Busy, Busy and Sad

Okay so I have not updated my blog in about three weeks. Things have been really busy. So I just wanted to give you a brief update on, well, life.

First of all, I have been battling with Samsung over my brand new range. To make a long story (and painful one) short... I called Samsung on JULY 22, to report that my BRAND NEW range was sparking and would not work. After MANY phone calls and MANY empty promises from the company's customer care team, I finally received a replacement range on SEPTEMBER 8 only to find out that the electrical outlet was FRIED when the original range shorted out. Therefore, September 9 was the actual day (after a visit from a kind electrician) I had a working range. The moral of this story, DON'T BUY SAMSUNG - EVER!! ... and PS Customer Care VP, day 7 and I am still waiting for you to call me back.

Wow that felt great.

I have also been trying the past couple of weeks to get ready for our first family vacation. That's right, Peanut is going to the beach. Which brings me to Motherhood Realization #114, it was much easier traveling prebaby - all together. I am continually amazed at how much stuff a small little 18 pound person requires. I know all of you experienced moms are saying, "Come on, you don't need all that stuff." Well, I just think you are lying and you have probably blocked that horrible trip out of your head when you forgot the portable swing. I have tried to eliminate as much from my "To Take" list and I now have it down to the bare minimal, but it is still a lot of stuff! So much stuff, we bought a bigger car to carry it all in. My how your life changes and frankly, I don't know how I survived without my little man.

So we were scheduled to leave on vacation Saturday, September, 13, for three days in Orlando and then on to Seaside for five more days at the beach. I am not posting this from Seaside so that brings me to my sad note.

On September 11, 2008, my uncle passed away. Uncle Donald was a wonderful spirited man. He was very tall (I am guessing 6'3" or 6'4") and therefore always made me fill small when I got one of his bear hugs. He was such an encourager. When I was in seventh grade I played basketball and many times I would look up in the stands to see him cheering me on. That year, I made the All-Tournament Team for the first time and he was there to see it. The next day at school, I got he most awesome bouquet of balloons sent to me with a simple note that said "Job well done. I am proud of you. Love, Uncle Donald". I still have that card. It meant the world to me.

At his burial yesterday, a poem was read. Part of it said, "Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned and remember only the smile." I'm going to do that. I am going to put away my tears from the past few days and focus on all the smiles and laughter he blessed my life with. The minister yesterday also said something that I found very comforting and had never really thought about. If we as Christians believe that Christ lives within us, and we also believe that to be absent from the body is to be with Christ, then Uncle Donald is not very far away from us. That makes me smile.