Sisters

We’re very different so you see

When you look at my 2 sisters and me.

Just look at the hair atop our heads

One with Dark soft locks of hair

One with sunkissed blonde highlights

One somewhere in the middle there.

One curvy, one boney and one super sporty

Though Cara’s the eldest, she is the shorty

But with all these physical differences

You will find that we share artistic-ifferences

Sports, for we all love

Megan with a bat and glove

For Cara a ball, net & green grass

Around a track Christa runs real fast!

We inherited brains and great senses of humor

But the greatest bond we share - the DAD that we love dear.

 

WE LOVE YOU DAD!

Cinnamon Roll Love

When I was a child, we had a personal chef come in to make breakfast on Saturday mornings. He always made the very best cinnamon or orange Danish rolls. Our chef was always happy as he worked away in our kitchen. For such a small, round little white guy, he was a very capable baker. His name was Pillsbury Dough Boy! Ahhh. The memories come rushing back and I can almost smell the sweet aroma of hot, fresh rolls filling the house! I can taste the ooey gooey icing!

The very best part of the Saturday morning cinnamon rolls was the fact that after the rolls were finished baking, we actually got to put the icing on the rolls. Icing the rolls was a very important and strategic part of the whole cinnamon rolls experience. The rolls must be iced in a manner that allowed each roll to have adequate icing coverage while not allowing any of the ooey gooey goodness to melt down off the sides of the rolls, only to be wasted as it collected on the bottom of the pan. Secondly, to insure the maximum icing collection of the coveted ROLL IN THE MIDDLE, one must take great care.

Once the rolls were iced, it was time to distribute them. Of course, as a selfish little child, I always wanted the Cinnamon Roll in the Middle! The one with no crusty edges, the softest of them all. The one with the more icing on it that any other roll in the pan! I wanted THE BEST ONE! More often than not, I got the One in the Middle. Mostly because it probably didn’t matter as much to the other people in my house, but also because I was the youngest and everyone knew how much I loved the One in the Middle.

I have to say that I spent most my life, TAKING the Cinnamon Roll in the Middle, literally and theoretically. That is until I was married and had children of my own. The very first time that Pillsbury Dough Boy came to our house after Billy and I were married, I baked and iced the rolls with the same care and precision as I always had. But then it came time to distribute the rolls. I found myself so in love with Billy that I wanted HIM to have the ROLL IN THE MIDDLE. I wanted him to experience the BEST roll with the MOST ooey gooey icing and no crusty edges. It was the first time that I actually experienced selfless, unconditional love.

Then again, when my boys were old enough to eat cinnamon rolls, I experienced this wave of love and caring come over me. I wanted to give them the BEST roll too! How could this be? How could you ever love someone so much that you want to give them THE Cinnamon Roll in the Middle? There is only ONE. Only one roll that is free of any crust. Only one roll that is slathered with more icing than all the others. Why would anyone want to give that away?

I believe that we are only capable of this LOVE because God first showed US Cinnamon Roll Love. He only had ONE Son. He was the only One available with no crust, no blemish. He was the One with ALL the icing drizzled on. God loves us sooooo much that he gave us His Cinnamon Roll in the Middle – Jesus! (John 3:16) The good news is, there is enough of Jesus to go around for every one of us! Next time you and your family enjoy some Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, think about God giving His only ROLL IN THE MIDDLE away for each of us to partake in. For each of us to enjoy. Isn’t it great that God’s love is Selfless and Unconditional? What a blessing!

The Phenomenon of the Pregnancy Brain

First off, COOL IT with those thoughts of any special additions to MySmurphyLife! No little Smurphs on the way. Some of you might be disappointed, but I know quite a few that just breathed a sigh of relief. The loudest one of all came from my Smurphy husband!

For the most part, I ADORE pregnant women. I love their glowy and beautiful faces. They are so cute with their round little tummies and rosy cheeks! Grinning with expectations of holding the sweet bundle of joy wiggling around inside them.  However, recently I have become VERY aware of a particular “side effect” that is, well let’s just say…less than “glowy”. This Phenomenon is PREGNANCY BRAIN.

PB is the “official” Dr. Smurph medical term for this phenom but in laymen’s terms you might also hear the brain of a pregnant woman referred to as, mush, flaked out, disorganized, or simply not working. Thankfully, this condition is only temporary, usually about 9 months. Then the patient moves from PB into another stage of decreased brain function due to Sleep Deprivation. The conclusion that we can all draw from this is, if a women is pregnant, it will be approximately 1 year (sometimes longer) before her brain functions return to “normal.”

