October 31, 2013

Sunrise Reminders



It’s been a minute since I’ve come around to visit this little bit of cyberspace. Not long ago I thought I was done with blogging for good. But after a four month snoozer, and a little prodding from my sweet sister, I realized that I like writing too much to put the blog to sleep for good. So here I am, back at it again, and wide-awake to some rich truths and life lessons I’m excited to share. God is always faithful, but I have been made so much more aware of his presence in the last several months.




I took this photo as I was walking into work on Monday morning. I am moderately obsessed with nature, so the beauty alone nearly brought me to tears. (I am emotionally attached to trees and clouds, ok?) But what amazed me more than anything was that I had completely missed this sunrise until I literally parked in front of its face. There wasn’t a single moment during my drive to work that the sun hadn’t been breaking through the clouds, I was just completely oblivious. As I stopped to snap the photo, the Lord reminded me of this verse from Lamentations 3:



“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”



I was struck with the reality that God renews his compassion for me every morning. This truth is too good to be fair! On my best days and my worst days, when I am disobedient, and ungrateful, and totally unaware, he is consistently and unfailingly faithful. Just like the sun will continue to rise -even if we never take the time to acknowledge it- God will refresh his love and compassion for humanity every morning, without fail. Whether you’re learning this for the 1st time or the 100th time, I hope it’s the best news you’ve heard today.    



It’s good to be back!     

June 11, 2013

A Little Bit of Life

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted because my life is totally insane. The last few months have been so busy that any ounce of free time is spent doing something completely brainless like playing Candy Crush or sleeping. But nothing we’ve been up to this spring/summer has been a drag, that’s for sure! We’ve had a ton of fun recently; we are just pooped. Oh well, there will be time to rest in November… Here are some snapshots of our last few months:


1) We hosted our annual Hurdle Crew family dinner at the beginning of May. It’s basically my favorite day of the year, so I get really geeked-out about it. 



If you don't get the significance of the ice cream plus cookie dough combo, you've probably never had a Pizookie. And if that's the case, then I feel really sorry for you. [Bake a giant cookie. Add piles of ice cream while it's hot. Hand out spoons. Watch it disappear in < 30 seconds. Magic!] Anywho, all of the hurdlers that Tim’s had in the last 6 years of coaching have not only been phenomenal athletes, but just incredible people in general. They genuinely care about their teammates and challenge each other in the best way. It’s always a pleasure to have them in our home. Alex, Jacoby, Lauren, or Lindell, if you’re reading this- you da best!



2) My bestie got married in May! 



I tried on my Matron of Honor hat, and Tim successfully officiated his first wedding. (And he did a fabulous job, bee-tee-dubs.) 


Stinking cute bridesmaids' brunch.

It was a beautiful day, and they are a beautiful couple, and it was just a beautiful memory all around. Congrats Britney and Erik!



3) Three days after the wedding we hopped on a plane with 18 recent grads for their senior trip to the East Coast. 



Over the course of 7 days we went to an amusement park in North Carolina, white water rafted, rock climbed, zip lined, paddle boarded, road tripped to South Carolina, visited Duke university, road tripped to Virginia Beach, swam in the ocean, shopped ‘til we dropped, and ate southern comfort food like Jesus was coming back before dessert.



It was crazy and awesome and made me realize that I have about 1/10 of the energy I had when I was 18. 



I’m glad to be sleeping in my own bed, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having some withdrawals. Even though they wouldn't stop calling me "mom." Class of 2013- you are one-of-a-kind!



4) This weekend we went to Topeka to visit my sister and brother-in-law for his birthday. They moved there a whole 2 months ago, but we haven’t had a free weekend to visit until now! Unfortunately the only photos I took were of this amusement park turned junkyard/antique store called Joyland.



My sister described it best: “it’s basically like an old grandpa’s dirty basement.” I think I was standing in a pile of broken glass when I took this picture. But anyway, we got to eat HuHot which is a rare delicacy, and enjoyed spending the day with friends. Happy Birthday, Trent!


