Good news

I was reading through some past postings and thought I would update you on what has transpired since the "unemployment" post. Despite the loss of Troy's job and the frustration with the unemployment red tape, a few very good things have happened. Troy is almost finished with all of his coursework. He was able to get placed in Bagley to student teach which will begin in January. He was able to have a second appeal with unemployment, and we are waiting to hear what the judge decided. We have been waiting for a few weeks which we hope is a good sign. Last time he was denied, we heard back within two days! And the best news--because he is a "dislocated worker" he qualifies for services through Rural MN CEP, an agency that helps people find jobs, and they are paying for his spring tuition! The tuition is roughly the equivalent of what he would have made had he stayed at the radio station working part-time and gone to school.


Last year I had the realization of how important it is to focus on the positive things in life. This has helped me as we have made adjustments with job loss, income, etc. Through life's ups and downs, the Lord shows Himself faithful in ways we would never have imagined.

Words that make sense

Here are a few words in Mateo's vocabulary that make pretty good substitutes until he gets the hang of the actual word.

Real word
1)M & M's
2)Bo Peep
3)hop scotch
4) Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer

Mateo version
1)nummy nums
2)Bo Sheep
3)hop chalk
4)Reindolph

Early warning signs?

Should I be worried that my 3 year old is exhibiting some signs of OCD? Like for example when he has to make sure the DVD has to be turned so that it's right-side-up in the DVD player before he closes the lid? Or when he spotted a Kool-Aid packet lying on the floor in Wal-Mart and made me put it back where it belonged? Or when he always locks the inside lock on the car door next to his car seat? Or when he noticed among the colored row of beach buckets on the floor in the dollar store there was a green shovel in the yellow bucket and told me to put the green shovel in the green bucket? Hmmmm...

Where did the time go?

It's the middle of December and my last entry was November 4th. Where did the time go? For posterity (a word that my mom likes to use) I am going to do a quick fill-in-the-blank summary. The first part of November had me making preparations for Mateo's third birthday party which we celebrated with family and friends on November 5. My extra-curricular at school, the junior high play, was in full swing. I had to get 21 kids ready to perform the weekend of the 21st. The weekend after Mateo's party, we spent time at my parents for deer-hunting--not to hunt but to hang out with cousins which is always fun! It brings back memories of the good old days. The next week the play did go on despite two kids not being in the show--one exit was more dramatic than the other. The main thing was that everyone had finally learned his/her lines. The following weekend we spent a long weekend in Coon Rapids for Thanksgiving and had fun at the Mall of America with Mateo. After that it was back home to get Christmas decorations up, cards mailed, and cookies baked. I have also been doing some preliminary speech stuff after school getting geared up for the 2009 season. Today is Sunday and if it weren't for the blizzard outside, I would be getting ready to play Mary in the church Christmas program and then making gingerbread houses after the service. Believe it or not, I'm really okay with staying at home, relaxing, and not doing a whole lot of anything for just one day!

November 4, 2008

Today is an historical day. It is election day and history may be made. But my thoughts today are also on the birthday boy in our house. So much joy, love, and laughter in three short years. May God bless you, Mateo, with many, many more happy birthdays.

Fine Dining

As parents we try to provide unique experiences for our children, at least once in a while. We think it's the big trips or long-planned events that have the most impact. But last night, my almost three-year-old proved me wrong.

Troy and I decided to go grab a bite to eat for supper at the local grocery store's deli. Unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. (Maybe other people have already eaten by six.) So we opted for Plan B which was to stop at the convenience store/gas station to get some sandwiches. We waited for our food and picked out a hot dog and string cheese for Mateo. We were planning to go home and eat, but Mateo spotted the three little tables by the big picture window at the front of the store and really wanted to eat there--dine in, if you will.

As I was sitting there, trying to eat quickly so not too many people would see us, Mateo said, "I like this place. I want to live here." I had to smile. It was not a comment I was expecting to hear. "What do you like about it?" I asked. He scanned the store. I could tell he really liked a lot of things about this particular "restaurant." Then he answered, "I like the big window." As we finished our food, he said, "Can we come here tomorrow?" "Not tomorrow," I said, "but maybe some other time."

