So I hadn’t realized it, but it had been a month since my last post. My friend Jill, pointed it out to me in a very direct, I’m Nine Months pregnant sort of way. And I thought…wow! A month already. I was almost done with this entry but hadn’t made finishing touches, edits, etc.  So here I am. A lot happened in a month…It seems like a lifetime. In fact I’ve tested 4 different mascaras in that time period. So yeah, it has been a while.

I’ve always found myself a little surprised by how life unfolds, or how fast time passes.  I think it’s God’s great sense of humor.  Like Ha Ha, I get her every time…I’m sure my parents wondered that raising me.

I think I was a bit of a quandary for them. I wasn’t athletic like my siblings. I cried about the littlest things.  And I talked to the swing set in our backyard in Havre Montana.  From a young age I went to the beat of a different drum.  And even though they found that peculiar I think as I got older they were oddly comforted by it.  I dyed my hair every which color, but always called when I was going to be late and told them if I’d done something “against” the rules.  I talked to them about boys, and would hug my parents in public. In fact I was never ever embarrassed by them, though I think my Mom was more than a bit embarrassed when I’d wear my orange bell bottoms or come home with a cigar in my hand.  I think she may have went over the edge when I started subscribing to “Cigar Aficionado…” And yes, I knew my Dad had heart disease, and that smoking was a big part of it, so I was more of a connoisseur.   The rhythm of my being was truly different. I danced in the rain by myself, wore a dress from Value Village on homecoming after we ate at McDonald’s,  and told them openly the first night Chris took me out for coffee I was going to marry him someday.  In every party, I brought the funk.

So that’s why I wanted to write about this for my post, Because Blinc Mascara…is different. It goes to the beat of its own drum, or mascara. Because you are not painting anything on, you are “tubing” your lashes. I know right? Definitely against the grain. Rose, my friend sent it to me. She is a huge skier, and this is the mascara for her.  It is completely waterproof and doesn’t wash off from crying or working out…definate plus’s for me.  And even though it cost more money, it lasts for a long time, because you don’t have to reapply it.  So I tried it.  I worked out, and it didn’t go everywhere.  I cried over the movie “Couple’s Retreat” and it didn’t smear. And just in case you watch that movie, which Chris and I loved…we are the “Vince Vaughn” couple, Chris really related to him.  And me, if I resemble a hot teeny red head — Woot Woot! But I digress, I used it, and it did just what it said. Did not come off, and when I showered it fell off in flakes.  Rose had warned me about it and she was right, it looked like little itty bitty spiders.  Nothing like anything I’d ever seen before.  Really different. Really cool.

Even though my parents didn’t always understand me, they said the same things to me that they said to my siblings.  Now I catch myself saying the same things to my kids…and with each child for some reason it comes out different and just right for them.  And while some of the things they said might’ve seemed ridiculous at the time, and by them I mean my Dad, I fully intend on saying  them someday.  I’m going to share a few of them with you.

My Dad: “Boys will ruin your Legs.”  You know, I don’t know why but I totally agree. And I fully intend on saying it to Grace.

My Mom: “Don’t Stare.” Which I tell  my kids, and even struggle with myself. Especially when someone has had Botox, I just can not seem to take my eyes off foreheads that don’t move…Grace is however amazing at staring. The kid seriously doesn’t blink and has become famous in Jonah’s second grade class for it.  So in her case, it’s totally worth it.

My Dad:  “I can tell when you’re lying by looking under your tongue.” As the story goes, if he see’s purple you are definitely lying…but if you wouldn’t show him, he already knew. Use it. It totally works.

My Mom: “Birthday’s can last a week.” My Mom was amazing about this, she didn’t limit our Birthdays to just one day.  I love that about her. She always made our birthday’s special.

My (other) Dad John: “Put some elbow grease into it!” I was in charge of cleaning the bathroom and my scrubbing didn’t always meet his expectations. I don’t know, but as I rolled my eyes and kept scrubbing, I secretly hoped he’d use that phrase.

My Dad:  “You can make everything better with a John Candy movie.”  My Dad also says this about Baskin Robbin’s ice cream, a new coat of paint, and the history of Lewis and Clark.  I guess we all have our comfort “things.”

My Mom:  “You don’t have to say EVERYTHING that comes to mind.”  In the past I’ve been a bit too blunt, so I’m pretty sure she only said this to me.  And I’ve said it recently to my kids, like when Micah(3) approached Jonah’s 2nd grade teacher and said, “Hola Penis.” It all comes back around I guess.

My Dad:  “God, Santa Claus, and The Easter bunny all live in Montana.” In fact he said that to me yesterday…and I don’t doubt God spends most of his time in Montana when he’s not in Heaven. No place is more beautiful.

My other Dad:  “In Jesus name, AMEN.” A lot of people say this, but every time we say this in prayers, which is a lot, I pray for him. He also made, “God bless the Cook,” a regular part of our prayers too.

My Mom:  “If every person threw all their problems into a circle, everybody would be scrambling to have their own problems back.” My Mom’s a pretty smart lady.

My Dad: “Just be yourself. Even if you are a shit sometimes.” Which I was, and still am, but I’m finding I’m okay with that. I like to laugh and am sometimes shallow…but I love my kids and my husband, and our fixer upper.  And while I embrace my womanhood,  my friends, my faith and all the gifts I have…sometimes I can be pretty un-loveable. Which I’m guessing is PC for Shit? (I apologize for the swearing, just was staying true to my Dad)

My other Dad:  “Your what hurts?” John is hard of hearing, and would say that NO matter what my Mom said. I love it!  It annoyed her but I think it’s brilliant.

Today I’m not as much of a quandary for my parents. They all said someday that I’d understand, and I do.  Our phone conversations are interrupted by me having to break up a custody battle of a toy, or by Grace singing so loud they can’t hear my voice.  They have embraced being grandparents and it breaks my heart that the kids don’t get to see them more.  In many ways each of my kids are a quandary for me…they are just like Chris, and are just like me.  And SO much more than that.

Blinc Mascara is unlike anything I’ve used. And I use it now on days when I work out because it’s nice to have mascara that I don’t have to worry about smearing, especially because I find myself running in the rain on a regular basis.  Final Score: 8. That’s pretty good!

Next Stop: CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara (recommended by my sisters Erin and Hannah)  Since I already tested it, I promise it won’t be longer than a week for my next post.

I hope that someday my kids will share some of my wisdom with their kids and will be surprised by Life and see it as a gift. I pray they’ll have faith, and the wisdom to embrace what God calls them to be. And I pray that they will catch a glimpse of how I see them: Unique, Different, Beautiful, and nothing like anything I ever expected. They are so much more. So much more.