us that He has got this.  

What I've realized through all of this "drama" [petty-selfish-grow-on-up-act your-age-not-your-shoe-size drama] the last two months is...

• that sometimes people will let you down by blindsiding you and attacking you. God never lets us down. 
• sometimes people will turn on you [in a skinny minute] when it appears you don't buy into selfish behaviors.  God never turns on you.
• sometimes people will wreak havoc in your life if you allow them to do so. God doesn't have ulterior motives.
• sometimes you just gotta roll with punches [even when it seems like everyone is swinging].  God has no intentions of harming you.

In other [way more happy] news I have had a fantastic week of healing and recovering.  [Not going to lie...I wish I could be a stay at home mom.]  I've been on the receiving end of so many well wishes and prayers.  I am so appreciative to have so many wonderful folks in my life.  

Wednesday I had a visit from a dear, sweet sister from church.  Wow!  God always knows when two folks need to cross paths with each other.  She came to bring me lunch but she left me with so much more!  What an absolute blessing to just talk, laugh, and fellowship over all of the wonders that God has done for each of us.  We had such a great time and I am thankful and blessed to call her friend.  

My bullet holes are healing nicely.  [I suppose I should watch when and where I refer to them as bullet holes.]  Not going to lie though, today was the first day I put on jeans. [And some of you that have seen me this week are VERY thankful not to see those sad, gray jogging pants.]  It amazes me at the ease of the entire process.  I IMMEDIATELY felt better when I woke up in the recovery room. Modern medicine is amazing. 

I will leave you with a Gabe story. [Its been a while.] I ate lunch with him yesterday.  In his class he's been working on a project with a classmate about Benjamin Franklin. [Now those of you that know us also know that my kids LOVE history.]  Here is a conversation he and I had about Ben Franklin at lunch.

Me: So what did you learn about Ben Franklin?

Gabe: Well his brother got arrested.  I think his name was Snoop Dog. So Ben had to take over the newspaper while his brother was in jail.

Me: What else did you learn? [I refrained from any argument about Ben's brother being named Snoop Dog.]

Gabe: Well he was a serious womanizer, but I already knew that.

Me [insert sheer panic]:  Ummm....you didn't include that in your project did you?  

Gabe: The part about his brother Snoop? Yes. The other part about the ladies? No. *insert wink*

[Just so you know we are not terrible parents.  Cooper apparently made that exact statement about Ben being a womanizer while we watched Sons of Liberty on the History Channel. There you go...proof that Gabe does listen when he really wants to listen. Further proof that we need to watch what is said in front of the militant midget.]

As always, life as a Short could not be any better :)

Friendships

This is Emma's best friend in all the world. She and Emma were in the same first grade class this year. What an awesome experience for Emma to get to know her. Through the year they learned to depend on each other. Hopefully, the two of them will be in second grade together next year.

This is Molly's best friend, Emily. [Honestly, I think they cannot breathe without each other...they should get an apartment together.....they know each other's thoughts...it is scary] Emily and Molly are so opposite: Emily is the singer, wears makeup and jewelry, and enjoys shopping and shoes. Molly is the ball player, laughs at makeup and jewelry, and would rather gnaw her right arm off than go shopping. [Unless you are shopping for tennis shoes.] I am so thankful they are friends because the two of them are so unique but they share one thing in common ~ each has a very strong faith and love for God. It warms my heart to know that their cherished frienship is not on accident - it began at church. I've spoken many, many times of our amazing church [First Baptist Church of KM] but honestly, it has been such a blessing and a source of so many friendships for all of us. Emily's parents are some of our closest friends and we spend a lot of time with them. Molly and Emily spend so much time together that each has a a pile of junk at the other's house. Seriously, if Emily can't get Molly to answer her phone [we have the same problem too] then she calls me. Emily is my other daughter and Molly is the other daughter at their house. God truly had His hand in this match. They have a group of friends that they hang out with all the time ~ they swim, they shop, they spend the night, they make awesome [their words] videos, and they take a million pics of themselves. As a parent, I am so very thankful that each of these young ladies [and young men] are the friends that Molly has chosen. They are caring, Christian young people who are going to make waves one day!!

