I Dont Have it All Together (and a facelift wont change that.)

This is going to seem like a ridiculous post, because it is filled with special requests I have should I lose my mind as I continue aging.  But some of the trends for Hollywood stars and older women these days are freaking me out! I dont want to succumb to the pressure and make some irrational decision that will change me for the rest of my life.  I am afraid that the women in Hollywood are so encapsulated in their little world that they do not realize that to the rest of us, they are looking like freaks from (inserting Hunger Games reference here) The Capital! So without further ado, here is my list of "please stop me if I..." requests.

1. I cannot always tell the difference between botox and a face lift, by my goodness, many celebrities are beginning to look a bit Stepford!  Madonna, Helen Hunt, Nicole Kidman, Courtney Cox and others have all begun to drastically change in appearance.  Even Sandra Bullock looked different at the latest awards show.  I am beginning to wonder if so many people surrounding them are getting it done that they are assuming it is the new "must do" without realizing how shocking it is to the rest of the world.  I saw a great post from Alyssa Milano on Twitter recently that said something to the affect of "when you get a face lift you dont look younger, you just look like you have had a face lift." Well put! I hope she can withstand the pressure to go under the knife and simply age gracefully.  While I would love to have a few wrinkles erased, I fear more the changing of my entire appearance in the process! Seems to me the results are of greater concern than the actual wrinkles. 

2. I hate to pick on Madonna, but her Superbowl halftime show was the perfect example of my next request.  Do not allow me to dance and frolic around in a corset and fishnet stockings, climbing on younger men's shoulders, as my teenage daughters stand by mortified.  Sometimes I forget how old I really am, and I try to pull off some outfit that is really more appropriate for a 20 something girl.  I get it that it happens.  I have a momentary lapse of judgement and then when I have to unbutton the jeans to breathe, or change the shirt to allow room for my fuller stomach I am immediately reminded that things are shifting and changing and rather than force my middle aged body into the teenage clothes of my youth, I should just purchase new, age appropriate items.  That is not to say I cant still dance and frolic, I just dont want to be wearing things my own teenagers wouldnt be caught in.  Or climbing on the shoulders of their school mates when I have a hard enough time stepping up onto a bleacher.  Just saying.

3. Finally, please stop me if I begin resorting to odd behavior in hopes of appearing glamorous or sexy.  I felt for Angelina Jolie and her "leg bombing" fiasco because we all know we do it.  We figure out there is a perfect way to stand to hide our not-so-perfect flaws.  We have a "picture smile" that comes out every time we stand in front of the camera.  And I cannot imagine what it must be like to be photographed every day, everywhere you go.  No wonder she rehearsed that pose until she found the exact way she wanted be seen, and then used that pose for every photo op thereafter.  She looked good, but the pose came across as it's own entity. Something fake, and unnatural.  Sometimes I feel like I am heading down that road.  Wanting to always be seen in the best light.  But then I remember that it is in revealing my flaws (or should I say, in not trying to be perfect) that I become more real.  We arent always standing perfectly with one hand on a hip and one beautifully long and lean leg thrust out of a sky high slit.  We are moms who dont have stylists and hairdressers.  We spend most of our time at Walmart and Target and will be lucky if we make it on camera or to an awards show. And that is ok.  I dont have it all together and that's ok.  And a facelift or sexy leg wont change that.

These Are A Few of My Favorite Fears...

5. I am irrationally afraid of a bee or some sort of bug flying or crawling into my ear(s). I think this fear may have come from stories my mom would bring home from work when I was a kid.  She worked for an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor and Im telling you people...it happens...and more often than you think. Keep the covers pulled up at night.

4. Food poisoning.  I had food poisoning once as a kid and it was so awful I have never recovered from the trauma of it.  If I am even remotely suspicious of a food I cant eat it.  If I get a funny feeling just by looking at it, it's over. 

3. Doctor's offices.  Oh the germs.  I am like a crazy mom when I take my kids to the doctor.  All of the sickness and sneezes and strep and whatever else we take our kids to the doctor's office for.  No thank you.

