It's Electric

The Electric Slide tune has been playing repeatedly in my mind the past couple days. I sometimes break into song and do the dance with hopes of seeing an XCell truck pull into our drive. But alas, it has not worked. As we are on day 4 with no electricity, I can't help but be in awe of those who have and still do live this way, whether by choice or not. If it was just Justin and I, it would be a bit easier. Or so I would think. It isn't that it is hard, just a very different thought process. We take each day one moment at a time. I STILL walk into rooms and flip the switch on :). I have occasionally walked to the microwave with my meal as if it will magically work and reheat my food. I am aware of the sun going down and make mad dashes around my home preparing for the few hours spent in candlelight and flashlight. I even put makeup on in the dark and shadow of a flashlight last night; good thing it wad for a costume and it wouldn't matter if I messed up, LOL. It had been a fun adventure. Stressful at times, sure, but hey it's only a few days!!
And guess what?!?! My most recent song and dance must have worked!!! As I sit typing this, 2 large XCell Crane trucks have pulled in!! Hallelujah!! Looks like today is our lucky day!!! Happy Saturday Everyone!!

Still Powerless

And it continues. Another day with no power. A crew has replaced the line running into our house, but we continue to wait on XCell. 'We can't give you an exact time but it will be before the end of business on Friday.' OK then. Move food out of freezer and fridge to snow banks until later when we can get some coolers with dry ice. Check. Watch the snow fall of off trees. Check. Clean the house. Why not. I have enjoyed this time of quietness (minus no music. I love my music) and getting to teach new things to our boys. I heated water and food on our heater. Justin made the kids dinner with a head lamp on. It has been a fun adventure. And it is still funny to me how I can so quickly forget that I am without power. I mean, I put my lunch in the microwave. I still walk into rooms and flick the light switch. And when trying to figure out how to do my hair before Raia's doctor appt this morning, I thought I could use a hair dryer but not my straightener. We really do forget how much we rely on electricity. Through it all, it has reminded me how in life I am powerless without God. I try, A LOT, to do things on my own and with my own strength, thoughts, power, but they often make things harder. Especially when I have to wait for His time (like waiting for the power to my house right now). I know God cares for me and wants to provide for me and my family and I want to learn to believe and fully trust this, not just 'know' it. I want to teach it to my kids. I am so thankful for all we have and that while we may feel lost without many of our electronic friends, we have heat, food, and each other. Thank You God!

Little House in the Country

I remember how much I enjoyed watching Little House on the Prairie as a little girl. For some reason, I always think about this show whenever the power goes out :). I know I take a lot for granted and I am definitely more aware of this on days like today. Right off the bat I realized that my phone battery was dying and I couldn't charge it. How would I know anything that is going on or be able to talk to anyone without my phone?! Thankfully, I have a car charger and my wonderful husband took it out to the car to charge when he left for work (which is why I can now write my blog ;)). We had a couple candles so we lit those and I would carry one around the house where I needed to go, or to just wander.  I felt as though I should be wearing a floor length night gown, LOL. I sat in our candle lit living room with the kids, who were making shadows with their Cars flashlights (thanks Paige!) and talked with them about why we had no electricity. I then excitedly discussed how I would make them some yummy oatmeal with my homemade applesauce when there was more light outside. Really Tonya? How are you going to make oatmeal when you can't use the microwave or the stove. Oh ya, I can't. Sorry boys, cold cereal today. Weseley in his young wisdom, began telling me that his tummy hurt and he couldn't go to school. This 'tummy ache' was quickly healed when he heard that there was no school today :). And so, here I sit, in a little house with no power, thinking about what projects I can complete that don't require power (looks like my pile of coupons will be getting cut and organized). I am missing my coffee and trying to figure out a backup dinner plan as my already planned menu called for the crock pot and it doesn't look like that will happen. I will make do with a mug of hot chocolate made with the hottest water from the tap. So I raise my mug and say CHEERS! Here's to a quiet day of staying snuggly warm in our little house in the country and enjoying precious time with my kids without the distractions of the numerous electricity driven gadgets in our world.

Fresh Look

What's in a name? I recall the hours I spent looking at name books when expecting our first child and looking up the different meanings associated with the names we liked. In the same fashion, I have been contemplating a  name change here on my blog, but was having a tough time deciding on what it should be. The original name was from a short story I wrote about myself and the postpartum depression I went through, and while it seemed fitting when I started my blog about a year ago, it doesn't anymore. Then, all of the sudden, in the wee hours of the early morning, while trying to fall back to sleep, it hit me! I awoke the next day and did a little research by looking up the root word -logy on Wiktionary:

a - branch of learning; study of a particular subject.
b - something said, or a way of speaking, a narrative.

How perfect?! The past 4 years have held incredible 'learning pockets', where I have learned so much about myself and who I truly am (not who everyone told me I was and who I tried to be for everyone). I am in another one right now, so the study of Tonya is quite fitting. BUT WAIT! The second form is equally fitting as my blog is my narrative of what I am learning; mostly so I can get the numerous thoughts out of my head (because they can have a crazy party in there when left unattended) but also to share with you (whoever you may be), that you can maybe learn something too. How often I have let myself stay trapped in a bubble of belief that NO ONE could possibly understand me!! But it is not true. We are all imperfect humans (not for lack of trying on my part, LOL) and struggle with the same core things, just maybe in a different situation. So I share. Take it as you will. :)

All that said, I believe I now have a completely fitting name for my blog. Welcome to TONYALOGY!

Finger Pointing

Friday morning, while waiting for the bus,  I noticed Weseley pointing at me and he seemed to be in deep thought. When he noticed me looking at him, he said, "did you know that when you point, there are still more fingers pointing at you?" "Really?" I asked. "Ya, I don't like it. How can I point without these other fingers pointing at me?" he replied. I was so impressed by our conversation, not to mention caught off guard, that I didn't know how to respond. As we continued watching for the bus, Weseley proceeded to try out some different 'pointing' methods. He used different fingers to point and twisted his little hand in various ways but always ended up with the same result; fingers pointing back at him. He finally decided that the best way to avoid this was to 'point' with a flat hand. The bus arrived and I hugged and kissed him and sent him off to school but our conversation has stuck with me. How much time do I spend 'pointing' at the people around me and not addressing my own problems? A LOT!  This goes along well with my previous post and is definitely another piece of my life puzzle that I choose to work on and improve. And I am so thankful that I was given this little reminder through my sweet-hearted little man. :)

"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, "Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye," when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye."  ---  Matthew 7:1-5