My Son Austin...He Makes Me Laugh!

Okay, before I even start this blog, I'm going to give you fair warning that some of you may be offended. But this is my blog and I don't get uptight about a lot of things that most people do...and besides, I'm an Olson...we don't know how to be discreet!

First, let me explain the setting. Our main bathroom has two doors. One leads to the hallway and the other leads to my bedroom.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the bathroom and went into my bedroom and shut the door to change my shirt. As I was getting dressed, I realized that I needed to put on some deodorant. I was in my bra and pants and had not heard anyone go into the bathroom, so I opened the door and walked in. There stood my son, Austin (12 years old) with a look of absolute horror on his face.

"MOM! PUT YOUR SHIRT ON!! THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!"

After realizing how horrified he was, I couldn't help but laugh. The look on his face was absolutely priceless. I reply,

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were in here." (Chuckle, chuckle)

"Don't worry, in a couple of years you won't think about anything but boobs!"

Austin replies,

"I already think about boobs all the time...JUST NOT YOURS!! THAT'S DISGUSTING!"

Here it is, weeks later and I still can't stop thinking about this incident and laughing. What would Freud think???? Frankly, I don't care. If you can't laugh at life...especially with family...who can you laugh with!

What I Hope to Instill in My Children Before They Leave Home...

1. Jesus is your Lord & Savior. Without Him, you are nothing. Your relationship with Him needs to be your #1 priority. Nurture it. Protect it. Devote your time and energy to it. Because of our sinful nature and our natural rebellion, once you lose it, it is very difficult to restore.
2. ALWAYS follow God’s will. If you don’t know God’s will, see #1.
3. Go to church every Sunday – no matter what!
4. Always remember that there is NOTHING God can’t handle. The key is giving it to Him and get out of the way!
5. Understand that life is difficult and hardly ever fair. Always do your very best and work very hard.
6. Tell the truth. Be responsible. Keep your word…they become a part of your character and integrity.
7. Never hesitate to help someone in need.
8. Never, ever hesitate to ask for help in any circumstance.
9. Mistakes and failures are opportunities to gain wisdom and experience. Never be afraid to make them and always apply what you learned.
10. If you always put others first, you will always be able to resolve any conflict.
11. Never hesitate to say you’re sorry. If you truly mean it, it can be the most powerful statement in a relationship.
12. Always have close friends that you can depend on, trust, and laugh A LOT with.
13. Never pass up an opportunity to try something new. It never hurts to try something at least once as long as it isn’t harmful to yourself or others.
14. Always, always, always be kind and respectful to others no matter who they are. You never know what a person has endured or what they are going through.
15. Know WHAT you believe, WHY you believe it and HOW to defend it.
16. There is a vast, exciting world out there just waiting for you. After you graduate high school, take a year to travel and experience it before you start college.
17. Before you decide on a career, take every personality and career test you can. Have a good understanding of who you are, what your passions are, and what you would like to accomplish in life.
18. Understand that you will not make it far in this world without a degree or learning a specific trade.
19. Choose a career that you enjoy doing and are passionate about. Remember, you will be doing it for the next 40-50 years of your life.
20. Learn everything you possibly can regarding finances.
21. Do NOT go into debt. If you don’t have the money – don’t buy it!
22. As much as we don't want it to be, understand that money and financial security are key to leading a stress-free life. This doesn’t mean that you have to be rich to be happy – it means that you need to be financially secure and live within your means.
23. Start investing in a 401k as soon as you possibly can. The earlier the better…even if it’s just $50/month. Do not touch this money for ANY reason!
24. Be VERY disciplined with your money. Save 10%, tithe 10%, and invest any extra funds you may have.
25. Date a variety of people. This will help you understand the type of spouse you are interested in spending the rest of your life with.
26. Love, sex, and marriage are sacred. Take them very seriously.
27. While God gave us the beautiful gifts of marriage and parenting, understand that both require a tremendous amount of work and grace.
28. Do not consider marriage until you are 28-30 years old.
29. Marry someone who is passionate about the same things you are.
30. Once you are married ALWAYS honor your spouse in every circumstance.
31. Never stop showing your spouse how much you love him/her and show it often.
32. Never stop learning. You will appreciate your education and gain even more knowledge if you have a thirst to learn.
33. You will never know everything and everyone you meet can teach you something.
34. Learn to appreciate the very simple things in life…dancing in the rain, a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day, building a snowman, wildflowers, laughter, friendship, puppies, music, warm cookies…
35. Exercise and stay active. Eat healthy and get plenty of rest. You will be surprised how it influences your life from your day-to-day activities to major decisions. The healthier you are the more you will enjoy life…especially in the late years.
36. Play as much as you can. Never suppress the child inside of you. Being footloose and fancy-free can be such a release.
37. Do everything you want to do before you have children. They truly do change your lifestyle.
38. Once you have children, make them a priority and don’t let a day go by without expressing your love to them. It is truly amazing how quickly they grow up and out of your reach.
39. To children, time is love. Always clear a spot in your schedule for them.
40. Understand ahead of time that your children WILL make mistakes and you need to let them. It may be the most important thing they do as they grow up.
41. Always be willing to listen and respect ANY child or teenager. You would be surprised how much they can enlighten you.