Coming up in the next few weeks: two weddings, a youth trip to Colorado for Tim, a butt load of kitchen projects for me, a four-year anniversary, a trip to Camp Barnabas for Tim, and a trip to Haiti for Tim. Happy summer ya’ll!





(P.S. All of the above photos are directly from Instagram, so if you prefer the short version of all of this rambling, you can just follow me @melodyfritson)

May 9, 2013

Family Spotlight {Dad}

A little note:
It has been so humbling to sit down and write each of these Family Spotlight posts. I am heartbroken by the reality that many people have been sincerely wounded by members of their family. I wish I could hug all of you! My intention for writing these posts is not to portray my family as perfect or problem-free, but to publicly thank each of them for the ways they have shown me love and contributed to the person I am today.

Readers, allow me to introduce you to Terry!


I respect and admire my dad so much, and I am extremely grateful that the Lord saw fit to make me his daughter. He has been an incredible example of godliness and humility to our whole family.


I love my dad for so many reasons; it was really hard to even know where to start this post. I have so much I want to say! He is one of the most consistent, loving, and selfless people I know. Here are a few things about him that I am most grateful for:

He leads by example.
My dad is not a super outspoken guy, but his actions communicate volumes. He is an amazing teacher, and I appreciate so much that he never passed up an opportunity to help me learn. I have great memories of our father-daughter teaching moments: learning to ride a bike, how to play Stratego, and be a defensive driver. From a very young age he also taught me how to love and honor the people in my life, how to manage my money with generosity, what it means to be thankful, and how to have a growing relationship with the Lord. His words were powerful- he always approached a teaching moment with gentleness and love- but it was his actions that made his words worth hearing. He practices every single thing he preaches. I learned what it meant to love and honor the people in my life because I saw my dad welcome others with open arms and go out of his way to show them the love of Christ. I learned how to manage my money with generosity because I saw my dad forego life's bells and whistles in order to meet the needs of those who were less fortunate. I learned what it meant to be thankful because I can think of zero times I heard my dad grumble or complain. I learned how to have a growing relationship with the Lord because I woke up every morning to see my dad spending time in prayer and studying his Bible. His consistency is absolutely incredible, and I am so thankful for the example he set for my siblings and me.


He treasures his family.
One of my sisters asked me recently if I was going to cry the whole time I wrote this post. As we've gotten older, my siblings and I have talked so many times about how blessed we are to have grown up with a dad like ours. He is truly an unbelievable husband and father. His desire to live a life that reflects Christ and draws others to Him is inspiring, and this love is totally evident in the way he cares for his family. He is a very disciplined and hard-working man, but he always kept an amazing balance between work and family. He rarely missed a sporting event or band concert, and usually arrived with camcorder in tow to capture the good memories. He planned regular daddy-daughter dates for my sisters and me- taking us shopping for new clothes and treating us to dinner at special restaurants. It still makes my heart happy to this day when I see dads spending one-on-one time with their little girls, because I know how precious those memories will be. 


I watched my dad not only spend quality time with my mom, but shower her with compliments and encouragement. He coached my brother's soccer teams and spent countless weekends playing basketball in the driveway or helping with homework. I know that there were always other things that needed his attention, but he was willing to put the household repairs, financial plans, and vehicle maintenance on hold to make time for us. As a working wife and homeowner who is regularly overwhelmed by the demands of life without children, I am totally in awe of the way he managed to so tangibly cherish his family without letting work and responsibilities fall through the cracks.