Simple pleasures.

Unemployment - Nobody's Friend

I have taken a lot of classes in my life. But I don't recall any classes that taught me what to do if you, or your spouse, loses a job. When Troy was told this September that his job was done, effective immediately, due to budget cuts, we did know that he needed to file for unemployment right away. That is where our knowledge on unemployment ended. Six weeks later, we are wishing we had known more, because if I knew then what I know now, I don't think he would have even bothered to file. So here are some tips that I would like to share so that if you are ever in our position, (which I hope you are not) you will be a little more informed.

A)If you are taking classes and also working but get laid off, you will be denied unemployment if you state on your application that you are not willing to quit your classes.
B)If you appeal your case and speak to a judge who reviews your case, you will still be denied benefits even though you would be able to accept a job while taking classes.
C) If on your initial application you choose to have taxes taken out of any benefits (which you assume you will be getting), you will then be required to pay taxes on benefits you receive when those benefits have actually been denied but are sent to you mistakenly due to a "clerical error."

This has been an on-going process for a month-and-a-half. I did my best to deal with the sudden shock of his job loss, accept the fact that we weren't going to get any unemployment compensation, understand that our appeal was denied, and even try not to feel too disappointed that Troy didn't get a part-time job he applied for at BSU. But coming home today and finding out that we now owe taxes (on money that we don't get to keep) due to someone else's mistake has made me really mad. The saying "kick a person while he's down" comes to mind. Oh, in case you're wondering, we're supposed to get reimbursed for the taxes we have to pay now when we file our taxes this spring. Call me crazy, but that doesn't sound like a good deal to me. I have a feeling the final chapter has not been written on the unemployment saga.

Happy Birth Day Tyler

Today I (along with many others) helped you celebrate your sixth birthday! It made me think about your actual birth day when I was there to see your entrance into the world. I hadn't intended to be at the birth, but your mom went into labor a few days before your due date, and I just happened to be at their house that weekend. You made us wait awhile once we got to the hospital. I had to sleep on some uncomfortable chairs that night and thought for sure you'd make your appearance in the morning.

Morning came and went and still nothing. But sure enough, about 24 hours after your mom thought you were on your way, you were here! I got to hold you right away--you were just the most special baby I had ever seen. I couldn't quite believe how much I loved you from the moment I saw you. I made your uncle Troy drive back to your parents' the next weekend because I wanted to see you again. I held you as much as I could and fed you some bottles. You were so tiny and the sweetest baby ever. I was so excited to be an aunt!

We spent a lot of time with you your first couple of years. I was always so excited to see you. You were the easiest baby to care for. We hardly knew you were there. This may explain why your sister Brooke came along eighteen months later! You made it seem too easy.

So here you are, six short years later, getting older and wiser every day. You are still such a sweet boy with an easy smile. I think back to some of your other birthdays--like your first birthday when you fell asleep or when you turned two and blew out your candles over and over because you thought it was so fun. This year I will remember how you read your own birthday cards! I hope you have a wonderful sixth birthday. I look forward to celebrating many more with you and being reminded of why your birth day is so special.

See You on Facebook

This afternoon I was at my nephew's birthday party and some cousins were there whom I don't see very often. It was nice to visit with them without needing to play "catch up" because they are Facebook friends. I have a tiny little snapshot of what is going on in their lives because of their postings.

If I was in some master's program that allowed me to choose any topic, I would seriously consider studying the phenomenon that is Facebook. I think it is revolutionary and changing the way we communicate/keep in touch with one another. I am curious about how different demographics use Facebook and wonder about the rate of new accounts that are opened on a weekly and monthly basis. It seems like just about everyone is on Facebook.

There are lots of pros to being on Facebook and, of course, some cons. Like how much time one can actually spend on it! But I really like that I now have an easy way to stay in touch with friends and family at the click of a button.

