just one of those days.....

I don't know if any of you have had the rare experience of hearing and seeing your microwave door burst open in an explosion of spaghetti squash......but I have.  After the mild heart attack my kids and I had, we busted up laughing.  Half my kitchen was splattered with the stringy yellow stuff.  And my microwave....well the pictures say it all.  I don't know how I had the presence of mind to take pictures of it, but I'm glad I did.  It was just one of those days. 

So much of my life is like this - splattered, messy, yet still kind of beautiful in a totally weird way. 

I'm sure you've had days like this too when you're hanging by the skin of your teeth, trying to laugh instead of cry and reminding yourself how good you've got it compared to most everyone else on this planet?  (And you do!  Me too!)

The day before yesterday was another one of those days for me.  It began by spending 2.5 hours on the phone for technical support over someone repeatedly hacking into my apple ID.   A couple hours later, I wiped out on my friend's icy, concrete front steps and landed square on one butt cheek (at least one reason to be grateful for extra padding).  Then, after pulling my sorry butt up out of the snow, I hobbled over to my car, got in and proceeded to dump an entire container of granola mix I had just purchased, all over the floor and seat.  Finally, after arriving home and vacuuming up the mess in my car, I went to the kitchen to heat some store purchased soup (yes, another stellar effort at dinner) and spilled half it on the counter. Not a good day.  One might wonder at the wisdom of me cleaning out my china cabinet the next morning!!!

If, like me, you can also laugh at the craziness of your life -- then we both have so much to be thankful for.  

Just thought I'd share.  xo

words and images © copyright melody armstrong 2013

a love note?

(or more aptly...."I love it when shit happens" --as per my husband) 

 

Thank you Colten.....for telling me to bring my camera

and for always keeping your eyes peeled.  

I [heart] you.

In Honor of Dads - Part II - My Man!

ME with MY KID'S DAD!!

I married this guy in 1995.  He is my lover and best friend.  He is my shelter and rock.  He is the one who will always make my heart sing.  He is an incredible father to our three kids.

Today this post is dedicated to Lance.  I think the world (our children especially) needs to know that there are still fathers out there who honor their wedding vows, put their families first, care for the needs of others, and are willing to submit to their Heavenly Father's authority and correction the best that they can.

A quick apology to Lance might be in order since he isn't crazy about being the center of attention when it comes to personal things.  He DOES, however, enjoy drawing a great deal of attention to the crazy, outrageously creative and large-scale ideas he comes up with.  I have to say, Lance is one of the most creative people I have ever met.  He is full of ideas...most of us can't keep up.  And though his plans usually entail a teeny, tiny bit of work on my part, I admit that this is still one of my favorite things about him.  

LANCE SPECIALIZES IN UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS and my kids LOVE it.  This dad ROCKS!!  See for yourself.  

Whether he is.....

sculpting 6'5" tall snow men with the kids

setting up for "dinner on ice" with friends,

crafting a halloween costume,

building an enormous back yard ice rink 

or an ice bar for a New Year's Eve party...

maybe he's making a giant football logo and
stapling it to our roof, 

constructing a fort that fills a room,

cutting blocks for another igloo (we found our 2 grown neighbors huddled inside the last one, watching a movie with our kids)

or even designing a life sized movie screen in the yard...

LANCE IS GOING TO PULL IT OFF WITH STYLE.  

But Lance doesn't only concern himself with the huge, crazy things.  He is also a man that pours a great deal of energy into the small things of life that matter most.  

He models care, compassion and respect  to his children in the way he treats others. He has the most generous heart and and my kids catch glimpses of it all the time.  I say glimpses, not because the occasions are rare, but because Lance finds ways to constantly give and give that no one else ever sees.  What a gift for my children in a world that values appearance and public applause, maybe even more than having a character of substance and integrity.

Lance is fun...and he is funny!!

He is unique....

He knows how to play...

He knows how to make work like play

And he loves to build things......

Last summer Lance built a pizza over in our back yard so that we could "have the whole neighbourhood over for pizza parties."  

It was a stinking huge project and I was about ready to curse it by the time we were almost finished.  The reason I tell this story is because it is SO Lance.  Big idea, huge creativity and hard work, and it shows the person he is....especially the small detail he incorporated on the back wall of the oven.  