I currently have a couple friends that I am very close to who are expecting a precious little bundle. Hence, I have had the opportunity to witness first hand, the Phenomenon of the Pregnancy Brain. In observation of this phenomena, I have definitely had some moments of frustration. But, for the most part, I have either just tried to be supportive and help look for whatever is “lost” or pretty much laughed my hind end off!

First, I’ll start with Ms. G. She is a pregnant REALTOR and Dance Studio owner. Ms. G goes 100 different directions, even when she is not pregnant. She is like the dog on “UP” …”Squirrel!” pretty much ALL THE TIME! Now that she is preggers however, she is still going 100 different directions, but she just can’t remember where she came from OR where she is going! Ms. G also happens to be my BOSS! So when there is frustration I must be super supportive and frantically search for whatever she is “missing.” One day Ms. G was sure that I had mis-placed her favorite blue highlighter. “Where is my BLUE highlighter? I loved that highlighter!” I just smiled and said that I had not seen it. Honestly, I was afraid if I didn’t find that highlighter, my job would be in jeopardy! I was starting to think that I should probably head down to Wally World and buy her a new one. We finally found it a couple days later. Exactly where she left it. We frequently refer to Ms. G’s brain as MUSH. She definitely keeps us all laughing at her craziness. Somedays she says it is a good thing she has me to keep her head on straight. It sure is nice to be needed! It seems that her being pregnant means good job security for me! Come on more babies for Ms. G!

My other friend that is experiencing Pregnancy Brain is Goose. She has been the most hilarious of all! I knew Goose was pregnant even before SHE did because of her extreme case of PB! Goose is a different character anyway because she constantly has this black cloud that follows her around everywhere. Possibly this has compounded her case of PB. The other day Goose called me. She said, ”Smurphy, you will not believe what I did!” She then proceeded to tell me that the previous morning she had gotten ready for work. She took a shower, got ready, got dressed, socks, shoes, jewelry, the whole shebang. However, unbeknownst to her, she had forgotten a very small detail.  She grabbed her bag and headed out the door. As she opened the door to her pick-up truck, she found that her fingers were all wet. It had rained the night before and in fact was still drizzling and dreary that morning. Goose couldn’t stand the wetness on her hand so she reached down to wipe her fingers on her jeans. It was then that she realized, SHE WASN’T WEARING ANY PANTS! She had on shirt, socks, shoes and undergarments (thank goodness she didn’t go commando that day!) but NO PANTS!! In shock she slammed the door to her truck and ran up to her front door. She fumbled in her purse for her keys frantically as her yellow smiley face underwear grinned to the people stopped at the stop sign. Finally she burst through the door to “safety!” She pulled on her pants and went on with her day.

Ahhh! The joys of Pregnancy!

Do you know any hilarious pregnancy stories or want to offer up any support for these wonderful ladies? Leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to pass it on!

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…

When I told my mom the other day that I had started a blog, the first thing she said was, “Uggh. Just don’t write about me. I don’t want everyone in the world to be able to read about it.”

Well, I decided that just won’t do. I write about the things and people I love here at MySmurphyLife. But I know I must respect the fact that Mom doesn’t want to be plastered all over the internet. So I have devised away to write about my mom, and even post pictures! I will give her a SECRET IDENTITY!

It is only fitting that when you have a SECRET IDENTITY, you have some sort of code name, you know, like a super hero! So the next step is to come up with a name. Hmmm…. This could be very tricky…..

Mom is and has been many things to me. As the “team mom” for the Track Girls, she was always making cookies and treats to take on track meets. The best were the little dog bone shaped sugar cookies. Go Bulldogs! She taught Cara and I to cook in the kitchen and build campfires when camping out. She is always prepared for everything. Be assured that she has already thought about what could happen and there is something in the trunk of the car to “fix” the problem. A coat incase it is unexpectedly cold, a shirt incase your kid throws up on you in the mall in Wichita Falls.  

So in thinking of all of these characteristics and many more, I ponder an official secret identity for Mom.

How about….Mrs. Manners? No, that was name of that evil teacher in grade school. The one that always carried around the book about manners and wouldn’t let you eat your corn with a spoon in the cafeteria. Mom knows good table manners, but this will not work for her secret identity.

