23

I am 2 hours and twenty minutes into my 23rd year of life. Or is it the beginning of my 24th...? Anyway, don't ask what I'm doing up this late. It's a mixture of work and homework that just won't seem to end.

But, here's a run-down of the last 3 hours:

11:30 p.m. - Brandon disappears out the front door with his guitar.

11:55 p.m. - I look at the clock, realize that I'm 5 minutes away from the one day a year that I can do whatever I want, and proceed into the kitchen to prepare for the occasion.

11:58 p.m. - I emerge from the kitchen with a 1/2 gallon of blue bell 'cookies and cream' ice cream and a quart of 'cherry vanilla' ice cream. Oh yes.

12:03 a.m. - ok, that's enough ice cream.

12:10 a.m. - Brandon busts in the door and (Gus-Gus-from-Cinderella style) says, "du-du-du HAP-py BIRT-day!"

12:12 a.m. - he sings me the song he was writing for me when he was outside.

That, plus Ichiban's tomorrow ... not too shabby.
Not too shabby at all.

the new dress code

So, tonight, I'm in my Group Counseling class. Since class is 3 hours long, that gives Dr. S a good...oh...2 hours of time to ramble before we have to actually get down to business.
(yes, I have calculated how much money I'm wasting on this education...)

She spent all two hours of that tonight talking about a religious meeting she went to where she was asked to speak on Hinduism and Sikhism. She's a Christian now, but since she was raised in India, she knows all about those religions.

She knows I'm a Christian - we've actually spent a lot of time in her office talking about our faith.

She also is very outspoken and doesn't always think things through before she says them.

I say all that to get to this...

Tonight, I was just minding my own business, not doing anyone any harm, when I hear her say,
"Mari is very, very spiritual. She doesn't look it....but she is!"

Everyone's falling out of their chairs and laughing, while Dr. S is trying to figure out what she said that is so funny. She may have been in America for 30 years, but she still has a lot to learn.

So, yeah, if anyone's got some spare "nun clothes" lying around, can I borrow them? It's time I start dressing a little more spiritual.


fyi: I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt...not a string bikini.

where, oh where, have I been?

Underneath my name on seph's blog, it said "two weeks ago." I swore that would never happen, but moving, school, work, and a certain cable/internet company dragging their heels about switching service over caused it to most certainly happen. But now, I'm back.

So....the last two weeks....

We moved. I hate moving. We're probably staying in this house forever. Here's my equation for happiness....
Brandon, me, Brylie, and however many more kids God gives us + two bedroom house - moving ever again = bliss.
________________________________________________
I fell for the old gig again. "Mrs. Sykes, when we switch your internet/cable services over to your new house, for just $10 more a month, you can get 50 more channels and HBO!"
Wow! Just $10?! Sign me up!
So the guy comes out to install it...and hands me a bill for $250.
Uhhh...no. So, before he left, we had figured out a way to get it down to $55.
Do I look stupid? I must look stupid. Why do these companies keep trying to take advantage of me? Someone needs to warn these companies that I've had enough. The next one that tries this mess might get an earfull.
_________________________________________________
I haven't been running.
: (
_________________________________________________
The good news!
Brylie's heart is perfect. The cardiologist said there was no murmur and no reason to ever think there was a problem.
So, to answer your question: yes, I'm still thinking of switching pediatricians.

Out of the Silence, God can Roar

Today's lesson on healing was not one I'll soon forget. When David started talking about Duane Miller, the preacher from Houston that was healed during a taped sermon, I thought, "Oh man, I would love to hear that!" So, you can imagine my excitement when he said, "Can you start that audio?"

So, in case you weren't there today, here's the story: Basically, this preacher (and apparently an amazing one, at that) was diagnosed with a virus that affected the nerve endings in his vocal cords. Supposedly, doctors say he should have ended up mute.

Well, he couldn't preach anymore because his voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, so he just started teaching smalll classes on Sunday nights (using a very powerful microphone). He went on this way for about 3 years.

Then, one day, God worked a miracle.



Go to http://www.nuvoice.org/ and click "The Moment" on the bottom left of the page. Pay attention to the words he was saying as it happens...



Isn't that powerful?! And to get to be witnesses to this. . . just amazing.



I glanced at Brandon out of the corner of my eye and I could see tears streaming down his face. Then mine started. God is so, so good.



"Out of despair, God can bring joy.

Out of doubt, God can reveal truth.

Out of trial, God can bring peace.

Out of pain, God can bring healing.

Out of silence, God can roar."

From Out of the Silence, by Duane Miller

my little boy

the "i am not a boy!" onesie has been put to the test...
and failed miserably.

So we're sitting at sunset grill today. Brylie is on Brandon's lap and an old man (of course) walks up and says

"Hi little guy!"

cue the dropping jaws

"Oh, I just need to take him home with me"

is this guy serious?!

"You wanna come home with me, boy?"

Brandon holds her arms up just to make sure her onesie is readable

"He is just the sweetest little baby"

yes, the pink and glitter letters are completely visible

"What a cute little guy"

Does my baby have a beard or something?

It's ok to tell me. Maybe I'm just blinded by love.


On a lighter note, Brylie had the time of her life at Mug & Muffin this morning at DeLana's.
The minute we walked up, Nanna and Bacamama took over and showed her the time of her life. Everytime I looked over, she was tasting new and exciting things and getting it all over herself!
I'm so glad my baby has so many "grandmothers" that love her : )

did anyone notice...?

That during McCain's speech tonight, he said...

"If you don't like the way our country is, do something to fix it. Run for office, join the ministry, serve food to a hungry child, teach an illiterate adult to read..."

and then the camera panned to a man holding a sign that read, "McCain is a Mavrick."

Maybe the cameraman is a democrat.

: )

the human race.

About to start.


Piersol and Hanson from the U.S. men's swim team.


Lance Armstrong (in yellow)


Me and my cute little runner

Brylie with her Pop and Meme.

Sadly, I could never get a picture of Matthew McConaughey. Brandon ran right next to him for a while and said he runs funny. But, apparently it works for him - he didn't do too badly. Brandon's time was something like 50 or 51 minutes. I'm so proud!