


This is about my life and how it looks sometimes through my stain glass work.
The girls have spring fever already, they are ready to be able to play outside all the time. They already have walks and bike rides planned. Of course it has been lightly snowing today. I am not really a spring person, but am looking forward to being outside with them as well.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!
This was my weekend creation! The glass part of the lamp is 8.5" x 11". This was my gift to the youth pastor and his wife for pastor appreciation month back in October. They finally decided on what they wanted.
I had the girls for the most part of the last three weeks, with their dad only having them one night each week, we switched weekends in there so that I could take the girls to a church function and he could have them on his birthday this past weekend. As much as I hate being without them, I was ready for a break. All my buttons had been broken by the time Thursday rolled around. I had decided last weekend that I was going to head to Hobby Lobby this past weekend to get some glass. One because they had it on sale at half off, can't pass that up, and two because I need to start to make more projects to sell for a little extra money in my pocket. Of course you have to spend money to make money.
I picked up the glass for this project, and some other colors that I did not have. I really did not intend to make this project this weekend, but I was on a roll so I jumped in. It was 10:30pm when I started it, and 5:00 am when I finished it. I took a few breaks in there, to change the laundry and the sermon on the computer. I was converting the church sermons so that they could be put online as well. Multitasking at it finest....lol. Those breaks however were not more than 10 minutes at a time, but I am glad I got it done. I grabbed a couple hours of sleep then was out the door by 8:30am Sunday morning for church with gift in hand.
They loved it!! I showed the other 2 pastors wives the project as well. One of them rode with me to look at glass and she helped me pick out the colors for this one. They were all amazed that it was done. Keeps me busy, and I enjoy doing it!
Anyways, they had a pine wood race at church yesterday for their Wednesday night church group. My dad cut out the cars for them, and assembled them. The girls colored them with markers and I added the weight to them to finish them off. So we all head to the church gym yesterday afternoon. My parents and younger sister went because I had to leave before it was going to be over. I was there long enough to see the youngest age group race. She took first place out of seven cars in her age group. There were 31 cars all together. They did not hand out awards in the different age groups, just overall. The 4yr was kind of excited she really did not know what happen. To back up a minute we had to have the, "We are here to have fun" chat in the car on the way to church. Which was not going well, the 6yr had set in her mind that she was going to win and she was getting a trophy. Now, the 6yr category is racing and I saw her first heat, her car won. Life is good so far I have to leave now. On my way I am thinking life is not going to be good if the 4yr gets trophies and the 6yr does not get one. The 4yr is going to go, "I got a trophy" to her sister, and that will set a fuse or two off. Well, when I finally catch up with them when it is all over, the 6yr got 2nd place in her age division. There were 3 divisions, and the top three in each division went against each other for the top 9 places. Here is where things got harry. The 4yr came in 3rd overall, we get a big trophy for that, the 6yr came in 5th and gets a ribbon. All participants got a participation trophy. Yes, tears were shed, and about 5 more years of that competition to go through. Someday, the only here to have fun will set in I hope. In the end they did have fun, and I am glad their cars did well.
The weekend was filled with much needed catch up at home and at my parents house, but first I had to bowl in the local city tournament on saturday morning, so that cut into most of my day. I bowled terribly and after 6 games in a row, my hand and middle finger tip were ready to fall off. I called the girls saturday night, of course they were at his mom house for the weekend, because their dad had to go spend time with his step-son and his wife. So I had to talk to the former mother-in-law which is more annoying now than it was before. My 6yr now realizes that dad does not take them everywhere that he goes, but mom does take them everywhere she goes. I just kind of blew that off, but reality is she is right.
