I thought it appropriate to make a post on the final day of my 43rd year. Can it be possible that tomorrow I will be 44? I remember back in my early twenties, when the thought of turning 30 seemed inconceivable. Wow. In 6 years, I will be 50! However, I'm not going to dwell on that. I enjoy my birthdays. I like to celebrate it and share it with others. I have yet to hit a birthday age that affects me terribly, or that brings me to tears at being that old. Maybe because I'm happy with my life, and I feel that I am at the center of God's plan for me. Whatever the reason, it's cause to party!
I was thinking earlier today about what has happened to me during this past year. Admit it, you have done so as well. There are the not-so-good things, such as the onset of diabetes, which will be a life-long issue for me. However, God has brought me through it, and I'm doing well with it. There was the bank raid in June, which left me penniless. Again, God provided and came through in that emergency. Then, there was my car. It bit the big one and needed to be replaced quickly. God quickly came through with another car within only a few days. I also look at the positives that have happened this past year. I was able to toss my Dillon's job aside and acquire a job that was in my field of interest. Perhaps the biggest life-changing event of the past year (and perhaps my life) was...here it comes, you know...my mission trip to Tijuana. Words cannot explain what God did to me on that trip, and how ready I am to jump on a plane and go hang with those kids again. The hardest part is that will have to wait until next Summer! :-( Also on the up-side are the facts that I have 2 jobs I love, working with little kids. The most rewarding thing in life is to see the light come on when you are trying to convey learning to them. Then there are those little hugs. They say that hugs make you live longer, right? Well, my legs are going to live forever! LOL. I love to walk down the hallways and see those kids. The hallway rules say to "pinkie-wave" to people passing by. However, most of those kids forget that, and lunge at me with hugs. I don't help much by reminding them of the pinkie-wave, I indulge them. I think I annoy the teachers with that! :-) Then I get to hang with K-4th graders at Boys & Girls club after school, and play games with them. I've developed pretty close bonds with some of those kiddos. They are some pretty great kids! On Sundays and Wednesday nights, I get to spend time some of the most awesome kids on earth: My Sunday School and AWANA kids. I don't get to see them as often, so the time I get to spend with them is pretty special. I actually get to spend my birthday with them tomorrow!
I have a home to live in, air to breathe, an awesome family, and tomatoes STILL coming up! I get the privilege to have both my parents still living, and living with me. That would drive most people over the edge, but for me, it's a blessing to share that house with them. I have a wide variety of friends that care genuinely about me, and are interested in what happens in my little world. There are those people that ask habitually, "Hi, how are ya?" and walk on by, even if you say "terrible." And then there are those that are really asking, and ready to listen, good or bad. I'm not the most popular person on earth, and I can't afford to wear the most stylish clothes. But, I thank God every day for the true friends I have that can look past what the eye can see, and care about who I am.
On a cool note, I get the honor of sharing my birthday with some of the most awesome people alive! My good friend Peggy Renfro, who has inspired me, and inspired me to keep on blogging! Ginger Millermon, although I don't remember much about those teen years, I have been told you were a true friend! Micah and Tyler, my buddies from church, whom I get to party with tomorrow! My bud from school, Christian, the day is finally here! To you guys, I wish you the best of birthdays!
On an interesting note, there are several celebrities that share the same birthday. Seth MacFarlane, who is a director of many shows, mostly cartoons,(and a lot of them are not family-friendly). Former first lady Hillary Clinton. Country music legend Keith Urban. Pat Sajak of Wheel Of Fortune fame also has the same birthday. Also partying on the 26th of October is Jon Heder, aka Napoleon Dynamite. What's he doing for his birthday? Whatever he feels like!! Gosh!! Maybe I should hit these folks up for birthday money, LOL.
Thanks for indulging me for a few minutes as I reflect. I know that some of these posts are not the most interesting, but you click, read, and humor me. For that, I thank you. I wish I could have you all over for cake and ice cream, but the house is not big enough. :-)
Tomorrow after church, I'll work a few hours at Fun Valley, and then about 6pm, we'll be eating at my fave restaurant establishment, Sirloin Stockade! Buffet, babay!! LOL If you happen to be there at that time, please come by and say "hello!" It will be a fun day, I am sure.
