Follow Up

It is weird not to start out this post with a number.

But I am glad I don't have to.

It was a great challenge to post everyday for 31 days.

I enjoyed it.

Thanks for all the encouragement and well, for reading

all

my

randomness.

I felt the need to "tie up" this 31 days of storytelling.

I thought I would have some revelations to share.

Something deep and profound

that I learned about myself.

Nope.

But I will have to say that October was an incredibly BUSY month for me

(I won't bore you with the list I could insert here of what I actually 

had going on because you could do the same.)

and God saw fit to give me story after story to write about.

I really thought I would draw from the great stuffed-full archives of great stories my family has.

Uh uh.

God gave me stories in real time.

I look back and think,

"Wow! Stuff really does happen to me, like, ALL the time."

He is so faithful.

So on that note, I'd like to follow-up on a few stories I wrote about.

The city finally did come out and remove the rest of our "tree stump".

I was sad because I missed it.

They came in the brief moment it took to pick up my girls from school.

I was hoping to ask for some of the wood.

(for a craft, of course)

That's what we came home to.

I made the girls pose like The Lorax
(if the Lorax wouldn't stop drinking
for one stinking second!)

Now the stump is gone. Grounded away like it was never there.

I can't get used to not having the tree there.

The house feels so exposed now.

I REALLY need to hang the curtains in the living room.

Yeah, the ones I bought in August.

My friend, Carisa sent me this picture just this morning.

It is my vet kissing

wait for it

a little pig.

We must NEVER tell Ellie this.

My youngest daughter recently had a physical fitness test during gym class.

They were doing curl ups

(which makes me think of chin up bars but it is actually just plain ol' sit ups).

She said while she was doing the curl ups, she kept hearing the theme music to Rocky

(yes, I am bringing up Rocky AGAIN).

This is a bit of a victory for Ellie because she can be

how can I say this…

less than motivated in the tests of physical fitness.

She repeatedly scores a 1 or 2 on her push up test.

And we both know the 2 was a gift because the teacher walked away and didn't see her poor form.

She ended up doing really well on her curl up test and I do believe Rocky deserves the credit.

Meanwhile… 

McDaniel has been trying out for basketball for like 2 weeks.

I KNOW, crazy! It's the 8th grade, not the WNBA.

On the first day of tryouts, while waiting in the layup line, one of her friends starting humming the Rocky theme song.

McDaniel joined in.

She said it was the 

best.

practice.

ever.

Because of Rocky.

Then her friend is all like, "I need a guy like Rocky." 

And McDaniel is all like, "I know, right?" 

And they just giggled and giggled.

Meanwhile…

Monte is at the gym in the upstairs part that is visible to the downstairs part 

(are you following me?)

He notices the punching bag for the first time.

He decides to give it a quick punch while walking by.

It felt good.

So he punched it again.

And again.

And again.

(no gloves)

With the Rocky theme song BLARING in his head, he forgot where he was, 

(and who could see him)

He was FULL OUT 

footwork dancing around, 

PUNCHING the bag 

like it was Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and Drago all put together.

Then he gave the bag a hard right hook

and a searing pain shot through his wrist.

He didn't handle it well.

He bent over

face twisted in pain

shaking his wrist.

He may have even been praying out loud a bit.

Then he noticed all of the downstairs gym members

watching him.

(Out of deep concern, I'm sure.)

It took an hour, but Monte's wrist stopped hurting and he could breathe easy knowing he didn't snap his wrist trying to be Rocky.

That movie has had a deep impact on our family.

So that is it for now.

I will continue to write on a regular basis.

Just not a scheduled one.

Thanks so much for reading!