Praise & Worship Sunday: Held

Held
Natalie Grant



Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we’d be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We’re asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It’s unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred NUMB our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.

Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.

Natalie Grant has been a part of my life for years! Not only as a professional singer, but I knew her before she was famous. ;0) (Although I doubt she'd know who I was if we were to meet in public. Haha!)

She used to babysit Kyle. Can you believe that? Crazy, huh!?

When we (Kyle and I) were in junior high and high school, we were in a church youth choir together, with Natalie, called Destiny. She always had the solos. Figures. Haha!

She also "borrowed" a pair of my earrings. I never got them back. Not that I cared. LOL They were 80's earrings that were handed down to me from my mom. We were on choir tour and she had forgotten her earrings so I had a few for her to choose from. Lucky her. What would she have done without me?!

Anyway, I chose this nontraditional "praise and worship" song because I recently found out what she was singing about. Up until a couple weeks ago, it was a bit of a mystery.

My mother-in-law was recently talking with Natalie's dad (they all still go to the same church we grew up in) and asked him what this song was about because she had been curious since you can't really tell. He said it's about her miscarriages that she's had over the years.

Ah-ha! Makes a lot more sense now!

Thankfully I have never experienced a miscarriage, but I know that so many of you have. I thought it might bring you some comfort to hear this song and know what she was actually singing about.

And if you go to her website, you can see pictures of her adorable twin girls, Gracie and Bella. They're almost two!

Join Brittany at Sweet Nothings for more Praise & Worship Sundays.

Week-End Wordle / Six Word Saturday

To create your own Wordle, go here. And then download MWSnap to save the image. Easy peasy!

Join in on the Week-End Wordle with Shannon at Last Shreds of Sanity. Link up and see what everyone else is coming up with.

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Six Word Saturday:

Spending the day on Lake Washington!
(Bill Gates lives on Lake Washington. I'm sure my FIL will make it a point to motor on by it. I'll see if I can take a picture.)

(In this picture, somewhere towards the lower right, part of Sleepless in Seattle was filmed.)

Join Cate at Show My Face for more Six Word Saturdays. She's got lots of groupies that like to play along!
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A young blonde was on vacation in the depths of Louisiana. She wanted a pair of genuine alligator shoes in the worst way, but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were asking.

After becoming very frustrated with the "no haggle" attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the blonde shouted, "Maybe I'll just go out and catch my own alligator so I can get a pair of shoes at a reasonable price!"

The shopkeeper said, "By all means, be my guest. Maybe you'll luck out and catch yourself a big one!"

Determined, the blonde turned and headed for the swamps, set on catching herself an alligator. Later in the day, the shopkeeper is driving home, when he spots the young woman standing waist deep in the water, shotgun in hand. Just then, he sees a huge 9 foot alligator swimming quickly toward her.

She takes aim, kills the creature and with a great deal of effort hauls it on to the swamp bank. Lying nearby were several more of the dead creatures. The shopkeeper watches in amazement.

Just then the blonde flips the alligator on its back, and frustrated, shouts out, "Dang it, this one isn't wearing any shoes either!"

Aloha Friday

It's Aloha Friday over at An Island Life!

Answer my question and make sure you post one on your blog!

After that, go relax because today is Friday!!

Question for you this week is:

Name a time when you got in to big trouble with your parents.

My answer:

When I was 15, getting close to getting my driver's license, I TOLD my dad I was going to get my license when I turned 16. He didn't say much in the car because there were other people there, but I received a letter in the mail a few days later {I didn't live with him} telling me that HE would make the decision as to when I would get my license when HE thought I was ready. I was to NEVER EVER TELL him something again, with the tone that I did, because it would get me nowhere fast. I still have the letter somewhere.
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These are supposedly actual classified ads that have appeared in various papers across the world.

SNOW BLOWER FOR SALE...ONLY USED ON SNOWY DAYS.

2 WIRE MESH BUTCHERING GLOVES, 1 5-finger, 1 3-finger, PAIR: $15

TICKLE ME ELMO, STILL IN BOX, COMES WITH IT'S OWN 1988 MUSTANG, 5L, AUTO, EXCELLENT CONDITION $6800

TICKLE ME ELMO. NEW IN BOX. HARDLY TICKLED. $700

VALENTINES DAY SALE: TY-D-BOL BLUE TOSS-INS

STAR WARS JOB OF THE HUT -- $15

DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOUR VALENTINE - HAVE YOUR SEPTIC TANK PUMPED.

