Ancestors

My dad sent me an email today with some information on my ancestors.
My grandpa is Wayne.
My great grandpa is Ross.
My great great grandpa is John.
My great great great grandpa is - yeah, get this - Orange Peel Tucker.
Now if that doesn't make an Arkansas girl feel like a hick, I don't know what will.

The info that was in the email was fascinating. Orange was full blood Cherokee and was adopted by a "well to do white man" and didn't know his original last name. According to records, he killed his Captain in the military during the Civil War because they cut off his pigtail (or ponytail), which had been an Indian sign of manhood. He was tried and convicted, but before he could be executed, his adoptive father intervened and saved him. He went on to live until he was an old man and had a ton of kids and it was noted that he was a farmer that couldn't read or write.

Interesting.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I have been watching inauguration coverage pretty much since I got up this morning. Regardless of how you feel about the incoming or outgoing president, each inauguration is historic. It's something that will, without question, be in our history books and will be regarded and studied and remembered. This one is especially unique in that, obviously, we have our first African American president. That, in itself, is a subject for another time.

There have been many moments today that have choked me up. I'm not the biggest Obama fan. I didn't vote for him, but he is our president, so I'm at least praying for him and will support him as much as I can. However today, just because it was so "big" - a new is man taking over the most important office of leadership in the world, and a man who has served in that job for the last 8 years is leaving what has been not only his office, but his home. I can't imagine what the Bushes must been feeling. The sense of nostalgia, as well as possibly some relief that the time is finally at an end. And what are the Obamas feeling today? I'm sure there's a wide range of emotions. What must that be like to have your lives totally changed in a day? To now be known by every single person pretty much in the world. And Obama, who's likely been used to being called Barak, Obama, Senator, etc, is now almost exclusively going to be referred to as Mr. President. And Michelle. I mean, my gosh. To be the wife of the president? Overwhelming. But somehow, that woman strikes me as a lady that can handle that job and handle it well.

I haven't really said much to Rachel about my opinion of Obama. I told her as the election process was going on that we were in favor of John McCain and not Obama (though at first that really disturbed her becasue she really liked Obama - mostly because I think she liked saying his name). That's all I've said. I've watched the news and she's asked me nearly daily if Senetor Obama is going to be President Obama yet. Today, she asked and I told her that yes, he would be President Obama today. As we were watching the Inaugural Ball tonight and Barak and Michelle were dancing their first dance as President and First Lady, as Beyonce was singing "At Last" (which by the way is one of my favorite songs ever and she did an AWESOME job!), I was enjoying the moment, almost getting choked up yet again, espeically seeing Mary J. Blige with tears streaming down her face. But my sweet, innocent daughter, who was sitting in the chair with me, leaned over and whispered, "President Obama tells lies and steals money, right?" I thought I was going to fall out of my chair! WHAT?!?! I was convinced that her daddy had told her that at some point today. I asked her if Daddy said that to her tonight and she looked at me, very honestly, and said no. I asked Mike if he'd said anything to Rachel at all today about Obama and he swore he didn't. I told her to repeat to Daddy what she'd told me. Daddy heard it and immediately asked Rachel if she'd like some ice cream. In fact, how would she like 3 scoops of ice cream? And chocolate syrup? Sure, she could pour it on herself. Go ahead and get as much as you like, Daddy told her. She didn't realize she was getting ice cream for making a statement that her Daddy emphatically agreed with.... thank goodness.

It Once Was Lost, But Now It's Found

I had a panic attack earlier today. A genuine, nearly hyperventilating panic attack. I was putting Porter in his car seat and snagged my wedding ring on the straps. I looked down, mostly out of habit, to make sure everything was ok. IT WAS NOT! My diamond was gone. GONE I SAY!! I started to flip out! I had already been having one heck of a hormonal day and this just was the proverbial straw. I had to take Rachel to dance, so I got her to church and of course she was telling her teachers about it. Miss Kelly, bless her heart, said that she would be praying that Jesus would just bring that diamond to the surface and that it would be easy to find. I tell you, as soon as I realized it was missing, I think the first words out of my mouth were, "Oh sweet Jesus, help me find my diamond!!!" I was in constant prayer. I called Mike and thankfully, he was just down the street at the corporate office and said he could come help me look for it. I looked everywhere I could think of. I know I had it at lunch because I'd taken my rings off to put on lotion. So, it had to have been lost somewhere in the house. Mike and I retraced my steps from the time I put lotion on my hands until I walked out to get in the car for dance. I mean, I looked EVERYWHERE I possibly thought that little thing could go. We looked under the couch, under the recliner, in the bathroom where I'd been wallpapering all day, in the laundry room, in the garage... everywhere. Then I went to get Porter up to go get Rachel from dance and low and behold, there that diamond lay, shining on his changing table. Jesus had really brought it to the surface, just as Miss Kelly had prayed. It was not in a drain somewhere, not in a nook or cranny, never to be found. No. It was right there in plain sight. Two of the prongs had broken which caused the diamond to fall out. Thank you Jesus that it came out someplace very obvious and that I was able to find it and get it put safely away, ready for repair.

Here's a sad little picture of the damage. The sweet diamond isn't very big, but I love it. I would have been devastated if I hadn't found it. Again, hallelujah and praise the Lord!!

Where does she come up with this stuff???

Just overheard Rachel talking to herself...

Rachel: "I am in love with you. It's an emergency!"
Me: What did you just say?
Rachel: "I am in love with you. It's an emergency!"
Me: "Where did you hear that?"
Rachel: "From my boyfriend..." (she said boyfriend like that was the dumbest question she'd had to answer in her life)
Me: "Who's your boyfriend?"
Rachel: "I do NOT know."

The end.

Saturday Stuff

I've started writing. I'm terrified and exhilarated all at the same time. We'll see how it comes along.

We've determined to keep a better check on our budget this year and really stick to a spending plan. I went to the grocery store today after checking my recipes, making a menu for the week, and determining what we already have on hand that I can use. I only spent about $45 on food and that includes meals for Tanner's birthday tomorrow AND two gallons of milk, which we usually go through in a week's time. Not bad, I think. And we even avoided getting lunch out somewhere and waited until we got home to eat, which we normally wouldn't have done. I was pretty proud of myself. Baby steps, my friends.

Bath and Body Works is having their Semi-Annual sale now. I've discovered my new favorite scent there - Sensual Amber, courtesy of a gift from my friend Megan. I got some bubble bath in that flavor on my birthday and have used nearly half the bottle already! And I'm not one to take baths very often, but I've taken one nearly every night since I first used that stuff because it smells so delish! So, I had to go get more. :)

I've got to get pictures of Christmas up on here. I promise to do that soon.

Rachel just came up to me with a big grin on her face and said, "Goodbye, Mama." and then just stood there. I looked at her, puzzled, and said "Goodbye?" She said, "Yeah, this is opposite day. Goodbye!" and then she came over and hugged me and lingered a while. I guess that was really a "hello".

To Write?

After reading everything I can get my eyes on Twilight related, I've almost come to the conclusion that I want to write something. I want to discover some characters of my own and go on a journey with them. I can't seem to get enough of Bella and Edward and all that's going on with those two characters and am itching to know more about them and their story. That's usually the case with most books I read. I just want to know MORE and I get extremely impatient waiting on the author to tell more of what's in her imagination. So while reading all things Twilight, I thought, "why not make my own characters and my own adventures?" I love a good story. I love becoming a character in a book, escaping the real world, and living - if only for a little piece of my day - vicariously through someone else's journey. I love the feelings that my imagination stirs as I read about a couple in the beginning of falling in love, of the love a dad has for his daughter, of the secrets shared between best friends, of the things that sometimes we might think ordinary but, when seen through someone else's eyes, they become extraordinary. And since I do love a story and can't seem to be patient enough for someone else's imagination, maybe I should use my own imagination and come up with my own characters and my own story. If only for myself.

But what do I write about? And then there are the thousand questions and concerns that come after that question.....