How about….Super Seamstress? Hm. This is better. It is FITTING. (Sorry for the pun but I couldn’t resist!)  Mom is a wonderful seamstress. She has made many a beautiful prom and wedding dress. But I’m not sure because it doesn’t encompass all the wonderful traits, ur uh, super powers that she possesses.

Why is this so difficult? Hold on! I must call in the reinforcements! Ummm..OK…I am really just gonna check with my sister to see if she can come up with anything better.

Please begin to hum the theme to Jeopardy NOW! Doo doo doo doo “>doo “>doo “>doo “>doo “>doo doo doo doo!  Doo doo doo doo DOOP doo doo doo doo doo….

OK. We put our sisterly brains together and decided that the secret identity would be most fitting if it went along with the disguise! 

Ladies and Gentlemen! I introduce you to….

 

HAPPY HEAD!

Love you Mom! I hope you embrace to your new Internet Secret Identity!

The Wreath

Friendship, REAL Friendship is a treasured jewel. In the treasure hunt of life, these jewels can sometimes be very illusive. Some people never uncover any. I have been blessed to have uncovered several sparkling jewels in the last couple of years. HK is one of these precious friendship jewels in my life.

HK, just like a jewel, is a BRILLIANT lady. She is a Godly women with great character, strength and creativity like one has never seen! HK is a self-proclaimed fellow nerd, yes, the kind that sits on the front row, wears glasses and WRITES computer code. If she wore shirts with pockets, she would probably even wear pocket protectors. Though, her pocket protectors would most definitely be FABOLOUS and all blinged out! (Hopefully that doesn’t give her any ideas!)

If HK wasn’t so dear to me, she would probably make me wanna BARF! She can do ANYTHING! And I mean ANYTHING. She can not only sew, she makes patterns and designs what she wants to sew, then sews it.  She writes, incredibly! She designs websites. She knits. She crochets. Blah, blah, blah. The list goes on and on. She can create just about anything. The woman also grows her own herbs. And then COOKS with them! I knew that Martha Stewart did that, but not realpeople. On top of all that, HK is a blast to hang out with! She is always laughing and encouraging. HK brings a light to any room. She just exudes brilliance. Brilliance of mind and spirit.

HK and I went over to Hobby Lobby one Saturday. I was getting my boys 1 year pictures framed (yes, I know they are 7 and 2 1/2!) and I needed someone to go with me to help with this oh-so-important, yet daunting, task. I was delighted that she could come with because she is a very busy lady! She is also a lady that you should NOT take to Hobby Lobby unless you want to be there for several hours. Or unless you want to start at least 3 new projects. After the would-be over-whelming task of choosing the framing for the monumental occasion of my children’s first birthdays, HK and I decided to browse!

We discovered that the floral picks and wreaths were 1/2 off! 1/2 OFF! Oh the check-out girls were really asking for it that day! HK had this VISION of a beautiful wreath in her head but she didn’t know how to get there.

Huh? HK WASN’T a floral designer, TOO? I thought she could do everything! 

This was extremely bewildering to me. Hopefully it wasn’t written all over my face! However, I quickly gathered myself and said, ”Well here, I’ll help you!” (Or something to that effect.) And we headed to the floral pick aisle with only a few specifications. Mostly that the wreath be “chunky” and not look anything like the pre-made wreaths that they had for sale. But the biggest catch of all, we MUST use the most giHUGic acorn you ever did see! 

We found all the picks that we thought we needed, found a beautiful vine wreath with unbelievable composition and the piece de resistance fluffly, creamy yellow feathers!  You know the kind that go on the end of the pen when you sign the guest book at a fancy wedding.  Finally, with all the pieces needed to complete a masterpiece wreath, we took a quick picture – we didn’t want to forget how we put it together in the store! – and we headed to the checkout to see what the damage was.

After a couple busy weeks of work, HK and I got together to DO THE WREATH! We had the best time, sticking the picks, moving them around, constantly referring back to HK’s aPhone for the reference photo. A couple hours later (it took us a couple hours because we were also making sure the four kids weren’t wrecking the house)….

 IT WAS COMPLETE!

    

It hangs beautifully on HK’s front door greeting all her Fall visitors. She says that it brings her much joy. I am just happy that I could help my friend who can do everything, except apparently arrange floral wreaths, create something that she loves!

 For me, THE WREATH is a symbol of our friendship. It is in a circle, and circles never ends. Hand created, there will never be another one like it. Since it is made with silk flowers, it will not be wilting anytime soon.

So, HK when Christmas rolls around, I’ll be ready for a shopping trip to Hobby Lobby. A Christmas wreath will sure be BEAUTIFUL!

