LOST - My alternate ending

This would have made sense:
The island is the singular source of life on earth and it's location must be closely guarded and protected in order to preserve life on earth. Scientists (like the Others and the Dharma initiative) have been able to locate this source and have done numerous studies, yet the heart of the island is known only to the guardian (Jacob). Evil is also present on the island and is bound to some degree. And there are rules the evil one must follow.

The evil one is growing stronger and the island is in danger so the time is drawing near for a new protector to take over. This is a very important job and one must show oneself worthy of this high calling. Jacob chooses some candidates (the survivors whose names are written in the caves) and he brings them to the island to test them. Like his mother before him, he is unclear on who will rise to the occasion. He chooses people who are flawed and gives them the opportunity for redemption through these tests and trials.

Five seasons of crazy stuff happens that puts the candidates to the test ending in an explosion that only partially sets things straight.

In season 6, we discover the effects of blowing up the swan station. The candidates experience life without a plane crash, only instead of the doomed lives they once had, they have life as it should be. However, these people are not yet completely redeemed. They are also still present on the island, a candidate has not been chosen, and evil is still present and powerful and able to destroy them.

Just when it seems evil will prevail and the earth will be destroyed, a leader finally emerges (Jack), a man who has come full circle and he saves the day. With the help of Desmond, who is able to go down into the well and remove the stone, Jack is able to stop evil for once and for all. It was a two person job (one to remove the stone and one to kill the smoke monster) but there is one job left to do. Jack must turn the light of good back on at the heart of the island and Desmond must reunite the others in the alternate timeline in order to save the world. Jack sacrifices himself and replaces the stone saving the world, securing the island and completely redeeming their lives by ridding them of the threat and danger of the evil one. Desmond succeeds in reuniting them at the church.

There is a final blast of light, the island "disappears" keeping it forever safe, and they are all in the alternate timeline where they are coupled with the one we want them to be with, they are able to parent their children, they are law abiding contributors to society, and they are healed of their diseases. They all meet at the church to destroy the lamppost (or whatever that place was called in the church that helped scientists find the island). They destroy the lamp post so that no one can ever find it and threaten it again.

The End

Okay, maybe my ending isn't perfect but at least it makes some sense and explains some things. I was loving the finale. I got chill bumps every time someone remembered their experience on the island. I got tears in my eyes when the couples found each other and when their bodies were healed. I was totally loving it and though I didn't understand everything that was going on, I felt like I was tracking along with it. And then the last ten minutes I was like, "Huh?" They're all dead? When did they die? Where were they? What is the island? How did scientists find it and what did the Dharma initiative have to do with anything? What was real and what wasn't?

I get that a little bit of mystery is a good thing. I didn't have to have ALL my questions answered, but it had to at least make sense. I didn't need to know what made Desmond special, I didn't have to know what "the box" was or even how/why they tested Sayid in the temple to know if he was good or bad. I love the idea of the ending being satisfying while at the same time giving us things to discuss and speculate on for the years to come. But the ending they gave us made me feel like four of the six last years were completely pointless. You know, all that time spent on The Others, the Dharma films and stations, the experiments, the NUMBERS! I'm going to stop before I blow my top.

Feel free to comment on my idea of a satisfying ending if you wish, or post ideas of you own. And while I still love the show and will certainly buy the DVD's hoping for more answers, I think from now on I'll wait until a new show runs it's course. And if everyone concurs that it was worth their years of loyalty, I'll get the DVD's for all the seasons in the series and take a week's vacation. At least that way I won't have to wait so long for a new season that I can't remember how the last one ended. Love and miss ya LOST...

Turning 39 For The First Time

A couple of weeks ago I turned 39...for the first time. I don't know what it is. I LOVED turning 30. I looked forward to it. I wrote about what a great day it was here. For some reason, now that my 30's are drawing to an end, I'm not getting quite the same excitement about turning 40 next year. I'm kinda thinking there's a lot to accomplish before then.

I went for a full physical last year and I'll never forget my conversation with the doctor.

Doctor: Well, your BMI is a little higher than it should be...
Me: Mmmm hmmm.
Doctor: But as you approach middle age that's a little more normal.
Me: I'm sorry...did you just call me middle aged?