He is a memory-maker.
I 'm sure that going on a family outing with five kids was kind of crazy, and loud, and sometimes embarrassing. But I'm so thankful that it never stopped my parents from making sure that we enjoyed the time we spent together as a family. I know that all of my siblings would agree- we had a really fun childhood. My dad was a master at turning even the smallest activity into a full-of-life experience. He didn't just take us to fly kites on a Saturday afternoon. He took us on a kite flying adventure, where we sent magic notes to the sky. And when giant spools slipped out of tiny hands, he patiently drove us all over the neighborhood searching for our tree-ridden treasure. Things like going for a bike ride, taking a quick trip to the gas station, or ordering pizza on a Friday night were big deals because my dad was intentional about exemplifying what it meant to enjoy simple moments in life. He could build up excitement over the plainest things. I even grew up thinking that wheat bread was a treasure because my dad would get so excited that a new loaf had come home from the store. Overall, I'm just so thankful that he put such great effort into making memories for us, and I'm so glad that he is a part of them!



Love you Dad!





P.S.- Since it's so close to mother's day, I should also send you to read about my awesome mama over here.

April 27, 2013

Walk for Williams

Just a short post to tell you about something that is dear to me. May is Williams Syndrome awareness month, and the annual Walk for Williams is coming up on May 11th.


My sweet cousin Kate is cutie up there on the top left. I went to the Walk for the first time last year and it blessed my heart like crazy. It was such a fun time for our whole family. I hope you will seriously consider walking or donating to this awesome cause!

Click here to register. All proceeds directly benefit the Williams Syndrome Association. 
Click here for directions to the Kansas City Regional Police Academy.



April 25, 2013

On Boston

It's taken me a long time to decide how I would blog about our Boston trip. My heart aches for those who were deeply affected by the tragedy that occurred at the marathon, and my intention is not to gloss over that at all. I just truly loved every minute of my time in Boston, and I want to share what a blessing this awesome city was to us. It's really long, but I'm not sorry.

Friday, April 12th
Several years ago we made a deal with our great friends Caleb and Laurie that if Tim qualified for the Boston Marathon we would all fly out together for the race. It was so exciting for the day to finally come! After landing at Boston-Logan at 1AM and listening to this song a couple of times, we picked up our rental car- Kiki the Kia- and headed to our hotel. We had originally hoped to stay right in downtown Boston, but some friends of ours were amazingly kind to offer a discount at a hotel in Marlborough, which was about 30 miles outside of the city. It ended up being a huge blessing!

Saturday, April 13th
First stop on this day was the marathon starting line in Hopkinton.



It was such a cute little place with lots of marathon pride.


A kind police officer even stopped traffic for anyone who wanted to grab a photo behind the starting line. So nice!



Tim likes to drive through the course before a race so he can get a good feel for what the run will be like. For Laurie and me it meant 26.2 miles of drooling over shaker shingles and colonial architecture. It was a beautiful drive and a great tour of eastern Massachusetts. Once downtown, we went with Tim to pick up his race packet and check out the runner's expo. He lucked out that this year's marathon colors were Liberty blue!


Later we stopped at a spectator's assistance tent that was passing out maps of the course and subway system. We shared with a lady there that we were hoping to get some good photos of Tim runnings at one or two different stops along the course. She looked at us a little confused and reminded us that there would be a million people in Boston on Monday. "Like literally, one million people," she clarified, just in case we thought that was a hyperbole. She kindly helped us look at all the maps and recommended the we ditch the idea of seeing him during the race (which is a straight line) and just drive downtown early in the morning with the hopes of catching a good seat near the finish line. We were starting to wonder if our ambitions were a little naive, but we didn't give up hope right away.

We planned to drive by Fenway on the way back to the hotel, but Boston is not exactly the easiest city to navigate so we ended up in Cambridge saying hello to Harvard University. It was quaint, and lively, and kind of made me wish I was a genius so I could have gone to college there. I don't have a picture of anything in Cambridge, so here's a photo of an awesome church we passed somewhere in between. 


Sunday, April 14th
Sightseeing day! We bought tickets for a Boston trolley tour and it was the best decision we could have made. We got to see tons of toursity things, and learned even more things about the history of Boston because our trolley driver was awesome. We visited Paul Revere's home...


