Need to update this thing

I know- but I've been too busy enjoying Omaha and my family! I'll find some time to blog when I get back to Houston...



HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Winter blahs

What a week. I trudged through work with less than an enthusiastic attitude, although I know I should embrace my employment now more than ever. We were enveloped in fog for several days this week- icky, sticky, fog. Gloomy, gray and heavy. I blame my funky attitude on this weather. I'm ready for our trip to Nebraska- even thought I know it'll be most likely gray and gloomy there, too. It'll be different and we will be surrounded by family. I am very excited about both of those! Please pray for us as we travel! I'll let you know how things are going once we are there!

Good day

• Today is my daddy's birthday. The kids and I called and sang to him and I think he enjoyed that.
• Around 6 this morning, Jonas asked if he could get in bed with me and Craig. Since it was almost time to get up anyway, I agreed. About 15 minutes later, Carleigh joined us. Quite the cozy situation, as we sleep in a double bed, and the four of us all in it together fill it up! Usually this sort of moment quickly disintegrates in to wiggly kids and whining about having no pillow or not enough blanket. But this morning was different. For a good 20 minutes, the kids stayed still! Carleigh practiced (silently) making big Os and Es with her mouth, and Jonas petted Chloe. It was such a nice quiet few minutes.
• And of course, it turned in to a tickle fight eventually. And I melted as I realized how much I have. Those amazing healthy happy kids, the warm cozy bed, the safe roof, a kitchen full of food, jobs to get up and go to. I think I've made this list before, but is there such a thing as too much gratitude? I don't think so.
• We eventually ended up in our normal morning routine of breakfast for the kids and coffee for me. Jonas has a spelling test today so I reviewed the words with him. He correctly spelled all 18 Christmas themed words, including xylophone, poinsettia, and wreath. I'm impressed. And so thankful for that brain of his that functions normally!
• Carleigh took a bath and no one combed her hair after she got out. It's long enough now to be a mess because it has dried while she lounged on the couch. And it is tangled! It's taken almost 5 years, but my cherub finally has enough hair to be tangled!!

Super cool gifts I never expected

I'll admit I'm a little bummed this year that we won't be able to get the kids everything they want for Christmas. There just isn't enough money. Not that they will go without, as those Nebraska Himmelsehrs are known spoilers! The Walzel side never disappoints, either. But I am thrilled at the gifts I've been given in the last 24 hours that I never saw coming!

Last night, in League City, Texas, south of Houston, it snowed. A lot! Big, fat, beautiful flakes! Enough accumulated that the neighborhood kids made snowmen, snowballs, and snow angels. Did I mention that was all at 10:30 last night? It didn't matter- it was wonderful! It started around 6, when Craig and I were driving to a dinner party in the fancy side of town. The Christmas music on the radio, the lights, the fact that we were on a date and it was not going to cost us a dime, combined with the unexpected snow was almost too much to handle! I don't think the smile ever left my face. (Except when we exited at Westheimer from 610- that is a crazy intersection...)

The snow was long gone by noon today, but the weather was still crisp and clear. Very nice! I was waiting at Panera for Craig to join me for lunch when he called my cell phone and told me to run outside and look up in the sky. I quickly did and at first had no idea what I was looking at, until I looked closer to the horizon (I had been looking straight up) and saw this...

Not this exactly (as that is Kennedy Space Center in the picture), but the Space Shuttle being carried by a 747! And it was about that far away, maybe a little closer! Ellington Field is a few miles from where I stood, and NASA of course is down the road, so this may not be a complete fluke, but I sure wasn't expecting it.

What a treat.

1000 (and no- I'm not about the numbers)

LOOK! I have had almost 1000 hits to my little blog! Wonder who it will be? There will be no prizes, as Pioneer Woman I am not, but maybe I'll follow the lead of my pastor who celebrated on his front lawn with a cold Dr Pepper the day he hit 1000. But it is December, and I'm not a Dr Pepper drinker, so I shall celebrate with a steamy cup of coffee. Feel free to swing by and join me if you can (I received a shipment of Godiva Creme Brulee flavored coffee over the weekend, and there is plenty to go around).

Prayer requests

I just heard that 40 of my co workers in my department have been let go. 6 are from the Irving office, through which I report and used to physically report. It's never a good time to lose a job, but 3 weeks before Chrsitmas- double ouch. It's easy for me to say this on this side of things, but it's true- this is just another example of how NOTHING is forever on this planet. Don't put your trust in a job or a paycheck, or stock, or other people.
Also, Craig is travelling this weekend. Thank God gas prices have come down so low! I can fill up our car for *gasp* less than $20, and that takes me 380 miles down the road!!!! But the prayer is for me, and my sanity, as I am fully in charge of my extremely spirited 7 and 4 year olds. I guess it wouldn't hurt to pray for Craig's safety, but we all know where the real danger lies. Ha!

It's getting a little harder now

Our next door neighbor is a 3rd grade boy with whom Jonas likes to play after school in our yard. They ride bikes, terrorize the cat, and other boy things. He's not a bad kid, but he does have an older brother and sister and a single parent. So he's been exposed to a few things that Jonas hasn't, and he doesn't have any younger siblings.
I've told Jonas to make sure he stands up for Carleigh if the neighbor boy (we'll call him NB) picks on her or leaves her out of games. Today I said in so many words, "You need to tell NB that you can't hang out with him anymore if he isn't nice to your sister."
Five minutes later I see Jonas, alone, in the driveway. His head is bowed and his shoulders slumped in an obviously defeated stance. I ask what the matter is, and he turns to me and tearfully explained that NB decided he'd rather not play with Jonas if it meant having to be nice to the 4-year old sibling. Jonas is so sad, and confused.
Am I wrong here? Jonas asked why it matters if his friends are nice to Carleigh or not, and I explained that sisters are more important than friends. For some reason that sounds wrong. All people are important, but that means all people are worth treating well. Jonas gave NB a choice and he chose the path Jonas didn't want. This is NB's loss, not Jonas'. Right? Or should I have told Carleigh to simply stay out of the way of the boys and there wouldn't be a problem? I told Jonas he will have lots of friends, but he will never have another sister. Is that too dramatic?
I want to teach Jonas to stand up for what is right, no matter who it involves. Maybe next time I will stress that aspect instead of the sister aspect.
Sheesh- he's only 7, and his angst is already causing me this much introspection. Imagine my blog entries by the time he is 16.

