Peek a boo shoes

I love peek a boo shoes. I actually have a cute pair I rarely get to wear. Pete and I went to a Christmas party last night. At the last minute, I decided to go for it and wear my cute little shoes (well, little is relative, since I wear a size 10). I find nothing more fun than getting ready for a nice evening. I love the long shower, being able to put my make-up on slowly, doing my nails etc. However, things got a little rushed as they always seem to do with kids running around..... I call it my winter pedicure. Don't let your eyes deceive you, I had no time to do the other toes, just enough time to paint the first two. At the time, I thought "how efficient, I got the job done, no one is the wiser". Today, as I look down and see my three little bare piggies... how sad, I need to have a reality check!

Peace be with me

I have been thinking a lot about peace and what that means in my life.
I get worked up too quickly, angry too quickly, frustrated too quickly, need I go on.....
I just finished reading Beth Moore's blog, she and her daughters blog together. Her oldest daughter recently gave great perspective on the desire for peace in her own life that I resonated with.
I personally, love simplicity. I don't like clutter. I don't like unresolved conflict. I like routine. I get anxious if we have too much going on in one week. I am the first to say no and the last to sign up. I try to control my peace and when the "unknown" circumvents my peace.... here comes my sins of many. I really am not trying to be cynical.
I have just been getting more frustrated over being frustrated in the first place. I tell Pete that I get on my own nerves sometimes! I'm not the most eloquent in explaining myself but you get the gist.
For the last few months or so I have been thinking about my lack of compassion for people in general and my anger in the little things that life arouses. However, my desire is to be content in all situations. I've realized as I been reading in the scripture that the peace of God is so easily talked about. It is usually said at the end of chapters in the New Testament. Now, I am not glossing over the words of peace so freely talked about. I yearn for it. My question is how do I find that peace? I am not able to muster it up.... And there is my problem, again trying to control my peace. I am unable to attain true peace by myself. I need God's peace, there is the true rest that I try to seek elsewhere in the routine of my days.
I'm not known for knowing a lot of scripture or where to find certain verses. But my goal since last week is to truly submerge my thoughts into the following verse..... Phil. 4:8 , this is Paul's writing.
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do and the God of peace will be with you". That's how I am going to attain peace.
I can't get all riled up in my Wal-mart excursions or angry that one of the kids spilled ice cream in the car right after I told him not to spill it, or that the kids knocked the whole 8 foot Christmas tree over or that.....I gotta stop before I go down the road I don't want to be on.
Whatever is lovely, noble, just, pure, praiseworthy... that is a pretty picture, huh?!

You can't lose your salvation but.....

If you could, I would lose mine in Wal-mart. First off, I am very thankful to have money to go grocery shopping, so please don't get me wrong.
However, I do not like being a slave to the big box grocery store. I cannot not go. (is that southern or just bad grammar?)I save money, they have everything I need in one store and it is less than 1 mile from my house.

Today, I was dreading going shopping like the plague. I worked this am, rushed to get our oil changed, Garrett needed a nap, so I had to get to the store before we went home. I have been watering down the apple juice not because of the sugar, but because I was running out, if this gives you any idea how desolate our fridge was becoming.

The kids were doing great. Toward the middle of our shopping trip, Marschall tells me he needs to go to the bathroom, he ALWAYS has to go to the bathroom in Wal-mart. I have no idea what brings it on, but his bowels were in full force (too much info?).
I decide to park my cart in one of the aisles and be right back. I could get to the bathroom faster if I just scooped up Garrett and ran with Marsch. We finally return to our cart about 10 minutes later......no cart..... no groceries....nothing. I feel my blood pressure start to boil. If you know Wal-mart, it can take 30 minutes to go through the check out line. These cashiers are not known for their speed. I'm wondering how did someone realize there was an empty cart sitting alone for a few minutes. I nicely ask a lady stocking the shelves, "have you seen a cart with groceries"? She said, "Yes, a lady just took it, there she is right now!" She begins to ask the other employee where my cart is. I'm actually relieved just thinking my cart is around the corner. But no, she had put 85% of my food back! I'm thinking, I would have really liked to seen how fast this women was because she needed to take the place of my cashier who took 20 minutes to check me out. I think some little Wal-mart ferries came and all went to work to put my food back!
I had strayed from my list as usual and couldn't exactly remember what I still needed. So who knows what my recipes will consist of this week.
Again, thankful for groceries not so much for the big box grocery stores. I may have to take a break and shop somewhere else for a while to get some perspective. Oh by the way, Marschall informed me the next time we are shopping we shouldn't leave our cart, we need to take to take it with us wherever we go. Ahhh good times.......

You can't make this stuff up.....

Marschall has been curious about family dynamics; whose mother is also grandmother to someone else, etc. He gets a kick out of it if he sees Pete and I kiss, and knows he is my husband and I'm his wife. We had a brief conversation about it at the dinner table the other night......

Me "Marschall do you want to have a wife someday"?

Marschall "Yes , but I want to live with you guys still."

Me "What will your wife look like?" (thinking he's going to describe a friend of his)

Marschall "She will have skin like you, green eyes like you, straight hair like you, earrings like you....(pause).... she will be a mommy robot."

I took that as the best compliment ever :)!