2. Sugar drinks.  I know this sounds ridiculous coming from a person who loves candy and ice cream, but for some reason I draw the line at sugar drinks.  I have no problem with Little Debbie's or popcicles or even fruit snacks, but I cringe when my kids have a soda.  No idea why. 

1. Weather.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, crazy thunder and lightning... living in the South has freaked me out.  Not to mention the tsunamis and earthquakes devastating the earth of late.  My biggest fear growing up in the Northwest was a dust storm.  Or snow.  Nowadays when I am stressed my dreams are filled with massive tsunamis, or tornadoes, or huge waves that slam against the hotel and leave me frantically grasping for my children.

The weather is unpredictable, uncontrollable and crazy powerful. So are germs.  And all kinds of "bugs" can wreak havoc on our lives.  Most of my biggest fears are things I cant control--so I suppose it's really "having no control" that is my fear.  Not being able to control what happens to me and my loved ones.  (Not sure how soda fits in to this analogy except that I want to control what my kids drink:) So I guess this is where my faith is put to the test.  All of these things can happen. The question is whether or not I can trust that God wont just "keep me safe" but that He knows what is best.  Even if a bee flies into my ear.  Even if I get food poisoning. Even if my kids drink soda. And even if I should be swept away by a massive wave.  Can I trust that in everything--not just what I cant control but even what I can and do try to control, is better in His hands? That's the real struggle.

Happy Monday!

Here's something fun to start your week off with... we giggled about it all weekend. :) 

Micah 6:8

Below is commentary from one of my favorite Bible teachers, David Guzik, on the well known verse from Micah 6:8.  I have always loved this verse, but upon reading it got to wondering just what God meant by "do justly" and "love mercy." The verse says this is "what is good and what God requires of me." That means it is expected of me.  The dictionary defines required as,  "to claim or ask for by right and authority." So it isnt as though God is just suggesting this way of living, but He is claiming by His authority that this is how we ought to live.  If I have decided to follow Him and have given Him authority in my life, then it is God's right to ask this of me.

This made it personal and got me thinking... do I "do justly" and "love mercy" and do I "walk humbly with God?" I needed more information on just what was expected of me.  That's when I went to David Guzik's commentary to see what he might add after much study of the verse.  And what I found will hopefully encourage you as it has encouraged me.

 Micah 6:8

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

a. He has shown you: “You act as if it is some mystery what I require of you. In point of fact it is no mystery at all. I have shown you clearly what is good and what I require of you.”

b. To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God: The Lord answers the contentious witness in open court. “What I require of you isn’t complicated. Simply do three things.”

c. Do justly: “Act in a just, fair way towards others. Treat them they way you want to be treated.”

d. Love mercy: “Don’t just show mercy, but love to show it. Give others the same measure of mercy you want to receive from the Me.”

e. Walk humbly with your God: “Remember who I am - your God. If you keep that in mind, you will walk humbly before Me.”

i. “I would not advise any of you to try to be humble, but to be humble. As to acting humbly, when a man forces himself to it, that is poor stuff. When a man talks a great deal about his humility, when he is very humble to everybody, he is generally a canting hypocrite. Humility must be in the heart, and then it will come out spontaneously as the outflow of life in every act that a man performs.” (Spurgeon)

ii. Spurgeon’s sermon Micah’s Message for Today applied the idea of how to walk humbly with your God:

• Walk humbly when you are spiritually strong
• Walk humbly when you have much work to do
• Walk humbly in all your motives
• Walk humbly studying God’s word
• Walk humbly when under trials
• Walk humbly in your devotions
• Walk humbly between you and your brothers in Christ
• Walk humbly when dealing with sinners

iii. “True humility is thinking rightly of thyself, not meanly. When you have found out what you really are, you will be humble, for you are nothing to boast of. To be humble will make you safe. To be humble will make you happy. To be humble will make music in your heart when you go to bed. To be humble here will make you wake up in the likeness of your Master by-and-by.” (Spurgeon)

Fireflies

We are enjoying singing this wonderfully pleasant song around the Corrona household. <3 Owl City

Nine Years!