UPDATE- since I've been writing this he has already moved on to other things. No hint of tears or worry. The kid bounces easily!

Thanksgiving 2008

Craig and I have been known to be spontaneous. We bought an Xterra because we thought it would be fun to stop by and test drive one- 2 hours later it was in our driveway. We bought our first house because I thought it would be neat to walk through this model home. I handed them a check for the earnest money less than an hour after we got there. Our first road trip together was mentioned in a movie theatre and started the next morning! We've done our share of thoughtful planning, too, but some of the best decisions we've ever made were made on the fly.

Take yesterday, for example. We had spent Thanksgiving with my family on a deer lease Northwest of Austin. It was a good break from the ordinary. On our way back to Boerne (we went to see my old friend Brad) we saw a sign for Enchanted Rock. I've heard of this place, and always wondered what it entailed. We hardly hesitated to make the turn in to the State Park and began our trek up this crazy landmark. I was so proud of my kids- hardly a whine out of them as they hiked along side of us. It was just cool enough to keep from breaking a sweat, but not cold enough to put on a jacket. And the best surprise of all waited for us at the top- sunset! We couldn't have timed it better if we had tried! The rolling hills below us, the fall colors around us...it was glorious!

But the thing that struck me the most was my sudden desire to lift my hands and praise God! That this weird piece of naked rock in the middle of Texas was no accident. God formed it and prepared it just like everything else in His world. I started singing low "Our God is an Awesome God" and then Carleigh starts belting it out next to me. Even my four year old was moved by the awesomeness of our Creator! So I stood there, loving every second of my existence, and thanking God for the things that had brought us to that moment. Our goofy spontaneity, a reluctant camping trip, the health of each of my family members, the time off to enjoy such a moment. And the love of a gracious God.

It was a great trip. Even my t-sip friend Brad was gracious enough to not mock my Aggies, and his lovely wife made me some of the best coffee I have ever had. I drove from Boerne to home, with a quick detour to Smithville, all by myself (well, the rest of the family was in the car, but they were sawing logs before I hit I-10), wide awake at 2:30 am. There is a lot to be said for planning, but these quick scattered unplanned times are some of my favorite!

Getting in the spirit

Today dawned much cooler, around 48 degrees. I was instantly drawn into the holiday mood, and all it took was a drop of about 30 degrees! It helped that people around me are already putting up Christmas decorations. We will do that when we get back from the great outdoors. The kids are getting excited about the camping trip, although there is a fear of bears lingering in the background of their conversations. I've told them that bears are more scared of people than people are of bears, but they don't buy that. I don't even know where the idea of bears came in to their minds. They are more likely to be attacked by a charging armadillo than a bear, but I can't very well say that!

I'm glad we don't live as long as Methusalah anymore

Things here in this world look bleak these days, don't they? I have friends who are unemployed, friends who are not happy in their marriages, my stock is in the toilet. Craig's paycheck is based on the clinic's collections and those have been down. Turns out someone was stealing from their office. The government just bailed out my company for something like $20 billion- ack!
But I will not dwell on these things. They are all temporary- and my soul is eternal. And I know how this game ends. Worse case secenario- I die. And since dying means going to spend eternity with my savior, that's really great!
I'm feeling a little bleak today, despite my eternal perspective, and not because of anything above mentioned. Today, on November 24th, it is 78 degrees outside. Seriously???? Not my idea of nice weather. And we are going to go camping for Thanksgiving this year, so I'm a little bummed that the traditional side of the holiday won't exist for me this year. I don't even get to plan an exciting pre-dawn trip to a store to purchase that one perfect deal of the year, since I think we will be more than an hour from the nearest store on Friday. Someone remind me that none of that matters, okay? What matters is that I will get to spend time with my parents, brother, nephews, husband and children. That doesn't happen nearly often enough, and it doesn't matter what meal is being served!

Yipeee! I have strep throat!!!