FULL SIZED MATTRESS. 20 YR WARRANTY. LIKE NEW. SLIGHT URINE SMELL.

FREE 1 CAN OF PORK & BEANS WITH PURCHASE OF 3 BR 2 BTH HOME.

CLASSIFIED ERRORS, from a small-town daily:

(Monday) FORE SALE - R. D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale. Phone 555-0707 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him cheap.

(Tuesday) NOTICE - We regret having erred in R. D. Jone's ad yesterday. It should have read: One sewing machine for sale. Cheap: 555-0707 and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him after 7 p.m.

(Wednesday) NOTICE - R. D. Jones has informed us that he has received several annoying telephone calls because of the error we made in his classified ad yesterday. His ad stands corrected as follows: FOR SALE - R. D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale. Cheap. Phone 555-0707 and ask Mrs. Kelly who loves with him.

(Thursday) NOTICE - I, R. D. Jones, have NO sewing machine for sale. I SMASHED IT. Don't call 555-0707, as the telephone has been disconnected. I have NOT been carrying on with Mrs. Kelly. Until yesterday she was my housekeeper, but she quit."

A Couple Questions...I Need Your Input

First of all, I'm in a bit of a rut. I'm not sure what to post about most days. I'm feeling a bit boring.

Is there something that you, my lovely readers, would like to see me write about? Do you have a burning question that you haven't asked me yet? Do you want to see more of my diary entries? Hear about my cookbook obsession? Hear that I can't figure out what to make for dinner most nights even though I've got a bazillion cookbooks? lol Want me to post my grandpa's tribute to one of our ancestors? (Just kidding! It's probably really long and boring...I haven't even opened the attachment in my email. :0P)

Tell me. Give me your ideas and input. Please!

Second...

This job hunting is getting me no where. I've had a few interviews blah blah blah.

One of the jobs I interviewed for really intrigued me, but I didn't really think anything of it beyond..."if they hired me I could do this..."

While it's sort of been in the very very VERY back of my mind, Kyle actually suggested it the other day.

What if I went to school? Mind you. I never went to college and I don't exactly have a desire to go and get a degree or anything like that. But I think I could do a specialized program / certification thing.

The job that intrigued me was a position as a patient assistant working with patients and their physical therapy and getting certified as an x-ray technician. This job wanted a two year commitment because they were going to pay to send someone to radiology school. It has been on my mind constantly. I know I'm not going to get that job, and even if I did, the pay was pathetic. But if I could still get unemployment while going to school for a couple quarters at the community college, that could work. Plus, then I'd, hopefully, be able to get a better paying job and not have to be a "secretary" for the rest of my life.

Now, my question to you is, if you were going to go to school for ANYTHING that only required a short amount of time to get certified (or whatever may be), what would you go for?

I'm not very creative, so I don't think I want to do anything that requires a creative mind. I'm pretty sure I want to stick with something in the medical field. I don't mind interacting with people, but I'm not someone that does well with small talk. But I also don't want to be stuck in a cave-like setting having NO interaction with people.

{Side note: my mom and sister have told me multiple times that I would be a great nurse, but that is just way too much school for me, especially because I've never gone to college and I would likely have to go longer than those that already have some sort of degree. Don't want to go down that road. At least not right now.}

I need to do something and I just don't know what or everything like this that is / could be offered at the community college level. (but I'm certainly going to start looking into it!)

So give me your thoughts. I would sincerely appreciate any and all input / insight you could give me!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

On Memorial Day, we went out to dinner with my dad, step-mom, sister & brother-in-law. My step-sister and her husband were supposed to be there too, but weren't able to make it at the last minute. This was a {very} belated Christmas present. My dad wanted to take us all out together.

It was a gorgeous day, as you can see out the windows. In the first picture, that's the ferry and ferry lanes. Whidbey Island is in the distance.

A Product Review: Adult Eyes Only

While my little space in the blogosphere is generally "family friendly", today it's going to have some 'adult content'. So if you're not interested in something like that, you may not want to read on. If you are interested, fantabulous. Go forth and read!

