Spring Break 2012

Spring Break is here for 2012 and so that means

 I won't be here and I will be spending lots of time with my girls.  

See you on the 16th! 

I will take total blame for this

Winters in Northern Ohio are in a word cold. If I wanted to use another word, I would probably use the word snowy.

In fact, most years, if you came to visit me anywhere from December to April I could guarantee you that you would see snow; I just wouldn't be able to guarantee the color.

This year I was prepared.

I had the rock salt for the icy driveway.

I had the shovel right next to the door so that I could easily get to the garage to the recently tuned up snow blower.

I had not one, but three ice scrappers in each car.

All the vehicles had emergency kits and jumper cables.

People, I even had a brand new pair of super warm snow boots with lots of traction so that I could go tromping around in the snow with Barney.

And then this happened before it was technically spring.

For those of you unaware this is my Magnolia tree, in full bloom, at least two months before it is due to bloom in Northern Ohio.

This never happens & I will take full responsibility for flip flop weather in March. 

You're Welcome. 

It's all about the {comfy} shoes

I love shoes.

But.....there is always a but, isn't there.

I love shoes, but they need to be comfy, and moderately priced and they must come in a size 11. Nothing bothers me more than to go to a shoe store (or a booth handing out free shoes) for them to ask me if I size 10 would do.

Thankfully the team at the Famous Footwear booth didn't disappoint when it came to having a size 11 (and plenty of them for all of my large footed friends) they delivered. They claimed that the Dr. Scholl's Jamie sneaker was not only cute, it was super comfy. I admit I was skeptical.

I figured the last day of the Blissdom Conference I would sport the cute sneakers as long as my feet and back could handle it. In fact, I didn't take everything I thought I would need for the day as a Community Leader and Staff Photographer because I was sure I would be back in my room as some point to change out my shoes and apologize to my feet.

I will be the first to admit, I was wrong. After wearing what would later be referenced to The Shoes on twitter, instagram and facebook for over 19 hours on Saturday; my only complaint was that because I didn't wear socks my toes got a bit gross from rubbing on the inside of the shoe. I don't mean gross as injured, just dirty and grey, from what I can only assume was from the suede interior or something.

At one point during the day I was running to get some equipment out of another part of the hotel and I saw Chris Mann walking to his lunch performance for Centrum #NutritionPossible (great performance and lunch by the way...thanks Centrum!) I commented on how it was cute that he was just wandering all over the hotel like regular people all by himself. He chuckled and smiled and pointed to The Shoes and said, "Cute Shoes!"

Lots of people complimented me on The Shoes and I told them to get to the Famous Footwear booth to get their pair as they didn't disappoint.

On Sunday, I opted for a later flight so I could relax and wander and say goodbye to my friends at a leisurely pace. I started off by putting on my go to pair of comfy shoes and ended up taking them off and putting on The Shoes to wander around Opryland with.

#AdventuresofDrscholls was born. (Feel free to check it out on twitter & instagram)

The Shoes and I wandered around the hotel, we visited with friends, we walked to Cracker Barrel when they got hungry and in the middle of their Country Store we stopped to contemplate candy. I will admit that we caught a few stares and got many questions from curious bystanders. But the first question wasn't "Why are you taking photos of your feet?" It was, "Where did you get those shoes?"

I made friends in the airport, on the airplane, I made a whole flight crew laugh as I sat down in the middle of a hallway to take a photo with The Shoes next to the Welcome sign in Cleveland. In fact, when I didn't post photos of The Shoes I got inquiries as to why I was posting photos of other shoes.



And now a confession-I think I might love The Shoes more than my Sparkly Toms and if you know me you know how highly I think of The Shoes.

Disclosure-Famous Footwear provided me with The Shoes at the Blissdom Conference as part of their swag. All opinions expressed of The Shoes are mine and mine alone, well except for Chris Mann's and I totally didn't force him in any way to mention in passing how cute The Shoes are, he just knows awesomeness when he sees it. I am hoping that with the over sharing of The Shoes that Famous Footwear will pick me as one of their Famous Blog Ambassadors.

Uncomfortable Stares

I struggle with what to write in this space about my faith.