...and the Old North church. I suggested renting Segways and riding through the streets yelling "The British are coming!" but no one else was down.

One if by land, two if by sea.

We saw lots of other really old stuff, which is always awesome...


...and finally got a close-up view of the Green Monster.


Back at the hotel, we decided to go against the previous day's advice and spent the rest of the evening scheming up a way to watch the marathon from several different locations. During our drive through the course we had taken mental note of a few stops that seemed like good places to watch. We spent probably 2 hours pouring over Google Maps and subway routes until we had come up with what we hoped was a solid Tim Fritson groupie game plan: catching him at miles 6, 16, and 25.

Monday, April 15th
We dropped Tim off at the starting line bright and early on the most beautiful morning!


Hoping to beat the mad rush of people, we made a break for it as soon as possible and arrived at our first stop- Framingham. Thankfully we got there just in time...



Apparently we didn't get the memo that Framingham sleeps in for this thing, so we just chilled on the sidewalk for the next 2.75 hours. The people did eventually fill the whole street though, and the atmosphere was one of the coolest experiences I will never forget. Running sports are weirdly emotional for me, so I had that going on, plus the added anxiety that my husband would be passing by in a matter of minutes and what if I didn't get a picture?! Not to mention the race started out with the incredible wheelchair athletes, including the inspiring father-son duo Team Hoyt. (If you don't recognize the name, you must watch this video. Like, now now now.)



I kept my sunglasses on for most of the portion of the race because I was silently weeping like a baby. I would probably watch this race every year for the rest of my life if I could- the anticipation, and encouragement, and joy were just remarkable.



We watched Tim pass successfully just after mile 6 and jetted back to the car as soon as we saw the back of that Liberty jersey. Next stop- Newton. I'm so thankful Caleb and Laurie came on this trip, because they did the driving AND navigating while I just sat in the back seat trying not to throw up from all of the nerves. Thanks guys! We made it to our second destination without a hitch. The streets were definitely line with people this time, but everyone was so nice to let us cut in front to watch Tim run by. 

I'm not sure why that girl is running in jeans and an XXL t-shirt.
We left our car in Newton and hopped on a very crowded subway headed for downtown. The haters said it couldn't be done, but we saw him for the THIRD time after mile 25 (sorry, no picture of that one) and floated on the euphoric Boston Marathon spectator's cloud of excitement to meet up with him after the finish. He did something only 35% of Boston runners do and re-qualified for the race next year! So proud of him!

The unfortunately gross photo you probably saw on the news.
We were nearly back to our hotel when we heard about the bombings at the finish line. It was such a punch in the gut to see this spectacular atmosphere and iconic experience become marred by violence and heartbreak. But my time in Boston taught me that this city is strong, and kind, and resolute. I know without a doubt that next year's marathon will prove this to be true!



P.S- The extent of my photography knowledge stops at Instagram, but Laurie took some amazing photos of our time in Boston. Check them out on her blog here!

P.P.S- For a runner's perspective on the Boston Marathon, check out Tim's blog here!



April 11, 2013

To Boston

This is an exciting week for the Fritson family! Soon we will be flying to the East Coast for the 117th Annual Boston Marathon. (Eeee!) Tim has been working so hard for the past two years preparing for this race, and there are so many people who are waiting to cheer him on. Some awesome students in the area planned a surprise “send off” party last night, which meant the world to him. He was completely unsuspecting, too! Great job, guys!


Tim ran his first marathon at Dallas White Rock in December 2011. He exceeded the Boston qualifier time for his age group, despite the freezing wind and rain. (I’m not kidding, it was terrible.)


 The total drudgery of that race turned to sweet victory when this baby came in the mail. 



I have talked before about what a disciplined guy Tim is, but if you live in Liberty you have probably seen his persistence in action. Roughly 80% of my day-to-day conversations begin with “Hey, I saw your husband running today!” In a town that barely tips the scale at 29 square miles, he covers a lot of ground!  