I pray that God will bless you and your family. Good night, all. I'll see you on the flipside. 44? Bring it!!
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Rob's Ramblings, Getting ready for Christmas
Before you turn off this page because Christmas is still over 2 months away, you need to understand why I have to be in the Christmas spirit now. Last week, I went up to the Flag Theater to audition for the play "A Christmas Story, The Musical." This is the stage version of the movie where the kid wants a BB gun for Christmas, and is consistently met with the phrase, "You'll shoot your eye out!" There are also many songs worked into this show. The Christmas Story movie has been my all-time favorite Christmas movie for many years, so I could not resist going up to at least try out for it. I requested to read dialogue for Jean Shepherd, and the father, aka "The Old Man." I had to dance, something I'm not accustomed to doing, and I had to sing. They had me sing the part of the infamous mean Santa from the Higbee's segment. When the cast list went up, I saw that I had scored the part of Santa! It is a small part, and I have to sing, but it is a fun part. The cast looks like a fun one to work with, and they are ready to put on a good show for our community. Be sure to check my Facebook page, as I'll be posting all of the info such as the dates, times, prices, etc. I guess it's good that the part is small, seeing that I'm so busy. However, the joke is that regardless of the part I got, it would not take me long to get it all memorized, because I can pretty much quote the entire movie! LOL. Now you have an idea as to why I have to get myself into the Christmas spirit a bit earlier than the average American, and I have no problem with that. I love Christmas! However, I'm not going overboard yet. I haven't put up my tree or started listening to Christmas music yet. :-) At a garage sale a few weeks ago, I spotted an assortment of light-up houses that would be perfect for my Christmas village. My Christmas village is quickly becoming a metropolis. The table I use to display it is too small now. I was pushing it last year. Now that I'm adding buildings, I'll have to get another table. Wonder how big it will end up? By the way, if you happen to see some little buildings, at a sale or something, can you let me know, or buy them and let me pay you? Enough about Christmas for now.
I had my 6-month diabetic check-up on Friday. My doctor was very happy with my progress. At my diagnosis, my a1c was over 12. The a1c is an account of how much sugar is in the blood, and anything over 12 is pretty serious. At my 3-month checkup, my a1c was a 5.9, which is in the healthy normal range. On Friday, my a1c had stayed at 5.9, which thrilled my doctor. His only concerns were that of a slightly high cholesterol level, and I am a few pounds heavier than he would like me to be. He also informed me that the meds that I take can cause weight gain. He wants me to drink more water and be more active. I am planning another meeting with my nutritionist to make a diet and exercise plan that will be diabetic-friendly. I am optimistic.
It's getting late, and I have church tomorrow. I need to close this out and get some sleep. Sorry for such a short post. I hope that the rest of your weekend is blessed. Thanks so much for reading!
I had my 6-month diabetic check-up on Friday. My doctor was very happy with my progress. At my diagnosis, my a1c was over 12. The a1c is an account of how much sugar is in the blood, and anything over 12 is pretty serious. At my 3-month checkup, my a1c was a 5.9, which is in the healthy normal range. On Friday, my a1c had stayed at 5.9, which thrilled my doctor. His only concerns were that of a slightly high cholesterol level, and I am a few pounds heavier than he would like me to be. He also informed me that the meds that I take can cause weight gain. He wants me to drink more water and be more active. I am planning another meeting with my nutritionist to make a diet and exercise plan that will be diabetic-friendly. I am optimistic.
It's getting late, and I have church tomorrow. I need to close this out and get some sleep. Sorry for such a short post. I hope that the rest of your weekend is blessed. Thanks so much for reading!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Rob's Ramblings 10/4/14
Once again, we have made it to another weekend, not to mention another month! I've had the past few days off from school for parent-teacher conferences. Instead of sitting at home doing nothing and not getting paid for it, the Boys & Girls Club offered me some hours at the main unit. That was an experience! After working in the school unit with my 25 or so kids, I was suddenly surrounded by over 100! Thankfully, they were broken up into grade levels with leaders for each level, so it was OK, but still surprising. I was assigned K thru 1st, so I felt right at home. I'm thankful for 12 hours of work, as opposed to nothing at all! :-) They are really some great kids, and I enjoyed the 2 days I got to spend with them.
