Memorial Day Memo

It's Monday - that means I have thought all morning about 5 random tidbits of our lives you might find amusing.  Here goes:

1)  I have always had (minor) self-esteem issues, especially when it comes to my peers.  When I was in elementary school,  I was convinced that my parents paid some nice girls to be my friends.  Just when I was starting to pull out of this (around college), I broke up with a guy I had been seeing during my freshman year.  In disgust at having been dumped, the guy spat out, "Well, Dr. R. (our college V.P.) told me to ask you out anyway!" 

Fast forward to the next year...said V.P. told me after class one day to come to his office and he would help me find someone suitable to date.  Even though I was his secretary, I managed to avoid his office for the next 3 weeks, during which I met Tom, my husband.  When we started talking, it took me a full month to work up the courage to ask him if Dr. R. had told him to date me.  When he reassured me (like 5 times) that this was not the case, I knew he was my guy :) 

2) I have wonderful Christian parents, who, ironically, have three adorable girls.  It floors me to think that my girls view me the same way I look at my mom (except I'm like 6 inches taller).  To me, she seemed to have it all together, to know what she was talking about all the time.  I still call her at least a couple times a week for advice with the kids, cooking, or whatever.  So...my question is, am I the only mom who feels like she makes answers up on the spot?  I mean, is there a manual that has rules like, "Thou shalt not sing at the table," "Thou shalt eat 4 more bites," and "Thou shalt touch no one's bottom but thine own..."  If there is, someone please clue me in :)

3) I <3 taking pictures of everyday stuff we do.  It's so much fun!  My oldest and youngest daughters are completely photogenic and turn into little Gerber kiddos when they see a camera.  All smiles.  My middle one, though, is another story.  She is extremely expressive and scrunches up her face when she talks.  This is adorable, but the pics REALLY don't do her justice.  You'd think, "Is her face like that all the time?"  And she never sits still.  And she could care less about looking cute in a picture.  I have to take up to 15 pictures of her before I get one suitable for public viewing.  Here are a couple of outtakes:

See?  I told ya...

4)  I only have one pair of sandals left from last summer, and they're on their last leg, no pun intended.
I have been wearing them every day, including when we went to Las Vegas last week and walked several miles at midnight (posting on that later).  These sandals have, like, 4-inch chunky heels, and my back has been killing me all week.  So I finally have a good excuse to head over to the shoe store, where my tagalongs happily try on shoes as I shop to my heart's content.  *We always clean up afterwards.*  Payless Shoe Source - you could pay more, but why?

5) One of the highlights on our church calendar is the Memorial Day picnic, which I'm headed to in just a few minutes (letting the little one nap now).  Most of our church family gets together at our local park for horseshoes, softball, basketball, a bbq, and just plain fun.  Some of them invite family who would never go to church, and a few strangers who see us having a good time stop by for a visit.  I <3 small town life!  And I'm so thankful for those who have sacrificed their lives, and the families who have lived without them - so we could enjoy the freedoms we have today.  I <3 America!!

Happy Memorial Day!!