Where have you been???

I know! It's been too long since my last post. I'm feeling the effects of the lack of blogger therapy. I've been quite scattered lately. (Yes, more than usual!!) It's been a whirlwind of a past couple weeks it seems. I've had many moments of "I need to go write this on my blog" but was never able to find a few minutes (or 60) to sit alone and write. ~put the girls in bed early tonight so that I could spend a little while on the psychiatric couch of my blog (which happens to be a not-so-densely cushioned desk chair...good thing I've got that extra padding down there! ~knew it must be there for a reason.) and pour out my thoughts.

Since my last post, Nathan took a week long trip to Costa Rica. It was an incentive trip that Mercury awarded some of their top customers and he got to go along with those customers of his that earned it. (So tough, you know?) He got to stay at a little resort right off the coast in the rain forest. And it rained the biggest part of their trip but the rain didn't stop them from doing all that they had planned. He got to go on a couple of guided fishing trips and zip-lined through the canopy of the rain forest. He took our video camera with him and I had given him specific instructions that he WAS TO FILM THE ZIP LINING EXPERIENCE!! NO MATTER WHAT! He was a little concerned about trying to hold a camera and hold on to his harness and cables but again, I told him NO MATTER WHAT-GET THE VIDEO! (Since I would absolutely NEVER do anything like that I realize that I have to live vicariously through him as he does these dangerous, death defying things that I know most certainly would cause my demise!) He minded very well and got some great shots...one of nothing but his face as he careened through the trees heading for the platform at the end of his line. As I watched his expressions of pure excitement and funness gleaming through his smiles and "Whoas", I could only imagine what my face might have looked like at that moment. I believe it would've been something akin to sheer terror and regret and most definitely accompanied by shrill screams that would make even the sloths get up and run. Speaking of sloths, he was able to film a couple different ones as he waited his turn on the "launch pads". ~Really cool! Because of the where this small, isolated resort was located, they had to take a toy airplane to fly in to it and they landed on a dirt strip in the middle of this village of shack houses. On one side of the landing strip were the shacks and on the other was a cemetery. ~interesting, huh?! I would've killed over from a heart attack before we could've ever landed if I'd seen that. Or actually, I would've never made it that far...seeing the model airplane that he flew on probably would've been enough to send me over the edge. But I digress... He got some beautiful footage while on the plane of the mountains, rain forest and the water. He said that one of the best parts of his trip was a Swedish massage that he got at the spa. THE SPA?!!! It wasn't enough that I had to hear about how wonderful the trip was, and how much fun it was catching these exotic fish, zip-lining through the jungle for crying out loud...NO! He had to rub in that icing on the cake with the massage part. I must be truthful though and not complain too loudly about it because he did say that it was something that I must experience myself, -not taking a trip to Costa Rica!!, a Swedish massage, and that the first chance he gets, he's going to take me to get one. I've never had, nor really wanted, a massage but I hear they can be pretty nice...or to hear him tell it...wuuuunnnnderrrrfullll! I'll let you know what I think about it WHEN I get one. Anyway, he made it back safely on Saturday.
While he was gone I was getting things ready for Mom and Aunt Connie to arrive and preparing to go on a little weekend trip myself. Mom and Connie flew in on Thursday afternoon to babysit my girls while I went to the Women of Faith conference in Tampa Friday night and Saturday. The girls were SO excited about them coming. We'd been counting down the days since the previous Thursday and then the hours on that day. I left on Friday morning with Bridget and we headed across the state to Tampa. We had a great time!! The conference was wonderful. Which if you've ever been to one, you know quite well how great they are. The conf. series they're doing this year has been "Amazing Freedom". Max Lucado was with them and he spoke. Also Anita Renfroe was there. She is the funniest lady I've ever seen! I mean, she is wet-your-pants, cry your eye make-up off funny! In addition to her side-splitting stories and views on life, she also writes songs that finds unbelievable humor in everyday things. Here is a link to a youtube video of her singing one of the songs that she sang for us at the conference. It is a Faith Hill song that she has changed the lyrics to. Run grab a tissue and click here to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uFRr67Dhic

She also sings the "Mom" song to the William Tell Overture music. That video has been going around on email for a while so you've probably seen it but it's also on youtube if you've not. She sang it for us as well and the lady doesn't even use teleprompters for it. She can remember all those words precisely and spit them out that fast all on her own!! It's amazing. She sang another one called A Salute to Underwire. It was to the music of "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban-it's a riot!! Couldn't find it posted anywhere yet. Hopefully someone will put it on youtube soon. Anyway, I had a great time and was really uplifted by all that the speakers shared. If you ever get the opportunity to go to one of their conferences, go...RUN!...you'll love it.
My children were completely rotten when I returned home. Man, give 'em just a couple days with a grandma and WOW at the monsters that are created! (But I wouldn't have it any other way. :-) ~yes, that last statement was for the benefit of Nana and Meme if you're reading this. ;-) ) When I called to check on them Saturday, they had taken their Aunt Connie to see the beach and then had stopped off at Toys 'R Us for two hours (They must be crazy-I try to avoid that place like the plague!!!) and as if T.R.U. wasn't enough, they also made a stop at Wal-Mart. Ever notice how your mother does things for your children that she would've NEVER done for you?! Guess that's part of the joys of being a GRANDma. Spoil 'em rotten, send 'em home to Mama. By later this afternoon they had begun to morph back into their old selves again. Usually doesn't take them too long to figure out ~"Give it up, it doesn't work on the parents." Well, guess it's time for my therapy session to end. I'll try not to wait so long to write again next time. Hope you have a great week! Only 12 days left till the after Thanksgiving Day Sales!! ;-)