Now, I have had a GREAT life so far. We have been so blessed. But now I'm looking forward and wondering what's ahead. I think that's a fairly normal part of being a stay-at-home mom whose kids will both be in school soon. What will I do then? I didn't consciously think about certain things I wanted to achieve before I turn 39 for the second time (some people call it 40 but whatever). But I do have a "bucket list". You know, things I'd like to do...well...one day. I thought I'd share it with you. It's not necessarily in order of importance and I'll go ahead and tell you it's not especially deep. Most of it's not serious, spiritual, character changing type stuff. Some of it is just stuff I'd like to do...just because.

See the Holy Land
Stay in an Irish cottage and visit lots of pubs
Eat something with black truffles
Memorize one book of the Bible
Gaze at the ceiling of the Sistine chapel
Give to someone in a way that changes their life
See the Great Wall of China in person
Drive Route 66
Fly on a trapeze
Learn Italian
Audition for something
Learn to salsa
Write a book
Sing karaoke solo
Be completely debt free including the house

Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be debt free including the house in the next year. I'm not even sure I'm going to be debt free except for the house next year. But I'd like to cross something off my list before I turn 39...again. Do you have an opinion? Suggestion? Favorite? Addition? Let me know. It's time for me to get going on this list.

I'd also like to leave you, young and middle-aged alike, with a few things I did in my 30's that I'd recommend for your bucket list if you have one.

Have a couple of babies.
Take a trip to the Grand Canyon on a train with a sleeper car.
Make a job change.
Move to a new city.
Go to St. Lucia and have Delbert plan a day excursion for you.
Throw a surprise party for someone you love.
Go to New York City at Christmastime.
Go to a high school reunion.

Blurb It Baby!

I might be the last one to know but I made an amazing discovery this weekend. You can turn your blog into a book! Check out www.blurb.com! It seems fairly affordable as well. Wouldn't it be cool to have a hard copy, pictures included, to look through in years to come. Wouldn't it be neat for your children to have something each year that chronicled your thoughts, struggles, interests, recipes, photos, etc.? I've heard it is time consuming but easy. I was at a SuperBowl party and a friend showed me a copy of a book done by one of her friends. The friend had spent a year in Italy and blogged about it. At the end of the year she had this beautiful book with all of her travels and pictures of all of the sights. It was AMAZING! So if you're like me and you're not good at journaling but you love blogging, check it out!

Tricky Treats

Okay, for those of you at MOPS yesterday who wanted to know how to make the cute little pumpkin cakepops, here you go.

First, no I'm not that creative. I didn't make these up, I'm just good at copying. As you can see, the originals look much cleaner than mine. I'm not sure how she gets the candymelts that smooth. If anyone has any tips, please share. I wish I had a picture of mine but, thankfully, you ate them all up! My cakepops were a combination of these amazing treats invented by the ever so talented and widely famous Bakerella...


And these sweet treats inspired the insides of my pumpkin pops...

Thanks and full credit for the pumpkin spice cake idea go to Bridget at bakeat350.blogspot.com. LOVE her site. She is so talented and I found her blog courtesy of my sister-in-law Montee. Okay, so here's what I did.

1. I bought and baked a pumpkin bread from a mix right out of a box (no cans of pumpkin or anything hard like that). I let it cool completely and then crumbled it all up with my hands in a large bowl.
2. I used about 3/4 of a can of ready made cream cheese icing and mixed it completely with the caked. It ended up looking like a bunch of mush. Add the icing a little at a time so you don't get too much. You want it to be sturdy enough to shape it.
3. Shape the mixture into truffle size balls and put on wax paper on a cookie sheet.
4. If you're going to do pops, dip the tip of stick in a little bit of melted orange Wilton candymelts and then still into the cake ball.
5. Put the whole thing in the fridge to let them get a little more solid and sturdy.
6. Dip the balls in melted orange Wilton candymelts and then stick pops in styrofoam to dry. If you're not making pops, just put them on more wax paper. Bakerella used tic tacs for the stems, I used green cereal pieces from a sugared kids cereal. You could also probably use pretzels for stems. Stick on the stems before the candy can harden.
7. When everything is completely dry, use an edible pen from Betty Crocker to draw on faces. Done.

I got the lollipop sticks and orange Wilton candymelts in the craft section of Walmart. I got the pumpkin bread mix, icing, and edible ink pens in the baking section of Walmart. It was really super easy and fun and here are some examples of some of the other spooky treats Bakerella made.

