Patiently Waiting

So I put an offer in on a house almost a month ago and I've been waiting patiently to hear back. The "I want to buy your home are you going to sell it?" situation is complicated. So I've been patient and holding off on a blog post hoping to write good news like...It's mine!! Its all mine!! But alas no...the waiting continues.

Have you ever heard the joke "How do you make God laugh? You tell him your plans!" Yeah God is laughing at me and I am patiently waiting for answers. Fortunatly, I'm willing to wait and also willing to adjust my plan because it may just not include the very house I've put on my very short list of...one.

*heavy sigh*

Ahhhh....Reality. Its not always fun and it doesn't always feel fair but I've found that God usually has a better idea of the bigger picture than I do, so its best to just have a little faith that things will all work out for the best without my meddling and manipulating.

Don't get me wrong - its not that I don't want to jump in there and make that house my own and make things happen. Trust me - I do! However, its been my experience that when I get involved and "force" a situation to "go my way" it doesn't stay in my favor for long.

Call it karma, call it murphys law, call it self will, call it my own bad luck, call it whatever you want. I just know that this kind of "negotiation" is best left to professionals and God gets to decide the outcome - in his time - not mine. And I'm sure along the way I'll learn some valuable lesson, build some character, yada, yada, yada...But...in the process...waiting sucks. The good news however, is that I am a very patient woman ;)

Being the Big Sister I Never Thought I Could Be

I talked to my little, ok now kinda grown up, brother Daniel on Facebook today. He's 18, just graduated from high school and starting to figure out this thing called LIFE.

He's made some very grown up decisions lately by telling my parents he's not going to be attending Humboldt State in the fall. Instead he'll be staying close to home and following my footsteps by going the community college route. I can only imagine the fear it 1) took for him to stand his ground with my parents and 2) charter the unknown territories of not having a plan all mapped out for him by my mother.

But he seems to be doing well and I'm happy for him. He's acting, having fun, hanging out with his friends and girlfriend, and sends me regular text messages. He also often comes to me for advice, especially about all of the above.

Daniel and I didn't always have such a great relationship. We used to fight like cats and dogs...or more appropriately like siblings. You see, my mom remarried when I was 8 to my stepfather, who is a wonderful man. Daniel didn't come along until I was 14 years old. Having been an only child for so long having a sibling after so many years of solitude was quite an adjustment. Actually that's an understatement.

Daniel got away with everything I got in trouble or got grounded for. He told on me and narked me out. I was the live in baby sitter. For so long I HATED him. Four years later, my brother Scotty came along. Now instead of one there was TWO!!

By this time I had graduated from high school and was attending college, partying with my friends and resented the hell out of having to take time out to babysit much less attend family functions. Even though I was living at home off and on, I spent as little time as possible with my family and even less time with Daniel and Scott. I was a sister only in name.

The change happened about the time I was living in Arizona, around 2003. I came home for flower festival and he rode with me up to my grandmothers house. We talked the whole drive up and all of a sudden Daniel realized I was an ally and not the enemy. We forged a truce. He realized I could be a conduit between mom and dad. That I could be a neutral third party that could help with negotiations. He later flew out to Tucson to visit me and do an internship at the TV station I was working at over the summer.

By becoming more active in Daniels life I became more active in Scotts life. Granted I'm still much closer to Daniel but I also take more time with Scott when I visit. We watch movies, play volleyball and talk. I call the house and spend a few minutes on the phone with Scott before asking to talk to mom and dad. I'm even his friend on Facebook ;)

This past Christmas when I went home was probably the best Christmas I'd had in years. I just hunkered down and soaked up my family. I took Daniel to get his official California ID card. He wasn't allowed to get his drivers license yet.

I played Rummi Cube with Scott - the evil mastermind

We took this picture which sits on my desk at work. It brings a smile to my face every time I look at it and realize how far I've come in my relationship with my brothers. It did take a few takes to get one that Scott wasn't doing bunny ears behind my head ;)

Although I live 2,000 miles always from my little, now growing up to be big brothers, I feel so blessed to have them in my life. I have changed and grown into the big sister I never wanted to be but am so glad I am.

If I could give them one last piece of advice it would be to live your life for you and no one else. Live it to the fullest. Laugh a lot and often. And above everything else...have fun. I love you always ~ your big sister Nat

A note to the Roaches

So my cat George totally redeemed himself/herself this weekend and earned his/her overpriced kitty food.

After spending Thursday night in a cleaning fit sucking up all the little cat/dog hair balls that were floating around my hardwood floors I found several uninvited guests hiding out underneath the furniture. Fortunately they were DEAD guests. I could tell by the flipped over, on the back, legs to the sky position they had taken up. So I did what any normal girl would do...I sucked them up with the attachment wand on the vacuum.

I thought I had gotten all the little buggers - 3 1/2 in total - one was only in partial pieces under the litter box. Where the rest of him went I have no idea but I don't care. I was happy, the floors were clean, the roaches were gone and ahhhhhhh I could breathe normally again. But then Saturday night rolled around.

I was sitting on the couch watching Divine Design on HGTV waiting for Diana to show up before we hit up the Bonham and heard a noise in the kitchen. George was chasing something!! I flipped on the lights and to my surprise not only had he cornered a roach but he had injured it! My seemingly lazy cat had actually done his job and captured an intruder! Good kitty - a greeny treat for you!

As I stared at the prisoner, watching him ooze some gooey black substance, his antenna twitched. He knew he was caught and the end was near. With one swift motion, never taking my eyes off of him, I crushed him with my flip flop.

Ahhhh the sweet smell of victory. I hope his friends were watching. Let all roaches who even think of entering my home know to trespass here is a death sentence. For I am friends with powerful people - specifically Sir Ricardo the Exterminator and King George the Enforcer.