His marathon training even caught the attention of our local newspaper, who featured him in a pretty sweet full-page spread in the Sports section today. (You can read the article here.) He's reppin’ the hometown Liberty jersey, which he will wear to the race next week. I know there are so many people from Liberty and beyond who have been a huge encouragement to him.  Your books, blog posts, photographs, ice baths, goo recommendations, running company, and affirming words have been the biggest blessings. As his wife I wanted to say THANK YOU for supporting and inspiring him!

If you would like to receive updates during the race, text the word “runner” to 345678 and reply to the automatic message with “1762” (his bib number.)

You can also follow me on Twitter or Instagram (@melodyfritson) and I will try to post as much as possible. The race is on Monday, April 15th.

To Boston!

April 2, 2013

Finish It

I don't think I have mentioned before that Tim and I are in the midst of renovating our kitchen. Nothing drastic, mostly just cosmetic. We're about 60% of the way there, I'd say, and it's looking great! The only problem is that we've been in the "midst" of the kitchen updates since April 2012... aka: I fail at following through. I have great ideas and intentions, but I can never seem to muster up the ambition to get 'er done. I know I'm totally capable of knocking things out, but I just allow myself to get overwhelmed by the quantity of things there are to do!

Since we moved into our home in 2010, I've been working up a pretty wicked mental checklist of all the things I would like to eventually do/should have done 6 months ago. You name it, and I've got an imaginary checkbox for it. Sometimes all of those things swirling around in my head make me crazy! The other day I tried to take a nap, but Mental Checklist was not about to let me rest until I had made a list of everything in the entire world that I could possibly need to do within the next 20 years. I went insane, people. I clocked at least an hour and four pages of furious scribbling. And things like "come up with a fun Easter tradition for your future children" is not even in my wheelhouse right now! But I have to admit that my head felt at least 10 pounds lighter afterward, and I wished I would have done that months ago.




Anywho, my brain emptying exercise helped me see that there are PLENTY of easy-peasy tasks that I could totally stop putting off like a bum. How simple it would be if I could just commit to checking one of these things off the list each week. In light of this epiphany, I have developed a 12-step program for recovering from my dis-ambition. (Psych! It's a 1-step program. We slackers have to start small, ya know?) But I'm really excited about it, so I'm going to share it with you.

Introducing: The Finish It Jar



After typing up The Master To-Do List for All of Life, I searched for items that met ALL of the following requirements:
1. I can finish this task completely in one week or less.
2. This task requires very little decision-making or prior planning.
3. I don't need to complete any other projects in order to get this one done.

I selected a dozen or so items that met the mark, printed them out, and cut them into strips. Each strip got folded up and tossed into the Jar. I plan to pull out one slip every Sunday, and I will have until the following Sunday to fully complete whatever is written. 




I was really specific about the tasks that I chose because I wanted to feel confident about my ability to totally FINISH what was listed. For this to happen it could not require tons of thought or very much moolah. The point is FINISHING things, not strapping ourselves for cash or stressing myself out. I didn't set up any kind of "reward" system for myself a) because I'm 25 and I need to just do things because I'm an adult, not because I get candy; and b) I'm fairly motivated by feelings of accomplishment. But just in case I start to dread reaching in to the Jar each Sunday, I did throw in a few fun things like "make some baked treats for a friend." 

Now, I'm fairly certain that I'm not the only one in the world who struggles with getting things done. (I mean seriously, how many of you dust your ceiling fans when you could be eating any number of delicious things, or taking a nap? And just FYI, running the fan on ultra high will not make the dust fly off. Tried it.) This is why I want to invite you to join me! Learning to be more intentional and disciplined is so effective when there are others around you to encourage and hold you accountable. If my lazy, procrastinating self can do it, I know you can too! 

I've even made it easy for you to put your jar together. I created this cute little tag in Paint (take that, Photoshop!) for you to downloaded if you'd like. 

 Click here to download and print!

