Dull Moments

We are moving this week. We have started packing. We are both working this week. Desperate times, people. Call in the re-enforcements. You already know I live on coffee and Diet Coke. But now, now we breakout the big guns. Are you ready for this? I am.

I do not know how to blog about this week. There are so many back stories that I cannot explain. So many people who have been in my life for a very long time, in places very far away, that fell on my doorstep this week. To keep a long story short, an old family friend's mother was put into hospice over the weekend. My mother drove down with her to Cincinnati this week, to spend time with them, and to help driving. At the same time, an old family friend's son and his wife (who is my sister's age, who we grew-up with) had their first baby on Saturday night in Ft. Wayne. It did not go well, and the baby (and the whole family), came to the NICU at Riley in Indianapolis. And this is how, on Monday night, I found myself, with my mother and sister, in the NICU lobby at Riley with people I had not seen in years, who are not from Indianapolis, who I never in a million years thought I'd be seeing here under this circumstance. Their story is not mine to tell. I will not try to beg...

Yesterday, I got something [nice] for free. I was really excited about my free thing. I couldn't wait to go home and wear it. Then, I realized [with shock]... that I was excited over a pair of sweatpants . So, I did what any self-respecting panicked girl would do. I called my sister. "Call them yoga-wear, and it's totally fine." She soothed me. Then we discussed Costco vs. Name Brand paper towels. Yes, we are cool and you totally should be jealous. You see, I bought Robert's (and a few others) Christmas gifts on Black Friday and Dick's Sporting Goods. And I got a free $20 reward for my purchase. There were lots of Lady's Under Armour items I would have loved for working out. There were super great tennis shoes I could have used. Fleeces that I fawned over. But $20 only goes so far in the world of high end, over-priced sports wear. I found a really nice, comfy pair of sweatpants on sale that my $20 would cover. They are actually pretty cute, for sweatpants...

Last night, we watched our niece and nephew while my brother-in-law was out of town and my sister had dinner with a friend. It is always an adventure, and there are no dull moments with those two. And here is what we learned last night. 1. Otis is an endless source of amusement. In the eyes of our nephew and niece, Otis is the silliest, funniest, and most entertaining thing on the planet . If you have met Otis, you know he is actually a fairly boring dog who loves bed time. But everything about Otis is fascinating to them. His tail. His food (which Abram calls "rocks"). The way he scratches with his hind leg (and Abram gets quite put out that I cannot make Otis do this on command over and over again). The way we can share our pillows, blankies, and snacks (wait, NO!) with Otis. Needless to say, Otis loves the kids. Not only does he like playing with them, he knows he will get some extra treats when they are around. I really wish I could have snuck a video of Abram playing ...

Does anyone else's soul long for Advent the whole year round? I grew up in a church where we did the candle light thing during December and read some nice reading about Advent-something. I remember sitting there and wondered how the families were chosen to be the "Advent families". It was a like a big, random raffle to me. That's all I remember. Needless to say, I did not grow up in a very traditional or liturgical background. In college, I occasionally attended an Anglican church, and something about the tradition and liturgy filled a thirst that I didn't know I had. The first time I went to a PCA Good Friday Service, I was stunned . You end in darkness. TOTAL, SILENT DARKNESS. The service is breath-taking. I don't think I can ever not go to that service now that I have experience it. Then, with the first Christmas Advent, we re-light Jesus into the darkness, candle by candle, moment by moment, declaring a hope that is not realized. I sort of felt jipped for...