Not what I expected

I have found that things rarely go according to how I plan. That's not to say this is a bad thing. Far from it really, just not quite what I planned on. A few examples...

-After graduation, instead of getting a "real, grown-up" job, I have continued to be a nanny. Four years of college education and here I am doing the same thing I did every summer between those four years. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, and in a time where many people can't afford to love their jobs when people love that they have a job, it just isn't what I planned on when I was leaving for college all those years ago. Not what I expected.

 Four of my favorite kids in the world.

 -When I first heard about blogs, I thought they were silly. Why people felt the need to have some sort of online diary of their thoughts and actions was beyond me. I didn't pay much attention to them at all. That all changed as a relationship with my dear friend Whitney blossomed (you should check out her blog Oh, I love that.). She introduced me to The Pioneer Woman and Ashley Ann at Under the Sycamore and my world was rocked. I suddenly loved reading about these women; what was going on in their lives, delicious food they made, thrifty crafts they created. And wouldn't you know, here I am, starting my own blog. Not what I expected.

-I never thought I would turn into my mom. This is NOT a negative thing!! I love my mom dearly, we have a great relationship that I am constantly thankful for. I just didn't think that I would become the only look at the sale and clearance items first, garage sale bargain, go to the restaurant where we have a coupon, pick up furniture off the side of the street because it's perfectly good sort of gal that I am today. But I am, and while I was embarrassed when I was in middle school and high school when we would pull over to the side of the road to check out things that other people threw out, I am thankful that my mom taught me the value of a dollar and that just because someone else doesn't want it, doesn't mean it's not good. After all, she scored me a great table for our house that way, and I did make her leave the pool with me yesterday to help me load up two great dressers into my car (that are being refinished if anyone is interested!)

-I didn't expect to fall in love with my best friend. From high school. Who I've known since I was 5. But again, it happened. Was it at the most inconvenient time?  Yes, we had lived a mile apart for 12 years and it happened after we were at different schools...in different states...for the next 4 years. Did I try to fight it? Yes, I turned the poor guy down not once, but twice. Thankfully for me, he was crazy enough to wait (and when he told me he was going to wait, because eventually I would realize that it was him I was supposed to be with, I did think he was a little bit crazy). And what do you know, he was right (don't tell him I said that) and here we are, a couple weeks shy of our second WEDDING anniversary (it still feels like it was last week). Not what I expected.

Us and our "lap dog"

So I have found that making plans is tricky and in the end, if you don't end up where you thought you might, it's ok. It turns out to be a lot better when you let loose and trust that everything is going to be alright. Ultimately, it isn't your path anyway, it's God's and He isn't going to mess it up, so why worry? 

I hope you will continue to come back and check out this blog. There will be stories from working with children, living with a 90 pound lap dog, the delicious food we eat, the crafts we make (not always gracefully), and other everyday joys of life.

keep it simple.