You can use any cake mix and icing so I am going to try some different combos. Red velvet cake with cream cheese icing dipped in white or dark chocolate, chocolate cake with chocolate icing dipped in a minty dark chocolate coating...the possibilities are endless. Let me know if you try these and how it works out. If you want more detailed instructions, check here.

The First Day

Sort of. Monday was Big Sister's first day of kindergarten...sort of. She only went for a couple of hours. She basically was just given some testing and more orientation with the building. And she doesn't get to go back until next Monday. Then another week of waiting. We're just telling ourselves that the 25th is really the first day. So that's when we'll take pictures and all. But here's how it went.

We walked to school (how awesome is that?) and waited in the cafeteria for the bell. She showed no hesitation whatsoever but I have to admit, I was a little nervous seeing her in the mix with all those "big kids". Finally, 8:15 came and one of the teachers did a little clapping thing to get everyone quiet. She asked the kindergartners to line up by the front windows. Big Sister was oblivious. "Great," I thought, "if I wasn't here would she just sit here all day?" I explained what she was supposed to do and she promptly and confidently walked over and lined up...with the 5th graders. I seriously think she could have wandered all day and not known the difference. I finally got her to her classroom and she walked right in and said, "Bye mom!"

I didn't get teary. It was too chaotic. It all happened so fast. Both girls slept in for the first time in months leaving very little time to get breakfast and get dressed. At the last minute I decided Little Sister was dressed too warmly and changed her clothes. Five minutes before we walked out the door, Big Sister started whining that her shirt was "itching" her. I calmly explained that she was in kindergarten now so she had to act like a big girl and kindergartners don't whine. (How many times will I use that one this year?) But as I walked home with Little Sister in tow I have to admit I had that feeling that this was a big moment...and then...I got over it.

I really did have a great time with Little Sister. It's so rare that it's just the two of us. She was really confused and kept asking where Big Sister was but for the most part I think she didn't mind being on her own with Mama.

When we went to pick Big Sister up, she didn't see me at first so I just watched her for a minute. She looked pretty much the same. (Whew) I'm happy to report that when she finally saw me she yelled out, "Mommy!" with a big grin on her face. When I asked her about her day, the first thing she told me about was the lunch. (She is her mama's girl after all) "Guess what I had for lunch Mama?...Pizza and baked beans and a special surprise!" "Oh yeah, what's that?" I asked on cue. "Strawberry milk!" "Oh wow," I exclaimed. "Oh gross," I thought.

But I did have another moment as we walked home. I asked her what her favorite thing about the day was. Her reply? "Well, I had lots of favorite things. My first favorite thing was strawberry milk...aaaand my next favorite thing was seeing the gym (I guess she's her daddy's girl too)...aaaaaand my other favorite thing was...when I saw you walking towards me just now to come pick me up." Does it get any better than that? Now that's a moment I'll probably never get over.

Something New Under the Summer Sun

Remember the days of old when there was nothing new under the sun? I'm talking about summer television. It used to be that the minute school let out and you actually had time to veg in front of the boob tube...nothing but reruns. Remember when the only thing to look forward to was Sunday night when they showed a Walt Disney World special, or as my husband remembers, The Wild World of Sports? Not anymore my friend. The networks finally wised up and started introducing new shows during the summer. Now, it's definitely questionable at times. Some summer shows seem like experiments before delving into the fall, but some are just great hits in my opinion. Now, if you're not a TV watcher, just go ahead and roll your eyes and skip this post. It's all about summer previews...what I'm already watching, what I can't wait to watch, and what is so ridiculous or foul I can't even believe they are trying it. First off...

STUFF I'VE BEEN WATCHING

The Mole - LOVE The Mole! Have you ever seen it? It's where twelve people come together to complete several missions to add money to a cash pot. Only there's a catch...one of them is THE MOLE. The mole tries to sabotage their efforts. Each episode, the cast takes a quiz on who they think the mole is and the person who answers the most questions wrong is eliminated. It's really interesting because many of the contestants are sabotaging in an effort to make the other players think they are the mole when they're really not the mole. I have my opinions on who the mole is but no one, including the television audience knows until the final episode. The editors do a great job of really keeping it hard to tell but there are clues along the way. Love a mystery? This is the show for you. And if you missed the first episode, you're not too far behind. It comes on ABC Mondays at 9 p.m. central.

