While I love to organize events and people, I feel like something happens when I cross our property line. It’s like I’ve roamed into a [brain] dead zone.

Because of this, my purse generally ends up looking like a lost-and-found. I’m a hoarder when it comes to the contents of my bag. No matter the size of the bag, I always feel compelled to fill it full. You can never be too prepared. Why waste all that space?

If you’ve ever worked in church nursery and had to dig through our diaper bag to get something, I’m sure you’ve noticed this. I’m so sorry.

So because of my messy-purse habit (that drives me crazy by-the-way), I try to just not use a purse whenever possible. I have a good system down: key-chain on my pinkie finger, wallet under my arm (it’s a good-sized wallet), and phone in my hand/pocket. That’s all I really need.

So last Sunday morning, I was attempting a purse-ditch day and shoved my phone in my pocket. On our way out the door it started to fall out. That’s not going to be a smart place for my phone, I told myself, and I took it out just before scooping Elise up to put her in the car.

Only, then I couldn’t buckle her in, because my hands were full.

So I did what any purse-picketer would do… I set the phone down for a minute.

On the roof of the car.

I don’t exactly remember doing this… I know I knew better than to do it, because (ok, confession time…)

Well… because I did it this past winter too. *cringe*

pleasedontjudgeme!

*sigh*

Let me explain: The first time this happened, we weren’t certain where I had lost it. But it wasn’t turning up anywhere that made sense, so Tyler waited until it was dark (in the dead of winter!) and rode his bike up and down the road, hitting redial over and over.

I thought he was crazy. It was gone, no doubt about it. (Cue country-song):

Gone for the day and gone for the night,

Gone for the rest of my doggone life…

But I was wrong. He actually found it! A mile away from our house, lit up in the darkness, face-up in a snowy ditch.

Only 100+ missed calls. But it still worked!

Seriously, I have the best husband. He never even acted mad or frustrated with me.

So THIS time when I lost my phone, once it didn’t turn up in all the normal spots, I remembered having it in my hand as I tried to buckle Elise in. And I knew…

We looked everywhere this time. Both of us took turns walking and riding our bikes down the road, hoping and praying we would find it.

But to no avail.

Alas, I spent 3 days phone-less and we decided it was really gone.

So what do you think of my new phone?

Ok, ok, I kid… this is one of a dozen wood-crafted toys that a retired gentleman gave to Tyler during our garage sale. Apparently his wife loves to go garage-saling, so he comes a long and hands out these toys. He was quite a character and he loved that Tyler could appreciate his craftsmanship as a fellow woodworker. They even bonded over how much they love the show Woodwrights Shop.

(Have you seen that show? It’s worse than watching golf. It’s the perfect prescription for insomnia.)

Anyway, I digress… the point was, I had to order a new phone. But a real one. Not a wooden redneck phone.

The only reason I haven’t died of guilt and shame for having to order a new phone while we are saving up and others are donating money to us is that we only spend $20/month on our phone plan. But still… I’m so sorry…

 

Anyway, then Thursday one of our friends from church messaged me with this picture which she found on our town’s Community Chatter Facebook page:

Crazy, right? We met yesterday and they returned it to me:

I know some people live on their phones. I do not. People would ask me, “What is your phone?” and I wouldn’t even know how to answer them. It wasn’t fancy, but I did have precious pictures and videos I would have lost if it weren’t for these kind people.

So thankful for the kindness of strangers.

And I will definitely be toting around a purse from now on. *Sigh*