It's just like Lance to make a place to honor God in what he does. I know he would argue that he doesn't do this very well...but I live with the guy and I see it all the time.  Yet another quality about Lance that makes him so amazing.

And finally, Lance really knows how to love (not just his cars -- which I really should take more pictures of.)  I mean LOVE -- fierce, dedicated, protect his family at any cost --- kind of love!! 

And this Father's Day, Lance, we want you to know that we see all the ways you care for, provide, and gives of yourself for us.  We know that you give 100% and sometimes feels like you have nothing left to give.  We understand that sometimes you feel worn out and run down.  It's okay.  We want to say THANK YOU ----FOR EVERYTHING!  We know that you are not perfect and we don't expect you to be because you always accept and forgive us our imperfections.  In fact, we think you are amazing exactly the way you are BECAUSE YOU'RE THE BEST.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY -- INCREDIBLE YOU!!

Love,

Melody and your Kids.

lost keys and sheep

It was around this time last year that my passion for photography got me in trouble again.  This time, it was some old barns and a prairie landscape that grabbed my attention.  I pulled off the road and jumped out of my van for a couple quick shots with my trusty point-and-shoot in hand and my keys tucked in my pocket.  Just beyond the three barns, a moody sky sat on the horizon promising rain from it's dark billowy clouds.  A perfect backdrop for my photos.  

     
Giddy and intoxicated with a silliness that comes over me when I'm free to chase beauty,I stood at the edge of the road and took my first shot.  Then I skipped through the ditch to the barbed-wire fence for another one.  Then back to the road. Then back across the ditch towards the field again.  I was ALL OVER THE PLACE just snapping away and loving it.

I decided to crawl through the barbed-wire fence (getting only a little snagged) so I could walk into the field and get closer to the barns.  I was about thirty yards in and grinning from ear to ear when I suddenly realized with an unnameable dread that my keys were no longer in my pocket.  “You’ve GOT to be kidding!” I said right out loud to no one.  I started patting myself down like I was under arrest, frantic to find keys somewhere on my body.  But, no keys!  Unbelieveable!!   In the one clear moment of thought that followed, I dropped my jacket to mark my spot, took a deep breath and walked back to the van hoping I'd find them there.  And sure enough, NO KEYS!  I knew with certainty that my keys were laying somewhere in that field of mud and last year’s stubble.

Out of sheer desperation, I  called a good friend who lived nearby hoping she might be home and able to come help me search.  She assured me that she was on her way.  And so began the impossible search and my out loud conversation with God.  “Lord, I know you can see my keys.  You’re looking at them right now, so please, please, PLEASE!  take my feet to them.”  There was no other way I was going to find them.  The soil was as black as my keychain and the field stubble was thick and tall, standing as high as my knees --- especially along the fence and in the wide ditch I’d crossed several times.  Needle in a haystack, anyone???

After about half an hour of searching, a truck pulled out of the nearby farmhouse  and stopped next to where I was pacing  the field. Great!  Now I  was in trouble for tromping through his field.  But to my great relief, the man and his daughter had  stopped to inquire whether I needed help.  I couldn’t believe it when after explaining my predicament (through tears), they got out and started searching through the ditch with me saying: “we’ll find them, don’t worry.”  Such kindness and optimism from complete strangers was overwhelming.  

Meanwhile, my girlfriend had shown up and joined the search.  Shortly after that, I took a step and my eyes fell upon the keys right beside my foot.  I snapped them up and started the loudest, craziest celebration dance right there in the ditch in front of my girlfriend and two complete strangers.  Such exuberant joy filled my whole being.  I hugged my girlfriend and twirled wildly in delight.  I hugged the strangers, laughing and screaming.   It was crazy and exciting and I didn’t care who saw me.

my girlfriend in the muddy field after all the drama!!

I have no idea how God whispered to my heart in that deliriously loud and joyful moment, but he did: “Now you know how I feel when, after leaving the ninety-nine, I find that one lost sheep.”  I got it, just a taste of how excited God gets.  All heaven rejoices; isn’t that what the Scripture says?  Imagine that!  A loud, rapturous, dancing celebration happens in heaven when one that was lost is found.  

words and images © copyright Melody Armstrong 2013