Last Wednesday night I told Craig my throat had a sore spot and it was kind of annoying. Thursday led to a slightly more sore throat and I was markedly tired. I also felt some drainage in the back of my throat, so I immediately diagnosed myself. Sinus drainage- it would pass after a few days. By Friday I was describing how I felt as "skunk butt". I took whatever I had in my medicine cabinet that had anything to do with pain relief. Unfortunately, this was one TheraFlu thin strip and some sinus tablets that had expired 13 months ago. I hadn't eaten anything all day because it was so painful to swallow. I chalked being so tired and weak up to having not eaten in 24 hours and was in bed by 8:00.
I trudged through Saturday, still miserable. I tell you, I was convinced that ANY MINUTE I would begin to feel better. I couldn't imagine going to a doctor or buying some other medicine. Waste of money. So I gargled salt water, gargled hydrogen peroxide, sipped hot lemon/honey/red pepper flakes, sucked on an ice cube--- nothing brought me relief.
Finally I gave in and went to the Redi Clinic Sunday morning. I must have looked pathetic- I was the first person there, even beating the nurses! But it was a good strategy, because 7 people walked in within 5 minutes of my arrival. I felt like a fool- no fever, normal blood pressure, no ear infection, not even a stuffy nose! As the nurse checked off each non-symptom, I could hear her thinking "Quack". And when she looked in my throat and said "hmmm" I knew she had discovered how empty my throat is. I had my adenoids, tonsils, and uvula removed almost 6 years ago. She said "Hard to see any irritation when there isn't much back there". Really? You don't say. Then she swabbed my throat and ran a strep test, and it almost seemed she was doing it as a last resort. She waited a few minutes and told me it was negative. Lawsy- I felt like an idiot. I wanted to grab her and shake her and say "Razor blades! There are razor blades in my throat! I don't care what all the other signs point to- just make the blades go away so I can swallow my own spit without having to work up the nerve to do so!!!" But I didn't. I just waited while she wrote me a obligatory prescription for a decongestant.
I dropped the prescription off at the pharmacy and proceeded to make the most depressing stroll through HEB I have ever experienced. Apparently, the Christmas season started yesterday at HEB. All the checkers and baggers had on Santa hats. And they had samples of everything considered seasonal. Egg nog, wassail, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, ham, turkey, cornbread dressing, gingerbread cookies, coffee, and even sushi! Remember what I said about the razor blades? I couldn't touch a bit of any of it!!! So what should have been a delightful 30 minute wait amidst a practical buffet of holiday treats turned in to me with a scowl I know translated in to "Bah humbug" plastered on my face while I clinched my arms tightly across my chest and drug my feet down each aisle.
My mood lightened as I approached the pharmacy to check on the status of my order. The tech looked up and said "Guess what? The doctor called and said it is strep after all! The test turned positive as she was throwing it away!". I have never had strep, but I do know that a simple round of antibiotics should kick its butt pretty quickly. So the words "You DO have strep" have probably never been met with greater relief!
I am 36 hours in to my antibiotics and would say I am 95% better. I was reminded once again of the amazing benefit of working from home, as the doctor told me to not go to work for 48 hours because strep is highly contagious. But because I felt so much better, and there is no way to spread strep through the phone, IM, or e-mail, I was able to put in an 8 hour day. No time lost from work. I also saw my amazing husband in action once again as he kept the kids away from me as much as possible from Friday night through last night, and even kept them fed, gave them baths, and cleaned the kitchen. I shouldn't act surprised, as Craig has always been able and willing to take on his 70 hour a week job and as much as I need around the house to make things run smoothly. But it's nice to see. I told him I would kiss him last night, but I didn't want him getting sick! I'll give him a good kiss tomorrow.
More than anything, this weekend showed me how much I am like my mom. I use to hate the fact that the only diagnosis she ever had for me and my brother was "it's your sinuses". She would never rush us to the doctor like other kids' moms, and would make us wait it out. She was forever making us try herbal, homeopathic remedies, or down expired medicines (because they were still good, how can medicine go bad?) Sheesh- she rubbed off on me in ways I never thought possible. But she has also saved me hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars in unnecessary doctor visits for me and the kids.
I'm glad I'm feeling better- and I promise you right here and now that I will run to the Redi Clinic the next time my throat feels anything remotely like it did this past week. Now that I know what strep feels like, I won't ever let it get as far as it did this time!

Question

You've no doubt seen the clever bumper sticker that states "When Bush took office gas was $1.86 a gallon" -suggesting the bump in gas prices is President Bush's fault.

My question is- when will the new version come out, that says "And it was less than that before he left office"? Because if the high prices were his fault, then obviously the rapid decline in prices must be all his doing too!

Just a thought.

13.1 miles

My best friend Jodi wants to be healthy in her "old age" and knows it is up to her to make that happen. So, she has made a determined decision to stay active, and even more so. We are best friends, and I agree with her decision, so I'm going to join her on this quest for health. And we aren't fooling around here- Step 1- we're running a half marathon on February 14.

This is insane, considering the fact that I hate to run. When I was in the Army, it was the bain of my existence to have to run, and it took minor miracles for me to complete the 2 miles. What am I thinking? I guess I am thinking that I need to challenge myself, and if Jodi is going to do it, I'll join her.

We want to be HOT in our nursing homes...

Random thoughts

• Work is crazy busy- but I hear that is a sign of job security. I'll take that as a good sign.
  
• We went to buy the kids' costumes last night. They were half price at Wal Mart so they both cost a grand total of $19. Whoop-ee! I let the kids pick their own, within reason, and I was shocked at Carleigh's choice. She picked Batgirl. I have to tell you that it is a cutie patootie costume, but she passed over several frilly pink things to get to it. She's very well rounded, I believe!
  
• I just found out that a friend of mine was on American Gladiators! I knew she was in shape, but this is still a shock. She's the mother of three children under 6 and dresses conservatively. But she posted a picture of herself in "character"- bikini, spray tan, etc.- and WOW! I wish I had taken her up on her offer to get me on a work out schedule back when we worked out at the same gym in Arlington.
  
• We've made plans on how to spend the holidays. We will go camping/hunting with my family for Thanksgiving and we are going to Omaha for Christmas! I am about 5% sad that we won't spend Christmas here in the house, but 95% thrilled to be going to Nebraska! We haven't been in almost 2 years and have I said this before? I love it there!

Smells like teen spirit

I had some extra time this morning so I played with Carleigh's hair a little bit. I broke out the round brush, the moose (OK- I know that isn't the moose I mean, but for the life of me I can't think of how to spell the hair product that sounds like the animal...), and the blow dryer. Poor thing has about an inch of growth on the top of her head forward, but the rest is four to five inches long. So there wasn't much I could really do, but Carleigh enjoyed the attention and it sort of resembled cotton candy in the back when I was done. I took my new can of hairspray and lightly sprayed her hair. She immediately asked "What is that smell like?"

And it all came rushing back to me.

You see- I had bought, for the first time in at least 10 years, a can of Aussie. The big, purple, aerosol can. It was on sale and I picked it up for the price. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal in your lives, but in mine, it meant being a teenage girl. My brother's girlfriend wore it, and I thought she was the coolest, so it has always reminded me of coolness. I've always tried to describe the scent, but have always come up short. Grape? Maybe, but not really. So I call the scent "purple". I think I smelled like "purple" for the majority of my high school career. My brother smelled like "cheap cowboy" (aka Stetson cologne) his entire high school career, and since we shared a bathroom, I probably smelled like Stetson in Jr High.

Smells trigger memories, don't they? My friend Elizabeth commented on the smell of Little Italy yesterday, and I immediately associated my own memory with that. There is a certain air freshener that reminds me of the time my cat had kittens in my closet, and that is not a good memory, so I can never buy that brand of air freshener. Cotton seed is home, fresh cut grass is being a kid in Baytown, Polo cologne is the halls of my high school, diesel is my time in the Army, etc.

