You know those in-laws everyone is afraid of? You know ... they are either outright mean and hateful (I hear you Sharman), or they "tolerate" you ... Like you would "tolerate" acne at fifteen! That's Richard's family. The only one of them who was ever genuinely nice to me was his ninety-something great-grandmother, who by the way was a devout Christian. And when Richard took me to Georgia to meet her, she warned me away from him.

I'll never forget it; she cackled (yes, cackled!) and said, "Ooooh, girl. You'd better look twice before you look at him!" You know that saying about how kids never listen? Well...

I remember every holiday gift that I ever got from those people - an unwrapped miniature organizer. Now I'm not saying that I only got the one in four years. Jeez, that would've been better! By the end of the marriage I had gotten about a million of those stupid things! And don't get me wrong, it isn't about the gift itself, it's the thought that very plainly came WITH the "gift."

But Ryan's family? Now there's a family! I'm not sure about his father, I haven't met him yet, but all the stories that I've heard about him have in one way or another reminded me of Richard. So I don't know ... But Ryan's mom and step-dad? They are such great people! My birthday present from Leslie and Matt was a little mini-candle set. Let me tell you, they are literally an inch long, and just a few centimeters around! How cute! Yes, I am a cande-burner... And they came with a tiny little mini-candle holder, and they were attached to a card. I'll never burn them, I want to remember always the good wishes. She thanked me in the card for "blessing" her family, and she thanked me for my friendship... *tear*... How sweet is this lady? Like chocolate, baby!

And my daughter more than loves them. They have labeled themselves "Grandma Leslie" and "Grandpa Matt." Ryan says that I am the first girl that he's brought home in all these years that his mother has genuinely liked! She and Matt are always inviting us to dinner and stuff like that, and even though Ryan and I have only been together six months, they spoiled Joey and I for Christmas, and remembered both our birthdays...

They have been really accepting and loving toward me and Jo, and we have come to love them like family... And that's how it should be...

I read something the other day that was about teaching children to pray. So it got me thinking, and I have been talking to my little one lately about how to talk to Jesus. Well, first I taught her to SAY Jesus ("Dee-Dis.") And since I listen to worship music most of the time and I prefer upbeat contemporary Christian pop and rock, she has started to like it a little too.

One day when she was dancing, I said, "Are you dancing for Jesus?" It was so cute, and she looked me right in the eye and said, "Yes." Then she went to back to her madman's dance. (Come on you've all seen a two-year-old "dance.")

Well, we got to talking later (as much as you can with a toddler), and we were talking about talking to Jesus. I asked her how to do it.

Joey:

So I said, "Fold your hands like this." I showed her how to interlace her little fingers and hold her hands together. Then I said, "Okay, baby, Bow your head like this." And she did, looking up at me through heavy black eyelashes bordering a sea of blue.

Now at this time we happened to be sitting together on the living room floor, surround by those big-ass toddler legos. And I said, "Then you close your eyes..."

She did! Then, she toppled over in the floor with her still-folded hands under her cheek and said, "Night, night!" She proceeded to fake snore with a big fat grin on her face... Maybe I should've waited on the "close your eyes" part ...

Today I had my first REAL communion. I mean, I'd gone to church a hundred times and had a cracker and some juice, but today ... Today I had my communion with GOD. I wasn't that moved by the music today, and I usually am, so I had kind of shut down.

But the sermon was about compassion in the face of trials and difficulties. Pastor Paul talked about having compassion for those who do you wrong in spite of the wrongs they have done to you. And that is the Christ-like way, to love everyone - in spite of what they have done. He loves even me, in spite of the way I turned my back on Him for so long.

Today as I stood in my church and looked upon the bread, the symbol of Christ's flesh which was beaten more brutally than any dough and was baked dry and burned in the hot sun, my eyes filled with grateful tears.

Today I nearly choked as my throat worked to swallow the juice, the sweet symbol of the bitter blood of Christ which was spilled and spat upon ... For me. For the eternal life of MY soul.

Father, I thank you for sending your son, your precious Holy Lamb down to die on the cross for my sins. Today as I partook of Christ's Communion in your church, I was moved by you many times to speak to you, to your Son, Jesus. Thank you father, for speaking to me and for speaking through me. I love you Lord, today and every day. And I worship happily in the name of Jesus ... AMEN.

 

The gift from hell? Yep.  

All week Ryan has been defensive and snappy. I kept asking him why, and getting nothing. Today, I got the answer ... frickin' AOL.

I like AOL and would've used it so happily for our internet, but Ryan is one of those computer-people. "It HAS to be high-speed ..." Blah, blah, blah. Basically, "No we can not have AOL - I hate AOL." Have I mentioned that he's kind of a power-hungry control freak?

Anyways, I didn't want AOL bad enough to fight for it, and now that I'm used to what we've got, I prefer WHAT WE HAVE. But last weekend when Ryan was sick and I took Joey out to get her out of his hair ... He put it on his computer! I was less than thrilled, and he was offended ...

So guys ... when you say no to your woman and force her to settle for what YOU want, don't just pop in on her and expect her to gush over a desire that is gone because YOU swore not to fulfill it. If you want to make her happy by giving her what she wants ... Then don't tell her no. How come you guys only give us what we want when we don't want it anymore? You'd save a lot of trouble and guesswork (I promise) like this : We ask for what we want. Don't give us what we don't ask for while ignoring what we DO ask for! DUH!

Oh my gosh, Ryan just got home from work a little while ago, and then he had to go to the store for a few things... I jokingly suggested that he take Joey with him to get her out of my hair because it's been a long day with her and I don't feel that great.

HE DID!!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh! Usually he bows out, and I know he's still nervous ... or maybe not as attached as he tries to make out ... but he usually is like, "Well she doesn't have her shoes on or anything. I could just go and get back." But today ...

HE TOOK HER!!! WOO-HOO!!!!