Monday, July 21, 2008
Events the past two (well, now three) weeks, Part 3: our stay in AR
The short version is that we had a great time in AR. You can scan the pictures below or if you really want all the details, feel free to keep reading!
Sunday morning after the concert we went to early service at Woodmont (with the 26 other people who go to early service!) and then hit the road back to AR where I was going to stay the following week while John, Danny and Stefanie headed on home.
When we got to Searcy, we all went over to the hospital and sang a few songs for Mamaw and Papaw, which was really special. Thanks again, to John, Danny and Stef for delaying your trip home another 30 minutes!
Sunday night, Mom and I went to see "Star Spangled Girl" put on by the Searcy Summer Dinner Theater and directed by Craig Jones. It was a fun show, and even more fun to see my cousin, Logan, perform so well in it!
The kids were still at John's mother's house, so Mom just took me over there after the show to spend the night. It was so good to see the kids again! Mom took the whole week off, so she came to pick us up the next morning, since John had our van! The rest of the day was basically spent recovering from the crazy trip, and I was so thankful for the rest. I did get to spend a little time with Papaw, too, which was so good.
Mom giving Johnathan his b-day present: An Indiana Jones Hat and whip! So cool!
Tuesday we headed to Mt. View where "the girls" and their families were there with Grammie and Papaw at Jack's. If you know "Jack's" you know what I'm talking about. If not, don't worry about it. :) We spent the day shopping and finding wonderful treasures and things we liked "a lot!" My children even did relatively well with lots of help from Mom, Grammie, Aunt Karla, Aunt Jina, Claire, Alissa and Rebekah! We ate at the "Drug Store," and I had their fresh lemonade with my lunch. Mmm, mmm ... there's just nothin' better!
Aunt Karla and "The Hat."
I had a chance to visit with Aunt Jina more about her water birth experience with Rebekah (her fourth), since that's what I'm leaning toward with Jonas. The most compelling thing she said was that she would've had all her other children that way if she had known how wonderful it was! Mostly, I was grateful for her listening ear and encouragement as I get closer to my due date!
Before we left to head back to Searcy, Aunt Karla and Aunt Jina gave me a distressed antique white wagon wheel wall decoration for the nursery, since I'm doing a cowboy theme. It is so cute! I have already painted Jonas's letters red and attached them to the wheel and have it hanging in the nursery! I'll put up pictures of that in a later post.
Wednesday, we met Mamaw for lunch at Mazzio's. It just wouldn't be a true Searcy visit without Mazzio's! After lunch, I spent about 4 hours up at the hospital while Mom put the kids down for a nap. Yea, Mom! Mamaw and I had some good conversation, and Papaw joined in from time to time. It also was good to see familiar faces that came to visit Papaw!
Story time with Nana--always a favorite!
That evening was Home Bible Study that Mom has been hosting in the summers for 15 years now! I'm so thankful for that wonderful group and what it has meant to Mom through the years.
Thursday Daisha and her two sweet children came over for a playdate. Johnathan and Gideon and fun being boys, Kalleigh had fun trying to keep up with the boys, and Naomi just smiled most of the time! I'm so glad Daisha and I just happened to be in Searcy the same week and that we got to catch up for a little bit!
Gideon and Johnathan doing their best to hold their little sisters!
Could Naomi be any cuter? I don't think so.
Thursday afternoon we shopped Searcy! Mom got some fun jewelry for my birthday, and I am now cool because of it. :) I found a diaper bag for Jonas and got Mom a "Nana" bracelet that has the birthstones of her grandchildren on it! I went ahead and got an August stone for Jonas, so he had better wait until then! My due date is the 22nd, so surely that won't be an issue.
Friday morning, we stopped back by the hospital to see Mamaw and Papaw once more before we left town. Papaw was having a good day and was sitting up in a chair when we got there! Kalleigh had her beloved bear with her when she came in, and decided to share it with Papaw! It was if she could sense that Papaw needed some comfort, and knowing that her bear gave her a lot of comfort, she thought Papaw might want to hold her bear for a while, too! Saying goodbye is always hard, especially since I'm not going to be able to make it for for the reunion this cmoing weekend, but I promised Papaw that after Jonas Dean is born that I would bring him up to meet his namesake!
From there we headed down to Little Rock and shopped a little more, ate at Pei Wei (YUM) and met John around 2:30. We loaded up in our own van and headed back to Tyler while Mom stayed in LR a little longer and I believe did a bit more damage.
All in all, a wonderful week in AR. Time for Mom to spend with two grandkids before there are three, and time for me to put my feet up a little! Good time spent with Mamaw and Papaw. But it's always good to be home again, especially with John!
Sunday morning after the concert we went to early service at Woodmont (with the 26 other people who go to early service!) and then hit the road back to AR where I was going to stay the following week while John, Danny and Stefanie headed on home.
When we got to Searcy, we all went over to the hospital and sang a few songs for Mamaw and Papaw, which was really special. Thanks again, to John, Danny and Stef for delaying your trip home another 30 minutes!
Sunday night, Mom and I went to see "Star Spangled Girl" put on by the Searcy Summer Dinner Theater and directed by Craig Jones. It was a fun show, and even more fun to see my cousin, Logan, perform so well in it!
The kids were still at John's mother's house, so Mom just took me over there after the show to spend the night. It was so good to see the kids again! Mom took the whole week off, so she came to pick us up the next morning, since John had our van! The rest of the day was basically spent recovering from the crazy trip, and I was so thankful for the rest. I did get to spend a little time with Papaw, too, which was so good.
Mom giving Johnathan his b-day present: An Indiana Jones Hat and whip! So cool!
Tuesday we headed to Mt. View where "the girls" and their families were there with Grammie and Papaw at Jack's. If you know "Jack's" you know what I'm talking about. If not, don't worry about it. :) We spent the day shopping and finding wonderful treasures and things we liked "a lot!" My children even did relatively well with lots of help from Mom, Grammie, Aunt Karla, Aunt Jina, Claire, Alissa and Rebekah! We ate at the "Drug Store," and I had their fresh lemonade with my lunch. Mmm, mmm ... there's just nothin' better!
Aunt Karla and "The Hat."
I had a chance to visit with Aunt Jina more about her water birth experience with Rebekah (her fourth), since that's what I'm leaning toward with Jonas. The most compelling thing she said was that she would've had all her other children that way if she had known how wonderful it was! Mostly, I was grateful for her listening ear and encouragement as I get closer to my due date!
Before we left to head back to Searcy, Aunt Karla and Aunt Jina gave me a distressed antique white wagon wheel wall decoration for the nursery, since I'm doing a cowboy theme. It is so cute! I have already painted Jonas's letters red and attached them to the wheel and have it hanging in the nursery! I'll put up pictures of that in a later post.
Wednesday, we met Mamaw for lunch at Mazzio's. It just wouldn't be a true Searcy visit without Mazzio's! After lunch, I spent about 4 hours up at the hospital while Mom put the kids down for a nap. Yea, Mom! Mamaw and I had some good conversation, and Papaw joined in from time to time. It also was good to see familiar faces that came to visit Papaw!
Story time with Nana--always a favorite!
That evening was Home Bible Study that Mom has been hosting in the summers for 15 years now! I'm so thankful for that wonderful group and what it has meant to Mom through the years.
Thursday Daisha and her two sweet children came over for a playdate. Johnathan and Gideon and fun being boys, Kalleigh had fun trying to keep up with the boys, and Naomi just smiled most of the time! I'm so glad Daisha and I just happened to be in Searcy the same week and that we got to catch up for a little bit!
Gideon and Johnathan doing their best to hold their little sisters!
Could Naomi be any cuter? I don't think so.
Thursday afternoon we shopped Searcy! Mom got some fun jewelry for my birthday, and I am now cool because of it. :) I found a diaper bag for Jonas and got Mom a "Nana" bracelet that has the birthstones of her grandchildren on it! I went ahead and got an August stone for Jonas, so he had better wait until then! My due date is the 22nd, so surely that won't be an issue.
Friday morning, we stopped back by the hospital to see Mamaw and Papaw once more before we left town. Papaw was having a good day and was sitting up in a chair when we got there! Kalleigh had her beloved bear with her when she came in, and decided to share it with Papaw! It was if she could sense that Papaw needed some comfort, and knowing that her bear gave her a lot of comfort, she thought Papaw might want to hold her bear for a while, too! Saying goodbye is always hard, especially since I'm not going to be able to make it for for the reunion this cmoing weekend, but I promised Papaw that after Jonas Dean is born that I would bring him up to meet his namesake!
From there we headed down to Little Rock and shopped a little more, ate at Pei Wei (YUM) and met John around 2:30. We loaded up in our own van and headed back to Tyler while Mom stayed in LR a little longer and I believe did a bit more damage.
All in all, a wonderful week in AR. Time for Mom to spend with two grandkids before there are three, and time for me to put my feet up a little! Good time spent with Mamaw and Papaw. But it's always good to be home again, especially with John!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Events the past two weeks, Part 2: The Real Group
It started Friday evening, July 4th, when Clearly Vocal (well, 4 out of 5--Our bass is the director out at Camp Deer Run, so he couldn't be there) sang for a party at a local country club. From there, all four of us picked up our children and drove to Searcy where we dropped the kids off at John's mother's house and picked up my mom. This was about 3:30 am!
Fueled with adrenaline, we drove on to Nashville and enjoyed a big breakfast at Crackel Barrel. Then we went to see if our hotel rooms were available in Franklin--a long shot, I know, since check-in wasn't until 3pm. Thankfully, one was, so we (which is now Mom, Stefanie, Danny, John and I) all piled in and crashed for a while, taking turns getting cleaned up. We were still in our performance outfits from the night before!