So if you're reading this and haven't signed up yet...get to it! It's really fun!

Grandma Winda

Mateo thoroughly enjoyed his time with his grandparents, aunts, and uncles when we spent some family time with them this past weekend. He didn't want to leave. Here is a short conversation we had on the way home.

Mateo (said sadly): I don't feel very good.
Me: What's wrong?
Mateo: I miss grandma.

I Heard it Through the Grapevine

This afternoon I decided to start crocheting an afghan to be given as a gift. I haven't crocheted anything since Mateo was born. Of course, he was very interested in what I was doing and wanted to help. His job was to pull the yarn out of the skein as I crocheted.

It didn't take me too long before I had finished the whole skein. I held up the part of the afghan I had completed, and Mateo was impressed. "Cool! It's a blanket! It's not a raisin anymore."

Short and Sweet

Marie (friend of mine) to Mateo [wearing the shirt pictured]: Mateo, what does your shirt say?

Mateo: My shirt doesn't talk.

Hero

Shout out to my dear friend Dan Holdridge on this 7th anniversary of 9/11. Troy, Eno, Jill, and I toured the Pentagon with Dan who was our personal tour guide two weeks before the attacks. Life, as we knew it, changed on 9/11, and we pray for all those who lived to share their stories and for the families who lost their loved ones on that day.
http://www.danholdridge.com

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Wouldn't it be nice if...

...I could be a morning person and get out of bed when my alarm rings the first time?
...I didn't have to settle for a couple of spoonfuls of mint chocolate chip icecream instead of a great big bowl of it so I won't get sick?
...my fifth hour class could be as quiet as my other classes?
...there were no slugs waiting to latch on to my cucumber plants? eeeww!
...leaves turning color weren't a sign of winter coming?
...Seattle were closer to Bagley and I could see my sister more?
...wearing heels all day didn't make my feet hurt?
...there was a political party that meshed all of my beliefs/values so I could vote without compromise?
...people at the RNC were banned from wearing ridiculous hats? It's a convention not a circus.
...Campbell Brown (CNN) brought more than one pair of shoes to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, so I wouldn't have to wonder why a woman in her position keeps wearing the same pair of open-toed black pumps?!

Isn't it Romantic?

Something I learned today: Jason is going to be the next bachelor on The Bachelor season 35 or some other number that tells you the show has been on way too long. But I liked him so much from the last Bachelorette that (see my July post "Stop in the Name of Love") I'll be tuning in next January, or whenever it airs, for "the most romantic season ever!"

A Ceasar Pleaser

In July we had the pleasure of taking a vacation to Tennessee to meet up with a bunch of friends from all over the United States -- our annual 4-H reunion. It all started in 1994 when there were ten people from different states chosen to be National 4-H Congress advisors. We were in charge of planning the annual congress. Throughout this process, we became close friends and decided that we would have reunions in each other's home states.

Now many years later we are still in close contact, and our 4-H family has expanded as many of us have gotten married and have children. In Tennessee we all stayed in a big log cabin. There were ten adults and eight children under the age of six. To help cut costs and maintain our sanity from eating out too many times (see number of children), we set up a plan for each family to be in charge of breakfast and dinner one day. This worked really well and was very cost effective. Every meal was delicious, and I got to sample many tasty new dishes, some with a regional flair, from a variety of cooks.

My friend Heather made a Ceasar salad that had such a great homemade dressing I'm going to share it on my blog. It is easy, refreshing, and low cal. She said it is a South Beach Diet recipe. I have since made it many times at home and even Troy eats it! It's really nice with grilled steak, warm or cold. Dressed up or down with more veggies or none at all, it is now a favorite dish for us.

Ceasar Dressing
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 minced garlic (Pampered Chef garlic press is great for this!)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c oil
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Mix ingredients and toss with romaine lettuce. It is so good! I bet you will have more than one helping. :)

The Final Countdown

Here it is the middle of August which means summer is almost officially over. It never ceases to amaze me that the three months I look forward to the most seem to literally fly by. I cannot express just how much I love summer: the laid back schedule, the lack of responsibilities and stress related to work, and the warm, sunny weather, to name just a few.

