Same Old... Same Old

Howdy, howdy to all you 2010 enthusiasts! We have decided that this needs to be the year that we see some significant changes as a family. However, this is my entry about three things that have NOT changed this last year, and so I'll just have to get to some of those needed changes later. Or, perhaps, the three things that didn't change in 2009 might just end up being the very things I want to see altered for this next year. I guess I'll find out as I get writing...

The first ingredient in our stagnant pond of 2009 is our church schedule. Nope... no changes with the ole nine o'clock church schedule. Here in Beaver Dam, one can count on nine o'clock church for the rest of their life, or at least, into the unforeseeable future. These sweet people have not realized that change is good and that they just might find a whole new activity level in the ward if they just rotated schedules every year. Even every other year would be a big bonus. All of my good friends know just how excited I get about nine o'clock church and have already heard me weep and wail about this particular stagnancy that I will just quit typing about it right now. Ssppbbtt... (that's my attempt at typing the sound I might make as I stick out my tongue and spit... or what the world calls 'blowing a raspberry') I'd say this particular pond ingredient was akin to the slimy black mud on the bottom of the pond - the compost material of fish feces and decomposing plant matter. Let me emphasize that the never-changing hour that church begins is the slimy gross part, but let us not forget that although compost materials might stink and basically sick us out, they are vital for the enrichment of the earth and other things that grow. What we get from our attendance at church, no matter what the hour, is definitely enriching and helping us grow and expand in our relationships with others and our spiritual progression. See how I whipped that one around into something positive? Gotta pat myself on the back every once in awhile.

Next on my list of 2009 unchangeables is the love of my own sweet Goliath, Kevin. This man is amazing in his patience, understanding, work ethic, humor, and all around ability to share of himself. He found himself teaching a lesson every month in Elder's Quorum, home teaching some awesome folks from church, playing basketball in the church league, coaching Dayton's Jr. Jazz team, working his buns off providing for our family, and supplying humorous entertainment for all of us! I am certainly glad that HE is, at least, one positive thing I can count on through the thick and thin and everywhere in between. We celebrated our twentieth anniversary last August and find ourselves not only 'still' in love, but even more so than we could have ever hoped. He worked from a home office all year and I am so grateful to have had him with us and spend more time with him than any other year of our married life. He's an angel and we are blessed by his influence on a daily basis. In keeping with the pond analogy, I'd say Kev was like the beautiful green moss that floats on the surface of the water, nourishing the fish and little critters that shelter themselves in and around it. It keeps the water still and gives the appearance of solidity to an otherwise movable surface; vibrant and lush; broad and sweeping, yet soft and tender. Aww... my little mossy Kevin! What a sweetie-pie!

Pond ingredient number three might just have to be my garage. It is still packed with a bunch of boxes of stuff that we obviously don't need, don't want, or just simply don't KNOW that we really WANT to NEED! Hmm... did that make sense? I think not. We have not mustered up the gumption to attack the garage and sort through the residue of our lives, our moves, and our disorganization, in general. This third unchangeable should probably not be dictated as 'the garage', per say, but rather just our disorganization...period. Didn't change this year in this department. We had little hopes and glimmers and thoughts of it changing, but, alas, it stayed the same. This is one of those things that is on our list of MAJOR changes for 2010. One step at a time, I guess. Big works are brought to pass by individually small efforts and experiences, right? Tonight, as we drove into Logan for some groceries, we spoke about this and decided that if we chart out the progress we want to see this year in our 'organization' efforts, and then accomplish these set goals, we should see the major changes in this arena that we so hope for. I would say that our disorganization and procrastination, this year, have been like the big stinky carp that feed on the mucus-y grunge on the bottom of our pond, that each year grow bigger and fatter and perhaps even stinkier! This year, we're gonna expunge those carp and trade them in for beautiful goldfish, rainbow trout, or... if we're lucky... maybe even some striped, swimming, water turtles! Wouldn't that be great?! Maybe if we planted some striper or perch in our little pond of 2010, my dad would even visit on a regular basis and bring my mom along for a little sun bathing on the banks! *wink wink*

Okay, y'all... I could go on and on, but looking back at my decision to focus on ONLY three things that didn't change this year, I realize just how smart that really was! Stagnant ponds are quite lovely at certain times of the year, but let us not forget that if they are left alone too long, they breed mosquitoes and leeches and all sorts of nasties that I would NEVER want to irritate my guests with! So, on that note, I will bid you adieu and will meet you on the next round of my investigations of 2009!