At any rate.

 A lot is going on in my life, and sometimes I think I am committed to too many things. However, I am trying to make it my priority to go to church on Wednesday nights. This is a struggle for our family because I don't have a partner to go with me (he's working), and I have a hard time making it across town from my job to my church on time with a toddler. At any rate, I got this reminder about the discipleship class that I signed up for on my facebook page. Churches getting all fancy and stuff with their technology.

 At any rate, I signed up for a class on forgiveness based on the life of Joseph. I had a rough teaching week last week that seems to be stretching into this week. At any rate, I made myself go to church. Like, forced myself. When I got there, I found my class had only four women in it, and I also discovered the leader wrote her OWN study guide and had it bound.

 

I'm not sure why that floored me so, but it did. After talking with these four precious women--of all ages, colors, and sizes...I realized just how much of a blessing this class is going to be to me. Especially considering the Lord was going to throw some major forgiveness wrenches in my week on Thursday and Friday that lead into today.

Let's just say a parent situation happened last week.

Let's just say that I was really upset about it. 

Let's just say my feelings were deeply hurt.

Let's just say I've been in tears for days about it.

Let's just say that she apologized to me today due to the misunderstanding.

So I guess God is going to hit me with a two-by-four in the head over forgiveness.

 

At some point in the last week, I tried to watch part of the Democratic National Convention so I could be up to date on the news.

Since Bill Clinton makes me want to gag, I didn't watch for that long.

I also just realized I've started about fifty sentences in this post with "at any rate." I do apologize.

 

This is what the back of my care looked like at my mom's house one of the days I have to get all of Micah's stuff for school. It was so nice to have my new car. I mean, it is awesome to have this much space in the backseat. I just can't even tell you.

 

This weekend, I almost needed another day off to recover from my weekend! It was a busy one, and on Saturday I took Micah to my mom's so that I could go to a baby shower at the Brooks Museum of Art. 

#1 Did you know the Brooks has a restaurant?

#2 You can't take a baby to that kind of a shower.

#3 It was nice to get out for a while, and I'm so thankful to my mom for watching Micah.

At any rate (whoops--there it is again!), meet my friend Stephanie. This is probably the only time you'll see her on the blog because she hates pictures. I don't know that I have had a picture taken with her since my wedding day in 2004. I told her that since she was actually having a baby, she'd have to take a picture with me. Those are the baby shower rules, and after it was over...she obliged.

 

It's a really funny (and long) story of how I met Stephanie, and this is her sister Shantae. They are sisters married to brothers. Isn't that funny? So they are also sisters-in-law as well as sisters! At one time, there was a huge group of us that hung out in our "single" years at Bellevue. Fast forward a bit, and we all started to date each other and marry. Mr. C was friends with Stephanie and her husband George. We got married first, and then they got married a year later. THEN, they randomly bought the house behind our fence (not on purpose). That's actually how we got to know them more because they were our neighbors. She's due with Nicholas in November, and we couldn't be happier for them!

 

Saturday was the most beautiful day! I mean, it was amazing!

 

I have to say, I think Mr. C and I might have to try a date at the Brooks' restaurant at some point in the future sitting out on the patio followed by a walk at the zoo next door. Sometimes I hate Memphis, and other times...I love aspects of my city.

 

I also love Instagram.

 

Here is the closer picture of us, and I have to say...I'm starting to finally slim down. Others have noticed, too! That's when it feels really good.  I've now lost 15 pounds, and it feels great!

 

On Sunday, we headed out to a busy day of church, birthday parties in Mississippi, and I had MOF (Moms of Faith) at church in the afternoon. We were freakishly early that morning for church, so we decided to go get some Waffle House! I think it should be a Sunday morning tradition! I loved spending the time with my boys. Mr. C enjoyed his waffles.

 

Micah also approved, but he wouldn't be still for a photo.

Also, I try not to read too many blogs that are written by somebody I don't know. However, a friend of mine recommended The Year of Less to me. I have to say, I think I'm hooked. It is a homeschooling hippie Christian mama with six kids who is writing about living life with LESS (stuff mainly, but also about focusing your life on what  matters and CHRIST). Although, I'm not quite so hippie (or ever will be), I found this fascinating. I might have to go through and follow her lead on at least de-cluttering my house some more. So I thought I'd pass that little blog along. Especially if you liked Radical by David Platt. She's getting a lot of her stuff from that.

So there ya have it. The last bit of our week and our weekend in a nutshell.

Have a great week!