Real Life

Day #30

I’ve read the blogs and seen the Facebook posts of people who seem to live photographic ready, always freshly showered, dressed cute lives.

But they’ve edited out the best parts.

At least the best parts for me.

For me, the best parts of life are unvarnished.

The unplanned, unposed pictures that give you a tiny peek into the personalities of who is smiling (or not) back at you.

And FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, 

no one has their hand on their hip 

with their back arched

and their leg popped up.

Like here.

Or here!

There is a family photo of us at Fripp Island last summer that demonstrates a true “real life” moment.

My brother brought surf shirts for all of us and rented a paddle board for us to try for a morning.

That’s another whole post that involves 

practicing in a tide pool, 

getting beat up by waves 

and being stung multiple times by jelly fish.

But it was a BLAST!

No, really it WAS.

We attempted to pose for a picture doing the “hang loose” surfer pose.

SOURCE

My dad did the “hook ‘em horns” Texas pose instead.

SOURCE

Monte snapped a photo of us trying to show dad the difference between “hang loose” and “hook ‘em horns”.

I’m not sure if ever did get it.

But I love the picture.

The other morning we were blessed with a gorgeous sunrise.

I decided to snap a photo of it with my iPhone as we were heading out to school.

I got more than I bargained for once I clicked the camera button.

Yes, that is an actual Port-A-Pot truck 
in the bottom of my sunrise photo.

I labeled it for you for effect:

I posted this picture on Instagram (follow me at @chairsfromthecurb) with a comment implying there is a sermon somewhere in this picture.

Dear, sweet Brian from church left this message:

"Yes, this is a picture of how our sin mars the beauty of God’s creation. But it is also a picture of the hope we have:  If this sunset is still beautiful in spite of the sin that mars it, how much more beautiful will everything be in the new heaven and new earth when God removes all of the effects of sin?”

Amen!

I wouldn’t have gotten such a powerful message 

if I’d just posted a picture of a pretty sunrise 

on Instagram.

McDaniel and Carisa swiped my phone and had a little selfie fun the other day. 

It makes absolutely no sense, but I laugh every time I see it.

If it was just the two of them smiling, 

while I would’ve loved it, 

it wouldn’t make me laugh 

every time I see it.

Speaking of selfless, 

our neighbor left these gems on my phone the other day:

Kinda cool effect.

I do not even know what to say but I may include this
in a future birthday or graduation or wedding card.

Yesterday, I came home to a big box on the side door steps.

I drug it inside and called Monte to see if I could open it.

My birthday is in a few weeks and I didn’t know 

if he was REALLY on the ball with the gift 

purchasing this year.

He said I could open it.

Yep, Monte saw a discount and free shipping opportunity and bought the financially forbidden Viva paper towels ONLINE.

Nope. This will NOT be counting as a birthday gift. 

This is a slice of REAL LIFE for you right here.

Monte is quite the online shopper.

Everything from computer and phone cords 

to under shirts and underwear.

I don’t have a picture of this, and it doesn’t really apply to my theme, but I have to share:

The other evening, Monte and I ran to the store after dinner to get doughnuts for a before school bible study Ellie attends.

The kid that checked us out wore a name tag that said:

“Ethang”

I asked how he pronounced his name.

I had to.

He said it was Ethan and his last name starts with a ‘g’ so they were having a bit of fun with him when they printed his name tag.

I told him I liked, 

“Ethang!”

Which, according to Monte, came out more
in my “outside” voice than my “inside” one.

With a little Carisa twang thrown in.

Monte told the embarrassed “Ethang” to just tell people the ‘g’ is silent.

So there you have it.

My real life.

No filters.

No edits.

No take backs.