To quote Apples to Apples....Sweet. My computer runs again. Of course I still think it needs to probably be overhauled but at the very least I have internet access again. Actually I do think I just need to finish doing my long overdue regular maintainence on it and clean out a bunch of work projects that I don't need to save anymore. Realistic pipe dream to buy a new computer. I need a car, would like to eventually buy a house...so a new computer is fairly down the list.

The weekend was pretty decent. Friday I was driving home and decided I was either going to go to Shrek 3 or get my hair cut/permed, depending on whether they could fit me in on a whim. Often, I'll call and they have an opening but you just never have any idea who you are getting at the salon. This time I had rachel, a really nice person with brilliantly red/magenta hair and kind of a pseudo mohawk going. It always kind of makes me leery to have my hair done by people who have that drastic of a hair style. However she was meticulous (so much so that they shut the salon down and she was still in the midst of my post-perm haircut.) We also had a really interesting chat. From everything from her children, to music, to people who want to share Jesus all the time in not so effective ways to living in Woodbury in general. What also was totally funny is that I walked in and the same redheaded young man who worked at the sunglass hut across the street was in there again visiting. (Apparently he no longer works at the sunglass hut but still likes to come into the salon to flirt with the women there.) This time he brought his dad and it was just an interesting people-watching experience.

Saturday I went to a seminar at church - sharing faith. The speakers were interesting and it was too bad we didn't have more time for group discussion as if you ended up on a tangent you sort of didn't get back to the topic at hand and it also seemed like a couple of people really didn't share or talk all that much. I left there wondering what they thought of the seminar. After that I headed over to my friends Nick and Alesha's house for a joint birthday party which was relaxing and a good time. Food was excellent and it was just relaxing sitting petting their wonderful dog. I'm never good at interacting with people I don't know...it's out of my comfort zone but it was fun. I even experienced my first game of Apples to Apples. Watch out family...I have a new game to spring on y'all next christmas (if you haven't played already, it's a pretty decent game and really not that long at all...really you will like it...I promise...it's not at all painful like those questions books I sprung on y'all a few years ago.)

And then there was today. It was about 45 degrees this a.m. I had my window open (because it's always about 80-90 in my apartment living on the top floor) and got to sleep in this a.m. until about 9 a.m. which was so completely nice. I then casually got ready to go and headed for the park where we were holding a picnic with the people who are interested in the new church I've told many of you about that we are planning to start in Cottage Grove in September (thealley.org)

We started off the morning with a rock. Each family drew on the rock something they would give up to God as a sacrifice and then we went close to the shore of the lake where we we holding the picnic and built a small alter and had communion as a group. It was so cool to see all of the families and their small children talking about what they wanted to put on their rock.

For me, and maybe it's just where I'm at right now with next birthday weeks away zooming me closer to 40 than 30, but it's hard not to envy or wish or just feel kind of alone during activities like that. It's dumb to feel that way because I'm resigned that plans are in motion however ...I still think it was a cool activity and so I just said a prayer that God work on my heart and just moved on.

It was good to meet a few more people and see the energy of good fun people who may be heading to cottage grove with this mission. It's also just amazing the amount of children in the group :) It was fun to actually get Eli to talk today. My friends Ben and Katie have three children - all very different and truly just fun-loving kids. Eli's their middle boy and always a tad shy (he's only three) but at the end of the picnic he sat for a moment on a blanket and looked at me and said what I think was "it's great being three." I knew his birthday was the past week because we prayed for him. He didn't really know why being three was great and just gave me this look like "duh...it's great because I said so" and while I still have a hard time deciphering 3-year old talk I just was really touched that he trusted me enough to talk. Also very sweet was little Ava who out of the blue just came and gave my knees a hug. I bent down to make sure she knew who she was hugging and she just gave me the most brilliant smile.

At times my friends don't really understand why I just take off with the kids and honestly I don't consider myself that spectacular of a kid person. But listening and watching children does help me realize that we are all one family. You've got to care for each other and share smiles and just listen to people whether they are 3 or 83. I'm always thankful to my friends for letting me play with their kids, even for short moments. I know they look at me like I'm slightly insane for volunteering to play but it just spins a different perspective. I'm always slightly in awe of how they juggle the demands of two and three kids and I also wonder what these interesting three year olds will be like when they are 13 or 15.

Yep it was a decent weekend. I'm really sort of sad it's over. (Mostly because I have to work tomorrow.) Although tomorrow hopefully will be good as my friend Kim is in town on business and I hope to squeeze in some quality friend time tomorrow evening and catch up with her. Have a great week!