Around the beginning of August, people always start to ask me if I'm ready to go back to school. My answer is always the same. No. (Then I proceed to wonder if that makes me a bad teacher.) I know some teachers who say they are anxious to get back to school in the fall. I'm curious when I'll feel that way too. When you ask students if they're ready to go back to school, nine out of ten will say, no. However, when you ask parents if they're ready for school to start, they usually say, yes. Hmmm... Come to think of it, the teachers who are ready for school to start are generally parents of more than one young child and/or whose children are teenagers.

In that case, maybe someday I'll be chomping at the bit to go back to work in the fall. But until then, I'll attempt to eek out the last tiny scrap of vacation time that is left and continue to work on my "get-it-done-now-because-when-school-starts-it-ain't-gonna-happen" list. Wish me luck. I don't like running out of time.

Don't it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue

Watching the summer Olympics always makes me think of the 1984 Olympics which is the first time I remember watching any Olympic games. The thing I remember most is watching Mary Lou Retton capture the gold as the all-around gymnast. It was such an exciting and dramatic moment. I was captured by this feisty, talented gymnast as I dreamed about the possibility of one day becoming an Olympic champion.

Tonight, I'm watching another American be awarded the coveted gold medal for the women's all-around. Although I have long since realized that I will never be standing on an Olympic podium, it is, nonetheless, an exciting and proud moment to watch.

Even though many years have passed since 1984, and many champions have come and gone, the beauty of the Olympics is that some things remain constant--the feeling of unity, pride, patriotism, and, most surprisingly, all those gymnasts from other countries who still wear blue eye shadow.

Conversation on Top of Slide

Mateo: Mom, you go up the stairs. I'll go up the slide. You stay there, Mom. Don't go down the slide.

Mom: Mateo, you're being kind of bossy.

Mateo: Yeah, I am.

Mom: Do you know what it means to be bossy?

Mateo: It means I get a time out.

You Look Just Like _________ (fill in the blank with any Asian actor, athlete, or TV personality)

A few days ago, while browsing flair (buttons/pins with all sorts of themes and sayings) for my Facebook page, I came across one with a picture of a little Asian girl who was obviously very upset, and the words written on the button were "but I don't want to be Asian!" I was taken aback by this and laughed but then wasn't sure if I should be laughing. Honestly, being adopted and always surrounded by Caucasians, a part of me wanted to post this particular piece of flair. It made me wonder a little about what/how I should feel about being Asian. And again, being surrounded by Caucasians, I have wondered about this quite often from time to time.

Today, as I perused the channels while Mateo was napping, I came upon a new episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. I watch this religiously and have pretty much seen every episode. This particular one was about Jon cooking an Asian meal. His kids are "a quarter" Korean. It showed the family enjoying the meal and then arguing over who was more Asian. Apparently, they all want to be Asian! I thought that was nice and was glad that the kids felt pride in that part of their heritage. Personally, I can tell you a lot about being Finnish but not much about being Korean.

It seems that most Asians are portrayed in a stereotypical way, and in America there aren't many famous people who are Asian. I'm glad that in the past few years, there are more Asians appearing on television, etc. It is a strange and unique experience to go through life having very little exposure to others who look like you.

Both Sides Now

Question: Do you think your face has two different looks? I think mine does depending on what side/angle you see it. I have heard this is a belief among Koreans. I recently had a discussion about this with my family. They think I am a little loco. I think this may be because they are Finnish. :) So while my husband and I were taking some sample pictures with a new camera we wanted to test, I told him to take a picture of me from both sides in order to prove a point. I think, depending on the angle, my face has a definite difference and there is one side I prefer, diva that I am. I'll let you decide for yourself.

