Set Hut

My baby started flag football this past week. He has a crazy love for football, just like his daddy. He carries a football with him everywhere we go, "just in case there is a chance to play." He watches football more than cartoons. If you tell him a player's number, he can tell you their name and most likely the position they play along with their duty on the field...for the Buckeyes or Bengals, of course.

Brayden is blessed to have a neighbor and best friend (pictured here with him) that shares this same love. The only difference is Ian loves Notre Dame. They will play football in our yard or Jodi and Leo's yard for hours, breaking only for drinks. They make a very good team. I am so happy that Brayden has Ian. He will always have wonderful childhood memories with Ian. They are awesome neighbors and great friends. I thank God every day that we have them so near to us.

New Eyes

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."~ Wayne Dyer

Listen.

Learn.

Grow.

Arm's Length

Arm's length.
I'll never forget the first time I heard these words. It was my sophomore year of college. I was sitting in one of my many accounting classes. It was being used to describe the "fairness" of business transactions. I didn't realize I would be using it years later to describe myself.

Arm's length.
As Americans, our culture teaches us that arm's length is our "personal space". If someone gets too close when conversing with us, we feel as though our personal space has been invaded. We back up. We end the conversation. We want our personal space back.

Arm's length.
This also applies to my life. It applies to the trust I am willing to give to others. If I keep people at arm's length, they won't really know who I am. I won't have to open up about the true me. They won't be able to know too much. But most of all, I won't allow myself to trust too much. There have been many situations in my past that have helped form these feelings. I could probably write a book.

Arm's length.
Keeping people at arm's length means they won't get too close to me. There will be no chance that they will get into my heart, then disappear as quickly as they came. I confess this, knowing this is something I want so dearly to change. For as long as I can remember, not many people in my life have remained. Those who have, I love dearly, but for reasons out of my control, most of the time, they left.

Death, divorce, relocation - the leaving was always negative for me. It created anger, sadness, hopelessness, emptiness. Over the past few years, I have realized I was blessed to have these people in my life at all. The relationships I had with them made an impact on me. Changed my life. I have realized I want to turn the negative energy to positive. I want to be thankful they were there at all.

Although this is a continuing struggle in my life, I try very hard to trust others, to let others in. I will catch myself at times, almost unconsciously, putting my guard up. I am thankful I have become aware. I know, sometimes, I am also guilty of keeping God at arm's length. Not letting Him wrap his loving arms around me. I strive to do better.

I am thankful to be surrounded by such a wonderful family and so many wonderful friends...and a merciful God.

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After the Rain

After the rain, the sun will shine. In my life, this proves true time and time again. I used to wonder why situations and circumstances in life had to be so difficult? Why is this happening to me? Why is this so difficult? Why can't I fix the problem? Find the answer?

As my life goes on, I realize it is these difficult and trying times that make me a stronger person. These situations teach me life lessons to help make me the person I am. I learn and grow each and every day.

I also have learned that although I cannot hand pick the situations that are dealt to me, I can control the way I respond throughout. I can choose to fall down and not get up, or I can choose to understand I am going to fall down and that I will get back up.

Underneath It All

I love my underwear, each and every pair. I change my underwear 2 - 3 times a day.

The Husband: "Honey, I love those underwear."

Me: "Yes, me too, but I am ready for a different pair."

This is a familiar conversation that occurs when I get in from work. I walk in the door, greet my loved ones, and go straight to the bedroom to change. I change from my beloved g-strings to my "boy short" undies. With these, I wear some comfortable clothes. (I am a believer in comfortable clothes.) At bed time, it is time to change my underwear again. This time to my beloved "granny panties". LOVE them. Some of these I have from 7 or 8 years ago. They are comfortable and just ask my husband, way too sexy!