Go figure?!*#

Yesterday we planted some really cute flowers by our mailbox. That word in white that you probably can't see is flowers. The flowers are red, yellow and white. They are geraniums, marigolds, and salvias. It took lots of work, and being the heat wimp I am, Steven did most of the work. After all the creative energy of picking out the color, type, amount and location the heat just zapped me. I dug a few holes and planted some, but not nearly the amount he did. I ended up practically laying in the driveway staring at the sky until he finally said, "why don't you just go on inside." Before he could finish the last word, being the obedient thing I am, I was in the house. We, well, he, added some landscape lights to the front of the house, too. After all that weekend yard work, we woke up to find that.........................overnight, someone put like 20 real estate signs in our front yard. Luckily, it didn't mess up our work, but it certainly was stupid. It was better than being rolled, which we've been rolled at our last house like five times. I don't even know what to think other than either we are targets of retarded acts or we are the unlucky recipeint of stupid acts of randomness. Could something stupid please just happen to someone else? Go figure.

Things You Should Have or Know by 30

Post Fall: Well, why not? Why not lay the fall to rest. I'm tired of pulling up the blog and seeing my accolade. Now if I could only rid myself of the ugly bruise.

Anyway, countin' it down until summer. 6 more kid days, 9 or 10 total! What will I do this summer? Potty training is over--wahoooo! Maybe I'll get in the habit of cooking at home more and maybe I'll work up to working out 5 days a week instead of 3..........maybe Libby will join a dance or swim class. Hmmm. I'll be thinking on all those great days we'll spend together with no work interference. It will be nice.

I'd say I'd read a good book or catch up on movies, but I live with Libby and she doesn't really allow you to have "me" time. I'd say I'd play out in our yard with her, however our LOVELY (*teeth clenched, bp rising*) neighbors have acquired (*teeth still clenched*) a large doberman for their two small children's backyard (*teeth still clenched*). **sniff, sniff,** I smell a for sale sign coming up----not really, but grrrr why didn't God just give me my own planet to trip around on?

On an aside.....I read this very "non-spiritual, and some may say shallow, but interesting to me" list on the web. What do you think about it?
By 30, you should have:
1
One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.
2
A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
3
Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4
A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5
A youth you’re content to move beyond.
6
A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7
The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it.
8
An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account—all of which nobody has access to but you.
9
A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.
10
One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
11
A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.
12
Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
13
The belief that you deserve it.
14
A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
15
A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know:
1
How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2
How you feel about having kids.
3
How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4
When to try harder and when to walk away.
5
How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
6
The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
7
How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
8
How to take control of your own birthday.
9
That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
10
That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
11
What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
12
That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
13
Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
14
Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
15
Why they say life begins at 30.

And The Best Fall Goes To.....Drumroll, Please

And the best fall goes to....drumroll, please: Me, Meleia Bridenstine, Queen of Clumsiness, Princess of Awkwardness, Dutchess of Mishaps. Ugga Bugga is all I have to say. Let me go ahead and set the scene for you: It begins with a moment, that for most of the population in the year 2008, would be a joyous time of relaxation, envy from hearsayers, etc. However, it's a Meleia Moment, so you have to imagine it's gonna get all Amelia Bedelia. In my pain, I must laugh, because it is absolutely surreal to think I could be in another one of my moments. Before I really get into the crux of my mishap, let me go ahead and give credentials to why I've earned these titles, they come with such merit: 1-working at BiLo as a teenager, dropped a giant thing of mayonnaise and and it broke three other glass objects right below it breaking the entire ring up operation on a Saturday morning, 2-as a college student falling into an elevator in the unextended arms of a group of lawyers right after general sessions court and having to ride up 15 floors with the lawyers and a throbbing toe, 3-as a teacher sitting in chair where the screws had been removed and not just falling in front of kids and onlookers, but scraping my backside against the bench behind the chair and 4-Backtracking a little, at 17, I ran over my cousin's big, huge collie that should have been visible, freaked out and then backed back over the dog. Who does that crap happen to? (PS-The dog was fine.) Okay, I hope you are getting a laugh out of moments that are so thankfully not on tape anywhere, because at this moment I have a #5 that pretty well takes the cake: I got a gift certificate for a massage for mother's day and after the massage fell down a whole set of stairs on the way to my car. CLASSIC. Basically, I had on flip flops and it was raining, the stairs were exterior stairs, steep, old and painted (behind Fine Store). Libby keeps saying, "mommy's clip clops made huuu faww in duh wain." So...my friggin' arm hurts like h-e-double hockey sticks, everyone at the nearby GreenSpot (mostly Dalton High football players as bag boys) probably saw it, and my massage and its benefits are a faint memory. If you still don't think I've earned the award for crappiest moments, let me know, I'll blog about the many I've left out. Remember this is coming from a chick whose dad didn't even flinch when I tumbled down the stairs from my room as a highschooler. Crash, nothing, no family reponse necessary....it's just Meleia falling down her steps......Mom's nickname for me has always been, "Grace"........last summer I fell out of my house into the garage floor............so, can I, can I, CAN I GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE AWARD?????

