there's a strength in being weak

Last night I cried.  A lot.  Missing Daddy is something that is with me every day, but some days are harder than others.  Sometimes, tho, I feel like when I have a particularly cloudy day, it's preparing me.  For example, my friend Marty's mother-in-law experienced the death of two dear friends today, one who had been sick for awhile and one who just went into the hospital for surgery and didn't quite recover.  Add to that, her mother-in-law has a similar surgery scheduled for next week.  She's a little nervous now!  So, today in wanting to help Marty with her burden, I did a lot of listening and talking about death, funerals, gravesites (I don't visit the cemetary in that sense - that's not where he is, so I don't feel compelled to visit where his shell is buried.  But that's me - if it brings ppl comfort to visit the graves of their loved ones, then they should visit!)... I feel like if I hadn't had that cry yesterday, I could have broken down at any time at work today.  So, for that I'm grateful. 

another bombshell (forgive the pun) when i got to work - an email about my former career advisor.  apparently last night her house blew up.  yes, blew up!  thankfully, she and her husband made it out alive, but they lost everything but the clothes on their backs and her laptop, which happened to be right by the door when they ran out.  i'm grateful for their lives, and i'm sure they have excellent home owner's insurance, but please keep them in prayer just the same!  i can't even imagine the shock and the amount of rebuilding, emotionally, that is going to need to happen.  it made me think about what would i do in that situation?  i mean, what would i grab as i was running out the door?  Angel and my purse, i think.  and if i had to leave the purse, i'd be okay!  the things (aside from Angel) that are the most important to me are my pictures, and those are saved many places on the net!  (thank you, FB and photobucket!)  what do you think you would have to grab?  do you think  you'd have the presence of mind to grab anything, or would it have to be right by the door for you to get it? 

and because i was... hmmm, i was going to say "prepared" but that's not quite accurate.  whatever i was, because of last night, today was free to be a really great day.  : )  and i'm grateful for that, too! 

after work i headed straight to mom's.  leyton greeted me w/ a hug (aww) and anthony was a little too engrossed in his wrestling game to do more than say hi.  lol  mom was taking a nap on the couch, so of course leyton & anthony - who had likely been playing peacefully prior to my arrival - had to show off for aunt carrie.  heh. 

we left for dinner at riefe's after 20 minutes or so, and you can read about that adventure here.  i would have loved to use the flash to get some awesome pictures, but i did manage some cute ones anyway.  : ) 

when we got back to mom's, the boys & i played outside for about an hour.  GOOD TIMES!!!!!

leyton wasn't really happy about going back inside, as you can see.  and then there was the hair washing.  but he did pretty well, comparitively.  held my hand.  and when his hair was wet, it made a really cute faux hawk.  ; ) 

i am so grateful for mom, phil, and these two young boys who make my thursdays something spectacular.  God has truly blessed me, amen! 

(and i just realized that i started off capitalizing properly & reverted back to my normal style.  whoops!  sorry for any annoyance this causes!)

ttfn.  <3  <3  <3