A while ago, I was contacted by a rep from Eden Fantasys about doing a product review. He had seen a comment I made on another blog and I guess it interested him enough to contact me.

Sometimes we need to add a little spice to our love life so this was the perfect opportunity.

I received the box a few days after the rep said it had been sent, so it was quick shipping. The box was just a brown box, so completely discreet.

The website is great too because the colors are green and pink. It doesn't make you feel scuzzy looking at it because it's not all dark and the products are tastefully displayed.

We chose this:

Bedside lover’s tool kit Sensual kit
by KamaSutra

This is what the website says about it:

"Containing a sampling of KamaSutra’s finest products in a beautifully handcrafted antique replica box, the Lover’s toolkit provides everything you need to experience sex the way it was meant to be so "you may never have to leave bed again."

While I wouldn't go so far as to say..."you may never have to leave bed again", we did have fun with it.

Included in this kit is:

Kama Sutra's Original Oil of Love

Sweet Honeysuckle Honey Dust Body Powder with feather applicator

French Vanilla Creme Body Souffle

and sensual Love Liquid Lubricant

My thoughts on each part of this individually:

Kama Sutra's Original Oil of Love:
It smelled good and went on smooth, but it was slightly more sticky than other oils we've used in the past. It comes in a small little bottle with a tiny cork. It was cute, but it did leak in the box so not sure if that's something that normally happens or if ours was a rare occurrence. Either way, most of it was still there and we enjoyed it.

Sweet Honeysuckle Honey Dust Body Powder with feather applicator:
We did not like this. The scent was way too strong and didn't seem to mesh well with the other sweet scents in the kit. This did not smell sweet. It smelled more like a really strong flower. And I don't do well with strong flowery scents, in general, so this was a no-go for us. Plus, the feather just seemed a bit cheesy. It was really small and just seemed silly.

French Vanilla Creme Body Souffle:
This smelled so good! If it was edible, I would've eaten it. It was smooth and creamy and full of yummy goodness.

Sensual Love Liquid Lubricant:
I smelled this to see if it had a scent and I don't think it did, but it was kind of hard to tell with all the other scents around us. It was a nice, smooth lubricant and not sticky at all, which is a huge plus.

Overall, it was fun to try something a little different than the norm and I think we'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.

If you liked this review, maybe, possibly, there will be another some time that includes a giveaway. We'll just have to see what Mr. Rep. thinks.

Come back tomorrow for your regularly scheduled program.

Not Me! Monday

Happy Memorial Day!
Remember to thank those that fight for our freedom.

Once again, we've made the rounds back to Monday. And you know what that means. "Not me!" Monday with MckMama and crew! Head on over to see MckMama after you've finished your visit with me.

I did NOT decide that I wanted some chocolate milk and then realize we had basically no chocolate syrup left. Bummer. I did NOT then decide that I could improvise by using chocolate mint Jell-o pudding instead. While I was NOT mixing the Jell-O with milk, Kyle did NOT come in the kitchen, ask me what in the world I was doing, look in the refrigerator and see in the VERY BACK on the top shelf, a brand spankin' new bottle of un-opened chocolate syrup. He did NOT tell me that if I wasn't so short, I would've seen it. Nope, this did NOT happen.

While at my mom's watching the boys this week, I did NOT learn that Evan's new saying is "I've got to go potty. I don't want to pee in my pants!" He also has NOT decided that he needs help, when he SO doesn't. And when you tell him that he can do it, he's a big boy. He says, "I'm not!" Oh man. He does NOT crack me up!

I did NOT get together with a friend that lives 10 minutes from me, but that I haven't seen since about November. Her and I did NOT tease her four year old by telling him that if he didn't eat his lunch that he was going to be put in a room in the back, with monkeys, to tickle him till he couldn't stand it any longer. He did NOT totally believe us {but he still didn't take even one bite of his lunch}. She did NOT tell me later that day that David was upset that he didn't get to give me a kiss good-bye. Apparently his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens has been replaced by me. He does NOT now think that I'm his girlfriend. heehee

I did NOT have to 'hard restart' my phone. Again. I did NOT lose all my contacts. Again. I did NOT have to re-enter them all, manually. Again. I do NOT want to throw my phone out the window. Again. Ugh! Stupid technology!