Around noon we headed downtown to grab a bite before the concert. "What concert?" you might ask. Oh. THE concert. We had driven overnight so we could see The Real Group in concert in the United States for the first time in around 10 years! So, after lunch at Panera, we were finally headed to the concert. For the rest of the story, read what John wrote!
Truly a dream come true!
Fueled with adrenaline, we drove on to Nashville and enjoyed a big breakfast at Crackel Barrel. Then we went to see if our hotel rooms were available in Franklin--a long shot, I know, since check-in wasn't until 3pm. Thankfully, one was, so we (which is now Mom, Stefanie, Danny, John and I) all piled in and crashed for a while, taking turns getting cleaned up. We were still in our performance outfits from the night before!
Around noon we headed downtown to grab a bite before the concert. "What concert?" you might ask. Oh. THE concert. We had driven overnight so we could see The Real Group in concert in the United States for the first time in around 10 years! So, after lunch at Panera, we were finally headed to the concert. For the rest of the story, read what John wrote!
Truly a dream come true!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Events the past two weeks, Part 1: Birthday
I don't know about you, but when a lot of exciting things happen all at once and I don't have time to blog about them, I tend to put if off and then do it all at once. So, here's part one of three of my last two weeks.
My birthday was fabulous. John made pancakes from scratch (not even Bisquick!) for breakfast. He made a giant pancake for me and put a candle in the center. When I finally crawled out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, there was a Bed, Bath, & Beyond gift bag on the table. In it was a giant bath towel (that I had asked for!) as well as a super sweet card. Two points for John!
Then I was off to get a pedicure! These are especially nice these days since I can no longer do it myself.
After lunch, we took the kids to see Wall-E, which was cute! Johnathan loved it and did great. Kalleigh did great for about an hour, and John spent the rest of the movie letting Kalleigh run around in the entrance to the theater. She escaped to the very front only once, shrieking with glee at her victory. :)
We took the kids home and then I ran to get my hair trimmed, probably the last trim before Jonas arrives. I LOVE letting someone else fix my hair!
We dropped the kids off with our wonderful friends', the Deans, and we hit another movie! This time we saw Hancock, the superhero movie with Will Smith. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but it turned out to be really good!
Then John took me to one of the nicest restaurants in Smith County, Kiepersol! Neither of us had been there before, but people had raved about it. I had the filet mignon, which just melted in my mouth. I had ordered a spinach salad, but since they forgot to bring it out, they gave us a free desssert--their famous chocolate cake. It was served with vanilla ice cream and the middle of the cake gushed with chocolate. Oh my.
I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband and beautiful children for making the day so memorable!
Update 7-16: This is the cake that our friend Danny (tenor in Clearly Vocal) got for Stefanie (soprano in Clearly Vocal) and me since our birthdays are just a couple of days apart. He said he got a good deal on the cake since "Bill" never showed up to pick up his cake. :)
My birthday was fabulous. John made pancakes from scratch (not even Bisquick!) for breakfast. He made a giant pancake for me and put a candle in the center. When I finally crawled out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, there was a Bed, Bath, & Beyond gift bag on the table. In it was a giant bath towel (that I had asked for!) as well as a super sweet card. Two points for John!
Then I was off to get a pedicure! These are especially nice these days since I can no longer do it myself.
After lunch, we took the kids to see Wall-E, which was cute! Johnathan loved it and did great. Kalleigh did great for about an hour, and John spent the rest of the movie letting Kalleigh run around in the entrance to the theater. She escaped to the very front only once, shrieking with glee at her victory. :)
We took the kids home and then I ran to get my hair trimmed, probably the last trim before Jonas arrives. I LOVE letting someone else fix my hair!
We dropped the kids off with our wonderful friends', the Deans, and we hit another movie! This time we saw Hancock, the superhero movie with Will Smith. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but it turned out to be really good!
Then John took me to one of the nicest restaurants in Smith County, Kiepersol! Neither of us had been there before, but people had raved about it. I had the filet mignon, which just melted in my mouth. I had ordered a spinach salad, but since they forgot to bring it out, they gave us a free desssert--their famous chocolate cake. It was served with vanilla ice cream and the middle of the cake gushed with chocolate. Oh my.
I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband and beautiful children for making the day so memorable!
Update 7-16: This is the cake that our friend Danny (tenor in Clearly Vocal) got for Stefanie (soprano in Clearly Vocal) and me since our birthdays are just a couple of days apart. He said he got a good deal on the cake since "Bill" never showed up to pick up his cake. :)
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Time passer for those prone to procrastinate ... like me.
What were you doing 5 years ago?
1. Demonstrating toe touches at cheerleading camp in Denver.
2. Getting ready to run the sports at pre-teen camp in Buena Vista, CO.
3. Working part-time for my friends at the tennis center in Colorado Springs.
4. Living with those same friends while waiting to close on our 2nd house.
5. Unaware that I was pregnant and that I would miscarry.
What are 5 things on your To-Do list today?
1. Take John to work -- check.
2. Take kids to Discovery Science Place -- check.
3. Eat lunch with John and kids at Double Dave's -- check.
4. Shower while kids are napping -- right after I finish this.
5. Apply temporary tattoos at church Celebration of Freedom tonight.
What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
1. Oreos
2. Chocolate Chip Pop Tarts
3. Chex Mix
4. Cashews
5. Snickers protein bars -- seriously, they're good for you!
What are 5 things you'd do if you were a Billionaire?
1. Owe nothing
2. Give to my favorite non-profits
3. Set aside money for kids' college
4. Hire a housekeeper
5. Own a working ranch and ride a good horse everyday
What are 5 of your bad habits?
1. procrastinating (big surprise)
2. short cutting to "make things do," as in, "That'll do."
3. loosing my temper
4. staying up too late playing the Wii or watching tv (but at least John and I do it together!)
5. not being open to a change of my plans
What are 5 jobs that you've had?
1. Harding Admissions office slave
2. Historical house tour guide
3. Preschool teacher
4. Basketball and cheerleading coach
5. Mommy
Name 5 places where you have lived.
1. Ft. Worth, TX
2. Memphis, TN
3. Searcy, AR
4. Colorado Springs, CO
5. Tyler, TX
1. Demonstrating toe touches at cheerleading camp in Denver.
2. Getting ready to run the sports at pre-teen camp in Buena Vista, CO.
3. Working part-time for my friends at the tennis center in Colorado Springs.
4. Living with those same friends while waiting to close on our 2nd house.
5. Unaware that I was pregnant and that I would miscarry.
What are 5 things on your To-Do list today?
1. Take John to work -- check.
2. Take kids to Discovery Science Place -- check.
3. Eat lunch with John and kids at Double Dave's -- check.
4. Shower while kids are napping -- right after I finish this.
5. Apply temporary tattoos at church Celebration of Freedom tonight.
What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
1. Oreos
2. Chocolate Chip Pop Tarts
3. Chex Mix
4. Cashews
5. Snickers protein bars -- seriously, they're good for you!
What are 5 things you'd do if you were a Billionaire?
1. Owe nothing
2. Give to my favorite non-profits
3. Set aside money for kids' college
4. Hire a housekeeper
5. Own a working ranch and ride a good horse everyday
What are 5 of your bad habits?
1. procrastinating (big surprise)
2. short cutting to "make things do," as in, "That'll do."
3. loosing my temper
4. staying up too late playing the Wii or watching tv (but at least John and I do it together!)
5. not being open to a change of my plans
What are 5 jobs that you've had?
1. Harding Admissions office slave
2. Historical house tour guide
3. Preschool teacher
4. Basketball and cheerleading coach
5. Mommy
Name 5 places where you have lived.
1. Ft. Worth, TX
2. Memphis, TN
3. Searcy, AR
4. Colorado Springs, CO
5. Tyler, TX
Monday, June 30, 2008
Preggo mind story
Something like this happens nearly everyday, so I thought I'd write one down so I don't forget it later.
I was in the kitchen starting to fold laundry when I though, "Boy, some music would be nice. I think I'll turn on Pandora."
So I headed over to the computer (less than 20 ft away) and sat down and saw the recipe I had just pulled up for supper before starting to fold the clothes. I had no idea why I had just sat down at the computer.
My mind wandered a bit and I decided to look up another recipe for dessert while I was there. I found one I liked and headed back into the kitchen to make sure I had all the ingredients.
After doing that I saw the pile of clothes and remembered that I was folding clothes and needed to finish the pile. I picked up a shirt and thought, "Boy, some music would be nice. I think I'll ... oh, good grief."
The rest of the story is that I have yet to turn on Pandora and am blogging about the whole deal instead.
"Boy, some music ......."
I was in the kitchen starting to fold laundry when I though, "Boy, some music would be nice. I think I'll turn on Pandora."
So I headed over to the computer (less than 20 ft away) and sat down and saw the recipe I had just pulled up for supper before starting to fold the clothes. I had no idea why I had just sat down at the computer.
My mind wandered a bit and I decided to look up another recipe for dessert while I was there. I found one I liked and headed back into the kitchen to make sure I had all the ingredients.
After doing that I saw the pile of clothes and remembered that I was folding clothes and needed to finish the pile. I picked up a shirt and thought, "Boy, some music would be nice. I think I'll ... oh, good grief."
The rest of the story is that I have yet to turn on Pandora and am blogging about the whole deal instead.
"Boy, some music ......."