And standing in the bathroom fixing Carleigh's hair this morning, I realized that some day soon, she will associate a scent with being a teenage girl. Maybe it will also be "purple", although I doubt it. I'm sure Aussie products will be considered old school by the time she has a choice in her hair products. I wonder what smell my kids will associate with home?

What smells are triggers for your memories? Now I'm curious about the rest of you! And what scent would you say Aussie hair products has?

Mixed emotions

My heart hurts for my friends who are going through some rough stuff, but at the same time, I see their circumstances as chances to be grateful for what I have. Of course I don't wish these things on anyone, especially my best friends, but is it wrong to draw comfort from the fact that I am not going through the same thing? My husband is employed and our marriage is strong. Our kids are healthy. Last night we watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition and I was crying 3 minutes in to it- the family they helped has a 10 year old boy who has been through enough medical crap to last three life times. I looked at Jonas and told him to come give me a hug. He said "No, cuz you just want to hug me because that story is making you sad. You can hug me when you are happy to see me." Ouch.

On a side note- my right arm is sore this morning because a)we went bowling yesterday for the first time in 6 months and b) I carried a 8 pound pumpkin (the pumpkin was decorated as Super Diaper Baby, BTW) to school for Jonas this morning. So I need to either bowl more often, and with my left hand (can't make my game worse) and I need to get some hand weights and carry them with me every time I walk Jonas to and from school. I'll have arms like Madonna before Christmas!!!

Bloom where you are planted

I had to drive to Irving on Thursday for a training class for work. As I crested a hill just north of Ennis on 45, I caught my first glimpse of downtown Dallas in over a year. It was a clear fall day as a cold front had just blown through, and the dark clouds in my rear view contrasted the bright sun dramatically. I was suddenly struck with a sadness I didn't expect. A longing I thought was gone. Earlier in the drive, as I passed stately Sam Houston in Huntsville, I realized it had been almost exactly 2 years since we had made the drive going the opposite way for Craig's interview that led to our move from Arlington to the Bay Area. So the distance between Huntsville and Ennis had been filled with thoughts of what has happened in the past 24 months. Great thoughts, happy memories, chuckles, amazement of how good God is and how happy we are. So I was completely taken aback when the tears filled my eyes at the sparkly sight of D-town.

You see, Dallas is HUGE in my life. I wasn't born there or even raised there. But when I was 15 we went to Dallas to compete in a Mock Trial competition and I was hooked. The lights, the sounds, the sights!! Next, the summer between my junior and senior year my brother got married in Dallas and it was magical. Even the sounds that came from the bathroom around 2 am when one of my brother's friends had returned to the room with a woman he had met on the elevator still stand out in my mind...but that's another story.

So I went to college in Denton, just north of Dallas. I learned to drive in traffic near the Galleria (thanks Sara!) and had cheese fries at Snuffers on lower Greenville (thanks John). I went to a Cowboy's pre-Super Bowl pep rally and I shopped at Sam Moon. I ran at White Rock Lake and danced at Billy Bob's (yes, that's Ft Worth, but hey- that's part of the DFW experience). I got my tatoo in Deep Ellum. Oh- and I met Craig in Dallas, he proposed in downtown Dallas, we bought our first house, had both of our children. We celebrated his passing his State Boards at Reunion Tower. I started working at Citi, made some amazing friends at Irving Bible Chruch and Pantego Bible Church, and I finally saw Huey Lewis LIVE at Bass Hall. Is there any doubt that DFW is huge in my life?

And here we are in League City. And this is why it's going to be huge in my life, too!

• Jonas started Kindergarten here
• Carleigh learned to ride a bike here
• We helped plant Church at the Springs
• We experienced our first hurricane
• Jonas discovered he loves books here
• Carleigh started gymnastics
• Jonas started soccer
• I learned I LOVE mojitos and moroccan food
• KSBJ is waayyyy better than KLTY
• Gringos
• Baytown Seafood Company
• HEB
• the kids both had chicken pox

...and we're only getting started! Even if we left tomorrow we would already have some big stuff under our belts.

I'm really glad I was able to briefly visit DFW yesterday. It is a great area and I will always love it, but I was so glad to get HOME last night.

Everything here is temporary

Laughter
Pain
Heat
Cold
Smiles
Aches
Urges
Tantrums
Nightmares
Hunger
Thirst
Things
People


But souls are eternal. And every single human has one. I must remember this.

The wildlife around here

Last night, a few minutes after we had put the kids to bed, we hear pounding of feet above us and then down the stairs. Jonas ran in to the living room, eyes wide open, saying "Did you see them????" "Them" ended up being a pair of racoons in our backyard. Brave little suckers, too. We sat in the living room and watched through full size windows, back porch light on, as Racoon A timidly picked through the grass where I had earlier shaken out our dining room table cloth. Racoon B, on the other hand, must have thought we had hidden the good stuff a little higher, as he (she? I don't know- do you know how to tell the difference?) proceeded to climb up the post supporting our covered porch and investigate up there. I had no idea a racoon could climb like that! Then again, this was my VERY first time watching them in action from 3 feet away. They could sing and dance the samba for all I know! It was fun for about five minutes, then Jonas got bored and wanted to go pet one. We convinced him this was not the best idea and sent him back to bed, and the racoon couple slowly made their way back to the shrubs at the back of our yard. Ah- the joys of suburbia!

