4th of JULY!!

First of all thank you to all of you who have encouraged me to start blogging again - the fact that you all read this and appreciate it is amazing!! You guys rock!!

I think my friendships are more serious now than they used to be. I used to be friends with whoever, whenever - now I think I have fewer friends but deeper friendships!! I don't know if that is the fact that I have a child with special needs, or that Sonny travels so much and the kids are so busy that friendship time is more precious, or that I am just getting older (old-er NOT old :)) - but whatever the reason my friendships seem more precious than they did when I was younger!

4th of July was a perfect example of how precious friends are!

It was a challenging day for me- my washing machine had broken down during the week, the day before our TV upstairs had inexplicably stopped working and the clincher - the air conditioning stopped functioning. The biggest bummer about the AC is that the day before I noticed it not working well but hoped it just needed a new filter so I replaced it and didn't open any windows. It was in the high 80s with 80 percent humidity - even through the night so you can do the math to what our house felt like by Sun afternoon!! We hadn't gone to church because of the lovely cough that Timothy and Jordan had picked up.

But I was working on my attitude - it was the 4th of July after all. The day that we celebrate the birth of our incredible nation - where we can live free and prosperously. Where I can take for granted the conveniences of AC, washing machines and cable. Where my children - even my cognitively challenged child - are guaranteed an education and a place of value in our society. A day to be grateful and thankful for all the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom from the revolutionary war right up to today in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Okay - so after that pep talk to myself - could I really justify in any way, shape or form feeling sorry for myself? Unfortunately as the day progressed - yes - well not justify but certainly give into a little pity :)

I don't know if it is summer vacation, or being sick, or being difficult but my previously, basically potty trained sweet five year old Jordan has taken huge, huge steps backwards!! Esp that Sun! We had three pools set up in the backyard - Jordan managed to poop in three outfits that day (prior to the twice when friends were actually at our house that night). Large, gross poops. So yes, I threw a little pity at myself as I scrubbed clothes in the sink (no washing machine), cleaned the bathroom (not sure how she does it but there was poop every where!!), with sweat dripping off me (no AC - that window doesn't open). Finally the last time I literally just dumped chlorox bleach on the floor!! On the flip side - the sauna of a bathroom that I was working in had to have beneficial skin properties.

So what does this have to do with friendship? By the time the Raus and the Sobolls got to our house that night for a bonfire/hang out/go to fireworks I was done, didn't want to go near the house, didn't want one more thing to do wrong!! The next few hours (despite two more poopy pants) was like an island oasis in a week where everything I touched came crashing down. Just to sit and laugh and enjoy conversation as the kids played in the backyard was such a blessing.

And a reminder of how precious friendship is - how it should be honored and not pushed aside!! How grateful I am to the friends that are walking this path of life with me!! That listen to me, cry with me, pray with me and most importantly - laugh with me!!