I Need A New Hobby

So I had to have my gallbladder taken out around the end of May. I was okay, and then, all of a sudden, I soooo wasn't. Really, it's quite sad when you're a patient in your own ER. So I am now gallbladder-less and appendix-less. The appendix was okay, but the doc mentioned he could take it out too. I said "TAKE IT"! Lord knows, it probably would have crapped out in 6 months anyway. Surgeries are no longer going to be a hobby for me. I really MUST come up with something a little less painful and far less expensive. :)

The absolute best part of my summer was having my sister Caylen living with me! We had such a wonderful time. Coffee shops, crab legs, Hurricane Harbor, the lake, movies, make-up, thrift shopping, boba tea, Josh Groban concert, ice cream, pool time, red highlights..... She took care of me after surgery; I took care of her after her concussion. We made marvelous roommates!! Hope she comes back next summer! I already miss her terribly.

It's HOT in Texas right now. We are on day 30-something of being over 100 degrees without any rain. Pretty sure that, if it ever rains again, I'm going to need to play in it. :) I'm learning to surf behind a friend's boat this summer. I've swallowed half the lake in the process. I'm not very good at it, and I give everyone a huge laugh while i'm trying. It's so much fun!!

and that's about all I've got.....

things that matter

WOW!!!!! So I am obviously not as good at this whole blog thing as my older sister is. Pretty sure she writes on one or all of her 3 blogs everyday. She is a punctual, put-together, prepared perfectionist. I'm usually punctual....aaaaaaaaaannnnnddddd that's all I've got. :D

If you don't know all my siblings, let me break it down for you -

1.) Cristan: the sister mentioned earlier. She is a mom of one, lives in CA, is crazy creative, dreams big and wonderfully, generous to a fault, and loves to entertain. As children, she was definitely "the boss". When there were chores to be done, she was the supervising manager and we younger kids were the work crew. It took us waaaay too long to realize how sneaky she was in getting out of work. :P She is fiercely loyal and will come out swinging if anyone or anything threatens her loved ones. I've been able to visit her in so many different places. We've shared clothes, Bible studies, break-up stories, laughs, tears, fights, shoes. Oh the wonderful shoes!!

2.) Me: you know me

3.) Carmen: my twin sister. She is about to be a mommy, lives in VA, is hilarious, spunky, a go-getter, smiley and encouraging. She was the mischievous child! Colored rubber bands on the sink sprayer, convincing the siblings that they were supposed to chew the nasty medicines instead of swallow them, telling people on the phone that they had called our family's madhouse "and to which cage could (she) direct their call". We are best friends (and sometimes each other's worst enemy). She will try almost anything!! She's talked me into doing all sorts of outrageousness, and I, in turn, have had to talk her OUT of doing a few things - usually those things that would threaten either life or limb. Old movie nights, tickle fights (the only way I could win), cooking disasters..... "We are funny girls....."

4.) Nathan: the one and only boy, father to one, the "try anything once and he's already great at it" guy. Nate was our childhood adventure leader (okay, okay - he's still mine). Snake hunting in Africa, fort-building, creek-wading, camping, fishing, rock climbing, shooting - name it, he's tried it, and I was usually in tow. When he and I would go snake hunting, I would usually try to distract the snake and keep an eye on its movements while he got in a good position to chop its head off with his machete. The ultimate white "bush kid"... He's my "I need a different perspective, one with logic" go-to guy. He tells me things I don't always want to hear, but they are almost always things that will make me better. Not to mention the many nights of Texas Hold 'Em where I inevitably lose all my chips or pennies or whatever random thing we are playing for. He loves strategy games like Risk. I don't have that kind of patience and perseverance. I would rather pay him to take over my part of the Risk world so I could be done with the game. British comedies with Nate? HIGH-larious!!!! He is a protector - a job his many sisters made (and continue to make) difficult.

5.) Carla: Our animal-loving, sweet, compassionate, dry-humored gal, lives in TX, working on becoming a vet assistant. This girl is our "heart of gold" child! She will try to rehabilitate any injured animal and cry her heart out if it doesn't make it. She loves kiddos and they adore her. She sees the good in everyone, says the funniest things, and just adores being with family members. One phrase that makes us all laugh...."then a big white buzzard came down and landed on Jesus's shoulder....." Granted, she was only about 6 then :) She has done lots of writing, and, this last year, we got to see so much talent in her painting and individualized gifts. She's lots of our family's soul.... Her own personal struggles with learning disabilities have made her an inspiring teacher for children with the same problems. She has often been the first person a child with mental disabilities will say their very first words to; she has been the only one who was finally been able to teach a child a concept in reading that he could never understand before; she has been the only person an autistic child will allow to hold or cuddle him/her. She is gifted in so very many extraordinary ways. Sometimes, it's easy for me to forget the struggles she has on a daily basis. Then I see her with these children.... She can reach so many people in a way I never can.

6.) Caylen: the diva, trend-setting, hilarious, lovable, crazy fun, joyful lil' sis! This one is a riot! She keeps us all in the know regarding clothing, hair, make-up, music, and all things cool. She is our "life of the party" gal and will keep us laughing. Lots of people are drawn to her just because she is so gracious to people she meets and so vivacious about life (unless she has strep and bronchitis like she does now), but don't be fooled, if I step out of line, she lets me know and fast! She will be living with me for the summer, and I'm so excited! This girl is a natural people person, and challenges me all the time to know what I believe and why. She is a whiz at languages! it's amazing how quickly she can pick up language concepts - Russian, Arabic, some Persian. And this from the girl who insisted on teaching her Hungarian kindergarten class English so that she wouldn't have to learn Hungarian!!

7.) Natalie: the baby, the tallest female in the family, brilliant, sporty, witty, wise and gentle. How we all adore Tasha! We all have nicknames for her - Punkin', Scuzzy, Sunshine, Knucklehead.... She is a marvel on a skateboard, ripstick or anything with wheels, loves basketball, is becoming quite the accomplished improv comedian, always has very "beyond her years" good advice, is a calming, joyful, insanely fun person to be around and spend time with, and pretty much the coolest kid ever. Her sense of humor (especially considering the weird family she got stuck in), is spot on, and she is so grounded and beautiful. She doesn't live close, and my heart is in a constant state of "missing Sunshine". Before she was born, I always felt like there was someone missing in our family, that we weren't yet complete. After her birth, I never felt that way again. She is our joy...

There you have us - the whole clan. I feel incredibly loved by all of them and undeservedly blessed to have them as my siblings. There are some things in life one can never say enough "Thank You's" for...... You've just met six of mine.