Goodbye 2009...Hello 2010!

In just a couple of hours, 2009 will be a memory and 2010 will be here.
2010 happens to be the title of one of my all-time favorite movies: "2010: The year we make contact"..
If Bryan and I were to make a movie about our life in 2010..it would be called "2010: we finally made it!"
As I reflect back on what 2009 brought us..it's hard to believe we survived.
We've had so many blessings and trials...
Pastor Adrian Rogers once said "life is like a train track..the good and the bad happen at the same time, sometimes..." he was right.
While Bryan and I had some very good times..we also had some very trying times. The biggest I can think of is when Bryan got sick and I was terrified. Afraid I would lose the love of my life, my rock, my shield, and my hero. But God was gracious and healed him...it was a slow recovery but none the less He healed him.
It made me really think about what "could" have happened...and how scary it is to be sick in the hospital. Since then I've been careful to be mindful of the blessings that have been given to us and pray for the sick..every day.
Other things happened too, like the week of 7 flat tires..which coincided with the final rehearsals for the Living Christmas tree..true story.

Several good things happened, too....our parents are enjoying good health, mother celebrated her 85th birthday and moved into a home on a beautiful street in Tuscumbia, Bella came to live with us..(although sometimes I'm not sure if she should actually go on the trial side ha!)...we've enjoyed many laughs with our friends.

Plus..

We were never hungry,

never cold,

or without clothes,

and we had jobs to go to every day.

And, the promise that God loves us and despite all the trials of 2009...He is alive and in control..and has many wonderful plans in store for all of us in 2010!!!
So, hello 2010...you're going to be the best one yet!
Blessings to all,
Janie

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV)

A ripped sleeve and a flying cat.........

So...you think your day was crazy...just wait.

Here's a glimpse into one day at the Wallace house..just a glimpse..the total view would scare you to death!



Thursday morning I wake up with a cat sitting on my head..literally.

Her dad has left for work and locked her in the bedroom with me to prevent her from murdering our Christmas tree. Bella decides she can not wait for the 8:30 am alarm I have set and so instead she creeps up the side of the bed and ever so gently crawls on top of my head. So, the first thing I see when my eyes open is blackness..furry, purring blackness.

So, I get up and we kiss good morning..I'm thinking.."she's in a good mood today..great! Maybe she won't attack me or the tree before I head off to work." WRONG.

We get up ..I release Bella from the bedroom/cat prison and we head out to the kitchen for breakfast. I have cheerios..which I am forced to share with her because if I don't she will just cram her head into the bowl and then nobody's happy. So, I eat a spoonful..she gets one cheerio..repeat...until bowl is empty..then she finishes the milk .

After that, I get ready to work out. Now, normally..when I work out..Bella does too. By that I mean, when I do push ups...she's busy biting my hands..when I do my lunges, she bites my feet...when I lift weights..she unties my shoes..so she's reallly getting quite a work out. BUT, today..she ignored me for the most part. I should have known then that something was up..she was plotting.

I had thrown a load of laundry in to wash up some things and after my work out..I went out to get the things I needed for work. When I took out my top..the entire left sleeve had come unsewn..from the top to the bottom..only the thread that used to hold the sleeve together was still hanging from the shirt.

So..I'm hot from working out and hot that my shirt is ripped and I have 5 minutes to fix it. I go inside to locate the sewing kit..Bella follows me around the house..I'm thinking "5 minutes..I can fix this hit the shower and still make it to work on time..she's thinking "5 minutes..I can tear her and this place apart and still catch a nap!" And that's when it started.



As I was bent over in the floor looking in the side table drawer...I never saw what hit me..it was a complete blur..it went something like "SWISH!! BAM!! FLUMP!!!" It only took about 3 seconds and it was over..but it was awful.

What happened was this: Bella bolted into the den seeing the open drawer as a springboard to the curtains...she leapt up on the drawer...jumped onto the curtain...reached up and grabbed the mini blind and fell back into the drawer with the blinds on top of her and then hit the floor..the blinds then crashed on to the floor beside me! I was so frightened that she was dead..I didn't even spank her. She was too stunned to be frightened..I just grabbed her and held her for a couple of minutes while we both tried to calm down.



So, then I hung the blinds back up and she's watching me..thinking "ah ha! You may have won this time blinds..but I'll be back!"



I eventually found the sewing kit..sewed up my sleeve ..locked up the cat in the prison..and made it to work. It's a miracle either one of us are alive. I told you a glimpse was enough..



P.S.

Tonight when I talked to Bryan..she was on top of the refrigerator..purring..and refusing to come down.