30 for 30: 11-25

Let's see how many of my 30 for 30 I can get through this time. 

Carissa and Cliff surprised us in a fabulous way by coming over and hanging out Friday afternoon! Here's T thinking something akin to "Cliff? In my car? What's wrong with this picture?!" We all know sharing is not yet T's forte. 

11. Make memories. You can sleep later! This is something I learned in college. My freshman year, sorority pledges would regularly get kidnapped by fraternity pledges, and all the sorority sisters would then be called upon to come rescue them. I am ashamed to say I never participated in any of this, because it always happened super late at night, and I wasn't about to take a chance on being up all night over something so silly! (Sorry, girls!) Well by the time I was no longer a pledge, I totally regretted being such an old grandma of an 18-year-old. After that, I decided not to let memory-making opportunities pass me by and to be more spontaneous in general -- and it's a lesson that has served me well ever since!

Tamsie picked out this dress to wear to church on Sunday. Here she's modeling a pretty hair clip from JJ.

12. True friends stand all tests -- tests of time, distance, etc. Also, Romans 12:15 talks about rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. I have found that it's hard to find friends who will be genuinely happy for you when things go your way, without a hint of jealousy, and that it's equally hard to find friends who will truly be there for you to help you out however you need it when you're going through something really difficult and you don't have much to give in return. Value the ones who are, and thank God for them constantly!

And here's E and her hair clip from JJ. We had to do a selfie -- it was the only way to get her to look at the camera!

13. You're never done making true friends if you open yourself up to it. I always say that God didn't give me sisters, but He has given me plenty of friends who may as well be -- and He just keeps adding to the number over time! When I headed to college, I was terrified of leaving behind all the friends I knew and loved growing up. Then Jane, Jenny and JJ came along. Then my sophomore year I thought probably all of my best friends were set at that point, then JT came along. Then junior year I figured I was halfway done with college and wouldn't make any more lifelong friends, and then Becky and I got to be really close. Senior year I was on my way out, and then Beth came along. Once I graduated, I was thinking that by then, all my best friends must certainly be set in stone for life. Then I met Carissa. And these are only the girls who were my bridesmaids -- there are plenty of other amazing friends that God has brought into my life over the years, way too many to list here! I've learned as I go that deep and lasting friendships are there waiting to be made if only I am willing to invest in them. Of course, new friends can never replace old ones, but who says they have to? My life is forever enriched and changed by all of these friends from different eras of my life!

Making elephant noises while listening to Daddy read

{As a side note, I received my share of grief for having 9 bridesmaids in my wedding, plus 2 who should have been there but had just had babies right before! (I remember telling my mom how many I would have. Shocked, she asked who they were, and then she said, "Yeah, I don't see how you could narrow it down any further.") Honestly, my only regret now was not giving bridesmaid status to a couple of other dear friends who totally deserved it.}

Riding around the house on a dark and stormy morning

14. Give people grace. Only God can truly fulfill you, so it's not fair to expect people to do what only He can.

Cookie-and-story time with Amma

15. Being a stay-at-home mom is glorious. I once thought it must be the most boring job in the world, but I am here to tell you it is anything but! I truly believe I am exactly where I need to be in this season of my life, and I'm so thankful to be able to do it.

The girls have been getting along MUCH better this week, which is a direct answer to prayer! There has been much sharing, and I think they're slowly learning to put Sissy's interests first. I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

16. Don't date someone you wouldn't marry. This advice served me well in my single years and saved me from a lot of heartache!

Leave them alone with Amma for any length of time, and don' t be surprised if they wind up rocking pirate hats when you return.

17. Make an effort to know why you believe what you believe, and have an open mind and a teachable spirit as you do so. Oh gracious, this is one of the most important things on my list! If you don't know what you believe, you'd better start trying to figure it out.

This is what happens when you ask them to smile: E ignores you, and T does this number.

18. Little children are such incredible blessings -- blessings that infinitely outweigh whatever messes they make or "disruptions" they cause, and they also serve as terrific reminders of what's truly important in life.

Here's E's smile later that afternoon. Lately one will nap longer than the other, so I'll get in extra one-on-one time with whoever's up first. This time it was E.

19. Admit when you're wrong -- even if it's right in the middle of an argument. This isn't always easy to do, but it's very much worth it!

This was the way our dramatic Thursday morning encounter with an enormous spider ended. T first spotted him on the ceiling and started to panic. I tried to get one vacuum hose after him, but he was too big for it, so then I got a different vacuum hose, which only knocked him down off the ceiling and onto this chair. I screamed, T screamed, E screamed -- it was intense! Then I chased him around the chair with the vacuum hose, and yet somehow he eluded being sucked away into oblivion. Finally he disappeared somewhere on the underside of this chair, so I just put the whole thing outside until Chris got home and it passed inspection. Let's be honest -- I'm still scared to sit in it though!

20. Forgive, just as you have been forgiven. 

Can you guess E's favorite color? ;)

21. Some things are worth being stubborn about; some things aren't. Know the difference.

This is their favorite food right now. All of this was consumed in one sitting, and they could have taken down even more, but I had to put a stop to it so we could incorporate a different food group into snack time. 

22. Anything worth having costs something. And I'm not just talking about material things!

Today they wanted their cottage cheese in bowls. T couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough with the spoon, so she set it aside and went bananas raking it in with her hands.

23. Know your limits, know when to ask for advice or help, and know whom to ask for advice or help.

E, however, prefers to be a little lady at times like this.

24. Be the person God made you to be, and accept whatever gifts He has given you with gratitude. Then try to find a way to bless others with them. Give them away to others, and give them back to Him. Be you! It's totally OK to be goofy and quirky if that's how He made you, and that's certainly how He's made me -- so I've learned to embrace it! :) The only thing that's not OK is not being the you He made you to be.

BTW, there are so many times when I read back over something I have written on this blog and think "that is so goofy! ARGH!" but really that's who I am, so I'm just putting it out there anyway!

E likes to fall asleep with her finger inside her paci. Speaking of, thinking of breaking their paci habits is enough to scare me into hysterics.

25. Never overestimate the importance of a good quality mom and dad. 

Whew! That's all I can handle today. Next time should be the last five! :)