Million Dollar Password - Remember this show? I love password. I have to say it is definitely one of those games that seems super easy from the couch but I'm sure it's extremely difficult in real life. If auditions ever come to Nashville, I am definitely IN! Sundays on CBS at 7 p.m. central.

So You Think You Can Dance - Worst name of a television show ever, but...very entertaining. Right now they are in the audition stages, American Idol style. There are lots of the terrible, embarassing, questionable auditions but there are lots of incredible auditions. Seriously, sometimes it brings tears to my eyes. I watched last year too and there were some performances that I saved on my Tivo for weeks because I watched them over and over again. You can see it on Fox Wednesdays at 7 p.m. central.

The Next Food Network Star - I've been dying for this show to come on. This is where contestants take part in culinary challenges and try to win their own show on the Food Network. They've had enough regular people on this show that I've considered auditioning in the past. I know that sounds nutty and I'm no culinary genius but I love the Food Network. How cool to travel to New York and film some shows! There's only been one episode so far and the challenges aren't super complicated. The Food Network aims to teach us regular folks some cooking skills so it can't get too difficult for their stars. It actually counts against the contestants if they're too fru-fru for the average Food Network viewer. Watch it on the Food Network Sunday nights at 9 p.m. central.

Top Chef - Like I said, I love a good cooking competition show. This one is a competition of great chefs from varied backgrounds competing for $100,000 prize and the title of Top Chef. This is not Hell's Kitchen...it's got way more class. These chefs are over the top good so I have no intention of picking up some good recipes but they are amazing to watch. The personalities and types of food are very diverse. And who wouldn't want to watch Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi? It's almost over but you can catch the two part finale on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. central. If you've never seen it but think it sounds good, there are usually marathons that air periodically, especially before the finale.

The Bachelorette - I know, I know...it's like porn for women. I can't help it. I love seeing the romantic dates, trying to figure out who she's really into and who she's going to send home next. I watched The Bachelor when DeAnna got rejected and I want her to find LOVE. I'm addicted. The record for finding lasting romance is not very good on this show, but I'm a romantic at heart and I have hope. I'm not sure you can really be dating one guy one night and getting engaged to another the next but I try not to analyze to much. Calling it reality TV is a stretch, sure, but I don't always want reality when I'm vegging out, sometimes I want Cinderella. If you're not already watching, you're probably not going to start but it's on ABC Mondays at 7 p.m. central.

STUFF I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

Design Star - Same thing as the Food Network Star, only with designing. I know tons of people that should audition for this show. Again, when I watch it, I'm tempted. The winner gets their own design show on HGTV. LOVE IT! It airs on HGTV starting June 8th at 8 p.m. central.

Nashville Star - Nashvegas has hit the bigtime baby! I have to admit that for unknown reasons, I couldn't get into American Idol this year. The contestants all seemed a little...plastic. They were very talented, just not all that engaging. Maybe I'm just over it. But as a true blue southern girl, I have high hopes for Nashville Star. It's been picked up by NBC and will start Monday, June 9th at 8 p.m.

Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show - Have you seen the previews for these? I'm sorry, I know it's cruel, but there's something about people flailing around, falling down, and looking like fools that makes me laugh hysterically. It's my natural reaction to laugh first and find out if you're okay second. I don't know what it is. I don't even know how to describe this show and if you've never seen those Japanese Game Shows, you are missing out. They both air on ABC starting June 24th at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. central.

Celebrity Circus - That's right people! Remember Circus of the Stars? Is anyone out there old enough to remember that? (Please say yes) This is where celebrities live the dream of every small boy and girl and train for the circus. It's some kind of competition but I haven't quite figured out how that works. The downside? I only recognized two of the celebrities, Christopher Knight, and Rachel Hunter. I'll still be tuning in. In the spirit of Wipeout (see above) maybe we can see some celebs make fools of themselves. Here's hoping. It's on NBC June 11th at 8:30 p.m. central.

Shear Genius - I know, you're like...what? It's on Bravo and it's along the lines of all the other reality TV competitions only this time...hairdressers! That's right people, cutting, coloring, and styling in a competition. If you're interested in the latest and greatest in hair, you've got to tune in. And yes, there will be hair disasters and crying clients as well. Now, I don't want to be judgemental but let's just say the personalities of the contestants are what you imagine them to be. And even better, it's hosted by Jaclyn Smith (she's from the original Charlie's Angels for you young ones) and her hair has always been fabulous...not Farrah mind you...but fabulous. It airs on Bravo June 25th at 9 p.m. central.

WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE PUTTING ON TELEVISION

Swingtown - Seriously? A show about swingers in the 70's on regular prime time television. Now I'm no prude as you can see but the commercials make me uncomfortable for crying out loud.

Fear Itself - Can you say scary? I'm a big wimp when it comes to horror flicks and this looks like Friday the 13th. When you pull it up on NBC, a little box pops up letting you know it's rated TV-14. Enough said.

Well, enough for now. I did delete my other blog that was completely devoted to TV because although I'm a fanatic, I don't have time to blog about it all so this is my compromise. Let me know what you'll be watching and why. And while I plan to spend plenty of time travelling, being outside with my family, camping, and hanging out at the pool...here's to hoping there really is something new under the sun!

Big Hats, Big Brown, Big Weekend

The Preakness! What an event! We just had an amazing weekend. My husband's college roommate, Billy, invited us to Baltimore for the Preakness. We arrived Friday afternoon, checked into the Renaissance and went straight to Billy's house for a get-together. Most of his family was there and they adopted us right into the mix. His house was just blocks away from the center of downtown and it was beautiful. We walked to a little neighborhood Italian restaurant for dinner and laughed and talked and ate for hours. Billy comes from a large Irish Catholic family and there are some characters! There was never a dull moment and the stories got better as the night wore on.

The next morning we dressed in our Preakness best and went to Billy's to meet everyone for breakfast. At around 10:00am a big charter bus arrived to take us to the races. I don't know what I expected but it was so much more than I could have imagined. We were in a huge tent in the infield. There were big bands playing, food and drinks galore, and big beautiful hats everywhere. There was a race about every 45 minutes so we would look over the program, discuss with everyone who they were picking for the race, choose a horse, and then place a bet. This is me placing my big bets! Nothing but a couple of bucks mind you but it was so much fun! Then we would look around and eventually wander up to the fence to watch the race. It was amazing how close we were. For the races on the turf we were literally 10 feet away from the horses as they ran by. The view of the grandstands was sight to see and nearby, ESPN was broadcasting from their tent.

The most exciting moment of the day, besides the Preakness race with Big Brown, was race 10. I had bet $5 on the number 5 horse to win. Now, there was no real method to my madness. I chose based on the names, the silks the jockeys wore, or the number. We were standing at the gate as the horses went by and sure enough, number 5, Pays To Dream, was in dead last. This is a picture of them as they went by. My horse is the one in the back of course.I just looked at Jeff and said, "Oh well, I'm not very good at this." Well, as the horses raced on, we couldn't see them because the track is huge. We tried looking at the big screens but there were enough people by then that we couldn't see what was happening. We watched for the finish as we heard people yelling, "Here they come! Here they come!" Would you believe that horse number 5 won! It was a 19-1 long shot so we won $101! Here I am with my winning ticket!

Finally, the big race was about to start. It was really a sight to see Big Brown and all the horses coming out onto the track. Big Brown ran in 3rd for most of the race and then blew everyone away at the last turn. I guess he's well on his way to being the first triple crown winner in 30 years. We met some fascinating people and felt like VIP's thanks to Billy and his generosity. It will be hard to top, that's for sure. I hope he invites us back next year!

Beating the Blahs

Yesterday was one of those days you just can't explain. Everything went well. The kids were fine. Everyone is healthy. But...I was in a funk. You know what I mean? Those days when you're not in the mood for any of the things you normally love and you can't figure out what's wrong with you? I couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat for dinner because nothing sounded good. I settled down with the computer intending to write for my blog and...nothing. I got nothing. I started about four different posts and worked on each for a few minutes before thinking, "Nah, I'm just not in the mood." I'm starting a new bible study on women in the bible in a couple of weeks so I decided to pull it out. The topics are things like "wives in the Bible", "mothers in the Bible", "women leaders in the Bible"... Sounds great doesn't it? I pulled it out and was all set to read about Abigail and...nothing. Again. Where's the section on bored women in the Bible? What do they do? So, I scrolled through the movies listed on ON DEMAND and though there were some movies I'd be excited about any other night, nothing seemed to peak my interest. I finally settled on an old movie I didn't want to watch and went to sleep.