Can YOU keep a seeeeecret?

Libby asked me today, "Mommy, can you keep a secret?"

A secret is a hard thing to keep, especially when someone calls it a secret. What is it about us humans that we just can't keep a secret? Nooo, I don't have any secrets at this time. But, I am doing a Bible Study with my friend Andi, called "Conversation Peace" which deals with the power of transformed speech.

Thinking about what I say, how I say it and when I say it has been a work of art in my life forever. Rather than go into this conversation with Libby, which would have lasted all of about 5 seconds, I just told her "probably, what's your secret?" She said, "I didn't say I had one, I just wanted to know if you could keep one."

It just made me think about the Bible study I am doing and whether I'd ever get to the point where I could keep a "secret". Obviously, there are things that when I'm told explicitly not to tell, I don't. For example, if my husband or a superior tells me not to tell something, I don't. It doesn't seem like an option. But, there are just some things as my good friend says, "are better left unsaid." I'm working on that.

That being said, here are some things that totally aren't secrets:

1-I am in the midst of another allergy spell. I think I am allergic to Hillary and Barack (sp? who cares) being on TV too much.

2-I have a serious jet lag.

3-It is 7 weeks until our Gulf Shores vacation.

So, guess what.............you don't have to keep those things a secret, tell everyone!

Trippin' Out

We're home! I don't know whether that needs an exclamation point or a period because I can't decide how I feel about that. If you are referring to the laundry we generated, it's a period. If you are referring to getting to watch all the DVR'd shows I missed, it's an exclamation point.

Here are pictures from our journey home:

Steven's parents drove to California from Tennessee because they are road-trippy like that and his dad (on the left) was getting his dad work on the remainder of their trip via map. Each morning we all had breakfast together in the hotel's breakfast area.

This is Grandpa with Chloe, Zach and Libby at breakfast. He's always smiling. I wish Libby would go ahead and inherit that trait.

This is where Libby decided she'd like to ride on the way to the airport as we were leaving California. Steven vetoed that idea.

Libby "rolled big" on the airplane home with her Diego DVD.

Libby earned her keep by rolling her own bag through the airport. By the looks of her stance, it must have been heavy. Don't feel too badly for her, I rolled it most of the time.

We flew from Ontario, California to Atlanta, then to Nashville. Why? Because our car was in Nashville from the trip to California. We wanted to fly out with his brother's family, so we added a bit of a huh? portion to our trip back. We spent the night in Nashville. Driving out of Nashville, we went through downtown and saw the Titan's stadium. I think Steven was casing it out for an upcoming game that will be played by the Vols using that stadium as a neutral ground.

Hard Rock Cafe' for lunch. Libby said, "Look, Mommy. Letters." Steven was saying, "Look, Stevie Ray Vaughan...cool."

We had a nice normal table,but Libby really wanted to watch her DVD, so we moved to a glow in the dark booth. It was pretty miserable for us. At this dinner, we had a nice conversation that she's about to get what my friend Mandy calls "a rude awakening" in that she's about to really get real with learning who is in charge. We are in the "tantrum, whine, repeat my whine until you respond affirmatively, throw up" stage. Birth control, anyone? ha haa Here's the new booth:
This was our after dinner "Meleia's back to the gym tomorrow" ice cream!

Here's a short clip of Libby when we got back to our Nashville Hotel. I really wanted her to tell everyone about her trip to see Grandma and Grandpa Bridenstine, but she wouldn't focus. Five seconds before I got ready to take the clip of her she had stripped her clothes off to go swimming (there never was swimming an option, but she had her own little plan). So, we got her to put her clothes back on and shot the following:

NUMB3RS: 1 Picnic, 5 hours, 78 people

Anytime my Nanny Ree or my late Granny Souther would refer to someone's family they say: ________'s People or _________ and his people. So, in their words: Here's a blog about Steven and His People. ha haa

Above is a picture of us in front of a mountain view.