I went to church sunday morning, was a very good service, another 2x4 moment from god. He always knows when to send a message to you, and at just the right time. I cleaned my parents house after church, my mom cannot do it anymore, she was in a car accident when I was like 1 or 2 and has only a partial knew cap so she cannot bend down to do alot of things, and she shattered her elbow a couple of years ago, so she really cannot push the vacuum very easily, so I clean for her, it goes towards paying off a loan I have with them anyways. After cleaning I head back home to bowl 3 more games in league. That was interesting since my finger was stil very tender from the 6 game the day before. Putting my finger in my ball was extremely painfull let alone bring it back and release it. I fought through the three games and crashed for the rest of the evening. I never did get my average on any of the 9 games I threw over the weekend. The former spouse calls me at 9:30pm Sunday night to ask me about the youngest ear still draining. Well, I am a little irritated now, one of the time of night to ask me about it, and 2 from the sounds of it, it was like that all weekend and I am just now finding out because he was gone all weekend and his mom did not call him, because they all have communication issues. We had a nice conversation, I was not mean or anything, I told him it was like that when she went to the doctor the weeke before, and what I did to clean it out and that it was not draining by the time they had to go to his house. Well he had some of the stuff, but no cotton balls, and apparently had no idea how to substitute for them. Being in the medical field that he is, I would have thought a gauge pad would work, but I was not going to go there. He was ok with the conversation, and we even talked about some up coming date switching for the girls.
I stopped by his work monday morning on my way to work to talk to him more about the sprouts ear. Again it was a pleasant encounter. I called him later because I found out that the girls did not have either their gloves or hats with them, one had one part and the other had the other part. Of course I get the we were running late this morning and did not have time to get everything it is probably at the house, will get it to you tomorrow when he has them for his week night. I was ok with that, not putting up an argument over it, it is not worth it anymore.
Tuesday, after going back and forth from work and school duty to drop off and pick up from kindergarten, I rush around to finish up stuff, because hey I still have to clean my office for tomorrows visit. At 3:30pm I ask the VP what time the visitors will be here and he says around 10:30 or so. Great plenty of time for me to also come in early and finish up what I do not get done in the last hour and a half. He asks me if the lab which is just outside of my office is cleaned up. I look at him with the deer in the headlights look, like I can't believe he just asked me that because he knows that guy is never in there, the only time he is, is to make it more cluttered. I tell him, nope he has not been up there all day, the VP got right up from his chair and went to the guys boss, and within 5 minutes there were 5 people in the lab only one was a girl. I kid you not it took all 5, 1 1/2 hours to clean that room. I started in on my office was in no big hurry, just worked my way around to the other side. After work I had to bowl again for another league, interesting night with my finger, but alot better. My finger is doing better now as well, and I do not have to bowl until Tuesday again so I should be good to go now.
Wed. morning I came into work and finished cleaning my office, which I am glad it was driving me crazy, now I feel like a civilized worker. Maybe I will actually get work done now. People come in and wonder were the engineering department went the office is so clean. All that work and they did not even tour the lab area. After work I took the girls to church, while they are at the kids program I put in the music for sundays service into the computer. I happen to get done in time this week to go done and see the awards handed out for this week, and my oldest got the most points for the month for her age group. She was so excited, and had a big smile on her face. Made my week.
Yesterday was just as hectic, I was in and out of work all day, doing school duty, then the girls had appointments at 1pm then back to work, after work we headed to my grandmas because I had a divorce class to go to, and my moms plans changed at the last minute so I am scrambling to get the girls taken care of. Finally the weekend is here and I have nothing planned. What will I do?
I have not titled it. Maybe you can suggest a title. A side not check out the phrase of the first letter of each line. That was not a coincendance.
