My Loving, Chaotic Life

"Life should not be lived, it should be celebrated." Sandra Magsamen

I found a key chain at Wal-Mart with this quote, and it stopped me in my tracks. It isn't particularly profound, but it made me re-evaluate my life for a moment. I thought to all the times I've "just lived". I remember so many times waking up in the morning thinking that all I have to do is make it through the day so I can go back to sleep.

I've been on survival mode the past couple of years. I get up, work, take care of kids, clean house and go to sleep. It was about a month ago that I told Aaron that I can't remember who I was anymore. I felt like I was just going through the motions of life. I have several titles, but I longed to remember who I was.

Last week, I got a chance to celebrate and be me. Granted, this was a version of me that is rarely shown in public. It is the completely fun and wild-child Jessica. Not the tame and responsible Mother Jessica. Going to Vegas with my bestie will always be one of the most memorable times in my life. Not as memorable as getting married, being pregnant or birthing two children. It is memorable in the sense that I found something I lost: celebrating life.

Now, I know Vegas is known as "Sin City", and I'm not in any way encouraging everybody to go to Vegas to find yourself. That isn't what this post is about at all. I didn't "find myself" in Vegas. What I did discover was how to look at life as more than something to get through. I found that life can be done in two ways: Lived or Celebrated. I chose to celebrate.

I love Ecclesiastes 3 because it makes me aware that there are times we will just live...be on survival mode...and it is ok. God is still walking with us even if we feel like we are alone.

However, we are never alone. During all the times, emotions and experiences, God is with us. Even in Vegas, God was with me. He may had shook His head a time or two, but He was with me. :)

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is nothing better for a boy than playing in dirt and drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. Needless to say, this was definitely a boys' weekend in our household. Aaron decided to take Friday off to work around the house.

The project: Our flowerbeds

We spent an hour at Lowe's buying mulch, dirt, an irrigation system, fertilizer and bug poison. Then, we went to two garden centers to look at flowers and trees. Holy moly! I've always loved flowers and wish I knew more about horticulture. I just never realized how many different flowers and trees there were for this region. Goodness! I just wanted something pretty. LOL

We finally picked some flowers and pony tails grass and began the project. We (very loosely used since my allergies got so bad that I took a Benadryl Severe Allergy pill and ended up only working for about an hour. I did take a three hour nap, though.) dug out all the weeds and removed the mulch. We added dirt, and Aaron put in the new irrigation system for the flowerbed. After two days and a combined total of 5 hours napping, we now have this:



I would take more pictures, but we ran out of mulch (totally my fault), and I didn't want to show you the "almost done" side of the flowerbed. We still need to spray off the sidewalk, but I'll do that tomorrow.

Next, the chalk. Jack drew a map of Texas. It hit his most favorite locations: Our house, Beth's house (his friend from school), Neena & Papa's house, Grandma & Pappy's house, and Uncle Dempy's house.









Jack waving at me. He's in Weatherford. I'm in Amarillo. :)


Now, Luke. Sweet, sweet Luke. He follows directions so well. As you can see in the previous picture, he was also drawing. Well, he was really coloring in. He decided to color in the shirt that Jack drew on one of his men.



Then, Luke decided to color all of the man in to make him a monster. There was a 2-minute argument on who created the drawing, then I took pictures. I asked Luke to sit by his drawing so I can take a picture of him with it. This is what I got:



Me: Um...Luke. You got something on your hiney.
Luke: Huh?