Happy Birthday to You

Happy birthday to my dear husband who turns 32 today! We just marked our 9th anniversary, and next year I’m hoping for a week in a tropical destination—a trip that if we would have taken right after we had gotten married would have been considered a pretty sweet honeymoon. Instead, we were young and poor and a three-week trip to Chicago for a radio internship while staying in a Motel 6 seemed like a romantic adventure. Don’t get me wrong, after nine years, we’re still kinda poor.

But I should get back to my point. My dear hubby. Here are a few things that I love about him: he’s kind, he’s thoughtful, he has always only supported and encouraged me, he thinks my opinion matters, he makes an effort, he appreciates my sense of humor, and he did his best to teach me how to play tennis and golf and still loves me anyway.

I love you and wish you many more birthdays and years filled with laughter and smart remarks from your favorite wife. Enjoy your day even though it will be a lot like most of the others with the exception of the annual DQ cake or log as the case may be.

Overheard

I'm lying in bed as most sane people are at 2 in the morning when it occurred to me that Mateo said three things today that are worth writing down. (Don't worry, I didn't get up in the middle of the night to do this, I had actually just gone to bed.) I get a lot of comments from people about making sure I write down some of the things he says. So, here are three that made me laugh today.

1) "Is Oscar in there?" Mateo's question when he spotted a metal trash can with a lid while at Itasca State Park.
2) "...I was watching Kung Fu Panda. And then I pooped." A true statement explained to his new friend Madison about his experience at seeing his first movie in the theater.
3) "Are those Bush's beans? I don't like Bush's beans." A question and explanation told to our neighbors (who were having us over for dinner) when asked if he would like some baked beans on his plate.



Something I've especially begun to learn over the past several months: Kids really do say the darndest things.

Stop in the Name of Love

Okay. So I'm watching The Bachelorette Where are They Now which aired tonight, one week after DeAnna's finale. The show itself was mostly footage previously aired about past bachelors and bachelorettes which made for a fast TiVo viewing. There was a total of about five minutes (or less) of actual original footage of DeAnna and Jesse talking to Trista and Ryan, ABCs golden couple who actually got married and have a baby. Anyway, something weird happened at the end. Did anyone else see this? At the end, when the credits were rolling, there was a cut to Brad Womack (the guy who dumped DeAnna) eating a sandwich and watching Jesse propose to DeAnna. I think it was meant to be funny but it was just so weird. There was no emotion from Brad at all. He was just sitting there eating this plain looking sandwich which was the only thing on his plate. After Jesse proposes, Brad switches off the TV and takes a bite of his sandwich, then the show is over. Are we supposed to laugh? I wasn't sure. It felt awkward and a little sad.

I wanted to talk to someone about this but it was after midnight so I couldn't call anyone, although in all honesty I wasn't really sure anyone I know saw it. So for any of you Bachelor/Bachelorette fan(s) out there, please add a comment if you saw this and what your reaction was! Oh yeah, and did anyone else think that Jason was one of the sweetest bachelor choices ever?!

Something I've learned this summer: No matter how many summer vacations I have, I never get tired of them!

Sweet Child of Mine

My 2 1/2 year old has become quite the expert at fake crying. If he doesn't get his way with something, he bursts out in loud boohooing that produces no tears from him nor sympathy from his parents. However, when the real thing does happen, I can't help but feel badly.

Tuesday we spent the day at my sister's and brother-in-law's house. Mateo loves going there to play, and of course, did not want to leave. So when Uncle B said he was going to ride with us (he needed a ride to pick up his car at a service shop), Mateo was very excited. He asked Uncle B if he was going to come home with us and play kitchen with him (a play kitchen set found recently at a garage sale).

The ride to the service shop didn't take very long and when Uncle B got out of the car, Mateo started to cry, the real kind with big tears rolling down his chubby, little cheeks. This has happened before when people leave our house after visiting. He was so sad. I couldn't comfort him physically because I was driving, but I told him that some friends were coming over to play in the morning, and we would have another fun day. This cheered him up, and he stopped crying as he pondered the new adventures. Soon the car was quiet because he fell asleep before we got out of town.