An enigma

How can one person simutaneously make you want to clone him and strangle him? This is my current opinion of my eldest, Jonas. In one 24 hour period I have had butterflies in my stomache at the mere sight of him, and had to pray to God to control my hands so I didn't whack him across the face. I have been so proud of him I could bust, and so eager to change him I could cry. How is this possible?
First, he has a face that is a great combo of me and Craig, so how can that not evoke love? He has these gray blue eyes that are exactly the color of mine, and a splash of freckles across his nose. He has a cleft in his chin just like my first love- Huey Lewis. (I know I know...pathetic) And his hair is exactly the length I like it right now. Throw in some missing front teeth and you have a sight to melt this mom's heart!
Then there were the glowing words from his teacher last night at Open House. He's polite, and empathetic, able to participate in all conversations and eager to share. He's a great kid! (I might have knocked some other parents over as I walked through the hallways after that with my swollen pride).
Another glowing moment came yesterday at the grocery store when he asked if we could put some food in the "Help End Hunger" basket. And at dinner last night he asked if we could put a basket on the end of our street with a "Help End Hunger" sign and collect food for all the hungry people on our own. His heart is huge! (Did I tell you about the starving children incident? I'll have to tell that story some other time.)
But then there were the bedtime arguments and one o'clock whining sessions. The attitude when I told him it was time to get dressed and to stop building Lego's. I won't go in to those details.
So it's hard to be Jonas' mom, I think. Two sides of the same coin, I think. But I know the love wins. I just hope I can remember that the next time the other side of this child shows his ugly face (which could easily be at 3:10 this afternoon when I pick him up at school)

Badge of honor?

I follow the blog of my favorite dj, Liz Jordan on KSBJ, and she posted this yesterday. I had to steal it, as it is perfect!

I've been accused of wearing this badge. Hmmmm. Should I be proud or not?

Not a typical Sunday

A bunch of us from The Springs went down to Galveston this morning to help the aunt and uncle of Chris Garcia. They live in a one story house in a typical neighborhood you would see in any town- in other words, they don't have a wash-out level and they aren't on stilts like so many of the houses you've seen on the news since Hurricane Ike hit 3 weeks ago. The ocean tidal surge went through their house and filled it 3 feet deep. The city of Galveston just let residents come back to their homes this past Wednesday, so the carpets and drywall have not been touched in 2.5 weeks. While I knew all this before we got there, I still wasn't prepared for what we saw.



The area we live in, League City, has piles of foliage, such as tree limbs, on the curb of every house you pass. It's depressing because this normally green, lush area is brown and cluttered. There is a smattering of blue tarps on roofs to cover missing shingles, and there are a few other evidences of wind damage. Galveston is different.

The first thing I noticed was the boats, on the road. Literally. On the road. The water had risen up over the highway and pushed boats every which way. When the water receded, some of the boats stayed there, on the road. I didn't try to count, but I know there were at least 30 randomly deposited boats along the roadway.

The next thing I noticed was the lack of blue roof tarps. Granted- this was overshadowed by the fact that many roofs were flat on the ground, and no longer needed tarps. But there was no large display of roof damage that could be covered up with simple tarps. I also noticed that all of the shrubbery was standing, but brown. And most trees (other than palm trees) are also standing, and brown. Seems this is what happens when salt water gets in to the soil to such a degree that the fresh water is outnumbered. Salt water kills most plants.

Finally, the massive destruction of Ike is apparent in the things in the piles of debris sitting on the Galveston sidewalks. No tree limbs, but lots of refrigerators. And other major appliances. And carpet, drywall, armoires, side tables, kitchen tables, couches, chairs, paintings, books (so many books), mattresses. Simply everything that had once been INSIDE the houses was now OUTside the houses, waiting to be hauled away.

I could write about the specifics for pages and pages, but I want to mention three things that stood out to me. 1- it's all just stuff. When it is waterlogged and mildewed and rotten, that stuff that once seemed vital and important is just stuff to be placed on the curb and hauled away. 2- some of that stuff survived, and I watched one of the home owners we helped carefully wrap a ceramic hamburger in paper and place it in a box, to be placed in storage to some day be unwrapped and displayed again. A ceramic hamburger. Despite the devastation around her and the massive amounts of stuff she was tossing to the curb, she is still human and found importance in that hamburger. I almost asked her the significance of the ceramic piece, but left her to her own thoughts as she gently handled the trinket. I wondered what I would do with my trinkets. On this side of it, I think I would just toss it all. But that's easy for me to say as I sit here surrounded by all my stuff in perfect condition.

And 3- as we were leaving, I saw a tiny blond little girl walking through some of the debris holding her mother's hand. Stab to the heart. I cried for the first time that day when I thought about my kids, and what it would be like if I had to live with the destruction that they were living with. It's hard enough to walk down the street with my kids and keep them from picking up pretty rocks they find on the way. How much harder then to say "don't touch that" to EVERYTHING on the road? No electricity, probably no carpet, exposed beams in the house, very little furniture, if any.

I wish we could have stayed until it was finished, but that may be months from now. Please, if you can take time and go down to help someone, do it. If you can't, give to an organization set up to help those people. If you can't do that, pray for them. And take this opportunity to realize that the stuff in our lives is just stuff, that the only thing we can hold on to for sure through any storm is Jesus.

What a way to test a house!

While we may not like it all that much, it is easy to say that the best test of anything is a set of circumstances beyond our control and extreme conditions. They don't test seat belts at 5 mph, do they? No- they ram cars in to walls at over 60 mph and see what happens to the dummies inside! Would it do any good to test the exterior of the space shuttle with a Bic lighter, to make sure the tiles could withstand the heat of re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere? Hardly.
And I think about my marriage, and the things that have made us step back and say "We really are going to make it." Not the romantic dinners or weekends away from the kids. It was the job losses, the illnesses, and the ugly stuff.

So it seems to be with the house we are living in right now. We are currently renting it, but have wondered if the landlords would be willing to sell it to us this time next year. And after what it just went through, Hurricane Ike, I think we would be fools NOT to buy this house! There was minimal cosmetic damage to the fence and to the covered back porch, but no roof damage and no water anywhere! My friend snapped this picture yesterday and commented on how it seems nothing even happened. But if we could only see the house next door---

The kids and I are not back home yet, as there is still no power, and the schools are closed until at least Tuesday of next week. I can work here at my parents' house and they can play like it was summer vacation. Craig went back yesterday as his office reopened today. I can't even begin to express my thankfulness for our safety and the ease this "inconvenience" has been.

