Some of the things I'm thankful for...

Defying Gravity

I love the musical, Wicked. This is one of my favorite songs from it. I've played this song probably 50 times this week.


Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

I'm through accepting limits
Because someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down

Simplify

I am beginning to overhaul our lives. We have too much. Too many things. Too many commitments.

My friend, Dotti, likes to tell me that when I stand up and introduce myself in Celebrate Recovery I need to start saying, "Hi, my name is Kristin and I am believer in Jesus Christ who is a volunteer addict. I CAN'T SAY NO." :o)

I have long ago started decluttering our closets/clothes/paper/junk. What I really need is a full entire weekend with no kids to get things taken care of. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

I am so thankful for our church and its ministries and all the ways we can serve but I also think I have taken on too much and need to clear something off my plate.

John and I lead a Home Group each Sunday afternoon.
I have nursery duty every 4th Sunday.
We have signed up to start leading a student class at 9AM each Sunday.
I am helping to lead a Step Study on Wednesday nights for Celebrate Recovery.
I organize the meals every Thursday for Celebrate Recovery for 20-30 people.
I help lead the Women's A-Z group for Celebrate Recovery every Thursday night.
I am serving as a Sponsor for 3 ladies in Celebrate Recovery and walking with them through working their 12 steps.
I help coordinate the Top Guns Wives group each week.

Add this to working a full time job, keeping up my house and trying to raise 3 boys and I'm beat.

I have already decided to let Home Group go. We made a commitment to lead for 18-24 months and we are coming up on 2 1/2 years so I need my Sunday afternoons back.

I've told the CR staff I am out for the next Step Study. They tend to last 4-6 months and I plan to do every other rotation.

Top Gun Wives will end in May and with that I'm going to let them know I cannot help facilitate next year.

My nursery commitment is only once a month so I can manage that.

I do not want to give up CR in the least but I may have to say that I can no longer really handle pulling the meals together after the first of the year.

Now comes the holiday season and with it a whole host of other commitments but my goal for 2010 is to simplify.

Picture Updates

In an instant...

My "baby" will be turning 13 in a couple weeks. It has gone by so quickly.

I can remember finding out about him and how scared I was. (I wasn't married to his father and had just turned 21 years old).

Then I remember feeling like every single person around me was unhappy and that regardless of the circumstances I was going to be a mom and I had a little person depending on me.

When I went through all the health scares with him and thought I might lose him and it was decided to deliver him early...

When he was finally born after such a long, long day and so many scares...

When they handed me a little 4 pound bundle and he was the smallest thing I had ever seen but he had these little gray eyes that were wide open...

When I knew it was just me and him on our own and that I would do anything I could to protect and keep him from hurt...

When he went around telling EVERYBODY that "My Mommy and My John and me...we're all going to get married and live together."

Telling him he was going to be a big brother for the first time. "Really? I wanted a puppy!"

Watching him look at Josh for the first time, "He's a keeper, Mom."

Telling him he was going to be a big brother for the second time. "Are you serious, Mom? A BABY? Aren't you too old for that?"

He is my firstborn, strong willed, smart as a whip, addicted to the History Channel, girl crazy, handsome, blue eyed boy that drives me up the wall some times but breaks my heart with pride at other times.

And he'll be 13 soon. And I'm not ready for that.