Well, despite the rain, today the funk was gone. Everything seemed good. I appreciated things I normally either take for granted or have just forgotten about for a while. So here's a short list of good stuff. Stuff that makes me smile. Stuff that makes me feel warm fuzzies. Stuff that helps beat the blahs. This list is not at all spiritual and while I know there are spiritual truths to be learned here, that's not what this is about. Forgive me for under or over spiritualizing. It's not my intent to be all correct or controversial or anything. It's just a list of the regular old good stuff of this world.

1. Jazz music. I discovered jazz in the late eighties when I took a music appreciation class in college. Granted, I was looking for the easy "A". What I discovered was something unpredictable, unique, old, new, something that felt like a gourmet meal, a cabin in the mountains, and a best friend all rolled into one. I love it still.

2. Hats. I wish hats would come back. I long for the derby days where women and men wore hats and the more gaudy, the more glorious. I'm going to the Preakness and I can't WAIT to see the hats! They can be so mysterious, so pompous, so humble, so practical. It's mysterious that I like best. Can't you just see the old days when a brim of a hat dipped down over the eye was all it took to make someone wonder?

3. Books. I love being surrounded by them. I sat in Barnes & Noble today and just enjoyed being around books. You're in the midst of greatness, mediocrity, extravagance, simplicity, fantasy, reality, truth, fiction. (This is also why I like Walmart) It's all organized so neatly yet still there is fiction where it's labeled non-fiction and non-fiction where it's labeled fiction. Each book in neat little rows but still it's a maze. More than I could ever know and some things I hope to never discover all in one room. In my dreams I have a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast. I have only ever thrown away one book because it was so poorly written. Up until last year I kept every book I ever read so I could surround myself with them in my home. We ran out of bookshelves a long time ago and still have some books in boxes that I just can't part with.

4. Romantic comedies with jazz music in the soundtrack. I have to qualify this because it's that specific. It has to have jazz or big band or swing in the soundtrack. Here are some examples:
When Harry Met Sally
Notting Hill
Bridget Jones Diary
You've Got Mail
Father of the Bride II
Sleepless in Seattle
and the way underrated French Kiss
I have to comment on French Kiss. Meg Ryan (granted, I have a lot of Meg Ryan movies listed) and Kevin Kline. There's love, there's mystery, there's betrayal, there's wine, there's cheese (lactose intolerance!) and of course, there's France. I want to jump right into these movies. Maybe it's the locations. New York City, England, France. I'll take them all thank you.

5. Drive-thrus. Okay, so all of my good stuff isn't special but as a mom of two little girls, I love drive-thrus. Banks, restaurants, dry cleaners. If they would just come up with drive-thru grocery stores I would never have to leave my car again. "Yes, I'll take a gallon of Horizons skim milk (please give me the one with the latest expiration date), some Capri Suns...any flavor, and a loaf of Arnold's Double Fiber 100% whole wheat bread...thanks!" Wouldn't that be great?

6. Pedicures. I don't think I even have to explain how a pedicure can chase away the blahs.

7. Coffee. Now, my husband HATES coffee. He thinks it tastes like hot dirt. I get why he says that but I still love it. I drink it with flavored creamer and splenda. If I cared nothing about calories I would use real sugar and I would drink a Starbucks peppermint mocha and a caramel frappacino every day. I like it hot or cold but always sweet. I love waking up in the morning just to drink it.

8. My bed. It's heavenly. We finally bought a nice mattress a little over a year ago. It has 8 inches of memory foam on the top and sides. We got our new bedroom furniture back in December. It's a queen sized black canopy bed. It has 600 thread count sheets in white, goose down pillows, and a quilt in ice blue. It's the most calming, comfortable bed I've ever had. I can't wait to get into it every night. I love my bed. I think I'll go there now. Goodnight.

WAIT! I'd really like for you to add to the list of "good stuff" that helps you beat the blahs. No Sunday School answers please.

Rubies

As Mother's Day approaches, I am reminded of the day I became a mother and a lesson I didn't learn until two and a half years later when I became a mother for the second time.

The push present. Know what I'm talking about? I didn’t know anything about them until my friend Lisa had her first baby. We went to visit her in the hospital and along with her beautiful baby boy, she showed us the gorgeous necklace and giant box of Godiva truffles her husband bought for her. When I got pregnant with our first child, I frequently reminded my husband how special and wonderful I thought this idea of a push present was. After all, I was the one who was going to have to do the really hard stuff.