Our sweet Lux Sophia turns 9 today, so I am celebrating her life by sharing some of my favorite pictures of our beautiful girl. 

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE!

He's a Dream(er)

I have a husband who thinks big. Really big.  In fact he often thinks so outside the box that I literally have to grab the box, run after him, and try to box back up his thinking.  We have often joked that this world obviously needs big dreamers, like him, to expand our horizons and accomplish what was thought impossible. And then we also need realists, like me, to grab hold of the dreamers' ankles, pop their dream balloon, and bring them back down to earth.

Just for fun I thought I might share a few of his "big ideas" over the years.  Many of these ideas drew me closer to God through much prayer and petition that they might not come to fruition.  And just to be clear, Im not exaggerating. :)

 One of the most interesting trips I ever took as the wife of a dreamer was when we decided it was time to put our house for sale and move to a more family friendly area.  I was so looking forward to living a hop skip and a jump from the grocery store, Walmart, Target, and church. I began dreaming of our new home, with a great backyard for the kids to run and play.  Maybe even a basement! And so Nate began the search.  And search he did! He spent hours looking for the perfect place that was affordable, yet private, and had that certain style he loves.  So when we sat down to discuss some of the options, this is what he presented me with:  a train car home.

(There are more photos here)
Now dont get me wrong, I like quirky. I dont mind being a little different from the norm.  And I actually do think this train car looks beautiful. But imagine my shock when I sat down thinking we were taking a look at regular, already built, standard homes in a good school district....! And he didnt just come with one photo.  No, he had examined the pricing, looked for lots that were for sale that could sustain the train car style of living, priced them, and even had a few picked out.  I wish I had that conversation on tape to play back for you because I can only imagine what was said! But this is not the only occasion I have been surprised by a husband who marches to the beat of his own drum. Not by far. :)

One of my first moments of realization that life with Nate would not be simple and ordinary came just after our engagement. Nate decided he needed a new car.  His old jeep-type vehicle had a lot of miles on it and was in need of repair, so why not start our marriage out with something new?  Something with low miles. That could hold a future family. And fit his unique desires for a car. He wanted to make one last purchase on his own before getting hitched, so he started the search.  And settled on this:

a black, 1965 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors. Like this one here, but without the fancy wheels. And I get it.  It is a beautiful car.  It was all Nate, and fit him to a T. But it was not at all what I'd had in mind as our family car...:o Yes, the car was roomy, and yes, affordable.  But boy was it a beast to park in our tiny uphill driveway! And it was not the most practical car to run around in, what with a top speed of 50mph and windows that didn't roll down. But he sure loved it.

Oh my sweet husband, I must say that initially these kinds of impractical desires scared me to death! I really did wonder at times, what would be next! But over the years I have learned that not every dream has a crazy result in the end.  And some dreams are worth pursuing.  And I think Nate has learned that too.  His dreams allow me to experience life with feet off the ground, and my practical thinking keeps him from flying too high. :)

Lux's Star Wars Party

Lux as Leia, 2010

About a year and a half ago Lux (my 9 year old) was really into Star Wars.  At school a group of kids were playing Star Wars at recess and she began asking questions about the different characters, the storylines in the different movies, and even about the Clone Wars (no idea what those were until she started asking.) So for 6 straight weeks, every Sunday afternoon, Nate and the girls would watch an episode of Star Wars, beginning with the original.

By the time they finished, Lux's infatuation with Star Wars had turned into a major desire to host a Star Wars party with her recess friends.  And her film producer dad was recruited to film the action.  What follows is the exciting tale of what happened that fateful Saturday afternoon in our backyard.

Happy Weekend!

Here's something fun to get you smiling on this beautiful Saturday.  Enjoy!

