Received the Best Compliment Today

My mother-in-law e-mailed me this morning. Nothing out of the ordinary as we e-mail each other all the time. I thought I'd simply read an update on her going-ons while they are vacationing in Sunriver, Oregon, maybe a quick response on yesterday's blog post, possibly some questions on how Ella and Aaron are doing. Little did I know that I'd receive the best compliment I have ever received in a long time (if not, ever!). She said:

"Your devotion to God is making ME a better person."

Wow!!! I told Janice that those words meant the world to me. I had never been told that before! I had never been told that my faith in God and the hope that He brings me affected another person. That my faith actually made another person better! I smiled a gimpy smile for the longest time after reading that. When I told Aaron, he could tell how much those words meant to me.

I will cherish that compliment forever. Thank you, J!

Knowing that I am bringing positivity into Janice's life makes me feel so good, considering all that is going on in her and my father-in-law's lives right now. Dan is battling cancer, each day bringing unpredictable ups and downs, and through their walk together, they have drawn on God for strength and hope. I'm grateful that my story can make that walk a little easier.

A part of me thinks that perhaps God's plan was for all of us to walk through these times together. Even though infertility cannot compare to cancer on any level whatsoever, it is still a personal battle. It's a situation beyond our control. Both Dan and I are victims of our bodies. Cancer is hiding somewhere in his body, while my womb remains empty. I pray that someday soon both he and I will be blessed. Through these tough times, we (along with Janice, Aaron, and Aaron's brother, Andy) are appreciating life on a whole new level.

And, Janice, if you're reading this (and I know you are), YOU are making ME a better person, too. With what you and Dan have gone through this past year, I admire your bravery, persistence, love and devotion.

Ella's 1st Day of Preschool & My 1st Day of My Cycle

I went to bed last night knowing my period was coming and today just reaffirmed what I already knew. Not only was the news of my period arriving (yet again) hard enough to swallow, but my period had to come on an already difficult day for me...Ella's first day of preschool. The timing is truly unkind. Seriously, God...on the same day??? But, I think I learned a lesson today. A lesson proving that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Not only did I get through today, but I got through it with flying colors. I felt God wrapping His loving arms around me through Aaron's holding of my hand, through Ella's tight hug, through an inner peace that I can't describe, other than a peace of knowing that my time will come.

Don't get my wrong, though. My period coming absolutely crushes me! Each month, my period rips me apart, shattering my heart into a million pieces...but I always glue my heart back together (after all, I can't love my family with a broken heart!). I allow myself some time of self-pity and sadness, but then I bounce back. Sometimes I feel completed deflated, though, incapable of bouncing back from this breaking news time and time again, but Aaron and Ella help bring me back to myself. I find strength through my family.

Okay, enough of that! Now for some pictures from our day. :)

Ella wasn't too thrilled her summer has come to an end, but she ended up having a really great first day of school today!

Father / daughter love!

Mother / daughter love!

After work, I got busy on the cabinets. I painted the second coat on all the drawers. After allowing time to dry, I screwed on the handles, and put then in their respective places. Aaron came home from the gym and was amazed with how well they looked. He didn't expect it to turn out so good. I don't know if that was a compliment or not, but I proudly smiled. :)

Can't take the camera out without Ella wanting to get in the shot. :)

After dinner, we took Bob and Zoe for a walk (while Ella scooted!) to the nearby school to play on the playground and let the dogs run around.

Such concentration! She's borrowing our neighbor's scooter and really likes it. Her birthday is next month...need I say more?

Love the wind-blown look.

Me with my first girl, Zoe! Love this dog, despite her crazy psychosis of a personality.

Aaron and I technically have three kids. Haha! Aaron tried to get a picture of Ella panting like the dogs, but Bob's head cut her tongue off. That picture would've been so funny, though! Bob looks like he's smiling.

