Don't worry, I can swim for 40 days

So this weekend………was FUN! Except for the whole “on-call” thing. Sunday I was on the verge of calling my boss and just giving up! I cannot put into words how tired you are after 7 whole days of not getting a good night’s sleep. And you would think a nap would cure the situation but you forget…….i’m on call during the day too. Sunday I broke down into tears. I know it seems silly, but I was so frustrated and when I am frustrated, I cry! It almost feels like a little bit of stress comes out of me with each little tear…….I really did feel better afterwards. Plus sometimes you just need someone to feel sorry for you, and Justin was an absolute doll in this respect. I mean, I was crying because too many people were calling me and I was tired and I couldn’t even visit with my family………and though it was extremely silly he just rubbed my back and said he understood and he was sorry and that he was proud of my hard work. Just knowing that someone else tried to understand my frustration was enough. I love him! So other than the abnormal growth attached to my ear (AKA: the phone) I did manage to squeeze in some fun things this weekend.

For one, I went home to Bama on Friday for my High school’s homecoming. My little sister, Jessica, was on the court and I wanted to see her in her pretty dress. I went to the pep rally, where they narrowed the court down from 8 to 4 seniors, Jessica got in the top 4!!! Yay! Then I enjoyed the annual homecoming parade with my little nieces and nephews, I might be biased but there are no cuter kids on the planet. Especially our new addition Tatum Renee, she is 4 months old and has her own little cheerleading outfit to wear to the festivities……..she also takes after her aunt christi, she loves her jewelry. She fashioned her precious little ears with cute diamond earrings and what kind of princess would she be if she didn’t top off her cheerleading outfit with a pearl bracelet, just her size!! Later that night we went to the homecoming football game where I got to catch up with some old friends from h.s. We had some good laughs, I really do miss those folks sometimes! Then the big moment came……..the announcements of the court……….3rd alternate………..2nd alternate…………1st alternate………..and Homecoming Queen Jessica Shirley!!! Yay! She was so thrilled, she definitely gets to rule the school for a couple weeks now at least. Haha! Afterwards, it was late but Justin was still on his way to Bama (he had to work late in Pcola), when he finally got there we all went bowling, me, him, some of my friends from high school, Jessica, Sharry and her new beau Josh. Speaking of which, they seem pretty serious. Sharry seems to be letting her inhibitions go on this one (anyone who knows Sharry knows this is totally out of character). She has been dealt some raw deals in the dating world. But it is all part of God’s good and perfect plan and I am so happy to see her with someone who absolutely adores her. The others liked her, maybe even loved her, but they didn’t have that same sparkle in their eye when they looked at her. Josh really is so cute……..he wasn’t afraid to just try a little bit, and be goofy, and get to know us. We still have so much more to learn about him but so far……..I like him. Saturday we went to watch Jessica play in a volleyball tournament where her team got 2nd place. Then we met Sharry and Josh at LongHorn for dinner, where Justin and Josh fell in love……….followed by a round of putt-putt. No seriously, Justin and josh might just be twinkies. At dinner Justin leans over to me (no one else can hear him) and says, “ I think I’m gonna get the 12 oz Renagade Medium rare with a baked potato”, about that time the waitress walked up, looked at Josh, and asks, “what can I get for you??” To which he replies, “ I think I’m gonna get the 12oz. Renagade Medium rare with a baked potato”……….and this is when their eyes met and they fell in love! Sharry and I almost excused ourselves. Anyway, we then went to play putt-putt when the un-heard-of happened….Justin lost! Yes the standing went: Josh, Christi, Sharry, and Justin. (I will admit that that one hole with the score of 7 might have hurt him!) Oh but the night was still young and there was a plethora of games in the arcade waiting to be abused. Sharry killed me in air hockey, then Justin killed me in air hockey, but no one wants to take me in basketball!

Then it was Sunday and the calls started early……..I was lookin rough for church because I had no time to get ready for all the calls I was getting. But I made it to church and it felt good to just focus on Jesus for a while. And sing, I love to sing to God. I love to sing period, but especially when it has such a meaning and a passion behind the words. The sermon was about the budget so it wasn’t the most moving but I do miss my cute ol preacher. I went to help my mom and dad with the 5 year olds in Sunday School, and I truly know what it means to have faith “like a child”. Things are so simple with them, there is no grey area, it is completely black and white. We started off by singing and dancing to a fun God song and even though I am almost 23 years old I enjoyed it thoroughly……..in part of the song you have to bump butts with a partner, of course mine was a little 5 year old boy and I forgot that I have more junk in my trunk than I think…….I knocked him clear across the room and spent the rest of the song laughing histerically. My mom couldn’t help but laugh too. Their lesson was about Noah and the Ark. So my mom made them all animal masks……..everyone was a different animal. She told the whole story, they built an ark, and she used a water bottle to make it rain (which caused many a squeal with laughter, that wonderful little kid laughter that makes your bones happy) Anyway, when she got to the part where everyone was wisked away by the flood waters, the little girl with the ‘fish’ mask declared how she was the only one who had nothing to worry about, “because she could swim for 40 days”. It was funnier in person……..mom really should have thought about that before making a ‘fish’ mask anyway! Hahahah! I wish I could be 5 again, no worries, no responsibilities, no ‘on-call’ phones!!! No but really, I was watching as one of the boys was not quite behaving and my dad sternly scolded him. In the adult world when someone puts us in our place or points out our wrongs we tend to get defensive, we get angry, we make excuses, but not this little boy……..he didn’t necessarily straighten up but he didn’t get angry with my dad or defensive, he just went about his way (probably getting in more trouble) he just took the criticism, swallowed it, and moved on. I want to have this ability. You know to not get my feelings hurt. To realize that maybe, just maybe people are looking out for my best interest. It’s just a thought.

To top off the weekend Alabama killed the Gators! Roll Tide! And Florida State hammered Syracuse! Yee haw!!!! Oh wait, I mean, Go Noles! That always makes for a good weekend.

Tonite, I am going home, taking a nap, watching Laguna, and going to bed………I gotta catch up on my beauty sleep!