"Proud Zainey"

My daughter Zaine has a performance coming up March 5th and she is so excited. And I cannot wait.  Not only because my girl loves to sing and dance, but because her class is going to be singing "Proud Mary." And not just any version of it, but this version I have posted for you below.  Now, before you get to watching it keep in mind that Kindergarteners-6 yr olds- are going to be singing this version of "Proud Mary" with the opening dialogue and the dance moves.  Yes, they will be dancing too! (instead of the booty shaking they do this running in place while rotating their arms at their sides like a train on the tracks...absolutely adorable.)  And their amazingly creative teacher has been teaching them all kinds of classic hits throughout the year.  And she dances on the desks sometimes. And she has them sing responses to her. And she wears a crown and a queen's robe at times and on those days is referred to as Queen Miller. And Zaine is learning--a lot! And I love her.

So as you watch the video below picture my darling daughter Zaine and her brood of 6 yr old friends singing and dancing along. Because Zaine is all about performing. And hopefully you will smile.

39 things ~ a scattered post

I sat down to write a list of 39 things I want to do before I turn 40.  I like lists...they are a fun way of examining yourself and setting goals.  But what is funny is that I couldnt come up with 39 things I wanted to do.  My goals kept coming up kid related or money related or life related, things I can't actually "do" but rather "hope for." And this puzzled me. Why dont I have any fun little dreams I want to fulfill before the big 4-0?

This has been a common challenge for me throughout my life.  I've never been the kind of person to go for it, or have big dreams and strive for them.  I don't think I am comfortable with the idea of dreaming. I think, "Yeah, that's a great idea...I'll believe it when I see it." It's like I am too realistic to allow myself a big dream. What I can't figure out is if this is a defense mechanism or a wise way of going through life.  It saves me a lot of disappointment, but it also means I've missed out on some things I wish I'd attempted. 

I'm just not a "dream big" kinda girl.  I take it one day at a time and see what happens.  I live day to day rather than looking into the future and making big plans.  This frustrates Nate when we are planning a vacation, or Christmas is approaching, or some big event is about to take place and I am not full of anticipation and excitement.  He's thinking "Aren't you glad we are heading to the beach?" I'm thinking "There are a lot of things that will be taking place before we get there." I'm dealing with the day's activities and not interested in looking ahead to what we "hope" will be a wonderful time.  And it will be, but I am unable to set it up in my mind as some amazing time that will surpass all other times.  I don't like being disappointed, so I don't like to create big dreams then have them turn out less than what I'd imagined.  If I go in without expectations, then whatever happens I can handle. And often I do have a great time.

So back to my list...rather than 39 things I want to do before I turn 40, I am going to list 39 things I am glad I've done before turning 40.  Revisiting some of the memories, rather than setting goals I may never attain.  I think I'm comfortable with this.  Hope you enjoy.

Some of my favorite memories:

0-10 years "Im glad I..."
1. jumped on the bed--a lot
2. got to ride a bike without a helmet
3. roller skated--a lot
4. could walk to the store as kid and was safe
5. was in a school play
6. had a dog named Solo
7. had a good bunch of neighborhood kids to play with
8. lived in a great small town
9. loved gymnastics
10. started playing softball

11-20 years of age
11. transferring to Prospect Point Elementary (life changing)
12. wore glasses
13. owned my first ghetto blaster and recorded my first mixed tapes
14. danced and sang in front of the mirror a lot
15. school dances :)
16. wasnt the best, but loved sports
17. lived in California for a bit
18. made mistakes I am glad I learned from
19. lived in the mountains for 6 months
20. traveled across the country to start anew in Cincinnati

21-30 years of age
21. finally understood forgiveness
22. made some important changes in my life
23. studied dance and loved every minute of it
24. married a good man
25. visited other countries like South Africa and England
26. became a mom
27. learned I dont know it all
28. gained a new appreciation for my hometown
29. fell in love with atlanta, ga
30. began to realize life was about more than just being happy

31-39 years of age
31. learned it's ok to need help
32. found true friendship again
33. stopped trying so hard to make it right and learned to love life as it is
34. ate mayonaise and sour cream for the first times and liked them
35. finally realized I ended up with a really great husband
36. decided to live more for others than myself
37. also learned it's ok to disappoint people/let people down
38. became ok with being a 30 something woman, not a 20 something anymore
39. realized I wouldnt trade a moment if it meant not ending up where I am today.  Very thankful.

