another list.

It's so easy to get bogged down.
There are jerks, money stress, unpleasant situations,
Did I say jerks yet?
But the reality is, a little perspective goes a long way.

So.
I'm making a list.
(not checking it twice-still have 59 days before THAT list!)
Time for a gratitude list!

I'm grateful for...in no particular order...

• Friends that have become an extension of our family
• Warm socks on a cold day
• Silly kids who are also good human beings
• Vanilla Tootsie Rolls
• Living in a house that I love in Los Angeles, which I love!
• Being the oldest of six very different sisters
• The Warriors opening the season with a WIN
• Tickets to see Stone Temple Pilots tomorrow night
• My faith in humanity
• The endless encouragement of good friends to follow my dreams
• A husband I adore and who adores me.  And likes to snuggle!

Just a little list to start my day.
I found that spending a day in gratitude, on purpose, changes my perspective.  And it could use an adjustment about now!

What are you grateful for?

-McGee

amy ellen morgan rocks.

There's this girl.

She's my best friend.

And she is fiercely amazing.

And it's her birthday!

So, here are the top ten reasons

I LOVE AMY ELLEN MORGAN!

10.  She has crazy beautiful jet black hair
AND she knows how to work it.

9.  She is freaking adoreable.  For real.

8.  She makes an insanely cute baby-love to little Jackson!

And she is an incredibly loving and sweet mommy.

7.  She is a superb listener.

6.  But when she listens and I'm being an idiot-
she loves me enough to tell me so.

5.  She drove 908 miles round trip with her 6 month old and her hubby just to be there for my wedding reception.  At a bowling ally.  And she didn't complain once!  (At least not to me.)

4.  She has a good picker-her hubby Josh is a keeper!

3.  She has the most friendly eyes and contageous smile and laugh.

They are enough to brighten even the most painfully frustrating day.

2.  She has rad music taste and likes to get down...
even if she's wearing a wedding gown. 

(I think she gets it from her momma!)

And the NUMBER ONE reason I love Amy...

 Amy is the best example I know of being a true friend.  She is herself and that allows me to be totally comfortable in being myself in her presence.  She honors who I am by honoring who she is.  She is loyal almost to a fault and loves wholeheartedly even when it hurts.  She is the first example I have experienced first hand of what a true, honest, nurturing friendship between two women can be and for that I am eternally blessed and grateful!

Amy Ellen Morgan...

You ARE the bomb.  Girl.

LOVE YOU!
-McGee

fortune cookie.

Went to lunch with the boss at PF Changs.
(Hey.  I'm in the auto industry.  There HAS to be an occassional perk.)

Fortune cookie says:
"Success will come through in your plan."

Oh Crap.

I need a plan.

I know, I know..."to hell with the plan" is what I said last week.
But let's face it, I have a vajay-jay, I change my mind often.

The thing is, I'm frustrated beyond belief at working a jobby job that is wholly unfullfilling while watching people I adore work in jobs that are part of their passion and are completely awesome and amazing.  I know I need to remember to be grateful for a job at this point in the economy but then I feel like my Grandmother for saying so. 

But what now?  How do I really make a worthwhile change?
Or should I adjust my expectations and deal with it?

Mostly, I'm sharing this to scream from the rooftops that I don't have it all figured out.  I don't know everything.  Sure.  I can solve YOUR problems but mine take a little more finesse-mostly because I tend to get in my own way! 

I really want to write a book.  (Ok.  Two actually.)
I would love to go back to speaking.
And really-why didn't I become a teacher?

There.
I said it outloud.

Now you know.
And I think I need to make a plan.

Fortune cookie says so.

-McGee

I'm (a little more) famous!

Special treat! 

One of my all time favorite bloggers graced me with the honor of guest blogger for the week!

Check out what I had to say about the voices in my head!

And while you're there, read down a bit-she has fabulous things to say!

http://themoxyprojectblog.com/

-McGee

junk drawer.

I love moving.

I must-I’ve lived in 16 houses in my 34 years!