I remember standing in Cracker Barrel one day waiting for our table and we were standing near some birthstone jewelry. (Cracker Barrel just has everything don't they?) My husband mentioned that our daughter’s birthstone was going to be ruby. I was surprised that he’d sought out this information and got the idea that he might be thinking about the push present. I went on and on about how much I just LOVED rubies.

I went into labor on my due date. Okay how often does that actually happen? But I did and off to the hospital we went. I had gotten Jeff a present for our special day. After all, I was convinced I was getting RUBIES. I got him a special journal and a book about writing you life story for your children. It came from red envelope and was in this beautiful red box with a cream bow neatly packed for weeks in my hospital suitcase.

I thought this was pretty special as I was the one doing the pushing. After our daughter was born, I waited until we were alone that night and gave him his gift. I was disappointed to find out that he didn’t have my gift. “ I don’t have yours,” was what he said. “I haven’t even bought anything yet,” was what he meant. I was sad, I mean, it’s not like he didn’t have nine months to prepare but I figured it could be just as special after we got home. Well, two hormone filled weeks went by and no present. Then one day as we were getting ready to leave for church, there was a ring box waiting in the carseat. Oh, this is it. Finally I get my push present. I admit, my attitude was bad but I was glad he hadn't completely forgotten. Well, without going into all the details, my husband went to Kohls (hello, don't buy jewelry at Kohls), and bought a cheap little band with microscopic ruby and diamond chips. It didn't even come in a box, he brought it home in a bag and then put it in one of his state championship ring boxes from high school, which he promptly asked to have back. Can you tell I was a little disappointed?

*I feel it's important here to speak to any man who might be reading this. If you're buying jewelry that has precious stones in it...you must spend more than $100. If you are unsure, PLEASE ask one of her friends for their opinion. May I recommend Berry's Pawn in Madison? It's highly reputable, recommended by Dave Ramsey, and owned by Herb Berry, a wonderful Christian man.

Anyway, I dutifully wore the ring for the next two and a half years. Then our second child was born. I begged him not to buy jewelry. I asked him to just write me a love letter and for his gift, I decided to write him one too. As I began to think about what to write, I thought about the last time we'd been in that place and the little ruby ring. And then it hit me. Conviction. Brokenness. Tears. The Lord brought to mind the one piece of jewelry my husband gave me that I love the most and wear every single day. It is a Hebrew scripture necklace created by a Messianic Jew named Leehee.
My husband picked it out and gave it to me for Christmas about a year and a half after our first was born. It's the only time a gift from him has made me cry. When I read what the Hebrew verse was on the necklace, I lost it. It is

Proverbs 31:10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is more precious than rubies.

Now, I'd worn the necklace for over a year at this point and finally the irony was not lost on me. More precious than rubies. I had been anything but. I wrote the love letter of my life. I was so humbled by all this man had given me. I now wear that little ring with honor. It reminds me of the kind of wife I desire to be. The crazy part is that he already thinks that of me. I know better of course. He even quotes the next two verses whenever he tells someone about the necklace.

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

Wow. And as I think of this Mother's Day, I think of the man who made me a mother. If I could be a Proverbs 31:10-12 wife, I know I could be a good mother. So I come into this day with no expectations, just a desire to serve the ones I love. To bring them good, and not harm. To give them full confidence in me. To make sure they lack nothing of value. To be more precious than rubies.

Favorite Meals

I just wanted to share one of our favorite meals that is SUPER easy and delicious! I am a bit of a fish snob. I usually don't like it much unless it's fresh. However, I have found a great frozen product at SAM'S CLUB. It is Blackened, Seasoned Atlantic Salmon Fillets by C. Wirthy & Co. Each fillet is individually packaged. You just pull out what you need and thaw it in the package for about 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water. I just remove from package, drizzle a little olive oil on each side, and cook on the stovetop in my grill pan about 5 minutes on each side and WALLAH! It's that easy. It's not "fishy" like a lot of other frozen fish. With it we usually have another one of our favorite products from the local Super Walmart. Mann's Ready, Set, Steam vegetables. It comes in Stir Fry, Garden Herb, or Brocolli with Cheese Sauce. You just peel off the sauce packet, put the package in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, peel off the top of the package, add sauce, stir and WALLAH! Delicious vegetable in 3 minutes! I also usually make 10 minute brown rice to go with it. So you can put together a great, healthy meal in less than 15 minutes if you don't count the thawing time. Look out Rachel Ray! 30 minute meals HAH!