I don't know what is going on in my subdivision! For some reason, the power keeps going out for hours at a time. Now, this probably wouldn't be as big of a deal if (1) Ella Grace wasn't needing a nap, (2) Evan wasn't throwing a fit because he didn't understand why his DVD player wouldn't work, and (3) It is THE hottest day of the summer. For some reason, the power has gone out three times in the last month and it ALWAYS goes out at the worst possible times like Sunday afternoon when EVERYONE is home or at 2:00 on a weekday when it is 102 degrees. I guess there is no "good" time, but 102 degrees??? Come on!
I toughed it out until Ella Grace woke from her nap. Every time we called, the estimated time the power would be restored kept being pushed back an hour. Urgh! I went to get Evan from school, stopped by Sonic to get a cool drink for the three of us and was HOPING the power would be on when we got home. As I pushed the garage door opener, I realized there was nothing. I was SO frustrated! If this had been the first time or if we had been given some sort of explanation as to why this continues to happen, it wouldn't have been so bad, but since it has continued to be a problem, plus it is H O T, and furthermore I have two small children, I was frustrated!
I ran inside and grabbed swimsuits to go to my sister's house for a swim. I was at a loss for anything else for us to do. As I was coming out of the house, the mail man was bringing a package to me. It was a package from Faith, and it totally made my day...
How stinkin' cute are these? I needed a birthday gift for a friend's daughter. I wanted something very special, and since I adore anything monogrammed, I instantly thought of Faith. I just love how they turned out, and of course while I was ordering, EG needed one, too. Thank you, Faith!Then, before pulling from the driveway, I noticed a box by the door, and it was...
My baby's Kindergarten lunchbox!All of these goodies totally put me in THE best mood and made me forget the frustration of the power outage.
Then, as I drove, I began to think how silly I had been to be so upset about the power outage. Right then I was reminded of an e-mail I got from a friend about a week ago that was titled "Unhappy? Complaining?" These images were attached to that e-mail, and I suddenly could not get them out of my head...
I started feeling so selfish and ashamed of myself and thankful all at the same time. How dare I complain that my house with a roof on it doesn't have a steady stream of cool air running through it at ALL times? How dare I feel inconvenienced that I have to take my fully clothed and fed children to a pool of clean, clear water to play in, let alone drink! What was wrong with me? There is so much suffering in this world, and I and my family are so blessed!
Do you ever have days like this...a day full of frustration that turns to joy that turns to a lesson?
Do you ever have days like this...a day full of frustration that turns to joy that turns to a lesson?
15 comments:
Yes, Leigh Ann, we are blessed! I love the present for Sarah and LOVED Ella Grace and Evan's monogrammed things! So awesome, Leigh Ann! Someday when Russell and I have children, they'll definitely have monogrammed EVERYTHING! HA!
Yes, I have many days like that when I get frustrated and then feel guilty for it. I think no A/C is 102 with 2 small children does warrant a little frustration, so don't beat yourself up :)
I love the gifts Faith sent you - so cute :)
I can TOTALLY understand your frustration. Seriously...102 with no air conditioning really is worth a little complaining. :) But we are all so spoiled. It definitely helps to put things in perspective when you think about how blessed we are compaired to others who are suffering so much!
Faith did an amazing job on the monograms!! How cute!!
Faith does a great job! Those are super cute!!
The power going out drives my girl nuts too! It's TOO hot for all that!!
Check out my post on Amazing Kids... it mentions you and your OT woes! Hee hee! :)
I know that you were beating yourself up, BUT I can understand why you were frustrated! 102 degrees in August is enough to make anyone complain a little ;)!
However, I DO know what you mean! We have these moments so we can be reminded how blessed we are.
LOVE ALL OF YOUR GOODIES!
Yes, always! Thanks for the wonderful reminder to be thankful and feel blessed in those situations instead of ALWAYS complaining. :) I am so sorry that it has been so hot in your house though! Maybe if you just had an explanation of "why" it would make it a LITTLE better. :)
I LOVE the shirts that Faith made! HOW CUTE!!! And Evan's lunchbox, how exciting! :)
That is a great lesson. It is just REALLY hard when things are out of the norm and we do have to unexpectedly think outside of the box. I'm not really good at that :).
Besides we would have a VERY hard time in a house without electricity. It gets hot really quickly!
I love the lunch box and the shirts. Where did you get the lunch box?
I have a love of monogramming too! Kevin thinks I'm a little nuts, but it really makes me happy to see my boys' name on things,lol!
I know what you mean, I forget how blessed we really are and the email you shared really made me feel guilty about complaining so much these past few days! What a wonderful post! P.S. The power thing happened to us too for a couple of days in a row a little while ago when the weather was at its hottest. I remember complaining how terrible it was that I had to take them to the air conditioned mall to play(that was right up the street). So you are not alone, and yes I feel guilty now for complaining about it!
Your monogrammed stuff is adorable! I have plenty of days like the one you described. 102 degrees is H-O-T! I'm glad you survived the heat.
Faith does such a great job. I love the shirts. The lunch box is so cute. Is he excited about starting kindergarten?
We have lost power also. I am glad that we don't have children. I can't image in have AC when it is this hot. It makes me remember how blessed we are!!!!
Yay! So glad they came in time and that you like them! I know those girls will look adorable in them!
Love Evan's lunchbox...that will go great with his backpack!
You are right, we are SO blessed!
We are all definitely SO blessed! It is hard, though, when circumstances around us seem so frustrating! Those goodies are TOO TOO cute! At least the day ended happy! :)
The greatest lesson I learned was on my first trip to Nicaragua. NEVER will I brush my teeth again and let the water just run without thinking of not having fresh running water like the people in the villages where we were.
We are SO blessed and unfortunately, SO spoiled. Myself included. We need to be so thankful...everyday!
Faith did an awesome job on your little monograms....so cute! She is talented!!
I LOVED this post, Leigh Ann. I really was moved by the pictures you shared and the way God gently reminded you of His goodness. I got a bit of that at church tonight.
The monogrammed outfits are adorable!!
Love the cute cute personalized items! Are you ready for the kindergarten experience to begin!?!?
You are so sweet, Leigh Ann. Our power was out last night--AGAIN--and I found myself very frustrated, too. It was off for three hours and R couldn't go to sleep alone because he didn't have a night light, etc. Anyway, all that to say, I was selfish and silly with my griping and frustration. Thank you for these pictures to remind me once again how MUCH I have to be thankful for. I actually went to sleep with Rhett in his bed, and I should have been thankful for that little extra sweet time to spend together.
Have a good evening!
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