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Praying for Papaw
Hi blogger friends. Join me in praying for my Papaw like we did last summer when he went through his first chemo treatments. The cancer has been acting up again and these new 3-day treatments are pretty hard on his system, but seem to be working. He's been on tubal feeding for a few weeks now, so pray that he'll be able to eat on his own again soon. This is day two of his second 3-day treatment since the beginning of June. I visited with him some this morning, and he sounded pretty good! He said he was feeling better today, so we're grateful for that! I'll get to spend about a week in Searcy after the 4th of July, so I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Mamaw and Papaw!
Thanks everybody. God is faithful!
Thanks everybody. God is faithful!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Four years old
Happy birthday, my oldest son! It's been an exciting four years!
June 20, 2004 - 8 lbs, 4 oz - 20 1/2 in
June 20, 2008 - 38 lbs - 39 in
The Diego cake he asked for.
I'm four!
The Larry Boy cake he also asked for--made by Terry Dean!
I can't get him to take this off!
June 20, 2004 - 8 lbs, 4 oz - 20 1/2 in
June 20, 2008 - 38 lbs - 39 in
The Diego cake he asked for.
I'm four!
The Larry Boy cake he also asked for--made by Terry Dean!
I can't get him to take this off!Thursday, June 19, 2008
Singing tonight!
It's a little late notice for today, but if you're around town and free tonight, John and I are singing tonight with Danny at KE Cellars, right across from the mall!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Can you guess what song this is?
Elizabeth had a funny blog about Ashlyn singing and it inspired me to post one of Kalleigh's songs ... in her words of course. Do any of you speak Toddler?
Itto, itto, itto tah
Ah wah wuh wuh wuh wuh wah.
Up pup pup pup wuh wuh high.
Yop pup dah pup pup pup sigh.
Itto, itto, itto tah
Ah wah wuh wuh wuh wuh wah.
I have yet to capture this on video, for of course she sings it all day long, but clams up when I bring out the camera!
We moved Kalleigh in with Johnathan since we've been back from CO. While there, she and Johnathan shared a room and she slept on a twin bed, so I figured that even if she's a little young, now would be a good time to do it since she was already out of the crib routine. So far, they both have done really well! And now I can work on that nursery!!
Itto, itto, itto tah
Ah wah wuh wuh wuh wuh wah.
Up pup pup pup wuh wuh high.
Yop pup dah pup pup pup sigh.
Itto, itto, itto tah
Ah wah wuh wuh wuh wuh wah.
I have yet to capture this on video, for of course she sings it all day long, but clams up when I bring out the camera!
We moved Kalleigh in with Johnathan since we've been back from CO. While there, she and Johnathan shared a room and she slept on a twin bed, so I figured that even if she's a little young, now would be a good time to do it since she was already out of the crib routine. So far, they both have done really well! And now I can work on that nursery!!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
The wedding weekend
Well, it's official. They're Mr. and Mrs. Kreg Kell. What a beautiful wedding, too! Beautiful people inside and out, beautiful chapel, beautiful music, beautiful dresses, beautiful flowers ... oh so beautiful!
We stayed with our friends, John and Kisti, while we were there. It was so fun to get to see them (a little!) and catch up. They are some of those friends where you pick up right where you left off. I think it had been almost three years since we had seen them! Thank goodness for blogger land! Kisti was amazing and cooked really yummy breakfasts for us each morning and they even helped with our kids when we needed! Thanks again, Kisti, for being such a wonderful hostess!
Danny came with us to play at the wedding and reception, so with three drivers, we figured we could drive through the night. We left at 10pm Wednesday night and got in around 11am (mountain time) the next morning. The kids did great, and we drivers survived. :)
The weekend was jam-packed with luncheons, dress fittings, last-minute errands (i.e. getting John a suit to wear since he was the officiant!), general "beautifying", eating (and eating and eating), partying, rehearsing, setting up for the reception and trying to keep the kids on some sort of schedule so they wouldn't be absolute monsters at the wedding! We were all honored by having various roles in the wedding. As mentioned before, Danny played the piano as well as being the emcee for the reception, John officiated and sang the song for their first dance, I was a bridesmaid and got to sing a song with Kristi at the wedding as well as some other songs at the reception, Johnathan was the ring bearer (though I don't think he actually carried anything!), and Kalleigh was a flower girl. The children did just fine, minus a little meltdown when they got down to the front, but at least they did make it down the incredibly long aisle holding hands and bow in place.
And Keleigh was absolutely stunning! Of course, you didn't even have to see her to know that. All you had to do was to look at Kreg's face!
The quote of the trip, though, came from Johnathan as we were coming out of Raton pass and caught our first glimpse of snow-capped mountains (said with much volume and enthusiasm): "Colorado! We're comin' to ya!"
So, yes, it's official. I have the best sister-in-law in the whole world!
Father, bless Kreg and Keleigh in their journey together. Show them how to love like you love us. Help them to continue to seek you and long for you more than they long for each other. Make their paths straight and keep them strong and continue to shower them with blessings their whole lives! Through Jesus, Amen.
We stayed with our friends, John and Kisti, while we were there. It was so fun to get to see them (a little!) and catch up. They are some of those friends where you pick up right where you left off. I think it had been almost three years since we had seen them! Thank goodness for blogger land! Kisti was amazing and cooked really yummy breakfasts for us each morning and they even helped with our kids when we needed! Thanks again, Kisti, for being such a wonderful hostess!
Danny came with us to play at the wedding and reception, so with three drivers, we figured we could drive through the night. We left at 10pm Wednesday night and got in around 11am (mountain time) the next morning. The kids did great, and we drivers survived. :)
The weekend was jam-packed with luncheons, dress fittings, last-minute errands (i.e. getting John a suit to wear since he was the officiant!), general "beautifying", eating (and eating and eating), partying, rehearsing, setting up for the reception and trying to keep the kids on some sort of schedule so they wouldn't be absolute monsters at the wedding! We were all honored by having various roles in the wedding. As mentioned before, Danny played the piano as well as being the emcee for the reception, John officiated and sang the song for their first dance, I was a bridesmaid and got to sing a song with Kristi at the wedding as well as some other songs at the reception, Johnathan was the ring bearer (though I don't think he actually carried anything!), and Kalleigh was a flower girl. The children did just fine, minus a little meltdown when they got down to the front, but at least they did make it down the incredibly long aisle holding hands and bow in place.
And Keleigh was absolutely stunning! Of course, you didn't even have to see her to know that. All you had to do was to look at Kreg's face!
The quote of the trip, though, came from Johnathan as we were coming out of Raton pass and caught our first glimpse of snow-capped mountains (said with much volume and enthusiasm): "Colorado! We're comin' to ya!"
So, yes, it's official. I have the best sister-in-law in the whole world!
Father, bless Kreg and Keleigh in their journey together. Show them how to love like you love us. Help them to continue to seek you and long for you more than they long for each other. Make their paths straight and keep them strong and continue to shower them with blessings their whole lives! Through Jesus, Amen.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thoughts as the third trimester begins.
Hooray! I passed my gestational diabetes test today!
Bummer. I've already gained all the weight I'm supposed to ... for the whole pregnancy.
Hooray! Less than three months to go!
Bummer. Everyone else I know who is pregnant will have their babies before I do.
Hooray! I have the whole summer to spend quality time with only two kids!
Bummer. I have absolutely zero energy to do anything.
Hooray! The pools are opening around here this week!
Bummer. That maternity swim suit just is not flattering one bit.
Hooray! I'm sleeping great these days!
Hooray! I have everything I need for the cute cowboy nursery!
Hooray! The baby is very active and seems to be totally healthy!
Hooray! I will hold this little boy in my arms before the summer is over!
Okay, good. There are more hoorays than bummers. It's good to remind myself of that every now and then. :)
Bummer. I've already gained all the weight I'm supposed to ... for the whole pregnancy.
Hooray! Less than three months to go!
Bummer. Everyone else I know who is pregnant will have their babies before I do.
Hooray! I have the whole summer to spend quality time with only two kids!
Bummer. I have absolutely zero energy to do anything.
Hooray! The pools are opening around here this week!
Bummer. That maternity swim suit just is not flattering one bit.
Hooray! I'm sleeping great these days!
Hooray! I have everything I need for the cute cowboy nursery!
Hooray! The baby is very active and seems to be totally healthy!
Hooray! I will hold this little boy in my arms before the summer is over!
Okay, good. There are more hoorays than bummers. It's good to remind myself of that every now and then. :)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A week from now ...
... my baby brother will be married!
I still remember when ...
... Mom told me that we were going to have another baby and asking me if that was okay! (I said yes.)
... Kristi and I went to the hospital to see our new baby brother.
... I caught him sitting on the counter (18 mo?) stuffing two more chocolate oatmeal cookies into his already full and chocolate-covered mouth.
... he yelled "Cowabunga Dude!" before 'flying' off the monkey bars at preschool--because he truly believed he could fly--and coming home with a broken arm.
... our family would go to soccer games to watch Kreg dribble the ball down and score every time w while all the other little boys would just try to keep up.
... he got third degree burns trying to walk the dog too close to the grill.
... he walked into a swinging baseball bat.
... he fell down an elevator shaft and had staples put in his head.
... he would keep up with me when I was in high school going on several mile jogs ... and he was still in elementary school
.... Papaw Kell baptized him at College Church.
... he told me about his first kiss.
... he helped his football team win the state championship by throwing the winning touchdown.
... he changed my son's diaper.
... he became the second in our immediate family to be a long jump state champion.
... I told him about a cute little girl that I had coached in CO who would be coming to Harding and that they should at least meet.
... we took his senior trip to Destin and all had a time to preach at him. I told him that the woman he married needed to be someone that we actually liked. ;)
... he told me on April 10, 2007 that this Keleigh Good girl might really be "the one!"
... he sent me a message on June 12, 2007 with a picture of the ring he intended to buy.