Yesterday, we did NOT re-do our backyard patio. It was NOT a total mess with weeds growing up through the concrete tile / bricks. After we were done with that, we did NOT put our fire pit that we got for Christmas, two years ago, into the area we made for it. After that, we did NOT sit out in our backyard with a fire going, Tim McGraw playing and then eventually, Kyle getting his guitar out to play, for three hours. THEN, our neighbors did NOT decide to bring their fire pit thing out into the driveways and ask us to come outside. We did NOT sit out with them until 11:30 last night. It was NOT the first time we've really chatted and caught up with them since last summer, probably. We did NOT have a great time.

After coming in from being out all day, I did NOT see that I now have 201 followers!!! WOW!!! Thanks everyone!

Lastly, I am NOT going to be doing my first review this week. It is NOT 'adult' in content. I'm hoping that I don't lose any followers over it, but if I do, I will NOT be totally sad. So please stick around.

What have you NOT done this week?

Praise & Worship Sunday: This Is The Air I Breathe

This is the Air I Breathe
Hillsong



Hold me, in your arms
Like a new born child
I'm desperate, lord
For more of you

Touch me, with your love
Deep within my heart
I'm waiting, lord
For more of you

May your words of love
Wash over me
May your songs of grace
Cover me

More than the air I breathe today
I need you
More than the desert needs the rain
I need you
More than the air breathe today
I need you
More than to live another day
I need you

This is a song that is very popular in churches and youth groups. I've been singing it for years. It's just one of those songs that you can get lost in and just totally praise Jesus with. Eyes closed, hands raised, head lifted up and there's no one there but just you and Him.

Join Brittany at Sweet Nothings for more Praise & Worship Sundays.

Week-End Wordle / Six Word Saturday

{This week, acupuncture and pregnancy just wanted to have a very prominent spot in my wordle. I tried tons of different layouts and they just wanted to stay nice and big. lol}

To create your own Wordle, go here. And then download MWSnap to save the image. Easy peasy!

Join in on the Week-End Wordle with Shannon at Last Shreds of Sanity. Link up and see what everyone else is coming up with.

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Six Word Saturday:

Going to enjoy this sunshiny weekend!

Join Cate at Show My Face for more Six Word Saturdays. She's got lots of groupies that like to play along!
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baby animals pictures

Aloha Friday

It's Aloha Friday over at An Island Life!

Answer my question and make sure you post one on your blog!

After that, go relax because today is Friday!!

Question for you this week is:

What is your favorite summertime activity?

My answer:

LOVE going down to the ocean. Don't get to do it as much as we would like, but when we can we have so much fun. When we can't get to the ocean, we like to spend our time at the local beaches.

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A couple lived near the ocean and used to walk the beach a lot. One summer they noticed a girl who was at the beach pretty much every day. She wasn't unusual, nor was the travel bag she carried, except for one thing; She would approach people who were sitting on the beach, glance around, then speak to them. Generally, the people would respond negatively and she would wander off, but occasionally someone would nod and there would be a quick exchange of money for something she carried in her bag. The couple assumed she was selling drugs and debated calling the cops, but since they didn't know for sure they just continued to watch her. After a couple of weeks the wife asked, "Honey, have you ever noticed that she only goes up to people with boom boxes and other electronic devices?" He hadn't and said so. Then she said, "Tomorrow I want you to get a towel and our big radio and go lie out on the beach. Then we can find out what she's really doing." Well, the plan went off without a hitch, and the wife was almost hopping up and down with anticipation when she saw the girl talk to her husband and then leave. The man walked up the beach and met his wife at the road. "Well, is she selling drugs?" she asked excitedly." No, she's not." he said, enjoying this probably more than he should have. "Well, what is it, then?" his wife fairly shrieked. The man grinned and said. "Her name is Sally and she's a battery salesperson." "Batteries?" cried the wife ............................................ "Yes" he replied. "Sally sells C cells by the Seashore."

Acupuncture For Pregnancy & Childbirth

I've mentioned before that I get a monthly newsletter from my former acupuncturist. I thought this month was another useful newsletter for some of you.

Obviously, I don't need this information right now, but I hope to need it some day.

Acupuncture is really relaxing and can do some amazing things for you. If I could afford it (and had insurance), I would totally start going again. I loved it.