Below is the picture of the mountain.

Why can't the mountain be seen?

Do you think it is because of:

A. Bad Lighting B. Smog C. You are lying it's not there. or D. I don't know, just tell me.

It's A. Bad Lighting.

What a difference a few steps forward can make. We have an even better picture, but I couldn't bring myself to post it because I looked a-mess in it.

Libby played with other kids who had her same last name. Sorry if your last name is common because you'll never know how she felt to play with lots of other little Bridenstines. It's kind of like a convention for twins or little people, but it's just a different last name!

Ethan, missing his little brother, just helped Libby lots to keep his big brother skills up to snuff.

Grandma Gert (89 years old) and Steven's cousin, Tod whose a little younger than Gert ;)

Bridenstine People

Libby with her name tag that was color coded to denote the appropriate lineage. (sp?)

This is Steven's dad and his siblings.
Keith, Holly, and Steven's Dad

Ethan on the playground.

His mom, Heather and little brother Elijah couldn't come because Elijah is only 6 months old.

Steven's People!

Ethan and Libby

Steven's People

Gert lookin' at her people!

Where there's 80's music, there's Kelly. A direct quote from Kelly: "Music died 20 years ago." Now that could be 1 of 3 things: printed on a t-shirt, the name of a telethon to revive 80's rockstars efforts to open a rehab, or the title of a VH1 Behind the Music Special! Cali is on the left, she is their brother Troy's daughter. I don't have a picture of her sister Jessica.

Rainforest Cafe', time number 2, this time with all the people.

An impromptu birthday song, hat and volcano cake at the end of the day. In this picture, Libby and Aunt Holly are making the butterfly go places.

Leaving today. Everyone else is going to church, beaches and who knows where else. We will be in Nashville. We'll miss everyone.

What will we be doing this time next Friday? Not Disney.

Sorry the pics are a little out of sequence. I'm out of time as we are headed to breakfast, store (for better sunblock and aloe), and family picnic time.

This is Minnie Mouse's desk in her house. Libby is checking Minnie's messages.

This is Mickey's cake. Libby climbed to the top looking for the candles.

This is a scale model of the castle. We liked the air conditioned museum.

This is the stroller we rented for the day. We applied sunblock constantly, but she still got too much on her arms and legs. Grrrr. I hate Banana Boat $9 from Wal Mart sunblock.

This is a garden from Mickey's backyard.

In we go.

Very funny blue grass lunch show.

Minnie's chair.

Mickey's Couch

Minnie's daybead.

Disney at night. The fireworks were good.....way too long of a day, way too late.

dinner at ESPN Zone

Libby getting to Pooh's honeypot.

She loved the carousel.

Title Schmitle

By now, you must know that we've traveled to California for a Bridenstine Family Reunion. We had pretty good flights. Libby got a bit weary at the end of the first flight and "AAAAAAHHHHHH" screamed the entire descent and landing for the 2nd part due to her extreme ear pain. She refused to chew the gum we had brought for her and preferred to just stand up (despite the seatbelt sign) and scream, "Mine ears hurt, ya'll." over and over and over and....So, here's the journey in pictures: (and yes, I know techy people, I should do a photo bucket presentation, but I really don't have a learning initiative at the moment.)

Leaving on a jet plane...........from Nashville to Colorado.

Snowy Colorado! The plane had to be de-iced before it could take off.

Grandpa, Steven, Libby, and Steven's DadMountain view from the airport. Sunny and pleasant.

Grandma Gert and Grandpa Don (SWEET!)

Cousins playing.

Libby, Ethan, Chloe and Zach

Steven, Grandma Gert, and Kelly

Everyone at dinner at Olive Garden. Table for 14--want to be that waiter? Libby drank way too much chocolate milk and ate too much bread, so she had a major tummy ache for the latter part of the dinner.

Steven's dad and his brother, Keith chatting it up at the airport.

This is at 9:30 pm (GA time). Paw Paw Bridenstine, Steven's dad, is gently squashing Ethan's orchestration of a swimming party. Ethan had already lined up everyone to get their swim clothes on and be at the pool after dinner. However, it was around 70 degrees and we didn't think that would be the wisest thing to go along with.

TOMORROW: DisneyLand