... he called right after the surprise proposal.
I also remember when ...
... I was told about this family moving to Colorado Springs who had three daughters and they thought that they might play basketball.
... I met Keleigh and how I thought how polite and mature she was for being just 14 (15?).
... Keleigh led her team with unquenchable spirit and sacrificial commitment, and then found out after the season that she had probably had mono the whole season.
... John and I talked about how we wanted to do parenting like the Goods did.
... I showed her a picture of my "little brother."
... I found out she was going to Harding, and I told her to at least meet Kreg and just make the connection between us.
... Kevin (Keleigh's dad) agreed to be my assistant coach in basketball--yea!
... Kevin told me that Keleigh had told him that Kreg had opened the Bible building door for her and not realized it was her.
... Kevin told me that Keleigh had told him that she had to crawl over Kreg at church to get to her seat ... and he didn't realize it was her.
And now we're one week out. What a precious couple! I thank God for bringing Kreg and Keleigh together! I couldn't have hand-picked any better!
I still remember when ...
... Mom told me that we were going to have another baby and asking me if that was okay! (I said yes.)
... Kristi and I went to the hospital to see our new baby brother.
... I caught him sitting on the counter (18 mo?) stuffing two more chocolate oatmeal cookies into his already full and chocolate-covered mouth.
... he yelled "Cowabunga Dude!" before 'flying' off the monkey bars at preschool--because he truly believed he could fly--and coming home with a broken arm.
... our family would go to soccer games to watch Kreg dribble the ball down and score every time w while all the other little boys would just try to keep up.
... he got third degree burns trying to walk the dog too close to the grill.
... he walked into a swinging baseball bat.
... he fell down an elevator shaft and had staples put in his head.
... he would keep up with me when I was in high school going on several mile jogs ... and he was still in elementary school
.... Papaw Kell baptized him at College Church.
... he told me about his first kiss.
... he helped his football team win the state championship by throwing the winning touchdown.
... he changed my son's diaper.
... he became the second in our immediate family to be a long jump state champion.
... I told him about a cute little girl that I had coached in CO who would be coming to Harding and that they should at least meet.
... we took his senior trip to Destin and all had a time to preach at him. I told him that the woman he married needed to be someone that we actually liked. ;)
... he told me on April 10, 2007 that this Keleigh Good girl might really be "the one!"
... he sent me a message on June 12, 2007 with a picture of the ring he intended to buy.
... he called right after the surprise proposal.
I also remember when ...
... I was told about this family moving to Colorado Springs who had three daughters and they thought that they might play basketball.
... I met Keleigh and how I thought how polite and mature she was for being just 14 (15?).
... Keleigh led her team with unquenchable spirit and sacrificial commitment, and then found out after the season that she had probably had mono the whole season.
... John and I talked about how we wanted to do parenting like the Goods did.
... I showed her a picture of my "little brother."
... I found out she was going to Harding, and I told her to at least meet Kreg and just make the connection between us.
... Kevin (Keleigh's dad) agreed to be my assistant coach in basketball--yea!
... Kevin told me that Keleigh had told him that Kreg had opened the Bible building door for her and not realized it was her.
... Kevin told me that Keleigh had told him that she had to crawl over Kreg at church to get to her seat ... and he didn't realize it was her.
And now we're one week out. What a precious couple! I thank God for bringing Kreg and Keleigh together! I couldn't have hand-picked any better!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The gash
It's one of those times where you have to make the call ... do I go or do I stay? If I go, is to the ER or the doctor? And if I go, what 12 things have to be done before I can just drop everything and go? It's a logistical nightmare. Oh, plus your child's head is bleeding. Quick! Make a decision!
We decided to stay, and I think it was the right choice. Here's the story:
On Tuesday, Johnathan was taking his afternoon nap. Well, he was supposed to be sleeping, but that's another story. Kalleigh had already woken up from hers and was playing nicely on her own. I was at the kitchen table going through the mail. I heard her climb up on the little stool in their bathroom and say, "Boo!" over and over. I went in to check on her and she was playing "Peek-a-boo" with herself in the mirror. Pretty cute. I smiled to myself and headed back to the kitchen.
A few more "Boo!"s and then I heard the stool move suddenly, then a THUD, then much screaming. "Aww, that'll leave a nice bump," I thought.
When I got in there, her poor little feet were still propped up on the stool and she was lying on her back on the floor with her head against the wall. I scooped her up and immediately felt for the knot. Good, there it was. Better out than in. :) We got the "Boo Bunny" (the washcloth that is shaped to look like a bunny that wraps around a piece of ice to put on the "boo-boo") and I held that against the knot for awhile.
I noticed that her diaper was soaked, so I took her into her room to change her. As I laid her down on the changing table, I noticed that there was some blood on my hand and arm and a little smudged on her leg, too. "What in the world?" I thought. I hadn't seen any blood in the bathroom. Maybe she bit her lip? But no; that wasn't it. I didn't see anything else immediately, so I finished changing her.
When I picked her up, there was a nice approximately 4"x 2" area of blood where her head had been. Yikes! I turned her around, and sure enough, there on the back of her head was a nice big area of matted hair that had mixed with the blood, but had all but stopped the bleeding. I took her in and tried to wash the blood out of her hair so I could see the wound better.
And there it was. The gash was open about an eighth of an inch and was close to 3/4 of an inch long. I even measured it with a ruler! There was no way I would be able to keep that together with all that hair. But again, the bleeding had almost stopped and I couldn't see the skull or anything, plus she was starting to calm down and her pupils were normal--no concussion.
We had come to the decision point. To go or not to go. What do you do? Call Mom! Mom has had a few experiences with head wounds, mostly Kreg's. From him walking into a swinging baseball bat to falling down an elevator shaft and needing staples, Mom was the one to call. In an attempt to avoid sounding panicked, I unnaturally calmly explained the situation. We agreed that if I took her in, they would probably put a couple of stitches in, but that the trauma of the whole ordeal probably would have been worse than the trauma of having a scar on the back of her head. Mom talked a little to Kalleigh on the phone, which helped her calm down a little, too. Yea for Nana!
Kalleigh has been an absolute trooper through this whole mess. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to bother her one bit, and she's doing totally fine.
Here's a picture of the wound about 28 hours after it happened.
I never found any blood in the bathroom, which seemed strange to me. The wall by the bathtub sticks out a bit, so I think she must've hit her head on the shoe molding that comes to a point the corner of that wall. But still, no blood? Weird.
Another crazy day in the life of a toddler!
We decided to stay, and I think it was the right choice. Here's the story:
On Tuesday, Johnathan was taking his afternoon nap. Well, he was supposed to be sleeping, but that's another story. Kalleigh had already woken up from hers and was playing nicely on her own. I was at the kitchen table going through the mail. I heard her climb up on the little stool in their bathroom and say, "Boo!" over and over. I went in to check on her and she was playing "Peek-a-boo" with herself in the mirror. Pretty cute. I smiled to myself and headed back to the kitchen.
A few more "Boo!"s and then I heard the stool move suddenly, then a THUD, then much screaming. "Aww, that'll leave a nice bump," I thought.
When I got in there, her poor little feet were still propped up on the stool and she was lying on her back on the floor with her head against the wall. I scooped her up and immediately felt for the knot. Good, there it was. Better out than in. :) We got the "Boo Bunny" (the washcloth that is shaped to look like a bunny that wraps around a piece of ice to put on the "boo-boo") and I held that against the knot for awhile.
I noticed that her diaper was soaked, so I took her into her room to change her. As I laid her down on the changing table, I noticed that there was some blood on my hand and arm and a little smudged on her leg, too. "What in the world?" I thought. I hadn't seen any blood in the bathroom. Maybe she bit her lip? But no; that wasn't it. I didn't see anything else immediately, so I finished changing her.
When I picked her up, there was a nice approximately 4"x 2" area of blood where her head had been. Yikes! I turned her around, and sure enough, there on the back of her head was a nice big area of matted hair that had mixed with the blood, but had all but stopped the bleeding. I took her in and tried to wash the blood out of her hair so I could see the wound better.
And there it was. The gash was open about an eighth of an inch and was close to 3/4 of an inch long. I even measured it with a ruler! There was no way I would be able to keep that together with all that hair. But again, the bleeding had almost stopped and I couldn't see the skull or anything, plus she was starting to calm down and her pupils were normal--no concussion.
We had come to the decision point. To go or not to go. What do you do? Call Mom! Mom has had a few experiences with head wounds, mostly Kreg's. From him walking into a swinging baseball bat to falling down an elevator shaft and needing staples, Mom was the one to call. In an attempt to avoid sounding panicked, I unnaturally calmly explained the situation. We agreed that if I took her in, they would probably put a couple of stitches in, but that the trauma of the whole ordeal probably would have been worse than the trauma of having a scar on the back of her head. Mom talked a little to Kalleigh on the phone, which helped her calm down a little, too. Yea for Nana!
Kalleigh has been an absolute trooper through this whole mess. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to bother her one bit, and she's doing totally fine.
Here's a picture of the wound about 28 hours after it happened.
I never found any blood in the bathroom, which seemed strange to me. The wall by the bathtub sticks out a bit, so I think she must've hit her head on the shoe molding that comes to a point the corner of that wall. But still, no blood? Weird.
Another crazy day in the life of a toddler!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The summer is here
Johnathan's last day of preschool was today. He has learned so much this year! They had a little picnic lunch and then played some games. His teacher handed out little certificates to all of them and then they had some yummy snacks. Where was my camera? At home, of course. I amaze myself.
But it's starting to get pretty hot. Too hot for picnics outside, that's for sure! And though the actual beginning of summer isn't for another month, it's summer here in Tyler.