I thought about how sad I had felt because he was sad and that I was glad I could tell him something to make him feel a little better. I'm not looking forward to when he gets older and comforting him won't be so simple or easy. For now, I will keep these tender moments close and appreciate the fact that most toddlers' problems can be soothed with a few words and a nap!

Something I learned today: If you let your toddler sit on your lap wearing just a towel after his bath, you might get peed on.

School's out for Summer

So here I am. It's June 16. Almost two weeks since I last blogged. My posts are getting closer together, right? I'm into looking on the bright side of things. Like when I stated in my last post that I locked my keys in my car...on the bright side, it wasn't raining when we stood in the parking lot for an hour and a half waiting.

It's Monday morning. The sun is shining, which has been a rarity the last few weeks, and my boys are still sleeping. Mornings may be a good time to blog! At least for the summer. Or until my body realizes that I don't have to get up at 7:30, and soon I'll be sleeping in again.

My summer vacation has officially started! Summer school was over on Friday, and I also finished all of my continuing ed. classes, so I can move on to other things to cross off my summer "to-do" list. Usually it involves fun things like cleaning closets, water proofing the deck, and other really entertaining chores.

I also want to make note of a milestone that happened this spring. I completed my tenth year of teaching! A whole decade--that kind of makes me feel old. It's hard to believe it's been ten years and that nine of those ten years have been spent teaching seventh graders! Who would have predicted? Certainly not me. But in ten years the most important things I've learned are that a) aside from June, July, and August, the best part of teaching is actually teaching b) patience can be taught -- to me, not the students c) those rowdy little seventh graders really grow on a person. Ten years of lessons and learning have flown by, and the more I learn about teaching, the more I realize I still have plenty of learning to do.

btw - Cookie update: Upon further tasting examination of applesauce cookies, those puppies stayed moist for a whole week left out with just some tin foil covering the pan. Oh, and good news, the next morning the applesauce flavor had subsided.

Excuses, Excuses

Now that it's summer (officially for me because school is over --except for the two weeks of summer school I'm teaching) I told myself that I would hopefully be able to blog more often. No one likes a lazy blogger. So not only is the challenge to get something posted, but also finding a topic. I could blog about the day last week when in one day my car's battery was dead before I went to work, and later that day, after having the battery replaced, I locked my keys in my car at Walmart. I could blog about that, but I won't since my second posting was about me leaving the lights on in my car. Since I only have four posts, including this one, another misadventure involving cars, keys, and batteries may make a reader wonder about the author's frame of mind when driving.

Maybe later this summer I will be able to blog while my chatty little offspring naps, but currently each nap so far is being utilized in trying to work on some continuing ed. credits I want to finish as soon as possible. Once chatty little offspring awakens, I close the laptop unless I want company and little fingers pressing any and all buttons he can while asking to watch movies or play games on the computer. When hubby returns from work, we have supper and hubby works on homework which usually entails him needing the computer. Another challenge in using the computer is that CLO has a very late bedtime, so usually by the time he falls asleep I'm either sleeping as well or heading in that direction.

So for anyone who has been keeping an eye on my blog and wondering where my posts are, I hope to be more diligent this summer and write about topics that are somewhat of interest. I can't promise, but I'll try.

Oh yeah--something I learned today. If you substitute applesauce for Crisco in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, you will have a somewhat healther cookie but one that tastes a lot like applesauce.

Land of Liberty

Today is Memorial Day which is the day set aside to remember those who fought for our country and the sacrifices made. I pray for those who are currently in harm's way overseas and especially for the families at home who sacrifice just as much and maybe even more as they await the return of loved ones.

I feel blessed to have my family safe here at home and will enjoy the day off with my husband and son. I won't worry about the things that could/should get done. Sometimes it's more important just to relax and spend time together. I was recently reminded that "living in the moment" is something we should strive for but often forget to do. Life passes us by, and all we have left are memories.