And my blog about friendships would not be complete without talking about my BFF ~ Steffi. She rocks and always has...since we met in third grade. She'a always been a part of my life. We spent so much time together that by the time we were driving in high school it was a given that either she was at my house or I was at her house. Once [well, way more than just once] we stayed up all night, and beat Donkey Kong on Nintendo [yes, the original Nintendo]. And we spent way too much time cruising the court square in Lincolnton. Of course we had our differences: She is a DOOK fan and I am a Tarheel, she likes elephants and I like cows [both large animals...hmmmmm], she is a little bit more prissy than me, she's very musical but I'm not so much, and she loves some college basketball while I'm more the college football fan. We both have an affinity for all things space [stars, Space Shuttles, etc], we are both 49ers, we are both 8th grade science teachers [and slightly dorky...that's how we roll] we love Gastonia [Bahahahahaha!!!!], she taught me how to LBX and love it, she introduced me to the Hunger Games and Celia Rivenbark, and we both love the Red Roof Inn [Bahahahahahahahahaha!!!]. She will always be my best friend and I love her:)

I am so very thankful that school is out for the summer. Gabe will be home from nursery all summer [that gives me lots of time to get him straight], along with the other Shorties. Craig and I will going back to Calgary at the end of July, he is coaching in the High School All-American bowl here in KM, and we are planning on taking the kids on some "day-cations" this summer. [I know, that sounds so very dorky but we are lacking two things: money and more money for a regular vacation] We also plan on spending a lot of time swimming at Nana and Paw Paw's house. Molly and I will begin training for the triathlons we are doing in August and September. We heart summer at the Short house.

As always, life, like our summer break, is good:)

Let the Games Begin!!

A Kick in the Teeth is the name of our "adult" kickball team at the Y. [I use the term adult very loosely - one game into it and already a bunch of whiners] We had such a good time tonight. It was fun to just play for the heck of it, with no strings attached, and laugh. There are 9 of us - several coaches from the middle and high school, a few young ones [Yes, that includes yours truly] and some good friends from the middle school. It was fun to talk smack with the other team [though they did get slightly testy about it - refer to remark above] and just relax. The entire Shortie clan was there to root us on [though Gabe kept asking, "Mommy when are we going home?" as I was trying to concentrate out there in right field] and Molly kept pointing out the glaring errors. Yet, despite the fact that most of us haven't played kickball in a VERY long time we managed to upstage the other team and win the game. Game two next Wednesday for those of you needing a good laugh :)

In other news, this has been an extra long week. For some reason I've felt completely overwhelmed and like I can't get my act together [and my act is fantastic for those of you that don't know me well] which has me all outta sorts. I've felt like a class A CRAPPY teacher this week....like I am tired of listening to me spout off about EOG review - ENOUGH ALREADY! I would settle for a slow down right now [or at least a caramel macchiato with non-fat milk].

I try not to complain [I really do try...] but tonight I just gotta go there. I am tired of whining. Whining of all kinds from all kinds of whiners [that, my friends, was clever]. I am tired of miserable people that whine and want to make EVERYONE around them miserable too. You know them, the kind that never smile and always start off any conversation with, "Well, what I don't like is..." or "Do you know what makes me mad?" Let me answer those two questions for you with one simple answer [that whole kill-two-birds-with-one-stone thing]: WE DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE JUST COMPLAINING! Get a life. Walk a mile in my shoes. Build a bridge and get over it. Think of someone other than you for a change. Do your job. And for goodness sakes, wipe that scowl off your face and be happy for a change. Really? Is the world that bad that you have to be negative all the time? I saw a person just a little over 24 hours ago and they are the epitome of miserable - like it leaks from their pores. As in, every time I see this person they are whining and complaing. I know they whine and complain about their job because they hate it. [Know that one for a fact so this isn't gossip or hearsay - right from the miserable horse's mouth] There is just so much in this life to be thankful for and happy about that scowling and complaining just makes you, as Dwight Schrute would say, "A thief of joy."

I guess I look around at my children and my husband, at the fact that there is food on the table and a roof over my head [though at about 1am last night I wasn't too sure of that fact], at the fact that I have a good job and work with not just colleagues but friends, and that God allows me another breath and another day. Now, before some of you go postal, let me finish. My life isn't the poster child for happiness. There are days when I could just scream [and do] over petty things [dirty dishes in the sink] and I do my fair share of complaining. I also know that there are many out there without a dime, who do not have the luxuries that I am so richly blessed with. But I often times find they are the ones that know true happiness. Short and I don't have a lot of money [shocker there I know] but we have what we need. I know there are people that don't even have what they need yet they are still happy and rarely complain. So why is it that the people that really have a right, in my opinion, to complain, find contentment yet those that seem to have it all just want to complain?

My daddy told me one time that he was not rich because he had a good job and made good money. He said that he was rich because he was healthy, had a wonderful wife, and two children that had raised families that gave him grandchildren that he could spoil. He said money makes you wealthy but God's blessings make you rich. [Sweet William is pretty awesome. I ♥ my daddy]

Sometimes life gets to us. I've been there [today, in fact] but it's not a place I want to stay. I don't want to be miserable. To look miserable. To have people say, "She is a miserable person."
There is too much to smile about.
Too much to be happy about.
Too much to be thankful for.

I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us....

I wish you all a great end to your week. Smile. Be happy. Be thankful. Be cheerful. As always, life as a Short is awesome :)