I'm off to get a refill of ice water ... again ... followed shortly thereafter by a run to potty ... again, as I'm pretty sure Jonas is turning head down these days. Just three more months ... Three more hot, sticky, humid ......... can we say POOL PLEASE?!?
But it's starting to get pretty hot. Too hot for picnics outside, that's for sure! And though the actual beginning of summer isn't for another month, it's summer here in Tyler.
I'm off to get a refill of ice water ... again ... followed shortly thereafter by a run to potty ... again, as I'm pretty sure Jonas is turning head down these days. Just three more months ... Three more hot, sticky, humid ......... can we say POOL PLEASE?!?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Mothers ... Part 2
Thanks to Mom for such a wonderful comment! And thanks to so many of you who commented as well and showed you love for my mom!
The other part of Mother's Day I wanted to share was the questionnaire that Johnathan did at school. Not bad, Son!
(Johnathan's answers in bold.)
My mother is as pretty as a rainbow.
My mother is 16 years old.
My mother weighs 60 pounds.
My mother's favorite color is pink.
My mother's favorite food is cereal and eggs.
My mother's favorite drink is orange juice.
My mother's favorite TV show is Veggie Tales.
My mother's favorite store is Wal-Mart.
My mother's favorite animal is a dog.
My mother's favorite restaurant is Sonic.
My mother is special to me because she helps me.
The other part of Mother's Day I wanted to share was the questionnaire that Johnathan did at school. Not bad, Son!
(Johnathan's answers in bold.)
My mother is as pretty as a rainbow.
My mother is 16 years old.
My mother weighs 60 pounds.
My mother's favorite color is pink.
My mother's favorite food is cereal and eggs.
My mother's favorite drink is orange juice.
My mother's favorite TV show is Veggie Tales.
My mother's favorite store is Wal-Mart.
My mother's favorite animal is a dog.
My mother's favorite restaurant is Sonic.
My mother is special to me because she helps me.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
I love my mom!
Mom entered a new phase of life this week: KID-FREE! An exciting time, of course. A time of self-redefinition. A time for new opportunities. A time not to have to provide for anyone else.And just like any season of change ... I'm sure it's hard! I mean, she's been doing this parenting thing for 29 years without a break! And for that season to be over? I've been doing the parenting thing for almost four years, and it's so hard to try to imagine a season beyond that!
And just like any season of change ... she enters it with grace and determination. I think she's going to wear "empty nest" just beautifully! This season isn't going to change, so we might as well look pretty. :)
And just like any season of change ... she walks through it with God as her guide. Many unknowns out there! Questions such as, "What now?" are not weighted down with worry and self-pity, but are directed to God with faith that He gives answers!
Thank you, God, for my mom! And thank you, Mom, for being you! I love you!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Sometimes he knows just what to say
So I went to pick up the kids after praise team rehearsal last night. I walked in the room and both kids yell, "Mommy!" and head my direction.
Then Johnathan turns to the babysitter and says, "See? It's Mommy! Isn't she pretty?"
My son could do no wrong the rest of the evening.
Then Johnathan turns to the babysitter and says, "See? It's Mommy! Isn't she pretty?"
My son could do no wrong the rest of the evening.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
It's probably time ...
... for a belly shot. Clearly Vocal took new pictures the other day, mostly to get some good head shots, but we got a few full shots, too. Here are Jonas and me--about 5 1/2 months. :)
To see the new CV head shots, just click here!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
April summary
It's hard to believe that April is over already. We packed it to the limit with fun activities! It's been too overwhelming to blog about, as I saw that I used my only three April blogs to get away from our hectic month! But as some are interested, I'll make a nice, clean list of the things that demanded our time.
Here comes May ... !
- We added a fifth person to Clearly Vocal. Don is a super second bass and doing a great job. We sing tomorrow night for the first time as a five-person group, so we've been rehearsing once or twice a week all month to get ready for that. We also recorded a few sound clips for our Clearly Vocal website. You can also click on the player on this blog to hear them! We're hoping to take some group and individual shots tomorrow night when we sing to update the website pics, too.
- The spring Children's Clothing Consignment Sale was the second weekend in April, so I spent a lot of time gathering together things to sell and going through the painful process of rummaging through the attic to gather up things to sell and then ironing, safety-pinning, tagging and labeling each of these items. The fantastic part is that you just drop the stuff off and you never have to think about it again! If it doesn't sell, you can either go pick it back up or if you don't, they'll donate it to Goodwill! We get 70% of the selling price, and I received my check in the mail just this past weekend. :)
- Kreg and Keleigh came to visit that same weekend, so we got together with Danny and worked on some of their wedding music. We also got to get out and ride the horses a little bit as well as enjoy a yummy dinner and Danny's entertainment at Pico de Gallo! We're excited to head back to CO for their wedding in just a month!
- John finished up the taxes--yea, Honey!--and we got that refund deposited into our account just recently. I'm mostly excited because that finished up our saving up money for paying for the baby delivery! It's going to be so great to bring little Jonas home and not owe a dime for it!
- Our last Ladies' Bible Class meeting was on the 15th. Our study focused on the bride of
Christ relationship, so we had a wedding ceremony of sorts with a reception to follow, complete with vows, a unity candle,
"the kiss" (okay, it was a Hershey's kiss), punch, cake and finger foods. I made three cakes, but they didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. They sure tasted good, though! - A friend from church owns a weight-loss center and hired me to scrap and frame 5 12x12 layouts featuring her top five before and after pictures of her clients. She wanted to put them on her main wall in her clinic and title it "Wall of Success," so of course, she also wanted me to scrap and frame a title to go over the other 5 frames. This was a bigger job than I expected, but I really enjoyed stretching my creative limits and thought that the project turned out well. Apparently, she liked them, because she hired me again to scrap two poster-sized layouts of before and after pictures so that she could set them on easels and take them to conventions with her! Those were "due" the day after the Ladies' Bible Class last day!
- Our praise team had a Vocal Aerobics seminar on a Friday night and Saturday morning, the 18th and 19th. It's exactly as it sounds: exercises for the voice! We learned a lot about the different ranges and how best to sing in each range, how to find your different lifts and a great way to determine voice part. It was great! Our dear friends, JC and Terry kept our children overnight for us, so after the seminar Friday night, John and I caught a late
movie! - Johnathan's school had Rodeo Roundup, the annual two-day event where we celebrate Texas and all the western stuff that goes with it. I was in charge of getting the petting zoo and pony rides there and making sure we had plenty of volunteers to man the stations. No problem. Then, as I did last year, I made a PowerPoint thanking all of our sponsors and ran it on a continuous loop throughout the event. Thanks to John for helping me set up the projector! As if that wasn't enough excitement, on day two, the gym started smelling like smoke so badly that we had to evacuate and call the fire department! Thankfully, there was never any smoke or fire. The firemen said it had something to do with overworked heaters, but that there was no threat of a fire. And the day went on as planned.
- And we had a ladies' night out that night and laughed and laughed until my already stretched tummy tendons were hurting!
- The youth group's annual auction was just this past Sunday, and I was on the decorating committee. So we met once to divide out responsibilities, and basically mine was to get the appropriate announcements in the bulletin and to help decorate on the Saturday before. I succeeded at taking care of the announcements, but failed miserably on the decorating part, which leads me to the next activity ...
- Last weekend, John and I went to the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival. The kids stayed at Dad's house and had fun while John and I were able to enjoy the festival kid-free! There were some amazing groups that performed and some beautiful artwork from jewelry to pottery to watercolors to photography. I walked over to a pottery booth and out of instinct picked up a pitcher. The potter grinned and said, "Now you look like you need ANOTHER pitcher to add to your collection!" He totally hit the nail on the head! I reluctantly, but stubbornly put the pitcher down and picked up a pie plate instead! I have it on display in my kitchen. :) While in Dallas, we were able to take home my new nursery bedding that I had won on eBay and that Dad had picked up for me! I can't wait to set it all up, but I think we're going to have to wait until sometime this summer before we kick Kalleigh out, I mean, move her into her big girl bed and share a room with Johnathan!
- My most recent project was a diaper cake that I made for one of my good friend's baby shower coming up the Sunday. Now you know I really wanted to do that project, since it is already done. Otherwise, I would have probably stayed up all night the night before. Hooray for doing ONE of the projects this month ahead of time!
Here comes May ... !
Sunday, April 20, 2008
"That doesn't match."
So we're at the dinner table eating together as a family. Here's how the conversation went between my son and me:
Johnathan, looking at the platter full of steak: Mommy, is that a bull?
Me: Well, yeah, maybe ... or a cow. It's either a bull or a cow.
Johnathan, now looking at me as if I had just said something completely ridiculous: What? That doesn't match.
Me: What are you talking about?
Johnathan: Like is it a bull or a plate?
Me: Oooohhhhh! A BOWL!
(much laughter from John and me)
Johnathan: Yeah, a bull! (at least that's what it sounded like)
Me: Son, it's a platter. The steak is on a platter. It's neither a bowl nor a plate.
Johnathan: Yeah, that matches.
John and I got so tickled about this conversation later that we were just howling with laughter! Johnathan must have thought I had totally lost my mind! He heard, "It's either a bowl or a cow!" No wonder he gave me such a funny look!
Johnathan, looking at the platter full of steak: Mommy, is that a bull?
Me: Well, yeah, maybe ... or a cow. It's either a bull or a cow.
Johnathan, now looking at me as if I had just said something completely ridiculous: What? That doesn't match.
Me: What are you talking about?
Johnathan: Like is it a bull or a plate?
Me: Oooohhhhh! A BOWL!
