some socks, boxers and ground beef.

...were the things i purchased for a woman i didn't even know today.

my mom and i went down to walmart today after she got home from church. i wanted to get my ears pierced (yes, at walmart) and i needed to pick up some photos i'd had developed there. mom decided she needed to get a new watch band and while she was doing that, looked around for a new scarf (because walmart usually has really cute, cheap ones). as i'm standing in the aisle, a woman that looked like she was in her 40's or 50's approached me, and asked if i could help her out with something.

i automatically assumed in my mind that she thought i worked there (haha...) if she was asking me that sort of question. but then i realized she was asking me to buy her some of the things she needed to get for her sons.

this felt weird. i wondered if she was going to try and steal my purse...i wondered what the catch was. but i responded with an upbeat, "sure!"

i walked with her to the boys section. her name was keisha, and she needed socks and boxers for one of her sons. she picked out a four pack of boxers and a package of socks. i looked at her and asked if she needed anything else. she said that she had another younger son who could use the same, so she got another pair of socks and set of boxers. she joked that she would need to mark them so that they wouldn't get mixed up. i smiled and told her my mom used to have to do that with some of mine and my brother's clothes. during this time i asked her what she would be doing for thanksgiving, and she said that all they would be having was the turkey.

we started toward the register. i was still wondering whether she was going to try and grab my purse or do some other heinous thing like strangers do. but she seemed so genuinely sad. so so sad. she asked if she could get a small package of ground beef as well...and after she got that we were done. i took her to the cash register, paid for the items and walked her out. 

after i said goodbye to her and i walked back in the store to find my mom, i was reminded how lucky i am that i myself, am able to pay for things like socks, underwear, the occasional grocery item...i have never really experienced "money problems." i was also reminded how lucky i have been to always have a happy thanksgiving...i am never lacking in anything, family-wise or in the realm of food. how fortunate i am to have what i need...and even what i DON'T need.

we had a speaker up at hartland this past summer who talked about angels. i don't know if this woman was an angel, but i do know that this was just the kind of reminder i needed four days before thanksgiving.

i'm gonna do some free advertising for happy jack's now.

pie n burger. did you ever hear a better combination. miss molly and i decided to go last week...and boy was it yummy. initially, we had considered going one night when it was almost impossible to get to dagny's because the stupid annual car show was happening. downtown reeked of old car smell and my ears were ringing the rest of the night too. happy jack's was looking pretty good, but since we had wasted too much time trying to find somewhere to park in crowded downtown (can you tell how much i love the car show), by the time we arrived at the decision to go to jack's instead...it was closed.

so we tried again.

i don't know what kind of dressing was on my salad...but it was gooooooood.

ortega baby.

okay. so we didn't get pie. to me...nothing they had available sounded that great. i guess that was the only downside. come on...you're a PIE n burger place and you only have like three different kinds to choose from? what?

molly is going to india after Christmas. i want more times like these with her before she goes. happy jack's was our reward for finishing addressing support envelopes to raise money for her trip.

and here's a picture with jack for mr. marshburn. except notice, his name isn't jack...it's ruben. what's up with that?

mondays and wednesdays.

last year i worked at a driving school. this year i get to hang out with two of the cutest kids for four hours on mondays and wednesdays.

this is gracie.

and this is jacob.

these two are just the sweetest.

i always look forward to hanging out with them, and i love that i get to see them at least twice a week. jacob and i walk his big brother, jonah, to the bus stop on monday mornings, and then he comes outside and helps me see of his cousin christian when he gets on his bus. jacob CANNOT wait until he is old enough to ride the bus and go to school.

he loves streetsweepers, buses, garbage trucks...and he always mows the lawn when we go in the backyard. i'm not sure why amy and scott hire a gardener.

he can be rough, but he has a sweet side too.

two things that jacob will always ask you:

1] can i see your phone?

2] can i see your car 'larm?

gracie is just on the verge of crawling. she doesn't like it when people aren't holding her though.

 and there are usually meltdowns at lunchtime.

gracie loves, and i repeat: LOVES her big brother. this is her watching him mow the lawn.

it doesn't matter what he's doing...he can always make her laugh. i actually depend on him a lot for that.



thank you scott and amy, for blessing me with the time i spend with your kids.