The Farmer’s Market

This weekend, we all took a trip to the Farmer’s Market. Normally, this is a place where one might buy fresh veggies, fruits or flowers. Or, maybe find some antiques or furniture and such. Not this weekend. This weekend, the Farmer’s Market was the venue for the most unique wedding I have ever had the pleasure of attending. Yes, wedding. My cousin Leslie got married.

Leslie has always been a different girl - in a quirky, cool, kind of way. She always had her own style and didn’t care much whether others understood or liked it. Leslie is creative, the dramatic ”talks-with-her-hands” sort of girl with an edge to her humor that is sarcastic, dry and always keeps you laughing. She can talk forEVER too! In fact, we used to call her Leslie Loudmouth when we were kids. My brain is filled with many childhood memories of jokes and pranks and slumber parties; all with Leslie right in the mix! 

So, Leslie Loudmouth found her prince charming (I wonder if he ever gets a word in. Hmmm. Maybe he is just a REALLY good listener.) And they married on Saturday, October 3. When I got the invitation in the mail, I chuckled as I read that the location for the ceremony was going to be at the Oklahoma City Public Farmer’s Market. I thought…OK, I said it out loud… ”Only Leslie would get married at the Farmer’s Market!” It turned out to be a beautifully restored, nostalgic building that fit Leslie perfectly.

Each detail was simple, yet unique. From the guest book, to the table assignment cards, to the placement of guest chairs surrounding the bride and groom to the 4 minute ceremony, “Leslie” was written all over it. 

Leave it to Leslie to throw tradition out the window! My older sister Cara and I were giggling about how exciting it was going to be for her to get to participate in the bouquet toss since she is a single lady now. Grinning, I ran over to Leslie to let her know how excited Cara was! I thought maybe she could adjust her aim a bit to give Cara the best chance at catching the bouquet.  When Leslie informed me, “I’m not doing a bouquet toss.” Screech! It all came to a halt! “Oh bummer. Cara was so excited.” Then Leslie, with a beautiful smile across her face says, “I’ll just give her a bouquet!” She ran to get Hayley’s bouquet and came over to do the big “handoff” to Cara.

It was so wonderful and exciting to get to be there with all my family. Grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, Dad and step-mom. We were all there together, enjoying the music, children, food and wine. The best part of the evening for me, was seeing Cara’s face a-glow with love and joy and even some excited anticipation as she left The Farmer’s Market with bouquet in hand! It is so refreshing to see the people you love so happy. Thank you, Leslie, for sharing this moment in your life with the rest of us. It was the most wonderful trip I have ever had to the Farmer’s Market!

Forgiveness

We have all heard some rendition of a story about how holding a grudge or harboring anger does more damage to the person carrying it around than the person that the grudge is being held against.

Personally, I have learned this lesson all too well. Everyone will be hurt by another at some point in their lives. What is important is what we do with that hurt that makes the difference in our lives.

For most of my life I have held grudges, harbored anger and pointed blaming fingers toward many people. Some I loved, others I despised. I have been used, abused, treated badly &  had my feelings hurt. I was even pee’ed on by a boy in pre-school! The list goes on and on. I can say that holding on to all the hurtful experiences in my life has done much more damage to me, than to any of the individuals or groups I wanted to suffer from it.

The most significant life lesson I received about forgiveness was delivered about 2 years ago via a dear friend who has no problem telling me like it is! After griping to her about something that my husband had done years earlier, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “Christa, sometimes you have to forgive, whether or not he ever asks for your forgiveness or not.”

WHAT!?!

You are telling me that I have to forgive HIM for hurting ME when he won’t even ADMIT that he has done something WRONG?! That is absurd! Isn’t it? Then I began to think about how much damage I had done to myself and my marriage for carrying this hurt around. Billy couldn’t even understand where it was coming from because he didn’t even know he had done anything wrong.

Thankfully, I learned a good hard lesson that day. A lesson, sadly, some people never learn. It changed my life, my relationships, my marriage. It changed ME!

I learned no matter what…no matter if the person that has hurt you gives you an “appropriate” apology, or one that YOU think is GOOD ENOUGH, or whether they even apologize AT ALL…ONE MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE.

It is not always easy. It is not always instant. But FORGIVENESS of those who have hurt you, is a key to a happy and fulfilled life.

Don’t let someone else or what they have done in the past, effect the person that you are today. You must FORGIVE the past, LIVE for today, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow!