The Last Two Days

I've been busy the last two days.

Busy, uhhh... being away?

You see, these kids o' mine went back to school.

So this mom, you see, went away.

On the road I saw something in a convenient store I want to erase from the existence of my memory bank forever.

Dear God, help me.

Also, on the drive away, I just HAD to stop at this place.  Cause I was pretty sure I heard angels singing.  And, I mean, who doesn't stop when they hear angels singing to see what all the singing is about?  Especially when that person has just resisted BOTH of the things pictured above.

After moseying away from my house for several hours, I finally arrived at my destination.  I met up with my sweet friend Jenilee at a lovely place where those in ministry can tuck themselves away from the world for a little bit.

This is the third year that Jenilee and I have met here at the beginning of a new year.

The only other time I came here without Jenilee was on Lazy Dad and my 10th anniversary. Because, uh, that would have been a bit weird and all.

We just love it here.  Everywhere you turn there are pictures with scriptures and plaques with beautiful sayings that help you refocus and refresh yourself.

This one was in my room this year and I loved what it said.

And I just LOVE a place that has as one of it's rules, to NOT make your bed.

It's a rule I strive to live by daily.

And I'm pretty good at keeping.

*ahem*

While there, we did a lot of reading, talking, praying, listening, and watching movies.  Cause watching movies TOTALLY goes with the rest of that, right?

I snapped this picture of a verse my mom wrote out and gave to me in 2002 when had just moved to Ohio.  I keep it folded in my Bible and wanted to show her I still have it.  Torn, crumpled, bearing toddler coloring and all. 

Which I think makes it a bit more precious.

Although I remember crying when my toddler at the time (who shall go unnamed, but those who know my children well, will know which one it was) "colored" all over it.

I think I may have even been the one that crumpled it up after that and threw it in the trash to show him how much he had "ruined" it as I threw a bit of a fit over it in front of him. 

And I think there was even yelling at him involved as I did this fit throwing and crying.

OVER A PIECE OF PAPER.

Yeah, that's when I realized, this piece of paper, although meaningful to me, wasn't so meaningful that I needed to take my fit-throwing-self out on my toddler that had "left his mark" on it.  So I took a deep breath, apologized to him, retrieved the paper from the trash can, smoothed it out and decided to keep it in my Bible anyway.

Hey, I never said I got this motherhood thing right all the time, people!

Then today it was time to head back home.  I had to do my Radio Show after all!

BUT GUESS WHAT?

I had a bit of a hankering for Panera.  So I found one on the way home to stop at.

AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME... this Panera still has the French Onion Soup that is my all-time, hands-down, makes-me-want-to-shout-hallelujah favorite!  (They're test marketing a new kind in the Toledo area that I am not happy about. AT. ALL.)

Oh, my sweet favorite French Onion Soup, how I miss and love thee.  Come back to me!  Come back to meeeeeeeee!

Then I dried my tears, drove the rest of the way home, and did my show.

The End.

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Pssssst!  Did this post make you tear up because you so desperately need a retreat from life and motherhood of you're own? I saw on Mom Life Today that they are giving away a pass to their Mom Life Boot Camp this spring!!!  Go enter to win! (I already have!)

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