Surprises, Sisters and This Week's Random Dozen

Sheesh... why can't time run just a titch slower?  I feel like the days are whipping by so quickly and I've barely had time at home this week, let alone time to sit and blog.  The week has been a whirlwind but I am LOVING it!

Last Saturday morning I head across the U.S./Canada border over to Buffalo to pick up my sis at the airport as she made her way from NC to "home" to join in on the big surprise party for Dad's (belated) 80th birthday party for Sunday.  It was great to see her and spend the afternoon and evening with C as we visited her mother-in-law and then spent the evening with our brother, sister-in-law and nephews before I left for home to make my "Bowl of Bows" salad for Sunday's big party.

I barely slept Saturday night from excitement over what was to happen Sunday.  You know, that "I'm afraid to sleep-in" kind of cognitive sleep where you sleep in like 30 minute segments.  Not sure if it had anything to do with a mental recall of when I overslept the day Mom died and missed being at the hospital with my entire family.  I woke up exhausted and hoping that I wasn't going to run myself down so early after my bout with strep last week.

Thirty-four of my siblings, niblings and great-niblings secretly assembled at my brother (& niece's) church where Dad and G attend when they're in town, some even sneaking past them in the parking lot.  Dad was so surprised to see the 3 rows of his family.  He knew something was up when C strolled into church.  Delighted, he and G sat amongst his family where the pastor gave a great sermon on John 10 which for me personally had huge significance as it was the passage God used to bring me back to Himself in my late 20's.  "No one can snatch you from the Father's Hand"... not even ourselves!

My brother and sister-in-law so graciously opened their home for the party and we ate, laughed, (all talked at the same time... with no pepper shakers in sight ~ little private joke which I'll explain another time!)  Dad's gift was a picture frame with room enough for all our 6 individual families and extra slots to put pics of us 6 kids with Dad and however else Dad wants to fill them.  We gathered on R & M's front lawn for photos and continued to spend time gushing over the triplets, rejoicing over the news that the triplets will be adding a cousin in the Fall to their family, and enjoying the birthday cake which was an inferno at one point with the 80 candles lit!  It was a fantastic time and one of the reasons I LOVE my family so much!!  Thanks R & M again for your hospitality!

The rest of this week has been filled with two major things - spending time with C as much as I can before we take her back to Buffalo for her flight home Sat, and prepping for our Abide ladies' banquet at church.  Meetings, lunches, movies... I think my hubby forgets what I look like this week as I run from thing to thing.  Last night 2 of my sisters, my sister-in-law, great niece and I went to see Oceans at the movies.  This was my second time seeing it and it had much more impact this time in light of that huge oil leak happening in the Gulf of Mexico.

All this (long winded) commentary to explain why my Random Dozen is late again this week.  So, without much more "ado", here is this week's questions and answers.  Thanks once again to Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee for her great questions!  Be sure to check her site out for yourself!





1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated?  I would probably have to say housework.  I've been out and about so much that dust bunnies are reigning supreme on my coffee table and the  carpets on both staircases are crying out for a good run with the vacuum. Maybe I'll get to that this aft!

2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night?  It truly depends.  If I'm super exhausted like I've been lately it takes me seconds to sleep and then I often will sleep through the night, although most of the time it takes me a while to shut my brain down.  I'm also a light sleeper so I wake up often in the night with sounds either coming from Hubby or the open window and police station/fire station in the neighborhood.

3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles?  I think my favorite styles come from the 50's or classic 60's (think Jackie Kennedy).  

4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd?  Sweet and Sour Meatballs.  I buy turkey meatballs frozen and then make my own sauce using brown sugar, white vinegar, flour, soy sauce and ketchup (I think that's all the ingredients off the top of my head).

5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse?  Not for big purchases but the odd time I'm impulsive.  The last thing I bought on impulse was probably loose tea at the Tea House I took Dad, G & C to on Tuesday for lunch.  I'm never a big $ amount impulse shopper.

6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral?  "How Great Thou Art" and "I Can Only Imagine" as the music.  Guess I should make sure Hubby knows this huh?

7. If it's true that joy is in found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today?  Today, I am finding joy in doing laundry with my new washer/dryer.  They are so quick ... and quiet!  Loving the front load too!!

8. What is your favorite type of bread?  Hmm... being the "Carbo Queen" I am... how do I pick one?  First thing coming to mind is Olive Garden Breadsticks.

9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.)  Again... so many to choose.  I think narcissism ... I really struggle with some self-centeredness (I like to blame birth order on this) but I fear it will only get worse, especially not having children to make me less so.

10. What trait would you like most to develop?  I really want to develop the trait of being a better listener.  I am an extrovert by nature so I "think" out loud and then my mind races so fast while people are talking that I end up blurting out what I have in my mind like verbal vomit.  Having 3 older sisters hasn't helped either... I learned young that the only way I could speak was to interrupt and now I do it ALL the time and I hate it! 

11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why?  Most of my house reflects my personality as my decorating style is "country" but if I had to pick one room only it would be my living room... it has Teddy Bears lining the walls on shelves, jelly cupboards, etc.  I think they reflect my personality and young spirit.

12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging?  Does anyone really maintain balance?  I try to maintain balance by praying about things as to what I should be involved in, etc. but I also try and prioritize in my mind a bit as to what should be at the top of the list on any given day/week, etc.  Make sense?


So... there they are for this week.  Sorry for the super long post.  Bravo to you who stayed with me this whole, long-winded time.  Now off to fold some laundry before taking Hubby's car in for an oil change!