My sister went to my acupuncturist when she was about a week overdue with my first nephew, and because she is insanely afraid of needles and couldn't relax enough to get the acupuncture-induced contractions to get labor moving along, it didn't work for her. But I have heard that it is highly successful if you can allow the acupuncturist to get to the points they need.

Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth

Pregnancy is an amazing time in a woman's life. Many women report feeling healthier than they have ever felt before; however, the physical growth of the baby and changes in hormone levels can bring about pain, discomfort and a variety of health problems.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can provide a safe, effective alternative for many of the health complications that may arise before, during and after pregnancy. A growing number of women are choosing acupuncture to use throughout their pregnancy and as an optional treatment for an overdue or difficult labor.

Planning for a Healthy Baby

Healthy parents produce healthy babies. With acupuncture and Oriental medicine, parents can improve their health to create the most optimal environment for their unborn child. In addition to their ability to strengthen, support, and balance overall health and well-being, acupuncture and Oriental medicine are an effective treatment for regulating menstruation and hormone levels, reducing stress and addressing any pre-existing medical conditions or concerns that a woman may have.

Acupuncture during Pregnancy

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can play a vital role in the comfort of a pregnant woman. There is strong evidence to support that acupuncture is highly effective at treating some of the most common problems experienced during pregnancy including morning sickness, heartburn, insomnia, water retention and sciatica.

Here is a list of some of the problems that an acupuncturist often treats during pregnancy:

* Nausea and Vomiting
* Heartburn
* Constipation
* Hemorrhoids
* Edema and Swelling
* Urinary Tract Infection
* Pelvic Pain
* Neck and Back Pain
* Sciatica
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
* Leg Cramps
* Fatigue and Exhaustion
* Insomnia
* Anxiety and Depression

Acupuncture for Childbirth

While there are acupuncture points that can provide natural pain relief during labor, acupuncture is more commonly used to induce labor. There are several points that stimulate contractions and influence cervical ripening. There is also an acupuncture point that has been found to turn a breech baby.

Acupuncture Postpartum

Many women feel depleted after the birth experience. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help the transition of those first few months after birth to ensure a quick recovery. Postpartum care focuses on the physical, emotional and psychological recovery of the mother from the effects of pregnancy and labor, as well as encouraging breast feeding.

Here are some of the postpartum disorders that can be treated with acupuncture:

* Fatigue
* Postpartum Depression
* Mastitis
* Insufficient or Excessive Lactation
* Post Operative Healing
* Night Sweats

If you would like to know more how acupuncture and Oriental medicine ease discomfort and facilitate pregnancy, please call for more information.

UB 67 for Turning Breech Babies

An acupuncture point on the small toe of the foot (Urinary Bladder 67) has been found to effectively revolve fetuses in breech presentation.

In an Italian study, 240 women at 33-35 weeks of gestation carrying a fetus in breech presentation were randomized to receive acupuncture plus moxibustion (an herb used to apply heat to an acupuncture point) or to be assigned to the observation group. At delivery, the proportion of babies that had turned from breech position to vertex (head-down) position was 53.6 % in the group treated with acupuncture while the proportion of babies that had turned from breech position to vertex position in the observation group was 36.7%.

Safety of Acupuncture While Pregnant

Acupuncture is safe to use while you are pregnant; however, there are some points that can cause contractions and should NOT be needled during pregnancy or should be used with extreme caution.

Acupuncture Points to Avoid During Pregnancy

* Large Intestine 4
* Spleen 6
* Gallbladder 21
* Points on the sacrum
* Point on the lower abdomen
* Point on the low back

There are also many herbal remedies that are contraindicated during pregnancy. Always err on the side of caution with all herbs and medications while you are expecting.

Common Acupuncture Points used During Pregnancy

Zhubin (K 9) – 'beautiful baby point'
Location: Above the medial malleolus (inner ankle bone), right below the calf muscle.
Function: Calms the mind, builds or tonifies blood.
Indication: Good for hypertension, fear, anxiety, nightmares, and mental disorders.

Zusanli (St 36)
Location: Four fingers below the knee cap, on the outer edge of the tibia.
Function: Strengthens overall constitution, builds blood and Qi, resolves edema, and harmonizes meridians that control digestive functions.
Indication: Great point for diarrhea, constipation, gastric pain and indigestion. Also helps with insomnia, edema (water retention), and increases energy level.