It's not that I am ashamed of my faith or that it isn't relevant to my life.

I don't have it all figured out and I am pretty sure that on this side of eternity, no one will.

It feels awkward and weird to tell you about something I am so sure of when it seems like I have no clue at all. Sometimes there are these thoughts that shoot through my brain telling me that if I had a clue that seat in the pew next to me at church each Sunday morning wouldn't be empty.

I know that isn't the case. I know that I can only control what I believe and not my husband. He has to come to God on his own terms and it's something that can't be rushed. It doesn't stop my heart from wondering what it would be like if he and I shared the same views on something so very important.

If The Chicken was comfortable with it we would sit in the front row every week for service; to avoid the uncomfortable stares.

No, they aren't from the people around me they are from me, staring at these complete families and wondering what it would be like to worship as a family each Sunday morning.

My mind goes through all of these scenarios and then I find someone looking back at me because they have felt my stares and I quickly look away. It has happened all of the years I have gone to church without him.

We are happy, we are truly in love, I couldn't imagine my life without him. I just wish there wasn't this vast field in between us on this one issue.

So instead of looking around the sanctuary I close my eyes and lift my hands to the music letting The Spirit envelope me. I focus on the sermon and I keep myself busy writing out notes to go over later.

But every now and again, when I least expect it, my heart cries out and I find myself being caught making someone uncomfortable with my stares.


linking up with Just Write

I Dream of Moosh In Indy

In Dreamland Cleveland and Indianapolis are only separated by a river and a huge bridge. No, it isn't the Ohio River, I asked many people in my dream but I kept being told that the name of the river wasn't relevant to the plot line.

Clearly my dreams are crazy and don't know that I am a blogger because knowing the name of the river that separated Cleveland from Indianapolis is clearly relevant to this post.

Also in Dreamland I have a list of blogging friends who make cameo appearances from time to time, but Casey has decided to turn her cameo performances into a full time gig because she just won't get out of my head.

Last night she invited me over for a night of making crafts that we could in turn share on Pinterest. I gathered up my children, in Dreamland I have 5, and we cross over the bridge to get to Indy.

We get to Casey's house and are greeted by a man claiming to be her father and he wants to know if we have reservations. I tell him we are here for the crafts and in a hushed tone he tells me that I have to go around to the back of the house, knock on the door six times and watch out for the monkey.

I tried to ask him about the monkey, but alas he was gone and I was left all alone with my 5 children in the dark with my craft supplies now worrying about a monkey.

We finally reach the back door and knock six times and Casey throws open the door and snaps my picture. "How did you like the secret knock?" She asks and before I can answer, "I'm putting it on Pinterest!" she exclaims.

"Casey, a secret knock isn't a craft. I thought we were doing crafts for Pinterest," I reply.

"Secret knocks are super crafty. Don't you get it?" she retorts back.

All night long there were a series of disagreements between the two of us as to what was a craft and what wasn't. Casey tried to argue that pouring milk into a glass with one eye shut was a craft, that changing baby diapers was a craft, throwing cherries at our children crawling around on the floor was a craft....and on and on and on.

When I tried to have us do a legit craft she decided that the children all needed to paint wooden ornaments for her dad's Etsy business* while we did some sort of work out program. I don't remember exactly what the workout entailed but I do know that I wasn't happy to be doing it.

It finally got late enough that I wanted to pack up the 5 children and head home but I was stopped at the door by her husband who told me that the bridge was shut down for routine maintenance and that it would reopen the fall of 2015 and I was welcome to hang out until I could get home.

So we prepared their carrier pigeon to send my husband the news that the children and I wouldn't be home until 2015 and if would please water the plants and if he had time to feed the dog.

Suddenly there was an alarm going on and I couldn't figure out what it was. Casey was so excited that our Pinterest page was getting so many comments and repins and when I opened up the laptop to look, I woke up.

******

Dearest Casey, I am not sure why you have been making regular appearances in my dreams, but I welcome the craziness. Although next time we are so meeting at my house because I've decided that I don't want to cross the bridge anymore.

* I'm pretty positive that Casey's dad doesn't use child labor to make his beautiful wooden creations. But they are really nice so you should check them out.