Girl's Weekend

Tony went away last weekend and Dakota and I had girl time. She was a bit cranky on Friday night and Saturday, so we stuck fairly close to home. But Sunday we went to the zoo and had a lot of fun! We had lots of little toy surprises to pull out here and there to keep things interesting. She's definitely a Momma's girl....which is ok with me right now. Here's some pics of the fun!

We watched a lot of Elmo and snuggled on the couch.......

And colored with new crayons and coloring books...............

And played outside with bubbles......................

And had lots of fun at the zoo! We had a lot of firsts: first carousel ride, first hand painting, first time nose to nose with a monkey (with glass inbetween). We even did one of those little photo booth pictures that make you look horrible, but they're so much fun!



Yep, we had lots of fun. The more time I spend with Dakota, the more I fall in love with her. Even though she can be quite the stinker, she is a very sweet girl and has a smile that melts your heart.

No More "Ring Ring" Bling

I did something this evening that was very easy to do, but had more significance to me than anyone would understand. And it may sound funny, but I took the "bling" off my phone. I have a pink cell phone and about a year ago had found pink and white "jewels" to adorn it. Maybe it was my attempt to fit in or feel younger. Maybe it was an attempt to be trendy and fun. But for whatever reason, they've been there.

Many people have commented on them. They were very flashy! And the other day as I was thinking about what was important.....I suddenly didn't want them anymore. With or without the sparkles, my phone was still my phone. It functioned just fine all on it's own without any need to play dress up.

So while my daughter took her bath tonight, I picked them off, one at a time. The phone needs to be cleaned up a little, it was still kind of shiny under all that glitz. But it's not a fashion statement, it's not going to make my life easier when I could use 4 more hours in a day. I don't want the extras anymore. I don't want the "stuff" that's just "stuff" for the purpose of being "stuff".

Maybe I can take some of my own "sparkles" off too. Maybe I can get my haircut as short as I want without worrying what others might think. Maybe I can get rid of knick knacks that just collect dust. Maybe I can make some house/yard decisions on my own instead of trying to be the "nice" wife who waits patiently. I might find more of me under the glitter as it comes off piece by piece.

I'm so thankful God knows whats underneath the fake glitter. I'm so glad He's willing to clean us off after we peel it off, piece by piece. It can be scary taking off the shiny pieces of "expectations", "status builders", and "ego boosters". But underneath it all, we're still just who we are. God loves us for that and we should be able to love ourselves for that too.