And if you are a blogger, feel free to grab a button! I will update my blog periodically with Finish It endeavors, and I'd love to hear from you as well.


Happy Finishing! 


March 23, 2013

Family Spotlight {Mom}

I'm so excited to introduce ya'll to my mama today. Readers, meet Sandy!



There are few people that I admire as much as her and I am so grateful to call her Mom.



I see more and more of her in myself as I grow older, making me keenly aware of the positive character attributes and godly life lessons she has imparted to me. She has been the most amazing example of patience, service, and compassion. Here are a few things about her that I am most grateful for:

Her joy is from the Lord.
This lady finds a reason to rejoice in every circumstance, regardless of how insignificant or difficult. She treats the little things as if they are the best things and I love that about her. I remember talking to her on the phone a few years ago about the roast I had in the crock pot for dinner that night. She gasped into the receiver and said "OH MY GOSH! Do you eat your roast with onions? I just LOVE roast and onions!" I remember this conversation so vividly because I realized at that moment what a consistently joyful person she is. She truly sees the remarkable in the most ordinary and mundane. Her life has not always been easy or happy; I have seen her walk through many difficult and heartbreaking seasons. But her life has been marked by the overarching joy that comes from a life surrendered to the Lord. Even in the midst of unfavorable situations, my mom has taught me that the Lord's goodness is unfailing- He is the reason we have the ability to rejoice.



She is selfless.
This is something I totally took for granted most of my life. Looking back, I realize what an effort it must have been to raise five kids within eight years of each other and meet all of our unique needs. Imagine our trips to the grocery store: one baby on each of mom's hips, one kid in the shopping cart, one pushing the cart into mom's heels, and another begging for the fancy (yet disgusting, I later learned) animal crackers in the Barnum & Bailey's circus box. This woman has some patience! But it's not just because she's a mom and that's how moms are supposed to be. She has made selflessness a lifestyle- she genuinely thinks of others first and loves to put her compassion into action. I can't count the number of times she has cheerfully overlooked her own desires in order to aid or encourage someone else. And she's good at it! Her words of truth and affirmation are so nurturing and peace-giving. Everyone is welcome in her presence- she exudes hospitality and generosity. Spending time with her is like getting a hug for your heart. If you know her I'm sure you have experienced this first hand. It's such a blessing to have grown up observing her use her God-given servant's heart to touch other's lives and point them to Him.



She is comfortable.
I love to tell people about my mom because there are so many fun and quirky features about her. I didn't really appreciate that when I was young and she thought it was hysterical to invite my friends to stay for "liverwurst and hog head cheese sandwiches," but as I've gotten over the everything-is-embarrassing stage, I've realized what an amazing and unique personality she has. I think what I love most is how comfortable she is being herself. I used to make special requests that she not sing in her opera voice when I had friends over, but what I considered fairly annoying 10 years ago, I actually find totally awesome now. I think it's mostly because I realize that I will be just like her when I'm a mom. (Actually, before I'm a mom, because I'm pretty sure my husband has asked me not to sing Frank Ocean in the house because it usually involves an operatic screeching sound.) I think her funny quirks and sense of humor are what make her so lovable. But not only is she hilarious, she is one of the most creative people I know. She is patient, resourceful, humble, and beautiful inside and out. She is confident in who God has made her to be and she doesn't try to fit into any other mold. It's impossible to spend time with her and not feel comfortable being yourself, too.



Love you Mom!



March 14, 2013

All I Can Say

"I will extol the LORD at all times. His praise will always be on my lips... Let the afflicted hear and rejoice... The righteous cry out and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible today, but I remember choking on these words as I read them out loud 3 years ago. I knew I believed them, but my heart was broken and angry. Bitterness had quietly crept inside, tip-toeing about as he made himself at home. I didn't even realize I had left the door open. He slipped right in without a peep. Before long, Bitterness had unpacked his belongings and settled me into a comfortable routine:
Eat. Sleep. Resent. Repeat.