October holds many exciting things for me. The first one happens today. I'll be traveling to Buhler for their annual "Frolic Day" festivities, which include a big parade, snack booths, entertainment, and other fun stuff! Kind of like a mini-state fair. Very mini. Buhler, Kansas is the small town where I grew up. I remember the frolic days of my youth, and thinking that the frolic was about the only exciting thing that happened every year. We still go back every year to touch base and re-connect with the many people who we know that still live there. In many ways, I still miss that small-town feel, but Hutchinson is the more practical option for the directions our lives have taken.
October is when Autumn really shows her stuff. The trees give in and burst forth with beautiful colors. The days get cooler. There's something about the Fall. It's a time for nature to go to sleep and rejuvenate for the not-too-distant Spring, dreaming about what they'll try to surprise us with when that wonderful Spring gives them the wake-up call. I think about the upcoming Thanksgiving season, and after that, decorating my house for the holidays. I don't particularly care for the cold weather, but when you think about it, it really adds to the feel. People in other states where it doesn't get very cold would probably not understand that. I've lived in Kansas my whole life, and have never experienced a hot or warm Fall and Winter season. Soon, the frosts and freezes will descend upon us, and my garden will become a memory until the next Spring. I still have lots of green and red tomatoes, so if you want some, this next week would probably be the best. I can't guarantee how much longer they can hold out.
Of course, October is also my birthday month. I'm like a little kid when it's my birthday. I love to celebrate it. I bake goodies for everyone, and make it last as long as I can. My birthday will land on a Sunday this year, so I have a lot of fun stuff planned for my kiddos at church. I turn the big 44 this year. I have several other friends who celebrate the same birthday (October 26) as mine. That makes it so much more fun! I hope that they have as much fun celebrating as I do.
It's almost time for me to get ready to start my day and head out to wonderful "Buhler-land." Maybe I'll see some of you out there? Be sure to say "hey!" Have a wonderful weekend and God bless you!!
October holds many exciting things for me. The first one happens today. I'll be traveling to Buhler for their annual "Frolic Day" festivities, which include a big parade, snack booths, entertainment, and other fun stuff! Kind of like a mini-state fair. Very mini. Buhler, Kansas is the small town where I grew up. I remember the frolic days of my youth, and thinking that the frolic was about the only exciting thing that happened every year. We still go back every year to touch base and re-connect with the many people who we know that still live there. In many ways, I still miss that small-town feel, but Hutchinson is the more practical option for the directions our lives have taken.
October is when Autumn really shows her stuff. The trees give in and burst forth with beautiful colors. The days get cooler. There's something about the Fall. It's a time for nature to go to sleep and rejuvenate for the not-too-distant Spring, dreaming about what they'll try to surprise us with when that wonderful Spring gives them the wake-up call. I think about the upcoming Thanksgiving season, and after that, decorating my house for the holidays. I don't particularly care for the cold weather, but when you think about it, it really adds to the feel. People in other states where it doesn't get very cold would probably not understand that. I've lived in Kansas my whole life, and have never experienced a hot or warm Fall and Winter season. Soon, the frosts and freezes will descend upon us, and my garden will become a memory until the next Spring. I still have lots of green and red tomatoes, so if you want some, this next week would probably be the best. I can't guarantee how much longer they can hold out.
Of course, October is also my birthday month. I'm like a little kid when it's my birthday. I love to celebrate it. I bake goodies for everyone, and make it last as long as I can. My birthday will land on a Sunday this year, so I have a lot of fun stuff planned for my kiddos at church. I turn the big 44 this year. I have several other friends who celebrate the same birthday (October 26) as mine. That makes it so much more fun! I hope that they have as much fun celebrating as I do.
It's almost time for me to get ready to start my day and head out to wonderful "Buhler-land." Maybe I'll see some of you out there? Be sure to say "hey!" Have a wonderful weekend and God bless you!!
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