(much laughter from John and me)
Johnathan: Yeah, a bull! (at least that's what it sounded like)
Me: Son, it's a platter. The steak is on a platter. It's neither a bowl nor a plate.
Johnathan: Yeah, that matches.
John and I got so tickled about this conversation later that we were just howling with laughter! Johnathan must have thought I had totally lost my mind! He heard, "It's either a bowl or a cow!" No wonder he gave me such a funny look!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
One Word
This was on Sandi's blog, and looked fun. Feel free to copy and paste with your own one-word descriptions!
1. Where is your cell phone? close
2. Your significant other? thorough
3. Your hair? pony-tail
4. Your mother? strong
5. Your father? giving
6. Your favorite thing? offspring
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
9. Your goal or dream? Create
10. The room you're in? Bedroom
11. Your kids? Energetic
12. Your fear? Snakes
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Non-pregnant
14. Where were you last night? Church
15. What you're not? Non-pregnant
16. Muffins? Butavan
17. One of your wish list items? Manicure
18. Where you grew up? Searcy
19. The last thing you did ? Email
20. What are you wearing? Maternity
21. Your TV? On
22. Your pets? Pugs
23. Your computer? On
24. Your life? Changing
25. Your mood? Optimistic
26. Missing someone? Family
27. Your car? Mini-van
28. Something you're not wearing? Watch
29. Favorite Store? Scrap
30. Your summer? Pregnant
31. Like someone? John
32. Your favorite color? Red
33. When is the last time you laughed? Supper
34. Last time you cried? Forgot
35. The person who sent this to you? Sandi
36. Who will/would resend this? Unimportant
37. A good book? Sudoku ;)
38. A good movie? Shawshank
39. A good song? Bubbly
40. One word to share? Rejoice
1. Where is your cell phone? close
2. Your significant other? thorough
3. Your hair? pony-tail
4. Your mother? strong
5. Your father? giving
6. Your favorite thing? offspring
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
9. Your goal or dream? Create
10. The room you're in? Bedroom
11. Your kids? Energetic
12. Your fear? Snakes
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Non-pregnant
14. Where were you last night? Church
15. What you're not? Non-pregnant
16. Muffins? Butavan
17. One of your wish list items? Manicure
18. Where you grew up? Searcy
19. The last thing you did ? Email
20. What are you wearing? Maternity
21. Your TV? On
22. Your pets? Pugs
23. Your computer? On
24. Your life? Changing
25. Your mood? Optimistic
26. Missing someone? Family
27. Your car? Mini-van
28. Something you're not wearing? Watch
29. Favorite Store? Scrap
30. Your summer? Pregnant
31. Like someone? John
32. Your favorite color? Red
33. When is the last time you laughed? Supper
34. Last time you cried? Forgot
35. The person who sent this to you? Sandi
36. Who will/would resend this? Unimportant
37. A good book? Sudoku ;)
38. A good movie? Shawshank
39. A good song? Bubbly
40. One word to share? Rejoice
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Okay, okay ... 7 random things
Two "7 Random Things" tags later ... here they are:
1. I get a headache after wearing my hair straight, but not curly.
2. I've just discovered Pandora, and love it.
3. I like to complete projects, but always manage to put them off until the last minute.
4. Dublin Dr. Pepper will always be my drink of choice.
5. I usually don't want to "go out and do something," but am almost always glad I did.
6. I've never been satisfied with a cake I've decorated, but I keep volunteering--why?
7. I'd rather actually clean than just put things away. Unfortunately, it's difficult to do the former without the latter. :)
It's been an incredibly busy month. I'll have to tell you about it later (see #3) ... maybe.
1. I get a headache after wearing my hair straight, but not curly.
2. I've just discovered Pandora, and love it.
3. I like to complete projects, but always manage to put them off until the last minute.
4. Dublin Dr. Pepper will always be my drink of choice.
5. I usually don't want to "go out and do something," but am almost always glad I did.
6. I've never been satisfied with a cake I've decorated, but I keep volunteering--why?
7. I'd rather actually clean than just put things away. Unfortunately, it's difficult to do the former without the latter. :)
It's been an incredibly busy month. I'll have to tell you about it later (see #3) ... maybe.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Pretty shoes
Kalleigh is truly my daughter. She's entering a new stage where she is fascinated with her own shoes. She likes to change her shoes throughout the day. She likes to go up to other people and point down at her shoes and say, "Shoes?" as if to say, "See my pretty shoes?"
So here she is showing Daddy her newest ... as in most recently put on ... pair of shoes. :)
So here she is showing Daddy her newest ... as in most recently put on ... pair of shoes. :)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Weekend wrap-up
We made a quick trip to Searcy this past weekend for Spring Sing. John's sister, Laurie, and her daughter, Brenna, came up from Atlanta. It had been over a year since we'd seen them last! We stayed with John's mother, and so did they, so it was good to have some catch-up time with them.
The hosts and hostesses were fantastic, and perhaps I'm a little biased since Logan, my second cousin, was one of the hosts. He did an outstanding job!
We did get to eat one meal out at the farm. There were 14 people around the table including Mamaw and Papaw, Mom, Aunt Donna, Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kathy, Pat and Deborah's family and also our family. It was so good to be together, even if just for a short while! I wish I had remembered to take pictures of our lunch!
John and I hung out a little while at Mom's house after the show Friday night and got to spend some time with Kreg and Keleigh there, too.
The slide show below is from Easter Sunday as well as some pictures from Searcy, thanks to Laurie!
The hosts and hostesses were fantastic, and perhaps I'm a little biased since Logan, my second cousin, was one of the hosts. He did an outstanding job!
We did get to eat one meal out at the farm. There were 14 people around the table including Mamaw and Papaw, Mom, Aunt Donna, Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kathy, Pat and Deborah's family and also our family. It was so good to be together, even if just for a short while! I wish I had remembered to take pictures of our lunch!
John and I hung out a little while at Mom's house after the show Friday night and got to spend some time with Kreg and Keleigh there, too.
The slide show below is from Easter Sunday as well as some pictures from Searcy, thanks to Laurie!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
We're pulling out the blue again!
That's right. We're having another boy! His name is Jonas Dean, after Papaw Curtis, and he was measuring about 10 days ahead of schedule. The sonographer said that he didn't' think I'd make it to my original due date, which is convenient for me since going into labor early was my plan all along. :)
I don't have any pictures, but we did get a VHS recording. I've commissioned John to magically get it on the computer so I can post it, for those who want to see.
Hooray! Now the fun planning and shopping can begin!
I don't have any pictures, but we did get a VHS recording. I've commissioned John to magically get it on the computer so I can post it, for those who want to see.
Hooray! Now the fun planning and shopping can begin!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
Proof of snow
Yes, we get snow in Tyler ... occasionally. This is the first time all winter that the snow has actually stuck to the ground. It's SO wet and heavy! Good for snowmen, if it's still on the ground when Johnathan gets home from school. Yes, they had school. The roads are fine.
We let Johnathan enjoy the snow this morning before we left for school. Notice the matching yellow boots ... uh, bags. :)
Catching snowflakes on his tongue.
We let Johnathan enjoy the snow this morning before we left for school. Notice the matching yellow boots ... uh, bags. :)
Catching snowflakes on his tongue.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Kalleigh picture update
Belle enjoys Kalleigh's playing.
Hard at work.
Precious little hands!
A view from the keys.
Setting the ball.
CRACK!
"Did you see that, Mom?!"
Proud of her 4-inch hit!
We've been enjoying the scattered pretty days outside!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Shannon Etheridge Conference ... and Ms. Joan
This past weekend I went to a women's conference/retreat at Pine Cove, a local camp. The guest speaker was Shannon Etheridge, author of the best-selling Every Woman's Battle series. This conference was about her newest book entitled Completely His: Loving Jesus without Limits, which focuses on the bride of Christ/bridegroom relationship we have with Jesus. Our Ladies' Bible Class is studying this book this semester.
Five ladies from Glenwood went: four of us in our 20's & 30's, and then one lady who is 77, Joan. We younger ladies were hoping that Ms. Joan would feel comfortable with us, but none of us had ever really gotten to know her very well. It could be awkward or great. Well, let me tell you that Ms. Joan was hilarious and fit right in! She reminds me of Mamaw, though (as I told Mamaw on the phone this morning) she opted out of the zipline, and I knew Mamaw would've gone on it with me! But she is quick witted, adventurous, and none of us had any idea that she was 77. I was thinking maybe mid-60's? Boy was I wrong! And you know what she and her husband do for a living? Lecture on cruise ships. Now how awesome is that?
The weekend was outstanding, but I think most of all I'm thankful that I got to know Ms. Joan better. I look forward to spending more time with her in the future!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Words
Kalleigh's vocabulary has taken off. Isn't it amazing when they round that corner and realize that this language business could really come in handy in getting what they want?! Here are the latest words just within the past couple of weeks:
"Pie-pan": Spiderman
"Pee-boo!": Peek-a-boo
"Nana"
"Beh-boh": Bellybutton
"Nooo" (said low, with furrowed eyebrows--great.)
"Hee Doh": Here you go!
"Hi-eee!": Hi, with two syllables. Do we live in TX or what?
"See-saw" (said rhythmically anytime she's rocking, swinging, and of course" see-sawing")
Clearly Vocal sings a Real Group song called Words. (The link is to a Real Group clip ... not us!) I love the words!
Words.
A letter and a letter on a string,
Will hold forever humanity spellbound.
Words.
Possession of the beggar and the king.
Everybody, everyday, you and I we all can say words.
Regarded as a complicated tool.
Created by man, implicated by mankind.
Words.
Obsession of the genius and the fool.
Everybody, everyday, everywhere and every way.
Words.