Neiguan (P6) – 'morning sickness and motion sickness point'
Location: Two fingers above the inner wrist.
Function: Calms the mind, harmonizes the stomach.
Indication: This is THE point for nausea and vomiting. It is also one of the most relaxing acupuncture points and is used for both insomnia and anxiety.

Source: J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2004 Apr;15(4):247-52

Wordless Wednesday: Kingston - 17 months

Totally Awkward Tuesday: The Fall

It was approximately January 3rd of either 2004 or 2005. It was the second day of my vacation. It was a either a Wednesday or Sunday. {Some of these details are a bit foggy.}

It was the evening and I decided to make a stop at Fred Meyer. I don't remember if there was anything specific I stopped for, but when I walked in, I saw some fun dishes I wanted to get. There was a popcorn bucket in a teal blue. There were the same color bowls that had ice cream written on them. And there were bowls in green and yellow {the links are the approx. shapes of the bowls} that said snack and dip on them. Totally cute and fun.

So I gathered those and I think I went and got some groceries as well.

When it was time to check out, I used the self-check line.

I had my arms full of bags. Like four or so. These dishes were ceramic so a bit heavy and then whatever else I decided to get in the bags, too.

I was done checking out so, obviously, going to head to my car.

I was walking, walking, walking.

{Slow motion}

Slip.

Face plant.

EVERYTHING went flying across the floor.

I had fallen and landed on my shoulder. I think I hit my head too.

Oh yeah. And where I fell?

Directly in front of ALL the check out lines AND the pharmacy.

Immediately, store employees were flocking to me.

Someone tells another employee to go and replace the ceramic dishes that had just gone flying. {I had gotten 2 of each bowl and one popcorn bucket}

Someone else is on their radio calling someone else.

It's a flurry of motion.

And it's all because of me.

Hello embarrassment!

Someone {or two} got me to a bench right in the pharmacy area.

They asked if I wanted to call anyone to come and get me because we weren't sure if I had broken my arm.

Both my dad and inlaws lived within a mile or so, in different directions.

I tried both of them. But because it was either a Wednesday or Sunday, they were at church so not answering their phones.

I really didn't want to call Kyle because I knew he was working on something that needed to get done that night, for work, and our house was about 20-30 minutes away.

But I had no one else to call at that moment.

So I called him.

He was NOT happy having to stop what he was doing to come and get me.

I was in SO much pain though and insanely humiliated.

Someone sat with me till Kyle got there and they had to take a statement of what happened, etc. They took pictures of the area in which I slipped and felt around to see if there was water on the floor. I still don't know if there was, but I think I was just walking fast, in low heels, and I just happened to catch the edge of my shoe and that's what sent me flying.

I told them it was my fault and I wasn't going to sue them or anything like that.

Kyle got there and I made him take me to the hospital to check out my arm / shoulder.

We waited there for about 4 or 6 hours!

And you know what they told me?

It was a contusion!

Are you KIDDING me?!

We waited that long for me to only have a stupid bruise?!

So dumb!

Not that I wanted something more serious to be there, but you know how it is in a hospital waiting room. Long and boring.

That made Kyle even more irritated because he had had to pick me up. Then take me to the hospital. And I only had a frickin BRUISE?

What can I say? I'm full of grace!

While my shoulder eventually felt better, it was, no joke, AT LEAST 3 YEARS before I felt no pain!

It's still way embarrassing to think about that evening, but I still go to Fred Meyer's. I'm just more careful. *wink*

To read about more Totally Awkward Moments, head on over to visit the Secret Life of Tova Darling.

Not Me! Monday

You all know the drill. Today is Monday. That means "Not me!" Monday. Now we get to share everything that we wish we had NOT done...or possibly, DID do, this week, with the world. Yippee! To see more Not Me's head on over to MckMama's house blog to see everyone else that's linked up.

This week I was NOT a naughty girl and skip out on the gym every day. I'm getting into the healthy habit again so I certainly would make sure I DID go. Yup. That is for sure! I definitely did NOT skip out.