7 years!!!

Happy Birthday to you, dear Jonas! The world was a different place 7 years ago at 6:41 am. It would all change very soon, when at 5:40 pm Dr. Charles said "It's a boy!" and my first thought when I saw you was "He has Craig's nose!". I've since found out that you also have your Daddy's kind heart, sense of humor, fearlessness (on bikes) and natural athleticism. Unfortunately, you also have my temper, my stubborn streak, my blue eyes, and my unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Praise God you have already accepted Christ as your savior! You are such a miracle!

The world changed in many ways on 9/11/01, but the one that made the most difference in my life was the birth of Jonas Craig Himmelsehr! I love you, buddy.

An eternal perspective

Yesterday was kinda hard for me, but really good at the same time. At The Springs, we discussed eternity, and since I work with grade schoolers, we boiled it down to "I beleive I can live with God forever". We talked just a little bit about what that means, and what Heaven might be like. We had all the kids draw pictures of what they imagined the house God is preparing for them might look like. I found it amusing that they all included swimming pools! Several added animals and the girls mostly concentrated on beds and beautiful bedding. As an adult, my idea is a little different, but who's to say they aren't right?

Between now and then, we had a lot of fun with our Table Group last night. Just to quote a few of my favorite moments from the 2.5 hours we were together-
"I don't care if you get arrested, just don't get shot."
"We're going to get more guns and ammo."
"Back when I was a mosquito hunter..."
"Sidney's been shot!", "Is there blood?", "No.", "Blake- you go help her cuz I'm getting my nails done".

Don't you wish you could be here for these?

Sarah Palin

I'm watching her speech from last night at the RNC. Who would know she has never been on the national stage before? She is a talented and confident speaker. I like her. McCain has picked a great compliment to his personality. I like that she is a mom with all sorts of normal, and not so normal, mom problems! Good choice, McCain. It's as though he knew my internal struggle and my ho-hum feeling for him and said "those 30-something soccer/hockey moms out there will like her".

Just some thoughts.

Pray, vote, pray.

Carleigh's First day of pre-K

My house is so quiet right now, as it is just me and the cats! Carleigh started pre-K today, and was such a big girl. She grabbed her backpack and said "Let's go, Mom."

We walked in to the class and she immediately found another little girl and asked her if she could play with her. While some kids were crying, Carleigh didn't even think twice about going out on her own. My first thought was "What kind of my mom am I that she is already that independent?" and my best friend reminded me that it makes me a good mom. I hope so!

Casa de Himmelsehr

I love this place. I wish you could all come see it. But since you can't (or won't...) I'll let you see what you are missing! BTW- we drove by that other house we were building and almost finished, and there was absolutely ZERO regret in our decision to back out.

The front of the house-

A view from the back porch-

A view of the back porch-

Our informal/ den-

A lovely evening

I mowed the front yard last night- it was the first time I've mowed a yard in almost 2 years. There is a definite difference between bermuda grass, which we had in Arlington, and the St Augustine we have here. The St Augustine is thicker and makes the process a little slower. Oh, and our yard is bigger than it was in Arlington. But it was wonderful. The sweat, the bugs, the grass clippings stuck to my legs, and the kids buzzing around the street on their bikes and scooters, chatting it up with the neighbors. I told Craig I was happier last night amidst all of that than I have been in a long time.

While Carleigh has gotten the general hang of the bike with no training wheels, she may be destined for NASCAR. She can only make left hand turns around our cul de sac. I tried to get her to turn right and go the other way, but it freaked her out and she stopped. Craig remembers that Jonas did the same thing for awhile, but I don't remember that.

I also watched a wonderful movie after the kids went to bed last night, Becoming Jane. It was beautiful, and funny, and I loved it! I like movies that don't have perfect endings, and this one surely fit my taste. I also like James McAvoy. I had a mild crush on him when he played the fawn Mr. Tumnus in Chronicles of Narnia, so I truly enjoyed seeing him on two human legs and with his normal nose and hair in Becoming Jane. And if Anne Hathaway isn't the cutest thing in movies today...

On the first day, of first grade....

Jonas started first grade today. And I'm so proud of how confident he was as he walked in to class and sat down. No clinging, no hesitation. He's a brave kid- most of the time. I'm happy to say that his teacher is a woman who a) has been teaching for 12 years, and b) is someone we KNOW! She goes to The Springs every once in awhile, and her daughter Gracie is Carleigh's age. Thank you God for such a blessing! I don't know her all that well, so I won't choose this school year to become her BFF, but at least I know she's a Christian and that she has kids of her own. My mom, and long time teacher, advised me to keep the relationship as it is now, and not to try to become too chummy with her while Jonas is in her class. It keeps things in perspective, and also makes Jonas aware of the position she holds as an authority figure. I agree.

Another fun note- Carleigh took the training wheels off her bike this weekend! I think both of my kids inherited the "bike gene" from Craig, as just like Jonas, she only needed one trip around the cul de sac with Craig holding the back of the bike before he let go and she was off!

I've also attached a picture of Speedy enjoying his favorite new place in our house... Cat- it's what's for dinner.

Meant to be?

When I was in the Army, I was in the Signal Corp. This means my job had to do with communications. This the symbol that represents the Signal Corps.

I was reminded of this when I went to Google today and decided to look up Himmelsehr in the image files. This came up in the search results, and it didn't suprise me until I remembered I was a Walzel when I was in the Army, not Himmelsehr. So I went to the related site and browsed through it only to find my father-in-law's name, Ron Himmelsehr. He, too, was in the Signal Corp when he was in the Army. How bizarre. But not out of the realm of weird for me and Craig. When we met, it was on Craig's birthday, and my birthday was the next day. For our first Valentine's day, we bought each other the exact same card. We had the same PIN for our ATM cards, and it stands for the same thing. Every one of Craig's older sisters married a member of the armed forces, all different branches. The only one not represented was Army, and Craig married me, so we solved that. Our moms have the same middle name (which is why Carleigh's middle name is Jean).

