Thankful On Paper - My Dad

I had a hard time writing this week's letter.  Truth be told I haven't even sent it out.  The letter goes to my dad.  Quite simply, I want to thank him for being an amazing grandfather.  For trying to ask for forgiveness, make up for past wrongs, through his time and actions as a grandfather.  I want to thank him for putting up with my abuse.  Sometimes I still feel like a teenager the way we go back and forth, tit for tat.  I give him such a hard time and I am realizing that it's getting old and I need to stop.  He loves me nonetheless despite of it all, and still calls every week just to check in.  See how I'm liking my job, see how traffic is going, offering alternative routes for me to try.  He drives me crazy sometimes, but I love him.     

p.s. if it seems like I'm rushing through this post, well I am.  I didn't realize that I'd instantly start crying as I type.  Obviously I have some things I'd like to say to my dad.

Thankful On Paper - Marin

 Today I am participating in Rachel's Thankful on Paper series. 

Today I am thankful for Marin.  She's that cute girl up above with the funky cat eye glasses.

I am exhausted, as I usually am on Thursday's, and so that makes me even more grateful and thankful for Marin because tomorrow is Friday. 

And what happens on Fridays? 

Marin comes and she takes care of my 2 children.  She will play with them nonstop.  She will feed them (she's not the best cook, as she'll admit, but she can make the important stuff like a PB&J).  She will read to them, craft with them, take pictures of them.  She will focus on them.  And she will will love them with all her heart.  And in return they love her.  

And you want to know where I found Marin?

At Target. 

See, you can find anything and everything at Target, even babysitters.

Over 3 years ago I was going through the check out line with Taylor, who was just a littler over 2 at the time.  Our cashier started talking to her, asking her questions about the Princess stickers we were buying.  She actually got Taylor to respond and speak.  I was in shock.  I don't know what came over me but I asked her if she ever babysat.  She said "No, but I'd love to".  Taylor was like I said, 2, and Syd was about 6 months old.  I needed someone to come to the house for 4 hours a week while I worked from home at my part time job.  I gave her my phone number and told her to call me.

My mom was with me and she just about died of horror witnessing this.  As we walked out she said "I can't believe you're soliciting Target employees to babysit my grandchildren."  I couldn't explain it, but I just had a good feeling about her.  I went with my gut and I haven't regretted it once.

I quickly taught Marin everything she needed to know about caring for two young children, including changing diapers.  She learned plenty from on the job training.  Within 9 months, she has secured herself at least 5 other regular babysitting jobs, which were coincidentally for all of my friends.  She had enough work to actually quit Target and be a sitter full time, as she goes to college.  After a while I had to have her stop coming to family functions and birthday parties because just about every mom in town was trying to hijack my sitter.  I joke with her that I should get a commission for each new family friend she picks up.

So Marin, thank you for being you.  Thank you for loving my kids, caring for them, sparking that sense of creativity and fun in them.  And thank you for being you, crazy pink hair and all.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that.  Marin now has pink hair.  And she is in the Roller Derby.  Hey, babysitters come in all shapes, sizes, and colors right? 

Rachel From No.17 Cherry Tree Lane

I'm Andrea Howe, and I endorse this message:
I'm lucky enough to know Rachel in real life, and not just in blog circles real life, but like, she really is a friend in real life (there I go getting all SoCal on you again with the "Like" word, sorry).  Rachel is sassy, she is funny, and her personality is larger than life, as is her love of all things vintage, and of course Mary Poppins. Duh. Hence the No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane reference. Rachel writes from the heart and I love her for that, and to prove that, here is one of her beautifully written posts that truly hits home for me.

It's not a mystery to anyone who knows me that I'm not Southern California's biggest fan. I fancy myself a woman that would fit in perfectly in the deep South. Large plantation shutters, slower lifestyle, no Blackberrys, all-day lemonade and long, drawn-out conversations, on my wrap around porch.
That's much more my style.

Last evening we joined friends for dinner and while we were waiting for them to box up our leftover fajitas and for the husbands to pay the bill, a revealing conversation began (isn't that when all great conversations start? Just when you have 3 restless children, needing to go to bed and a waiter waiting for you to leave your table). How it came up, I have no idea, but within 3 minutes, both my friend and I were sharing how we longed to leave Southern California. Not in the "I hate So Cal" kind of way, but more of the "general discontent with the lifestyle" variety.

We played verbal tennis, shooting reasons back and forth about why we would want to leave. There were plenty of reasons shared and enough realistic to solicit a move. We both agreed that moving would be the easiest part.

All through the conversation, the phrase, "Bloom Where You Are Planted" kept creeping through my mind. It was quite annoying, to tell you the truth. Besides being kinda kitschy, it's never something I say or share with others. It's not a cliche statement I email often, so why was it there? The more I thought about it, the more I realized it's purpose. I totally got it-in fact, for the first time last evening, I embraced it.

I have been placed in California. Southern California.
God has selected this to be our home for the time being and while I tend to think I know best, intuitively I know that the Lord doesn't make mistakes.
He has us embedded in this community, on this street and in this house.
He has us mingling with our neighbors, attending our church and spending time with the dear friends we have made here.
We live here for a purpose and this purpose won't and shouldn't be wasted because it's for a divine reason.

Believing that God has a reason for what He does, I can only assume that there is a reason we are here and here is where we will remain until HE gives us a reason to leave. Not until I find one.
Otherwise, imagine all of the wonderful opportunities I would be wasting. Imagine the friendships I would be saying goodbye to and the home we would be driving away from.

Yes, Southern California might not be my very favorite place in the world.
But my LIFE in Southern California is special to me. My friends, family, church, home, community.

They are mine.
And I will Bloom Where I Am Planted.
Enjoying the moments, rather than complaining about the weeds.

Since when I think of Rachel, I think of vintage, I am offering up for grabs to one lucky reader, a piece from my personal collection of vintage milk glass. The sweet little candy dish on the right is up for grabs, not the bell or the dish on the left. Those belonged to my grandmother and you ain't getting your grubby paws on those hehe! So you know what to do people! Leave a comment for sweet Rachel, get an entry. Blog about it, tweet it, facebook it, get an entry. Subscribe to Four Flights of Fancy or Cherry Tree Lane, get another entry. Just leave a comment for each entry :) That's it folks!