nanny shelly's diary: week eight

Hello from Virginia!

The movers arrived on Monday to start unloading the "moving mack." They worked Monday and Tuesday to get everything in the house, and Elizabeth and Jim have been working through the week to get boxes emptied and the house put together. It's coming along...it's been quite a process.

The boys and I have been on many adventures...I've been trying to get them excited about what's around here. The park is a much closer walk here than the one in Westborough was. It used to take about twenty minutes to walk to the park, now it's less than ten. We've gone to the park once or twice a day all week. The boys LOVE to swing on the swings. The local library is also about a block away. The boys enjoy walking down there and reading in the Children's section. Alex is pretty good with the concept of staying quiet in the Library...we're still working on that with Michael.

One day Alex picked up a phone that isn't working yet and decided to "call" me on my cell phone. He was asking me about all of the things I have at my house, he asked if I have a toaster and a sink and all sorts of stuff. My favorite things he asked me about were a climber (ladder), drinker (refrigerator), and a cooker (oven)...every day I swear there is some cute Alex comment! I've tried to keep track...he's just adorable! For that matter so is Michael...he has such a cute little smile! Often times I can tell by his smile if he's doing something he shouldn't be doing.

We live near Dulles airport...this is really good for Alex's plane addiction. He likes to count how many planes he's seen in a day. There are huge planes, big planes, medium planes, and small planes...huge planes are "Ali planes." Usually we look for airplanes while I push them on the swings at the park.

We've met a few of the neighbors. Michael was running around outside with Alex and he face-planted in the mud...that was fun!

On another note...if you haven't already...you should buy the new Death Cab for Cutie album "Narrow Stairs." It's a great album!

Until next week...


shells

nanny shelly's diary: week seven

It has been one crazy week! Here's how the week went:

Tuesday the movers loaded the last of the furniture and boxes onto the 'moving mack.' That night we headed to a local hotel to stay the night. I wasn't sure what to expect as for hotel rooms, and since it was on of Jim's hotels we had this huge suite! I was amazed! The boys and I shared a huge room with two beds, two couches, a huge flat screen television, a bathroom, and an office area.

Wednesday we played at the hotel in the morning and started the eight hour drive to Virginia just before noon. We were making really good time until we hit the Bronx...where we were stuck in traffic for four hours! So what initially could've been a eight hour trip turned into a twelve hour trip. I saw a guy reading a novel in traffic...that's gotta be safe! The boys watched three movies during our time in New York...and the next time I go to the city I'm going to avoid the Bronx cuz I've had about enough of it for now. I was in eight states on Wednesday...Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia. On the West Coast I could drive for eight hours and still be in Oregon! It's a bit different.

Thursday we came over to see the house...it was the first time I'd seen it and it is lovely! We ran a few different errands and the boys and I met a few of the neighbors. The boys saw a rabbit in the back yard and chased it for about ten minutes...that wore them out good!

Friday we went into Washington DC. I was able to get a drive by view of a lot of the monuments. The last time I was in DC (years ago) they had scaffolding around the Washington Monument, so it was cool to see it in it's full glory. It was a little too wet to explore outside...but we had fun staying inside playing with cars. Alex and I watched Dumbo...I always cry during that movie...'Baby Mine'...oh my gosh!

Saturday Elizabeth and I took the boys to the pool for some swimming fun...Ali likes to jump into the pool. We had the pool to ourselves so the boys were able to kick around and blow some bubbles.

I guess that brings us to today huh? Well...we went to a volunteer firefighters show-type-thing...it was a lot of fun! The boys were able to see a helicopter land...but they received a call just after landing so the boys weren't able to explore the helicopter. Ali took a ride on a fire truck too.

This weeks funnies: the boys have been watching 'Alvin & the Chipmunks' and whenever Dave yells 'Alvin!!' on the movie, Michael yells 'Almer!!' So cute...

One of the guys at Jim's work told Jim and Elizabeth he had 'anal glaucoma,' when questioned about this he said, 'yeah, I just didn't see my butt coming in to work today.'