Just wanted to share that...guess I am missing my hubby!

Greeting from Sunny Arroyo City Texas!

I have not blogged lately, because I have been so busy with work. I do contract work for my father's business and August is their busiest month. When they are busy, I am busy. So I loaded up the kids (plus one- our friend Sidney) and drove down to my parent's house last Sunday. I am extremely lucky to have a job that doesn't require me to be anywhere in aprticualr, as long as there is an internet connection. So I do my "real" job with Citi from 7-3, and then switch over to work for my dad. My mom has been the full time babysitter and keeps the kids out of my hair so I can concentrate. It's been extremely nice. There have been a few problems, though.

The kids can usually spend 18 hours out of this house doing something fun. Playing basketball, hunting lizards with bb guns, swimming in the river, playing in the hot tub, or plain exploring. This trip has been dampened by the a)insane amout of mosquitoes that are plague-like thanks to the hurricane that came through 2 weeks ago (all the rain is still standing in the fields- no good run off) and b) the condition of the river water thanks to the hurricane (it's real murky and muddy when usually it is a lot more clear and a good sandy bottom) and c) the hot tub is broken thanks to the hurricane, and finally d) it's about 100 every day, and the hurricane can't be blamed for that. So, the kids have spent a ton of time inside watching tv.

Hurricane Dolly was worse than a lot of people expected, but it could have been worse. My parents screened in porch lost most of the screens and they lost some shingles on their roof. In other parts of town people lost their entire roofs, or docks, or patios. I even saw a few trailer homes on their sides. There is a ton of foliage debris that people have cut off their properties and dragged to the side of the road in front of their homes so that the piles can be picked up by the county. The problem is that there is no way of knowing when those piles will be picked up. It's the ugliest part of the aftermath, in general.

Craig is flying down on Saturday night and we are driving back on Sunday with a Penske truck full of the stuff that goes in our garage. Woo hoo! This means we can mow our lawn!

Jonas' baptism

It was a party, here on Earth and in Heaven! It was great to have over 100 people at the baptism celebration. Not all for Jonas, of course, as 3 other kids were baptized, but everyone rejoiced equally for each of the children. Not sure if you can hear it in the video, but Jonas was so ready to be baptized that he didn't even let Cameron finish his questions to affirm Jonas' decision. Yes, I cried, and so did Craig (Carleigh did too, but only because she couldn't get in the pool when it was over....)

Two of the other kids, Trey and Chase, are in the Sunday school class I teach at The Springs. I teared up for those guys, too. I absolutely love being a part of the spiritual growth of my children and of the children at The Springs!!! Thank you, God, for bringing us to the Bay area and for leading us to The Springs!

Jonas wasted no time in evangalizing our cul-de-sac. We met two of the other neighbors and each one of them was informed of Jonas' baptism, why he was doing it, and they were invited and encouraged to join the celebration. All by Jonas. I have to catch up!

So much to say

Wow- what a weekend. I have so much to blog about, but no time this morning (I am playing catch up at work since I missed Friday). But coming soon-

• Dolly's effect on the Valley and people I love
• Our new house
• Jonas' baptism

Our God is so BIG!

So far with this move, we have dealt with a realtor. We knew the owner of the house had moved to another neighborhood in League City, but that was the extent of that. Today I met the realtor and the landlord. Tammie is nice and very sweet and we had a good chat. While we were talking, she described where they now live. "So you live next door to the Simmons?" I asked. "Yes, how did you know that?" And I explained that they now live NEXT DOOR to my pastor and his family!!! How crazy! To think that they moved out of the house we are now living in to live next door to Cameron and Elizabeth! I couldn't feel more at peace about what we are doing, now more than ever.

FULL weekend ahead! (and Dolly went to visit my parents)

My parents live in the Rio Grande Valley and are sitting through probably their 15th hurricane ever. So far Dolly has been "less eventful than most Northers" says my mom. Good to hear! We had some good rain last night that may be an effect of Dolly, but no complaints here. Jonas, who has always been spooked by thunder, ended up in our bed around 4:00 and Carleigh woke up at 7:00 oblivious to the whole thing.

Friday starts our crazy wonderful weekend. We are going to load up a UHaul with the biggest stuff Friday evening (we're meeting at the apartment around 5:30, for any of you who want to help- you will be fed!). We will unload that truck as soon as we can at the new house, and anything that doesn't make it on the truck will be moved over the next week in our own vehicles. That's a very nice thing about having a week of overlap- no real rush.

Saturday morning Jonas has his last swim meet on the other side of Houston, so we can write off 6 hours of Saturday. Craig works Saturday morning, so no one will be in either house until after 1:00! Then the boys are going to a Monster Truck Rally Saturday night, and Carleigh is going to a Hannah Montana party. That gives us about 3 hours on Saturday to do anything involved with moving!

Then Sunday--- blah blah blah for most the day- I'm sure we will make a few runs from the apartment to the house, and we will unpack a few boxes, put a few beds together. But the most important thing of all happens that evening. Jonas is being baptised! It'll be a wonderful end to a busy weekend. I can't wait to see it, and I will definitely post pictures of that!!!

The Mag Seven, er, Five, Ride Again!

Ahhhh- can you hear the relaxation in my typing? It comes from 2.5 days of no work, no kids, a few adult beverages, good food, tons of sun, and the best friends I've had since I was in 3rd grade. We call ourselves the Magnificent Seven (alas, two did not make it this year- Jenny and Christy) and have attempted to get together at least once each year. This weekend was spent on Galveston Island with Jodi, Sara, Julianne, and Genevieve. We stayed at a friends' beach house and only left to eat out Saturday night. Julianne is pregnant with her second son so we had a built in designated driver (and the irony is no one drank when we did leave the house!) but it was nice to know, just in case. We laughed so much at old stories and new adventures my face hurt by the end of Sunday afternoon! We are now old enough to be comfortable enough around each other that there are no taboo subjects. Yes, we passed around pictures of our respective kids and pets, but that was the extent of outside intrusions~

I thank God for these women. I don't know a lot of people who can say they are still in touch with 6 people they went to grade school with, much less spend a weekend together ever year. I know we are blessed.