The circumstances in my life seemed out of control. Unbelievable, even. Tim and I talked later about how we couldn't have dreamed up this time of our lives, even if we tried. Our marriage was healthy, but the darkness and fear and pain were real. I wanted to talk about my situation, but my heart wasn't ready. Talking only led to an extended invitation for Bitterness to hang his hat another day longer; to continue decorating my heart with portraits of people I could blame for my anger.

I usually regretted whatever I said, so I didn't say much. I prayed. And cried. And sang.

All I Can Say is a song Tim introduced me to not long after we were married. It's from an old David Crowder album, circa 1999. I had always appreciated its simple and honest nature, but it means more to me now than I ever imagined it would. It's been a while now since Bitterness was evicted. The Lord helped me undergo the long and painful process of restoration- not to a perfect life, but to a life dependent on him. He showed me that he had been there all along, that even in my resentment and anger, he heard all of my cries.

Maybe you feel like you've been all alone. Maybe you are overwhelmed with fear or anger or pain- like the darkness is creeping up to swallow you. I hope more than anything that you find this song an encouragement to hang on. To cry out. Even when you have nothing to say and nothing to offer, the LORD is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those who are crushed in spirit. 



(If you are unable to access this audio, click here)


March 5, 2013

Lola

I have a nice little story for ya'll today. But first, allow me to introduce you to Lola.

This is a comically terrible photo.

She's a '98 Corolla. I bought her from my aunt when I still lived in California and we've been through a lot together. She's such a good little car and friend. (Yes, friend.) I am already dreading the day that Lola's life comes to an end. There are just so many quirks I love about her:

The driver's side window that will only roll up at the rate of 1 cm per day.



The visor that sits half-open, waiting to greet my forehead each time I hop inside.



The hole in the wiper fluid tank that leaves my windshield looking so grime-kissed and foggy.

Yes, I do realize that all of these things are fixable. Just haven't gotten around to it, ok?

This particular quirk is actually where my story begins.

Tim and I got home at exactly the same time the other day. Since we have a single-wide driveway, he pulled in first and Lola and I followed behind him. The roads have been all wet and slushy from the melting snow, so my windshield was looking extra grubby by the time I got home. I reached out the door (NOT the window though, because that would mean grime in my face for the next couple of days) and squirted a water bottle across the glass. I ran the wipers a few times, gathered my belongings, and headed inside for the night.

I was already running late for work the next morning (typical) when I could not find my keys anywhere! After pacing through every room in my house I finally just grabbed a spare and rushed out the door. I climbed in the car, careful to avoid the visor-forehead-whack, and growled at the sight of my keys sitting in the ignition... Good thing there weren't any thieves looking to come up on a blue Corolla in the night. I went to start the car in a hurry, but noticed that I only had to turn the key half as far as normal.

CLICK CLICK CLICK... palm to forehead...

I left Lola chilling on accessories for 15 HOURS! She said "Forget it, you irresponsible owner!" I sulked back inside to share my bad news with Tim. I'm sure he wanted to wring my neck, but he only grinned and put on his shoes. (He's a saint, I tell you!) After a lot of staring at our real-life game of driveway Tetris, we decided that we were going to try to push Lola out of the driveway. Not with our bodyweight (because really, have you seen us?) but with Tim's Jetta! He held a bunch of old towels between our bumpers while I eeked down the driveway in neutral until I ran into the back of the Jetta. Since I wasn't exactly in blog mode when all of this was happening, I didn't take any pictures. It's your lucky day though, because I did fabricate a pretty incredible visual reproduction using the Paint program and my trusty Snipping Tool.


 
Anyway, after Lola was good and pushed up against the Jetta's bumper, into reverse Tim went! We were actually really surprised at how easy it was. And no one was damaged in the process! With one last nudge, Lola backed into the street with just enough room for Tim to pull out of the driveway. He gave me a jump, I gave him a hug, and Lola lives another day!