I was getting Alex dressed one morning to go down for breakfast and he looked at me and asked, 'Shelly, do I smell?' I took a sniff and told him he didn't smell, and he said, 'Oh, it must be you then.' I laughed SO hard!

We've all been working on Alex and his thumb-sucking. We usually tell him it's a 'no thumbs day' and he's getting better with it. One day we were all driving and Jim turned around and said 'Alex, it's a no thumbs day.' Alex looked at him and said 'he likes to rest in my mouth.'

It's been a long, busy week, and tomorrow when the movers get here it will continue. So until next week...


shell

nanny shelly's diary: week six

Before I begin, I want to apologize for not posting yesterday or last Sunday...it's been a lot crazy around here. Secondly, I'd like to say 'Happy Mother's Day' again to my wonderful mom!

These past two weeks have been busy. The movers/packers have been here since this last thursday, which has put both boys on edge. They don't understand the boxes or the movers, and the big "Mac" in the front is quite interesting (Mac is what they call a semi-truck...from the movie cars).

Elizabeth was on a business trip a few weeks ago, so the boys and I "held down the fort" while she was gone. One night as I was making dinner I suddenly heard a loud cry for help. I turned around and saw Michael stuck underneath the table...he had tried to crawl under the legs of the table and got stuck in the process...before I helped him out I couldn't help but laugh at how hilarious the whole situation was.

I also have a few Alex quotes...they've become my favorite thing actually. One day while we were all hanging out he turned to me and said "Michael has a stinky poop that's burning my eyes." I about died! So funny. One lunch I asked him what he wanted to eat and he replied, "chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side." If you aren't familiar with the song "Chicken Noodle Soup" by Webstar & Young B that whole quote wouldn't be funny at all.

My "deep thought" from the past few weeks was comparing the days when a kiss could heal all wounds to now when some wounds run too deep to be healed with a kiss. For Michael, if he has a boo boo all I have to do is kiss it and he's off running around again. Sometimes I wish for those days again.

Today we took Michael in to get his shots up to date. Alex and I heard him screaming from the lobby...really though, who likes getting shots anyway?

Also...Alex and I were searching the internet for photos of animals. I'm pretty sure that one fish I saw was pulled straight out of my nightmares! (shivers) Alex also likes to look at moose photos and guitar photos. He asks to see "big mitars" (upright bass), "little mitars" (ukulele), "Ali mitars" (real guitar), and banjos. He enjoys it when Shelly plays her "mitar" but that only lasts for about five minutes...then he's off on his next adventure.

We've been making due lately with all of the toys that we could hold out of boxes so that the boys can play. We will be living in hotels starting tomorrow night until about Sunday. It's very cold and windy outside at the moment...but hey, we'll be in Virginia by Wednesday!

So...be good until next week.


shells

following God's direction

This may be a pretty obvious observation...but I'll make it anyway: following God's direction and guidance is a very difficult thing to do in life. There I said it...now I feel better. Sometimes I try to fool myself into thinking that I have all the answers I need in life...trying to fool yourself is a stupid thing to do by the way. There are times in my life when I've followed God's leading and many more times that I haven't. Looking at reasons why I would choose not to follow God's leading, I've found that mostly it comes from fear. Fear of what may happen to me, fear of where it will take me, fear of what someone else may think, fear of disappointing someone, and the list goes on. In the past year I have chosen many times to blatantly go the other direction when God is clearly leading the way with great big neon lights. Coming to Massachusetts was one of those neon lights experiences...it is where God wants me...and I knew that before I left. I know where God is leading me now...I know the calling and the passions He's placed in my life...but I'm afraid to follow. It's challanging...