I did NOT get irritated with Kyle when he delayed the start of his work day. He was NOT home when he should've been at work and since he was NOT home, he did NOT insist on asking me a million, unnecessary questions, just to bug me. It was NOT too dang early for all of his dumb questions so I did NOT resort to just ignoring him. He did NOT continue his pestering ways till he finally left for work around 10:30. I did NOT breathe a sigh of relief!

We did NOT go over to sister-in-law & brother-in-law's to watch them open all their wedding gifts. It was NOT totally weird to say SIL's house, not "the inlaws" house. It is also NOT weird that I have a new brother-in-law.

Kyle and I did NOT have a rough week. He did NOT snap at me, hurt my feelings. Therefore, I did NOT snap back at him. It did NOT go on this way for a whole five damn days! Neither of us has said anything about it, but things are now back to normal. So dumb. I do NOT hate when we have days / weeks like that.

I did NOT eat my fair share of shrimp flavored chips. I did NOT Twitter that I was eating them and my best friend did NOT think I was totally gross. I did NOT tell her that she has no idea what she is missing out on. I could NOT eat those things in great quantities.

I did NOT receive an email from a "penpal" I've had FOREVER this week. It did NOT take him 6 months to respond to my last email. I was NOT thinking I would never hear from him again.

Kyle did NOT surprise me and make me an omlette one morning this week. It's RARE that he makes anything so I was especially grateful. The only thing is that I woke up with a horrible tummy ache so I could only eat half of it...and barely at that. The gesture was definitely appreciated, though, and I did NOT tell him so.

We did NOT go to the inlaws for dinner on Friday night. My Father-in-law does NOT fall asleep in his chair every time we're there. I wouldn't care except that he does NOT shake the entire neighborhood with his snoring. I was NOT thinking about suffocating him wiggling his chair so he would SHUT UP stop snoring.

I did NOT spend most of Saturday reading Marley & Me and then finish up yesterday. I did NOT bawl my eyes out. I do NOT think it's a wonderful book. After I was done reading it, I did NOT tell Chewy he is not allowed to ever die.

What did you NOT do this week?

Praise & Worship Sunday: Mercy Came Running

Mercy Came Running
Phillips, Craig & Dean

Once there was a holy place

Evidence of God's embrace
And I can almost see mercy's face
Pressed against the veil

Looking down with longing eyes
Mercy must have realized
That once His blood was sacrificed
Freedom would prevail

And as the sky grew dark
And the earth began to shake
With justice no longer in the way

Chorus:
Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures to the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me

Once there was a broken heart
Way to human from the start
And all the years left it torn apart
Hopeless and afraid

Walls I never meant to build
Left this prisoner unfulfilled
Freedom called but even still
It seemed so far away

I was bound by the chains
From the wages of my sin
Just when I felt like giving in

repeat chorus

Sometimes I still feel so far
So far from where I really should be
He gently calls to my heart
Just to remind me

repeat chorus


I love the last verse and the chorus:

Sometimes I still feel so far
So far from where I really should be
He gently calls to my heart
Just to remind me

Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures to the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me

Isn't this a great group? If you haven't heard their songs before, you should go and listen to more. I love their sound and their songs are just great worshipful songs that make you want to sing along.

Join Brittany at Sweet Nothings for more Praise & Worship Sundays.

Week-End Wordle / Six Word Saturday

To create your own Wordle, go here. And then download MWSnap to save the image. Easy peasy!

Join in on the Week-End Wordle with Shannon at Last Shreds of Sanity. Link up and see what everyone else is coming up with.

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Six Word Saturday:

All alone. What shall I do?

Join Cate at Show My Face for more Six Word Saturdays. She's got lots of groupies that like to play along!
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~Just Beachy Jokes!~

Why are gulls named seagulls? If they were by the bay, they'd be bagels!

What's the best day to go to the beach? SUNDAY!

Where does a ship go when it's sick? To the DOCK!

Why do fish swim in salt water? Because pepper makes them sneeze!

What do whales like to put on their toast in the morning? Jellyfish!

Where do rocks like to spend summer vacation? Pebble Beach!

Where does a fish go to borrow money? A loan shark!

Where do ghosts like to swim? The Dead Sea.

What do you call a witch who lives on the beach? A sandwitch!

What does a shark eat for dinner? Fish and ships!