Calling ANY Angel

I need a sign to let me know you're here
All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere
I need to know that things are gonna look up
'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup

When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head
When you feel the world shake from the words that are said

I need a sign to let me know you're here
'Cause my TV set just keeps it all from being clear
I want a reason for the way things have to be
I need a hand to help build up some kind of hope inside of me

And I'm calling all angels

I'm calling all you angels

When children have to play inside so they don't disappear
And private eyes solve marriage lies cause we don't talk for years
And football teams are kissing Queens
and losing sight of having dreams
In a world that what we want is only what we want until it's ours

I'm calling all angels
I'm calling all you angels

-Song: Calling All Angels by Train

This song says so many different things in so many different ways to me right now.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth…although I would have liked to. The month of September has been an extremely difficult month for me, and I’m trying to find my way back to some type of normalcy in my life (not sure that I had normalcy to begin with…)

First, our very close friends, that have been more than family to us, moved to Oklahoma. And while it was an incredible opportunity for them, it was devastating for me. Our families spent practically every weekend together and had established a lot of “traditions” together over the past 8 years. Their kids called my husband and me “Aunt & Uncle” and our kids called them “Aunt & Uncle”. They have been by our sides during some of the most difficult life experiences that we have had to endure, and I truly don’t know how I’m going to function without them here. I miss them terribly and I’m trying to put back together the broken pieces of my heart.

In addition, I slept an average of 2-3 hours a night for almost the entire month of September. I have not experienced sleeping problems before, so this was all new to me (when I get stressed out, I usually have nightmares and/or night terrors…not sleeping issues.) I finally went to see my doctor. First he doubled the dosage of my anti-depressants, but that only made the sleeping problems worse (he left me at the same dosage because it was helping me deal with all my other “issues”.) So, next he gave me some Ambien and put me on an additional anti-depressant called, Trazadone. Even though Trazodone is an anti-depressant, it is used mostly as a sleeping aid. I only take the Ambien when I am seriously sleep-deprived; however, I regularly take the Trazodone because I don’t sleep without it.

I’m not going to go into all my other “issues” at this point…but I do want to reflect on the song lyrics above. I can really relate to this song right now, but more on a personal level.

I need a sign to let me know you're here

I need some kind of sign…I’m not sure what or who that is…but I sure could use something at this point.

I need to know that things are gonna look up

I need some type of assurance that my life is going to work out and that there is something to hold on to.

'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup

Basically, I just feel like I’m drowning period. It seems like every time I turn around lately, I’m getting slapped in the face about something.

When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head

I truly feel that there is no where for me to turn for security or peace - no one to take care of me and no one to hold me up.

When you feel the world shake from the words that are said

It’s not the world that is shaking for me, it’s my foundation - everything that I have ever believed and everything that I have built my life upon is in question for me right now.

'Cause my TV set just keeps it all from being clear

Really it’s my brain that keeps it all from being clear. I have such a desire to work through all the “crap” in my life and to be carefree and happy, but it seems like every time I really try I don’t have a clue as to how to “fix” it.

I want a reason for the way things have to be

Having some answers would really be helpful for me right now. So much has happened in the past few years that I don’t understand. I have experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows…and there is so much that doesn’t make sense to me.

I need a hand to help build up some kind of hope inside of me

I would just settle for a teacher and a guide to help me get through all of this. Not someone who is going to tell me to change my attitude and preach at me, but someone who genuinely cares about me and is sincere about understanding me and where I’m at and how to get through all of this.

And I'm calling all angels

I really could use an angel….

I'm calling all you angels

…or two…right now.

In a world that what we want is only what we want until it's ours

This phrase just really hits me square in the face. How many times have I thought “well, if I just had this…or if this would just happen…I would be happy”. Honestly, I’m not sure I know what happiness is anymore.

I'm calling all angels
I'm calling all you angels

Just another cry out for any angel who is willing to help a lost soul….

Nice blog huh? I wish that I had inspiring “happy” things to write about, but that just isn’t the path that God has put me on for this part of my journey. I’m hoping that once I find my way out of this deep, dark, confusing, and frightening forest that God will put me on a path full of bright sunshine and beautiful fields of flowers.

In the meantime…click on the link below to enjoy “Calling All Angels” by Train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAKF3_hCSNs