So for today, I will be content in the fact that I have a quiet day at home, I'm still in my pj's although it's 1:30 p.m., and my son is eating his way through the snack bag left on the counter. Sometimes it's the small things in life that, upon reflection, make me smile the most.

Isn't it Ironic

After school a friend and I were heading to Bemidji to the boys basketball game. As I turned the key in the ignition, nothing happened. I turned the key again, still nothing. Just those little lights on the dash that come on to anounce that something isn't right. Well, the third time, the car started, so we headed out.

Since I was scared of getting stranded after the game, I decided to switch cars with Troy who was at work in Bemidji.

All is well and we head to the game. Apart from our team losing, the evening was enjoyable. My friend and I decide to leave the game a little early because Mateo was getting restless. As I'm putting Mateo into the carseat, my friend leans over to the driver's side and turns the key to start the car. Nothing. She tries again. Still nothing. I get into the driver's side and try. Click. Uh,oh! I slowly reach over and switch the headlights...off. We have a dead battery.

For all you English students out there, this is a good example of irony.

Note: We were able to quickly call upon another friend who was still watching the game and got our car started before the rush. Oh yeah, the last time I left my lights on in my car and the battery went dead...at least ten years ago!

Concert Tickets

My husband and I stand in a long line anxiously waiting for our number to be called. We've decided it's time to go to the big concert people have been talking about forever. There are two lines. One line is for those whose numbers have already been called and who are waiting for entry. The other line is for people who hope that soon, their number will be called as well. Anticipation fills the air! The unknown is the only certainty. Some people get their tickets right away. Who knows? Maybe we will be one of those lucky people.

A few months pass, and no call. It's okay. We can wait; there's no hurry. A few couples have moved to the other line, and a new couples have joined ours. Several more months pass but still no call. Should we be worried? No, it's okay, others tell us. Sometimes it takes a while, but don't worry, it will happen. We take comfort that there are still people we know in line. They are waiting too.

After a year goes by, we realize that something may be wrong. Maybe the ticket booth didn't get our original request. We head over to the ticket master who tells us to fill out some forms and sends us on our way. And what do you know? The next month--our number is called! It is so exciting and such a relief. We eagerly run to join those in the other line.

Before we have even have time to get used to the idea, we receive notice that there was a mistake! Those tickets weren't meant for us. They will be going to a different couple, and we will need to go back to the end of the "waiting" line. I cannot believe it! How did this happen? We were ready; we deserved those tickets! I was looking forward to that concert so much. Most of my friends have been there, some more than once. Why weren't we allowed to go too?

Nobody we know is in the "waiting" line with us anymore. They have all received their tickets.

The waiting begins again. The ticket master assures us that there is no reason we won't get tickets. Just relax, and be patient. Each month when the numbers are posted, we pray that this will be our time. The waiting becomes more painfully intense. The hardest is to see all the people in the other line holding their tickets. People tell us that it will happen, but we are no longer certain. We've heard that, sometimes, people don't ever get tickets.

One year passes, and behold - the magic has happened once again! We are going to the concert!! We happily move to the other line, however, this time, it is done more cautiously. What if these aren't our tickets? Could they take our tickets away twice?

Apparently, they can. We cannot believe it is happening again. This time, the disappointment and loss of hope is almost more than we can bear. Everyone around us is sad too. They wanted us to join them. We return to the back of the "waiting" line, again.

This time I decide to stand at the end of the line for a while. I still want to get tickets, but if I do, I don't think that I will be able to take another disappointment. I will just bide my time here for a while and try not to think about how fun the concert would have been.

Over a year passes, and one more time, our numbers are called. Instead of rejoicing, we hesitantly switch lines and wait cautiously. We don't take it for granted that we will possibly hear the music live.

After a very long and difficult duration of standing in line, we are FINALLY allowed entrance into the stadium!! We made it! With all of the disappointment leading up to this moment, we know that we are going to stand here a while and take it all in.

The concert is everything we hoped and dreamed it would be -- and even more. At times the music takes our breath away, and we can hardly believe it is real. But it is, and we know that it was worth the wait.