SIBS

I love this picture. It was taken at my uncles wedding in a photobooth. Even though its just a joke picture and we were messin' around, theres alot of truth to it. I mean com'on, look at sweet little Amy, she looks like she really is about to punch someone! Maybe we do all have a tough side? Actually I know we do. We made this our personal "SIBS" picture. The nickname SIBS stands for "simply incredible batten specialist" just a cute little something someone came up with as a refrence to us kids that aren't the ones with Batten Disease. I guess its so much better than being called "the normal one" since we are very far from that. I love that when one of us is down, including Catie & Annie, these are the funny version of the faces you get from each of us SIBS. A couple people joked saying we look like a real mafia family, but if we had the organization and motivation of the mafia we probably would do some damage. Instead we are a struggling family that does its best to hold on to each other for dear life because other than God Himself, we can't find this type of security anywhere else in the world. Not even from other SIBS accross the nation. This picture contains 4 of my 9 best friends. I don't want any others. Friends are good, but Best friends, and there is a difference, aren't needed. I love my sibs. I love that they know me better than anyone else I've ever met and if I ever needed, Amys fist would be raised and ready to go in a second. :)
The wedding was beautiful, but the 30 seconds in the photobooth and the pictures that came with it were so much more amazing!!!

Still Honeymoon'in

Over a glass of wine and a candle lit dinner, Kyle & I celebrated our 6 month anniversary on Sunday. It seems like we JUST got married! We are so happy with our life together. Can't wait to get to one year. He is so amazing, I can't imagine my life any other way.

Will Cut For Food

Everyone's seen it. The torn piece of cardboard that says, "will work for food." There's a guy that sits at the corner of a shopping center here in vacaville with a similar sign. I always do my best to hit up the Taco Bell drive through when I'm in the shopping center so I can hand it through the window to him as I leave. I'm thinking of grabbing a couple burritos this week and sitting next to him with a sign that looks like this:

This weekend the second salon that I've worked at closed down. Out of business. This is the 3rd time I've been sold or closed on by owners that are just trying to make a quick buck. Pretty frustrating, I have to say. I never thought I'd get into the industry and have such a rough time just keeping a job. I expected to have a difficult time building a clientele but never considered a lack of job security. I keep beating myself up over it trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I feel like I'm letting my husband down big time. He reassures me that I'm not and that I haven't gotten fired 3 times, just kicked to the curb.

Dad & Mom celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in November. I'm making the cake, throwing the party with my sibs and then staying with the girls while they get a week away. Unfortunately thats a month away. This month there are 2 family weddings and a surgery for my dad. I can just see my interview now. "Thank you for hiring me! NO ONE is hiring stylists right now, everything is too slow right now. BTW I need the next 2 saturdays off, the 30th cause my dad is having surgery and the second full week of november, k?" yeah right. So i'm kind of stuck, just for a month. Of coarse i've had 3 panic attacks since monday night and a knot in my stomach. The whole time reminding myself to take it one day at a time, knowing there is a reason for everything.

This morning I was reading in Romans. It says, "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character and proven character, hope and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Not to say I don't have any stress over the next month, cause I do! Alot of it. But this passage is the reason I'm not going crazy. I'm stressed but I'm still happy! I'm still chill. Determined to bring in as much of an income doing hair out of the house this month knowing that enough money will be provided. I know alot of people wouldn't understand it and think i'm as nuts as any of our Christian parents growing up, but thats on them. I know that the salon closing during the busiest month is for a reason. I'm cool with it... just trying to take it one day at a time.

When looking at the positive side of things, I've gotten alot of rest just in this first week of bum life. I'm going to be able to spend alot of time with my sisters and for the first time since we have gotten married I will be able to dinner on the table for Kyle every single night when he gets home from school. Thats tight.

"The Last Time He Saw Dorie"

He's in love with tragedy, in love with tragedy
She was a wreck, but he loved her
She was a wreck, but so was he
And the last time he saw Dorie, he didn't know what to say but
"Thank you because you loved me, it's all on me
cause I didn't want to stay, I didn't want to stay..."

Live, live, live because you love, love, love
And love will make you give, give, give
And give in when you break, break, break
But you just want to fix yourself
Just to break again...

...In love since 2003...

xoxo

Let's Burn the Place Down!

ugh. I hate it when my parents have "been there done that" way more times than I have and always have the right answer.

