Marianne

Just when you think, 'Look, I'm a grown up,' you see one of those personality quizzes you used to spend so long clicking away at on Facebook, desperate to know which TV show character best describes you, which Disney princess you're just like, or which Austen man is your best match for you. (Yes, yes, I did take that quiz.)
I saw the Jane Austen heroine personality quiz and I was a goner. But you know what? It's still just as exciting as it was when I was 13. And looking at this result you wouldn't think it, but my results have certainly improved since those I'm-really-bored-so-I'll-just-get-on-Facebook-and-complete-personality-quizzes-days. But that's another story for another time.

I thought this one was too funny not to share. Katie and I joke that she is Elinor and I am Marianne. I'm pretty sure I got the short straw on this one.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord

It wasn't easy to choose to stay at home and take on a full-time job when it seemed like just about everyone else was moving away and starting their freshman year of college.

 Honestly, every morning is a struggle. But the struggle is sweet when it is from, with, and for Jesus.

I have learned so very much about things I never thought I didn't know. Funny how we don't know so much that we don't even know we don't know. If that makes any sense at all.

Anyway, I've learned everything from how to [magically] fold cardboard into a perfectly-shaped shipping box, how to balance finances, how to convince telemarketers that we're not interested, and even just how to use the drive-thru at the bank. I'm experiencing things I've never done before. And I'm thankful for that. But more than anything else, I'm thankful for the precious lives I am able to come across, speak to, and encourage. I'm thankful for the stories and laughs, the wisdom and the advice they have given me.

I'll share one story a sweet lady told of her great-grandson.

~

When she was taking him to his Kindergarten class one day, he spoke up, pleading, 

"Mamy, would you pwease tell Ms. Julie (his teacher) that I'm sick and can't come today?" 

"But, dahlin' (it didn't matter who she was addressing, to Mamy, everyone is dahlin'), you're not sick."

"Yes, I am. I, I... I had a heart attack!"

Mamy stifled a laugh and decided to play along with him. She called Ms. Julie and told her what he had said. His teacher then said, 

"Well, in that case, we'll have to send for an ambulance right away."

When Mamy relayed the message to the backseat, he said, "Tell her it's too late! You and Mamma done buried me already."

~

Throughout this year, Habakkuk 3:17-18 has been such a comfort:

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls - 

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

An Excerpt From the Week In Which I Played Mommy

As I drove out of the George's parking lot, everyone was happily sipping on his milkshake (except Rachel who chose a cone, unfortunately, as we will see), and I was wholly unsuspecting of what the near future held.  It was dark and the headlights were bright as we sang and danced and I drove--simultaneously singing and dancing. You can't do one without the other, unless of course, you just sang, or danced, or drove, or drove and sang, or drove and danced, or danced and sang. Anyway. Back to our story. We laughed and giggled and had a fantastic time while we consumed an inordinate amount of calories disguised as a perfectly spun chocolate milkshake sent from heaven above. I guess Rachel had gotten a little too into the laughing contest because by this time, she wasn't laughing at all, but screaming "Ahhh!! There's ice cream all over me!" and so on and so forth. 
Sure enough, she was right. 
There was ice cream on the floor of my car, on the passenger seat of my car, on her pants (which were in my car), on the dashboard of my car, even on the window of my car. I was the epitome of calm and almost entirely forgot these travesties were occurring in my car. As these thoughts ran through my head, Rachel was scrambling out of her seat and somehow perched entirely on her two hands, closely resembling a monkey in its natural habitat. This image was not a little bit funny. It was a lot funny. The ice cream had slipped right out of the cone and into her seat. This left her no choice but to stuff the rest of the cone into her mouth. She had no choice, guys.

Meanwhile, there was a voice from the backseat. "Um? I think my pants are wet." It was Will. Is this real life? I thought for the thousandth time. Unfortunately, all I could do from the wheel was to glance back and tell him everything would be okay. And breathe. I couldn't forget to breathe. Rachel had to surrender her ice dream endeavor to check his pants. 
Dry.  
Praise to the heavens! There was only one problem: a hole in his milkshake, and ice cream dripping all over the backseat. Oh yeah, did I mention we were in my car? 

This too shall pass. I kept my eyes on the road and thought of things to be thankful for.

The sky is not falling.

The aliens have not invaded.

My tires are not flat.

His pants are still dry.

So are hers.

So are mine.

Rachel's…were.

Pretty soon, I felt fairly cheered up and you might say my middle name is Calm. And Awesome. But that's another story for another time.

Soon enough, everyone was fairly wiped off and only a little sticky and we were singing, dancing, and laughing yet again. We made it home alive and well. And there's only the faintest bit of ice cream residue on my passenger seat.

I'm glad I'm not a Mommy yet. I'll stick with my full-time job, thank you.

Word to the wise

Ermias gravely reminds us, "Hey, hey, everybody listen! You should really love your plate."

Dear blank, please blank.

-Dear Taylor Swift,

     

     If it is of any interest to you, Romeo and Juliet both kill themselves in the end.

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                          Sincerely, Shakespeare.

-Dear World,

                               

                                                                                            Sincerely, Ninjas.

-Dear Justin Bieber,

 

     Ariel would really love her voice back.

                                         

                                                Sincerely, King Triton.

 

 -Dear Yahoo,

   

     I've never heard anyone say, "I don't know, let's Yahoo! it..." just saying...

                                                                                                  Sincerely, Google.

-Dear girls who have been dumped,

 

     There are plenty of fish in the sea... Just kidding! They're all dead. 

                                                                                      

                                                                                         Sincerely, BP.

-Dear Facebook,

 

     Just wait, one day they'll abandon you as well.

                                                          Sincerely, Myspace.

-Dear Noah,

      

     We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.

                                                                            Sincerely, Unicorns.

-Dear World,

     If you don't want us to take all of the jobs, start actually studying in school.

                                                                                                Sincerely, The Asians.

-Dear life,

 

     Please get theme music.

                              Sincerely, my life would be so much more epic.

-Dear Glass of Water,

     You are half-full of emptiness.

                               Sincerely, an Optimistic Pessimist.

Source: dearblankpleaseblank.com. But, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this website. So, I just picked out some good, wholesome, hilarious ones to share.

My 9-year-old brother and his friend are playing chess in my front yard.

I love my family.

Jonathan just said, "Listen to your arteries." (As opposed to listen to your heart.) I found it pretty entertaining.


Yeah, I'm still laughing.

Well, there you have it.

Jonathan: *sings "Have a tender Tennessee Christmas" in an awful out-of-key country voice*

Kelley: Jonathan, please stop. Christmas is over.

Jonathan: ...It'll come again.

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