I love the process.
I love packing up our most valuable possessions and rearranging them in a new place.
But I am obsessed with the junk.
I love to de-clutter and throw away the junk that’s just been getting in the way.

Except that ever elusive junk drawer.
I’m not a fan.

It’s the last thing to pack, which means it doesn’t get sorted through at all. It’s more of an “I’m so tired of packing that I’m just going to toss this all in a box and go through it when we’re settled at the new place” kind of thing.

Except then it sits in the garage.
Untouched.
While a new junk drawer is forming organically on it’s own.
Forgotten only until you need that one thing that you can’t find or it’s time to clean out the garage because you’re packing up and moving to the next place.

So I was at church the other day.
(I know…random…but follow me for a minute)
And during a quiet moment found myself uttering a prayer that went something like this…

“God, I need a little help here. I need to make some changes, I’ve made a mess of my life. Wait. That’s not true. I haven’t made a mess. More like I have some stuff I need to adjust and get better at. Kind of like my own personal junk drawer.”

(And the blogger in me rejoiced! A new post was brewing!)

I’ve been doing some soul searching lately (remember project me?) and I’m really proud of the big things in life I’ve been able to get through, push through and make happen. I have a good job, great kids who are happy and healthy, Mr. Man and I are freshly, happily married. I’ve been through some rough patches but managed to get back up, dust myself off and keep moving forward. That’s big! That doesn’t equate to “God, I’ve really made a mess of my life.”

But.
It’s the junk drawer stuff that gets me.

It’s in the details. The way I micromanage or learn to let go. It’s the way I force my control on others or allow them space to do their own thing. It’s the character flaws that don’t derail my life but are unpleasant when they go unchecked. At least that’s what all of my people tell me it is…unpleasant.

THOSE are the junk drawer.
And it’s totally easy to stick them in a box and ignore them.
They aren’t that important to daily life.
And I’m doing pretty good anyway.

But then there’s a moment,
A situation,
An issue.
Where the junk drawer traits rear their ugly heads.

So I’m left with this prayerful attitude and realization.
Goes a little something like this…

“God, I know life is pretty good. And I’m grateful for the people I’ve been blessed with in my life and the strength I’ve been given to get me where I am today. But I have a few things that I have neglected, reasoned away or made excuses for. I’m far from perfect and I have some work to do. I would like some help cleaning up my junk drawer.”

I like this prayer better.
And while I’m not a fan of the junk drawer,
I think it may be time to de-clutter it.

-McGee

plan b.

Remember “to hell with the plans?”

I do.
And I’m taking it to heart!

By the time you’re reading this I will likely be Mrs. Mr. Man!

You see…

We’ve planned a big wedding, bought the big dress and life happened.
And it was stressful.
And expensive.
And we weren’t having any fun.

So we ditched the plan, or rather put it to bed for awhile.
Inspired by our most recent trip to Vegas, we changed the plan.

Court house chapel.
Clothes we like to wear.

We’re doing it our way.

We have a great party planned another night with our nearest and dearest where we will celebrate our new family with our children at our sides dressed to the nines where we will dance and play into the evening!

But tonight?
Tonight is just about us.
Together.
In love.

To hell with the plans.

This works better.
This is more fun.

This is who we are!

-McGee

little MANnerisms

Little Miss and Little Man share a bedroom.

Little Miss is 12.  Little Man is 6.

Yet I break up arguments and referee fights often.

Late last night I heard bickering WAY after I had tucked them in.

I walked in to see what was wrong and before I could say a word...

Little Man yells...

"MOM.  Little Miss won't shut her PINEAPPLE."

(read...pie hole)

(Incidentally-I win the mom of the year award for thiis picture.  We were at the store with my little sister when we caught him trying on these glasses.  He didn't want his picture taken in them though.  It was one of those "If you want ice cream you better do this rediculous thing I'm asking you to do and smile while you're at it" kinda thing. 
Hence the lovely look on his cute little face.)

Good times!

-McGee