No, Ella's not posing like a model in this picture, although it surely looks like she is. Quickly after we got to the playground, Ella had to pee (of course!). So, we leashed the dogs back up, snapped on her helmet and began the painfully slow walk back home.

Piece by Piece

Ella has shown to be quite the whiz kid when it comes to putting puzzles together. It's truly her prodigy! She has the patience to sit down and work on a puzzle for a long time (especially for a 3-year old!). She doesn't get ahead of herself, she just goes piece by piece. She doesn't get overwhelmed by all the scattered pieces, she just patiently looks at what she has and what she needs to do.

Such patient concentration.

Yay, Ella!!!

Soaking in the joy of completing the puzzle. Oh, and the attention Mommy and Daddy are giving her for a job well done. :)

Successfully trying to be cute.

And then the craziness kicks in. You know she's getting into her crazy mood when her eyebrow goes up and her eyes widen. Oh my! Crazy Ella means unpredictable, lively, hyper, free-spirited and over-the-top happy. :)

Watch out!!!

She climbed onto Daddy's belly and allowed for more pictures to be taken. :)

I can't help but feel inspired by watching Ella put her puzzles together. I'm sure you've all heard the analogy of life being like a puzzle at one time or another. But it's so true! Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by all the scattered pieces...all the loose ends of our lives that need resolution. Sometimes we are so concerned and busy in our day-to-day lives that we forget to simply take each day at a time, each piece at a time. Getting ahead of ourselves always makes life more stressful. If there was an award for being a worrier and getting ahead of ourselves, I'd win first place hands down. I'm trying to change, though. Aaron and Ella are helping me. God is definitely working overtime on me. After all, He is the puzzle maker! He knows the beautiful design He's created with my life. I just have to trustingly live each day, not worrying or being overwhelmed, because God is control. He is laying down the pieces to my beautiful puzzle.

And speaking of pieces, I spent the majority of my day painting the first coat on all our cupboard doors and drawers. Door by door, drawer by drawer...I finished the first coat. I'm quite proud of what I accomplished today. My back may have other feelings on the matter, though. :(

BAM! Check that out!

I'm really pleased with the way the cupboards are turning out.

After the second coat on these bad boys, I just have to finish the second coat on the cabinets themselves in the kitchen and then it'll be time for hardware and (brace yourself) INSTALLATION! Woo hoo!!!

So, now that you saw what Ella and I did today, you may wonder what Aaron did? Well, here you go...

HAHAHA!!! I'm just kidding, he had a productive, fun day as well. I snuck this picture of him after his evening session at the gym. He doesn't even come inside the house. He goes straight through the garage, into the backyard, strips down to his gym shorts and jumps in. :)

You Are My Sunshine

While washing the shampoo out of Ella's hair last night, she started singing this song to me. I asked her if she'd sing for the camera and, of course, being the non-camera shy girl she is, said she would.

If you're not smiling by the end of this video, then I don't know what will make you smile. :)

Staying True to Myself

In life, there are situations or relationships that may jeopardize the person you wish to be. It's only natural that we are not presented with ideal circumstances and perfect relationships that bring out the best in us. Life isn't perfect after all!

In college, I was not strong in myself. I succumbed to peer pressure from every angle imaginable. I was lost in this world of trying to please others that I forgot what was most important...my happiness and staying true to myself. I jeopardized the person I wanted to be so that others would view me in a more favorable light. I acted in ways and said things that still to this day fill my heart with shame.

But now, being older (although you can't really call 27 that old!), I have learned about what I need to do to remain true to myself. I don't ever want to find myself doing or saying things that are not "Bobbi." Johnny Diaz puts it best in his song, "More Beautiful You," in which he sings the following chorus:

There could never be a more beautiful you.
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through.
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do.
So there could never be a more beautiful you.

I'm the only me on this earth. Pretty cool concept to grasp, huh?

So, as I continue to walk through life, I will remember that God made me to fill a purpose and that, while learning about and living out that purpose, I need to remain true to myself and see the beauty in the person God created me to be.