For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

I'm still going to be looking for a better job opportunity. :)

One or the Other

"May you be blessed with Health and Happiness in your life." How many times have I heard that. It has been said to me and spoken to others around me so many times. "Congratulations on your graduation, may you live a Happy and Healthy life." "May your marriage be filled with health and happiness." "May your baby be healthy and happy." Its said over and over on so many occasions. It is wonderful when your life holds health and happiness, but what if you could only be blessed with one? What if your life came to a Y in the road and you could only go down a road of Health, or a road of Happiness. Which would you choose? which would I choose? It would make sense that the two go hand in hand. But do they? Do people that live a healthy life always seem happy? Sometimes it seems that if people have one, they lack the other. Look at kids with mental handicaps. They always seem so happy, incapable of feeling any unhappiness and They are not fully healthy. Then look at healthy people. So unhappy with their bodies, always striving to become healthier. Unhappy with their lives and the way they live them. Obviously this isn't the case for everyone. There are plenty of healthy people in the world that are completely happy. I just get to thinking sometimes and wonder. If people were sick, would they appreciate life more making them happier? I don't know. Just a thought that came to mind. If you really could only have one of the two though, which would be better? Be unable to walk, talk, eat, sleep and be oblivious to the negative side of life, happily enjoying each little everything in your day? Or be able to talk to anyone anywhere, eat anything, read, walk, hear and be unhappy because you want to live longer and do more and have more. I guess we should pray more health and happiness on more people's lives so that their chances of having both greater.

A Gift

I love how the sun peeks through the trees surrounding our bedroom window. The warmth on my skin from the rays and the quiet hum of the tree gently dancing in the breeze reminds me that His mercies are new every morning.

This week has been so stressful. New changes with work, or lack of it really got to me. How can this happen all over again? Doesn't the world realized I have to bring home the bacon? geez. Its strange, with all the anxiety and pressure of everything that went on this week, I'm so relaxed and calm. I woke up Friday morning to the sun shining through the blinds and was once again so thankful. I was thankful that with as challenging as this have been I woke up to another day. Facing the sunshine I felt relief and then rolled over to see my best friend and faithful support lying peacfully next to me. I worked all day and went out to dinner with Tony that evening. One of the only people that completely understands where I'm coming from no matter what. I can explain everything that scares me, frustrates me, inspires me and enlightens me and he gets it. I always feel so understood after our long talks. It was a great start to a wonderful weekend. I worked Saturday mornings and babysit saturday afternoons now. I left work, picked up an application for another job and headed straight for the house. I found Catie sitting in her bed watching a favorite move. When I said "hi" to her she blurted out a mumbled "i love you kel" she was so excited to remind me that we are twins, in her mind at least. I touched up her streak of purple hair in her bangs and sat with her and Annie as they ate their lunch. Annie had the most fantastic day! Laughing so hard that at one point she bent over holding her tummy and giggled, "I'm gonna pee my pants!!" and ran to the bathroom. They both were amazing! Laughing and talking a mile a minute. After a few hours Annie fell asleep on the couch next to me and Mom returned home. I left and went straight to Petaluma to watch New Found Glory at the Pheonix with Kyle, Tony & Mandy. They played so hard, it was awesome. So much energy! This morning after getting to sleep in (yay!!!) Kyle and I picked Mandy up. We drove to Emeryville and dropped Kyle off at school and Mandy and I headed for Nana & Poppie's. It is always so great to see them. They are so inspirational. I love hearing about their busy life and all the little things they get a kick out of. Nana insisted on Mandy getting a tour of the house since she had never been there before and Poppie didn't think it was so important so I just showed her around a bit. All the memories that flood my mind when I walk into every room of their home just make me smile. Being chased by Uncle Pat in the back yard, Thanksgiving dinner at the kids table down in the scary basement, barfing on the blue carpet next to Nana's side of the bed and the coffee table in the front room that was always covered in photo albums and chips and dip brought to every event by Uncle Jimmy. I love their house and I love that I have happy memories from being there. I'm thankful that the walls can't speak to share the memories that they might store. I'm afraid they wouldn't be as happy as mine are. After lunch and a couple hours of visiting Mandy and I headed back to Emeryville for a little shopping before we went home. We had a really nice talk while sitting in Sunday traffic. She is a really amazing girl. Tony better not screw anything up. :) To finish off the day my LoveyDovey took me to dinner and then to PetCo to get some frog food. We ended up leaving with a gorgeous teal Betta fish. Kyle said "you gotta have a little fun every once and a while." I love that we are so simple. That because we don't have extra money for silly spending we can appreciate dinner and a seven dollar addition to our family.

I love that picture of our bedroom window. It is as calming as this weekend was. I know that this weekend and the relaxation that came with it was a gift not a coincidence, because I should have been completely miserable. :)