Chorus
Find them, you can use them,
Say them, you can feel them.
Write them, you can read them,
Love them, fear them.
Words.
Transmitted as we're fitted from the start.
Received by all and we're sentenced to a life with words.
Impression of the stupid and the smart.
Everybody, everyday, you and I we all can say words.
Inside your head can come alive as they're said
Softly, loudly, modestly and proudly.
Words.
Expression by the living and the dead.
Everybody, everyday, everywhere and every way.
Words.
"Pie-pan": Spiderman
"Pee-boo!": Peek-a-boo
"Nana"
"Beh-boh": Bellybutton
"Nooo" (said low, with furrowed eyebrows--great.)
"Hee Doh": Here you go!
"Hi-eee!": Hi, with two syllables. Do we live in TX or what?
"See-saw" (said rhythmically anytime she's rocking, swinging, and of course" see-sawing")
Clearly Vocal sings a Real Group song called Words. (The link is to a Real Group clip ... not us!) I love the words!
Words.
A letter and a letter on a string,
Will hold forever humanity spellbound.
Words.
Possession of the beggar and the king.
Everybody, everyday, you and I we all can say words.
Regarded as a complicated tool.
Created by man, implicated by mankind.
Words.
Obsession of the genius and the fool.
Everybody, everyday, everywhere and every way.
Words.
Chorus
Find them, you can use them,
Say them, you can feel them.
Write them, you can read them,
Love them, fear them.
Words.
Transmitted as we're fitted from the start.
Received by all and we're sentenced to a life with words.
Impression of the stupid and the smart.
Everybody, everyday, you and I we all can say words.
Inside your head can come alive as they're said
Softly, loudly, modestly and proudly.
Words.
Expression by the living and the dead.
Everybody, everyday, everywhere and every way.
Words.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Molasses Bread
I kept meaning to post this recipe for those of you who asked. Here it is ... finally! It's from Kendra--thanks!
Mix together the following and allow to cool to lukewarm:
1 cup oat flakes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1Tbsp. honey
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups boiling water
When cooled a little, add:
1 1/2 cups (7 3/4 oz) wheat flour
4 cups (17 oz) white flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast
Mix until well blended. It will be sticky. Allow to rise in a greased bowl, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. Then place into two bread pans and allow another 1 hour to rise, covered. Then bake for 35 - 40 minutes at 350degrees. You can also make rolls in a muffin pan.
Makes great toast, cinnamon toast, grilled cheese, etc. Can refrigerate as well.
Kendra uses instant yeast which doesn't require proofing. I would guess that you could use the same amount of regular yeast and dissolve it in the same amount of warm water rather than boiling. Maybe sprinkle the brown sugar and salt over it to submerge the yeast? Then I'd just mix it in with the rest of the ingredients, except the flour, and of course, stir the flour in last. She doesn't say to knead the bread, but she also uses an electric mixer with special "kneading" beaters. I'd tend to knead it. Maybe not mix in quite all of the flour it calls for and knead the rest in?
Maybe I should have attempted the recipe myself before telling someone else how I would try it?!
Mix together the following and allow to cool to lukewarm:
1 cup oat flakes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1Tbsp. honey
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups boiling water
When cooled a little, add:
1 1/2 cups (7 3/4 oz) wheat flour
4 cups (17 oz) white flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast
Mix until well blended. It will be sticky. Allow to rise in a greased bowl, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. Then place into two bread pans and allow another 1 hour to rise, covered. Then bake for 35 - 40 minutes at 350degrees. You can also make rolls in a muffin pan.
Makes great toast, cinnamon toast, grilled cheese, etc. Can refrigerate as well.
Kendra uses instant yeast which doesn't require proofing. I would guess that you could use the same amount of regular yeast and dissolve it in the same amount of warm water rather than boiling. Maybe sprinkle the brown sugar and salt over it to submerge the yeast? Then I'd just mix it in with the rest of the ingredients, except the flour, and of course, stir the flour in last. She doesn't say to knead the bread, but she also uses an electric mixer with special "kneading" beaters. I'd tend to knead it. Maybe not mix in quite all of the flour it calls for and knead the rest in?
Maybe I should have attempted the recipe myself before telling someone else how I would try it?!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Out of the blue thankfulness
Every Monday morning I do my habitual act of erasing the previous week on our family wipe-board calendar and adding a new week. As I looked at the schedule for this week I realized that four out of the seven days this week, our evenings are free!! I do not intend to fill those evenings, but rather protect them. This means I will be cooking dinner for the first time in a while! The only reason I might be willing to compromise one evening is if John and I decide to go on a date ... not a singing gig, mind you. A real date.
So, I am thankful for free evenings and being able to cook dinner this week!
So, I am thankful for free evenings and being able to cook dinner this week!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Clearly Vocal
It's the name of our somewhat newly formed a cappella vocal jazz group. Members include Danny Burgess, Stefanie Albright, John and myself. We all go to church together, so that helps with scheduling practices and such. Plus we can use the building for rehearsals, which is nice.
We had several "gigs" around Christmas time, mostly for parties and dinners. Danny is the front man for a band called "Group Therapy" that had played at Mario's, a local Italian restaurant, for about eight years. They recently stopped playing there to persue other opportunities. What Danny had done over Christmas was basically to add us to the program of his Christmas gigs. The band would play a set, then we would do kind of like a "halftime show," and then then the band would finish the evening. Most of those gigs were for exposure purposes. Danny is in front of many influential people who hire live music for various things and who give money to good causes!
Since then, we found a donor who gave us the money to purchase some very nice wireless mics and in-ear monitors! Danny already had the speakers and a lighting system from his band.
During this Valentine season, we will have performed five shows! Our big one was this past Friday evening for a party at the high-end country club in town. We brought in an 18 inch tall stage that was 12 feet across and 8 feet deep, set up a rear-projection screen behind us and ran visuals during each song. We set up the light trees and used four big speakers surrounding the room. As the guests were finishing up their desserts, our show began. We sang for about 45 minutes, and I think we really "wowed" them!
Another show was a band-us-band format again. We did well again, but then during the second band set, John and I joined the band as additional singers. So fun!
We sang for our church's widows/widowers banquet Monday. It's the only "freebie" we're doing this season, but certainly for a good cause, and of course, they loved us. :)
Then Thursday and Friday nights, we're scheduled to perform at Pico de Gallo, another local restaurant here in town. When we're not doing our show, Danny's band will be playing. We're singing for two seatings Thursday night, and then I think just one Friday night, unless we have two full seatings that night. Who knows?
We do have a website: http://www.clearlyvocal.com/. John created it, and I desiged the logo:
What we're really missing are sound clips. That's #1 on our to-do list after we make it through this week, so hopefully in the next month we'll have some samples of what we sing.
John and I are so fortunate to be able to do what we both love and do it together! We hope that the group's success continues to grow!
We had several "gigs" around Christmas time, mostly for parties and dinners. Danny is the front man for a band called "Group Therapy" that had played at Mario's, a local Italian restaurant, for about eight years. They recently stopped playing there to persue other opportunities. What Danny had done over Christmas was basically to add us to the program of his Christmas gigs. The band would play a set, then we would do kind of like a "halftime show," and then then the band would finish the evening. Most of those gigs were for exposure purposes. Danny is in front of many influential people who hire live music for various things and who give money to good causes!
Since then, we found a donor who gave us the money to purchase some very nice wireless mics and in-ear monitors! Danny already had the speakers and a lighting system from his band.
During this Valentine season, we will have performed five shows! Our big one was this past Friday evening for a party at the high-end country club in town. We brought in an 18 inch tall stage that was 12 feet across and 8 feet deep, set up a rear-projection screen behind us and ran visuals during each song. We set up the light trees and used four big speakers surrounding the room. As the guests were finishing up their desserts, our show began. We sang for about 45 minutes, and I think we really "wowed" them!
Another show was a band-us-band format again. We did well again, but then during the second band set, John and I joined the band as additional singers. So fun!
We sang for our church's widows/widowers banquet Monday. It's the only "freebie" we're doing this season, but certainly for a good cause, and of course, they loved us. :)
Then Thursday and Friday nights, we're scheduled to perform at Pico de Gallo, another local restaurant here in town. When we're not doing our show, Danny's band will be playing. We're singing for two seatings Thursday night, and then I think just one Friday night, unless we have two full seatings that night. Who knows?
We do have a website: http://www.clearlyvocal.com/. John created it, and I desiged the logo:
What we're really missing are sound clips. That's #1 on our to-do list after we make it through this week, so hopefully in the next month we'll have some samples of what we sing.
John and I are so fortunate to be able to do what we both love and do it together! We hope that the group's success continues to grow!
Monday, February 04, 2008
He's cracking me up these days
Two more from yesterday ...
Johnathan, regarding Kalleigh's "blow out" situation: "Oh no! Kalleigh had a blow up!"
Then from lunch, referring to his enchiladas: "These chicken chihuahuas are yummy!"
Johnathan, regarding Kalleigh's "blow out" situation: "Oh no! Kalleigh had a blow up!"
Then from lunch, referring to his enchiladas: "These chicken chihuahuas are yummy!"
Friday, February 01, 2008
It must be in the genes
So we were sitting at dinner last night when Johnathan, a whopping 3 1/2, took a bite of his bread, furrowed his brow and asked, "Is there cinnamon in here?" much to my shock and amazement! "Why, yes there is, Son!"
Then I looked at the recipe to see just how much there was in this loaf of my new favorite homemade "Molasses Bread."
1/2 teaspoon
I was so proud!
Then I looked at the recipe to see just how much there was in this loaf of my new favorite homemade "Molasses Bread."
