An Icicle

I don't know much about a whole bunch of things and the more I learn about the few things I know, the more I realize I don't know much at all.  I know there is a more eloquent way of saying what I just said but everyone will still know what I mean.  Check out this icicle, as far as I know, they are supposed to grow vertically but this one is seeming to go against the laws of physics (according to me) and it is growing in a much more horizontal fashion.  This picture was taken over New Years and it has taken me way too long to get it posted - I love it and it might turn it into my new motto.  I have no idea what it really means but maybe I'm not suppose to know, maybe it is like a parable and every time I look at it I will be able to gain something new according to my needs at the time.

Have you ever prayed and prayed and prayed to get an answer and no answer comes?  Sometimes I don't understand.  I don't seem to understand a lot of things anymore.  I thought to myself tonight that maybe I need to sit back and stop looking for an "answer" and start looking for what I need to "learn."  Life is about learning and some lessons are so much harder than others.  There was a war in heaven fought over the right to agency but sometimes I would like to just be told a thing or two.  I really don't have anything to complain about.  So many of my friends and family are facing hardships that in turn make my trials look like blessings . . . I truly am blessed beyond measure, I'll work on my patience and start counting my blessings.

First blessing that comes to mind:  Andy and I got to attend a Unit Commissioner training this evening at the Boy Scout office.  Isn't that so cool?  I get to go to meetings with my husband and spend extra time together.  The meetings went pretty well.  I have earned my first official "trained" patch for the scout shirt I will be purchasing soon (I better look the part if I'm going to be an example).  Andy says I should get the whole uniform but it is soooo expensive.  This is one thing I just don't understand . . . the BSA only makes one style or shirt and pants and the cost is astronomical!  I guess I'll have to look at it as an investment - I should only have to purchase one in my lifetime.

Second blessing: Groceries.  We currently don't have anything fresh in the house.  While I was paying bills in December I became disgusted with all of the money we had spent.  I decided that for the month of January we would only buy gas (so we can travel to work and get to the places we need to be (it is 15 degrees outside)) and also still pay our bills -- you can't put them on hold.  This has been quite the experiment.  Last week we ran out of milk, bread and eggs - the staples.  My mom had purchased us some soy milk -- and I do like some kinds of soy milk but this brand is NASTY.  Kyler doesn't seem to mind it at all and he even had some with a bowl of cereal and didn't say a word.  I've been having it with my oatmeal and the flavor isn't too bad.  Andy had some with a bowl of cereal and he said that he couldn't add enough sugar to make it taste good.   Andy also dug deep into the freezer and found some extra frozen waffles that Taylei and Keanna have been living off of.  Both of the girls are so excited to go to school and have school lunch - "normal" milk they say.  Our dinners have been just fine, we seem to have been able to eat just what we normally would.  On Monday when I go to the grocery store I will be excited to purchase the staples again.  I will be buying some extra powdered milk and see what kind of powdered eggs are for sale.  I'm hoping to make a rule that we only go to the grocery store once a week, this should help us plan better and also maybe cut out a few of the trivial things.  Who knows, maybe once I  go to the store I will decide I missed it so much I will become addicted and go every day.

Third Blessing:  Health -- We are currently all healthy at our house.  Taylei got to take her thumb brace off on Wednesday.  It STUNK.  It smelled so bad and even after she had the brace off for over 16 hours the smell was still lingering.  She is back to playing basketball.  I guess she did so well at her game last night (I missed the game because of my meeting) that the coach is asking her to fill in with the 5th and 6th grade team tomorrow.  He thinks she made atleast 28 points.  When Andy and I asked my sister Diane how she had done all she told us was that she needed to pass the ball a little more.  Hopefully we will get to watch tomorrow and see how she does.

I'll keep checking out my icicle and hopefully I can learn from it.  Maybe I need to figure out how to grow against the grain . . . one day at a time.