Giving all you have to give
Opening up your heart, only to be
Disappointed. Realizing, it is over
Surrendering all
Looking towards the sky
Often wondering if you are heard
Verification received
Exult in his devotion to you
After having a few choice emails go out to the significant other of my former spouse a few weeks ago, I decided today to send her an email. My motives were nice and simple. I choose to send her the email instead of my former spouse, because one I knew it would get read today in a timely manner, and two it was kind of time sensitive anyways. I sent her the bible versus the kids need to say tomorrow night at their church program. The kids have swim lessons tonight and he is taking them because it is his week night to have the kids. The kids get bored waiting for the other to get done with their lessons, so I thought this could be something they could do while waiting. I asked the kids today if they would mind me doing that, and they didn't mind. I got a nice email back from her saying "thanks" and that was a good idea for the kids....duh. Sorry still have a little anger and bitterness left in me....but it is getting better. Small steps are better than not steps I guess.
A 2 x 4 up side the head moment from God!! The verse for one of the kids, the youngest who is 4yr, is 1 John 3:11 ....we should love one another. Think there is a message there for me?
We will just have to wait and see how things go later on. Right now I still have no desire to talk to him or her for that matter if at all possible, but nothing is ever for certain in this world.
I am trying a different aspect of things, why not, it is a new year, try new things. So, I am trying to let go more. Not an easy thing to do, but practice makes perfect I guess. Even though I try not to personally communicate with the former spouse, I rather email or page him if at all possible, letting the little things go is getting easier. I have realized most of the battles are not worth my time to fight them. Nothing is going to be accomplished after the dust settles anyways.
Our sermon on Sunday at church was interesting, instead of dwelling on the negative and what all is bothering you all the time, try stopping and thinking about what you have to be thankful for. When you stop and think about it, things to be thankful for usually out way the list that is bothering you.
The bright spot in all my days is seeing the great big smiles on the kids faces, when they have just stated their case to some kind of negotiation for something. Hard to beat a big smile!!
I am going to try to sell my stain glass pieces but I have to get them made which is time consuming at that.
Life would not be so entertaining if we knew the lessons ahead of time I guess.
Maybe I should have called him and told him what happen, but I look at it this way, if it was for something else that had the wrong address, I would not call either. Granted this may have been a slightly different situation, and it probably was an error with the delivery company, because he was picking up something that the company delivered sometime, just not to my house.
The kids spent Sunday night with their dad so he dropped them off at school. I picked them up from school and neither one had a hat on. I asked each of them were their hat was, because they go to 2 different schools right now, and they both said that dad has them, he did not give them to us. Fine I let it slide, it was a rather nice day even though the youngest is fighting a runny nose and cough right now. I did not pursue it any further. They were going back to their dads that night anyways. So, the next morning I have to pick them up at day care and drop them off at school because he was scheduled to work that day. When I pick them up, again no hats or gloves that they had with them also, and it is now snowing, blowing, and cold out. Both say that they did not give the hats to them. Granted the kids should know to put a hat on, but what kid likes a hat. Now after I drop them off at school I leave a message for the former spouse asking him where the kids hats are because I cannot seem to find them. He eventually leaves me a message saying that his wife brought the kids into town today, and she forget to get the hats they were sitting in a basket by the door. (Side note, he complains to me about the miles he has to drive to make an extra trip into town if I ask him to watch the kids for me, he works about 5 blocks from daycare, and they both drove into town that morning, she does not work in town she works in the other direction) He has got ahold of his wife and IF she comes into town today she will drop the hats off at daycare, or if he remembers he will bring them in tomorrow, otherwise I will get them back after they spend Thursday night at his house.
I realize most kids have more than one hat, mine do not normally have more than one hat around, I usually recycle them when they get a new one. Luckily I had the hats ready to go but had not taken them yet, so I was able to come up with hats for them for these 2 days. Now he is going to have 2 sets of hats to take care of. What do you think the odds are going to be that I get both back. If I did not send the kids properly dressed they would note it, so they can show that I do not take care of them, or I would have been expected to meet him somewhere to get him the hats. But, to him it was like oh well, it happens.
Good thing the kids have not been going outside for recess for some reason, because if they do not have hats and gloves they can not go out.
I will have to admit, that I have not pursued the issue hardly at all. I have just let it go and moved on, as hard as that has been to do.