1/2 teaspoon
I was so proud!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
"Five Things" Tag
Five things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Trying to convince John to break up with his girlfriend and go out with me.
2. Attending many Spring Sing rehearsals for my Shantih Sports show.
3. Taking my first business classes.
4. Being thankful for our 11pm curfew, knowing it was the only time I'd get my homework done.
5. Awaiting the arrival of our Good News CD that we had made in the fall.
Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Take Johnathan to school. (DONE)
2. Do ONE load of laundry. (Almost Done)
3. Organize songs to lead at a Ladies' Day at West Irwin. (DONE)
4. Not talk too much since I have a very sore throat. (Shot)
5. Take Johnathan's friend, who had his tonsils out, a card. (Plan in Progress)
Five things I will do when I am a millionaire:
1. Pay off all debt!
2. Fill college funds for all the kids.
3. Give generously to the church and to families who need help.
4. Take family to a remote island for a month (at least).
5. Buy a working ranch, with all the ranch hands, and ride horses everyday.
Five things I will never wear again:
1. Contacts
2. Short shorts
3. Side ponytail
4. Tight-rolled jeans ... I don't care if they come back in style.
5. Crimped hair
Five of my favorite toys:
1. Adobe Photoshop
2. Laptop
3. Coffee Maker
4. Digital Camera
5. Piano
Five banes of my existence:
1. Dirty bathrooms
2. Blinkers, those that are not used when they should be and those that are left on when they shouldn't
3. Laundry
4. Sweeping/Mopping
5. Sales Calls
1. Trying to convince John to break up with his girlfriend and go out with me.
2. Attending many Spring Sing rehearsals for my Shantih Sports show.
3. Taking my first business classes.
4. Being thankful for our 11pm curfew, knowing it was the only time I'd get my homework done.
5. Awaiting the arrival of our Good News CD that we had made in the fall.
Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Take Johnathan to school. (DONE)
2. Do ONE load of laundry. (Almost Done)
3. Organize songs to lead at a Ladies' Day at West Irwin. (DONE)
4. Not talk too much since I have a very sore throat. (Shot)
5. Take Johnathan's friend, who had his tonsils out, a card. (Plan in Progress)
Five things I will do when I am a millionaire:
1. Pay off all debt!
2. Fill college funds for all the kids.
3. Give generously to the church and to families who need help.
4. Take family to a remote island for a month (at least).
5. Buy a working ranch, with all the ranch hands, and ride horses everyday.
Five things I will never wear again:
1. Contacts
2. Short shorts
3. Side ponytail
4. Tight-rolled jeans ... I don't care if they come back in style.
5. Crimped hair
Five of my favorite toys:
1. Adobe Photoshop
2. Laptop
3. Coffee Maker
4. Digital Camera
5. Piano
Five banes of my existence:
1. Dirty bathrooms
2. Blinkers, those that are not used when they should be and those that are left on when they shouldn't
3. Laundry
4. Sweeping/Mopping
5. Sales Calls
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Straight up to the Pipers
A brief conversation between my son and me:
Johnathan, sitting on potty: "Oh mommy! My poopy!"
Me: "Was it big?"
Johnathan: "Yeah! It goed straight up to the pipers!"
Now what's that supposed to mean?!
Johnathan, sitting on potty: "Oh mommy! My poopy!"
Me: "Was it big?"
Johnathan: "Yeah! It goed straight up to the pipers!"
Now what's that supposed to mean?!
It's for real now
All those cravings, all the time, that tummy bulge, the rapid mood swings, the overwhelming exhaustion ... and finally today I heard that heartbeat. I know it's my third and I half expected to just listen to the heartbeat and smile and go on home. But with each child, the first time I hear that precious little heart beat, tears just stream down my face (and into my ears, of course, since I lying down).
Now, I had figured my due date on BabyCenter.com, based on certain dates the we're all aware of, and BabyCenter came up with August 21. I'd be 10 weeks today. Well, I gave the midwife (What?? Wait ... I'll come back to that.) the same dates as I entered on BabyCenter, and she came up with August 12 and that I'm a little over 11 weeks along. Can it really be that different? I'm going to have her figure it out again when I go back.
Yes, I'm going the midwife/birth center route this time, and I'm so excited about it! I'm just ready to be in control of my own birth this time with out a needle and tether (IV) and WITH the actual people I know as opposed to nurses I've never met and an on-call doctor I've never seen. I don't want to be told not to push when I'm at a 10 and then have the doctor I've never seen fuss at me for having the baby before he got there. Yes, there are risks, of course, but the hospital is less than 5 minutes away just in case.
The midwife gave Johnathan a little plastic figurine of a 12 week old fetus to take home so he could see what the baby looks like right now. He was completely fascinated by it! It's fun since he understands a little more with this one than he did with Kalleigh. He talks about and prays for the "new baby" all the time!
So, I'm almost in the second trimester (maybe?!) and feeling great. Thanks for your prayers!
Now, I had figured my due date on BabyCenter.com, based on certain dates the we're all aware of, and BabyCenter came up with August 21. I'd be 10 weeks today. Well, I gave the midwife (What?? Wait ... I'll come back to that.) the same dates as I entered on BabyCenter, and she came up with August 12 and that I'm a little over 11 weeks along. Can it really be that different? I'm going to have her figure it out again when I go back.
Yes, I'm going the midwife/birth center route this time, and I'm so excited about it! I'm just ready to be in control of my own birth this time with out a needle and tether (IV) and WITH the actual people I know as opposed to nurses I've never met and an on-call doctor I've never seen. I don't want to be told not to push when I'm at a 10 and then have the doctor I've never seen fuss at me for having the baby before he got there. Yes, there are risks, of course, but the hospital is less than 5 minutes away just in case.
The midwife gave Johnathan a little plastic figurine of a 12 week old fetus to take home so he could see what the baby looks like right now. He was completely fascinated by it! It's fun since he understands a little more with this one than he did with Kalleigh. He talks about and prays for the "new baby" all the time!
So, I'm almost in the second trimester (maybe?!) and feeling great. Thanks for your prayers!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Snagged
So often when listening to Jeff's sermon on Sunday mornings I hit a snag. It's like putting on hose when, rip! Your fingernail gets snagged in the hose and then there's this runner, and it's all you can think about. Unlike the runner, which is a bad thing, I'm usually caught on something really good and my thoughts run away from the sermon and form their own little sermon in my head. (Sorry, Jeff.) :)
This past Sunday, Jeff was up there preaching about grace. He said that it ought to be a given that we extend grace to our fellow church members, but that, of course, we need to extend grace to everyone else. And I don't remember much else after that.
Is it easier to be gracious to our church family than to the rest of the world? Maybe sometimes. But for me, at least in this stage in my Christian walk, many times it's harder for me to be gracious to the people with whom I'm closest. I mean, "those worldy people," we're supposed to extend grace to them. Jesus said to! Everybody's doing it! We don't gossip about them ... we don't even know them! Besides, they didn't really do anything to affect us personally. We'd just as soon keep our distance. It's safer.
But my church family? Christians? They know better! How am I suppsed to be gracious to them if I have to see them every week, and sometimes more often than that! It's hard to pretend like everything's okay if I really have to come in contact with them. It's a lot easier to gossip about them and get people "on my side" than to actually talk to them.
To truly be gracious ... even when "they know better" ... now that's really something.
I'm still working on that one.
This past Sunday, Jeff was up there preaching about grace. He said that it ought to be a given that we extend grace to our fellow church members, but that, of course, we need to extend grace to everyone else. And I don't remember much else after that.
Is it easier to be gracious to our church family than to the rest of the world? Maybe sometimes. But for me, at least in this stage in my Christian walk, many times it's harder for me to be gracious to the people with whom I'm closest. I mean, "those worldy people," we're supposed to extend grace to them. Jesus said to! Everybody's doing it! We don't gossip about them ... we don't even know them! Besides, they didn't really do anything to affect us personally. We'd just as soon keep our distance. It's safer.
But my church family? Christians? They know better! How am I suppsed to be gracious to them if I have to see them every week, and sometimes more often than that! It's hard to pretend like everything's okay if I really have to come in contact with them. It's a lot easier to gossip about them and get people "on my side" than to actually talk to them.
To truly be gracious ... even when "they know better" ... now that's really something.
I'm still working on that one.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
The Obligatory Christmas Post
Three Christmases this year:
*Curtis -- Searcy, AR
*Hodges -- Searcy, AR
*Kell -- Dallas, TX
Lots of laughter, food and fun! Happy New Year to all!
*Curtis -- Searcy, AR
*Hodges -- Searcy, AR
*Kell -- Dallas, TX
Lots of laughter, food and fun! Happy New Year to all!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Expecting the Unexpected
What can I say? Just 5 weeks along with a long way to go. Keep us in your prayers!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Special effects
The soft focus effect seen here is carefully created by a 3 1/2 yr old prying open the camera lens cover and rubbing his greasy fingers directly onto the lens. Just because he can.
Monday, December 03, 2007
The one sock left over ...
It used to bother me. I'd fold all of the laundry and then -- what? Where's your match? There is no good reason in the world why your match shouldn't be in here.
But not any more! I've been doing something that I might even call brilliant. It's the perfect use for that sad little left over sock. Knowing its match will probably come through in a week or so, I turn it inside out, stick my hand in, spray it with Pledge and do a quick dusting job around the house!
It's almost exciting to find one left over!
(almost)
But not any more! I've been doing something that I might even call brilliant. It's the perfect use for that sad little left over sock. Knowing its match will probably come through in a week or so, I turn it inside out, stick my hand in, spray it with Pledge and do a quick dusting job around the house!
It's almost exciting to find one left over!
(almost)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)