You Say Cicada, I Say Secada

A cicada aka "big noisy bug that flies."

Oh my goodness...if you are not already checking out "Stuff Christians Like" on a regular basis well, you will get a hefty dose of it here.  Because I found a funny little ditty that, being a woman from the Northwest, had me cracking up.  The post was about Cicadas, and having not grown up with them I, like Jon Acuff, had no clue what people were talking about when I made the move South.  The only cicada I had ever heard of was Jon Secada, and obviously this guy would be terribly insulted to be compared to bugs that, according to wikipedia:
a) "...have large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings"
b)"...may mistake a person's arm or other part of their body for a tree or plant limb and attempt to feed" which "can be painful if they attempt to pierce a person's skin with it, but it is unlikely to cause other harm."
c) "...is technically loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss in humans, should the cicada sing just outside the listener's ear
d) "...are also among the few insects known to cool themselves by sweating."

However, I found this note somewhat fitting:
"A number of species also have a courtship song, which is often a quieter call and is produced after a female has been drawn by the calling song." Hmmm, sounds like Mr. Secada and Mr. Cicada both have a way with the ladies...but I digress.

Once again, without further ado, I present to you a post from one of my favorite bloggers, Jon Acuff, titled:

"Referencing the plague of locusts whenever two or more bugs are gathered in the same place."

Something Sticky

This is a really interesting and creative video that my daughters brought to my attention after viewing it at school.  Who knew such fun could be had with sticky notes?? Have a great weekend!

1993

Valentine's Day 1993 I had my first date with the handsome college sophomore Nate Corrona.  We had recently noticed each other at the girls home basketball game, while he sat taking tickets and I sat in the stands.  Little did I know 19 years later we'd be married with two little girls, living in Atlanta, Ga.  I still think he was quite a catch, and Im so glad he's mine :)

Nate, 1993

My Favorite Shell, Part 2

Happy Saturday! Here's a bit more from my favorite shell of a guy, Marcel.  Hope you enjoy as much as we have.

Breathe Slow, it's Wednesday

Mars Ill's Backbreakanomics album, artwork by Ward Jenkins

So I know you all have just been dying to see Nate on the ole 1's and 2's, well, have I got a video for you! The song "Breathe Slow" was one of Mars Ill's greatest hits in their glory days (circa 2004), getting lots of play on college radio, and the video was nominated for a Gospel Music Award.  So here you have it, Manchild (the rapper, Greg Owens) and Dust (the DJ/producer, Nate Corrona) with their biggest hit, "Breathe Slow."

More Funny from Stuff Christians Like

Jon Acuff has done it again.  He's got me laughing out loud when no one is home, causing me to reflect on the comments my husband recently made about me often talking to myself without realizing it. Now Im laughing with myself. Alone.

Anyhoo, if you are or have ever been a church attender you will get at least a slight chuckle out of these Stuff Christians Like blog posts on raising your hands in church.  Hopefully you'll end up with more of a hearty, deep, from-the-gut laugh. Like myself and I did.  When we laughed together about it. Alone.

Not Singing With Your Hands Raised~Jon Acuff

Hand Raising Worship, 10 Styles~Jon Acuff

Wednesday Warm up!

We made it to Wednesday....have some fun!  Love this!!

The Song In My Head Today...

Nate just completed a video for Family Force 5's song "Paycheck" which I love. You can hear it here.  Trust me the video, which is not yet released, is AMAZING and will be posted here at bounce the moment it's available.  For now, have a good laugh watching a clip of the band here.  The Really Real Show 29, Family Force 5:

Staying Alive

Some tunes for your Saturday. Love it. Have a great weekend :)