I'm altering my whole lifestyle in order to put myself in a position where I'm able to follow His direction. In fact, me altering my entire lifestyle is following His leading. I'm terrified! I'm afraid I will fail miserably! I don't know where my paycheck will come from in June...I just know where He wants me. The amusing thing to me is that He's taking me to the exact place I ran from a year ago. Maybe I'm having my own Jonah experience...I don't know. I don't want people to think I'm crazy...but honestly I'm not doing it for the eyes of people...it's for Him. Day by day my heart grows heavier. I feel helpless...but empowered at the same time...does that even make sense? Probably not...

God has placed people on my heart...all people. I want to see them through His eyes. I want to show Jesus' love to the people of this world...and most of the time I do a very poor job of it. I'm done doing my own thing...I'm done dreaming my own dreams...I'm tired of life being dashed on the rocks. I want to be in line with His thought and His dreams...because they will be far more incredible than anything I could ever dare to imagine.

the rape of the world

I want to make a difference, I really don't care anymore about having money or security or getting married or having kids, I just want to make a difference. I let debt hold me back...don't get me wrong a college education is wonderful! But I always think of things in terms of what I could do as soon as I have it all paid off. God has really instilled in me a passion for people & simplicity. My real life dream is to go to India or Africa or China or Eastern Europe & start a life. I want to minister to people & truly become one of them! I want to live simply & without busy-ness. The funny thing is that in high school I always told God, "Lord, I'll follow you with my life...just don't take me out of the country." Amazing really that I now have a passion for going to another nation.

Ben Harper has a song called "Excuse Me Mister." I love the song, & that's a lot of how I feel...with the exception of being a "Mister." One line in it says, "Excuse me Mister can't you see the children dying? You say that you can't help them, Mister your not even trying." I want to make a difference! Not only is the earth being destroyed, but people are dying every day of things that can be prevented! People are out there in bondage & most of us sit in our "United State-ian" homes living our truly priviledged lives & continue to want more! Trust me...you may not feel priviledged but you are. I probably shouldn't even be "preaching" about this...cuz I'm as guilty of it as anyone! All you'd have to do is take one look into my storage unit & you'd be able to tell that I have more stuff than anyone would ever really need! But I've lived without most of that stuff for the past five months, which makes me wonder why it's even that important to me...especially since I don't even miss it.

I let my debt hold me back. I say stuff like "I can't sponser that child...I have too many other bills." But you know what? I spend money like it grows on trees, & on ridiculous things none-the-less! Why am I not using restraint to put that money toward everything I should be paying off so I can actually do something helpful?

I'm also passionate about the earth. Here's an cheap & easy way to help: recycle. Really...I know it may sound silly...but I truly CRINGE when things that can be recycled are just thrown away! What is happening to all that waste? It has to go somewhere!

The other day while I was watching the news they were talking about how life expectancy is going down in the United States. Interesting huh? I thought so. Researchers are trying to figure out why this is happening. They actually referred to us as the "richest third world country." I don't think we take care of ourselves. Most people don't take care of their bodies & if we're living off the earth but not taking care of it, it can't be good for us either! We live our busy lives & the stress begins to wear on us. We are a rich country...but it's never enough! Luke 12:48 says: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." We've been given so much...therefore so much more is expected of us. We should be giving back. Are we really being good stewards of what's been given to us?

Have you ever stood in awe & wonder while experiencing God's creation? Every time I go to the ocean I'm seriously breathtaken at first! When I step into a clear river & slide my feet over the smooth rocks I feel God's presence. When I'm sneezing my guts out cuz the flowers are in bloom, I praise Him for the beauty (and take some clariton)! Have you ever found a spot, on a clear night, where there are no street/city lights around & it's pitch black & you can literally look up into the heavens & see EVERYTHING? It's amazing! Have you ever witnessed the birth of a child? I have...I've never seen anything as beautiful as that! I truly sobbed! I want to take care of the earth, not only for myself, but for that child & every other child born in the future! It's not ours...we're only passing through really. The song "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell says, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone." Well if we know what we have & we know how to take care of it...shouldn't we do something about it?

I have my own excuses...but I don't want to settle for excuses anymore. What's your excuse?