Hello and welcome back to our weekly Hodgepodge! Last week we were off putting 2000 miles on our car, traveling through Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Salinas California on a whirlwind 7-day trip with our three kiddos! It was crazy... but it was crazy fun... and it is also crazy good to be back home in our own beds! :-) We saw good friends, went to Universal Studios with my parents (ask my mom about the Jurassic park ride! HA!), and then joined DH's family for a memorial service for his beloved grandmother. Truly a whirlwind of emotions and such. But we are home safe - so now, Join us in the Hodgepodge and then hop on over to join in the fun with others from around the world! Come on... you know you want to!
1.Joyce is joining her daughter in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?
1.Joyce is joining her daughter in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?
um... this is harder than I thought... lose the 5 lbs that have crept back on since my hip injury? Move our family successfully from our military life back into the civilian world? Move from Idaho to Southern California? How about this... just treasure each and every moment as though it is my last, because you just never know when it truly will be your last. What, too Hallmark-y? Ok - in the next 1001 days I want to be silent more, listen more, and truly hear people more. And then also the thing I said before.
2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?
Do I count the remote controls for my boys' remote helicopters and trucks? If so then... lets see, three trucks, three helicopters (had to get one for my hubby too, you know), 4 Wii remotes, two tvs, one xbox with three remotes, one stereo system, one blu-ray player. Oh, and then there's the garage door opener, our ceiling fan... good grief. I think we are rather spoiled, don't you? Don't answer that.
The one item that I wish could be operated via remote control? Probably the washing machine and dryer - but of course, since we're dreaming, it would also have a function that would swap out the loads for me and fold the dry clothes when finished.
3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?
I love the quote from the first Harry Potter movie, the Sorcerer's Stone, where Harry finds the Mirror of Erised (the Mirror of Desire), which reflects that individual's deepest desires, and Professor Dumbledore tells Harry that the happiest person in the world would look into that mirror and see only a reflection of himself. In other words, he would have no other desires, because he would be perfectly content. To me, that is "having it all" - no matter what your material worth, your family situation, you are completely content. And yes... it is attainable.
4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?
Footloose, Music and Lyrics, and the Wedding Singer. (Apparently I'm in an 80s mood!)
5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.
Sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Majesty.
6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?
Weeds and mosquitos.
7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.
Death of grandma, husband home, new career move, Trusting God!
8. Insert your own random thought here.
So yep, we've made the decision after 13 years to leave the military life and pursue a new business venture in southern California. And before you tell me, yes, I know how crowded it is - and how expensive it is - and the traffic is crazy - believe me, I know... i grew up there! And the celebrities are nuts and everyone has liposuction and the taxes are insane and the hippies have taken over the redwoods and... (Sorry, apparently people in idaho do NOT like California or Californians, as this is the majority of negative responses I have gotten here... sigh,..) But this is a new adventure for our family, and quite frankly, we are excited! We have been praying about this for almost 2 years now, and God is surely in the details. Our kids are getting older - our eldest will be starting high school this year - and when your son writes an essay entitled "What I Wish for Most" and he writes that he wants his dad to leave the military so he can be home... you pay attention. Especially when an opportunity comes around that excites your spouse, and will be successful, and it means that not only will he be home more, but we will also be living closer to grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles... it's an adventure. As my DH puts it, he has fought valiantly, and he has fought well as a warrior for Christ, and now he is ready to be a peacemaker. How can any taxes, traffic, or liposuction (!) stand in the way of that? :-) We covet your prayers as we step forward into this next adventure!