NOTE: I wanted to include a picture of our group, but I didn't manage to get more than two people in a picture at a time, and those aren't flattering! Maybe one of the other girls will send some to me and I can upload them then.

My kids- rock stars?

The kids put on a concert for me the other day, and I have to share it with you. Jonas LOVES the Newsboys, as previous posts should reveal. He wants to learn how to play the guitar and we've told him he needs to wait a few years, but he has one he fiddles around with anyway. Carleigh, well, you'll see.

Jonas' first first!

Jonas won first today in the 25 meter freestyle! It's the first time he has ever finished first. So proud!

Maybe today?

I looked at a rent house last night that is wonderful, and available when we need it, and beautiful. We should find out today if they will lease it to us. I really like this house, and it feeds in to a great school, and I pray that it works out. I'll let you know!

UPDATE:
It's ours! We have a place to live! Praise God! I am so happy! Please pray that God will use us in that neighborhood and He will be known through our love for our neighbors. Oh- and if you want to help get us off to a great start, make room on your calendar. We can move in the 25th, and any extra movers will be greatly appreciated!

Our roller coaster life

Maybe it has always been like this, but I honestly don't remember a time in my life that has been this caddy-whompis (no- that isn't a real word, and no, that probably isn't the correct spelling of said fake word, but it works for me right now). Up down, up down. And around and around we go. We pulled the contract on that house, as we just didn't feel like it was worth the trouble we were having to go through. We have made up our mind that we will be renting for at least a few more years. We want to rent a house, though, so we will find one of those this week. Our prayer is that our debt will continue to decrease and that before we know it we'll be ready to jump through all the appropriate hoops to get in to a house we truly want.

I have to tell a story on myself. It made me laugh out loud, but that isn't saying you'll find it funny. But maybe you will. I was putting away dishes a few nights ago and thinking to myself about God's promise to fill our cups until they are running over. There is a song on my i-Pod that says "Fill my cup to the top with running water" and I was humming it, too. I realized that I still had 4 or 5 cups to put away and not enough room for them all in the cabinet. I tried to put one more, and a bunch spilled out. So maybe the song and verse is wrong- maybe it is "my cups runneth over" meaning God promised us more cups than we could ever use!

Yep- it was funnier standing there in the kitchen. But it made me laugh and relieved some of the tension I had been carrying.

What a week

Heavy stuff, lots of stuff, stuff stuff stuff. We put an offer on 2027 Fairfield Ct S, and they have accepted it! But we got the inspection report yesterday, and man oh man- not so sure if what we see is enough to be worried about or not. Getting second (and third) opinions now, and we will see what happens. Best case scenario- we close on 7/24! Worst case- I don't even know what that is. But it isn't a cardboard box on the side of the highway, so I shouldn't have any worries.

Work has been horrible. So many people pulling me in so many directions, and I haven't learned the art of saying "no".

I feel like I haven't said 10 words to Craig in the past two weeks that aren't about the house. He even took his shirts to the dry cleaner and brought them home again, ALL WITHOUT ME NOTICING. This is huge, since I normally take and pick up his shirts. Where was I?

This morning as I drove Jonas to swim practice, there was the most amazing cloud formation in front of me. I drove directly toward it for 90% of the drive, due East, and the sun was rising behind it. Simply breathtaking! By the time I got back in my car and started home, it had broken up, and I was sad. Thank you God for a peek at Your awesomeness this morning. Please give me peace today- remind me to breathe in and out, and focus on You, and not some house or some boss. Let me love my children well, and not lose my temper over small things.

Wednesday wrap up

OK- so it isn't the end of a Wednesday yet, but I wanted to make note of a few things before I forget.

Some friends of mine and I will be meeting Sunday night to discuss The Shack! I'm very excited about this. And since I've posted about the book, friends have sent me links to commentary about the book that I have found quite interesting. Like this one Brad W. sent me this morning. I'm bummed that Brad G. will be out of town Sunday and won't be able to participate in the live discussion, but he promised to call in while he's driving and we'll put him on speaker phone. More on this Monday morning----

We have been in talks with another mortgage company to see what our options are. At this point it looks like we can borrow money, but not as much as we had first thought. This is okay- in fact, it's good. God is protecting us from getting in over our heads. We looked online at houses in that price range and there are some great options!

My friend Andi's mom is not doing so great. They can't seem to stabilize her- and they are moving her to Houston today to get her on a transplant list. This is good cuz Andi gets to come home, but also speaks to the extent of her mom's illness. Please continue to pray.

I wonder...

We went to Gateway Community Church yesterday and they had a special service highlighting the results of their Vacation Bible School the week before. It was flashy, and high energy, and fun, and we enjoyed every second of it. Today, I took Jonas and Carleigh to the VBS at First Baptist Friendswood. I walked them in to the auditorium for the "opening ceremonies" and found it decked out in bright colors and big balloons, and lots of people.

I remember fondly the days I attended VBS as a kid. I specifically remember saying the pledge to the American flag and to the Christian flag in the auditorium each morning. But I don't remember any fanfare or pomp. It was fun, but not over the top.

I wonder if my kids would be bored to tears by such a VBS. Or if the Word of God presented at their level for 5 consecutive days (alongside lemonade and animal crackers, of course) is impactful regardless of the hoop-la. But that's the miracle of the message, of the Gospel- the kids went to another VBS two weeks ago at a different church here in Friendswood. Much smaller, much more intimate, and no crazy banners or balloons to be found! AND the kids learned memory verses from the King James Bible (it made me chuckle to hear)! This morning, as I pulled up to FBC, Jonas said " I hope this one is as awesome as the last one we went to!"

So there you go...

TGIF!

And I woke up, in America, with two beautiful healthy children in the room next to mine, with a husband I love who is gainfully employed, with a choice of food in the kitchen, with a job to get to, with parents who adore and support me, with in-laws who do the same, with two cars in front of our apartment, and the ability to read, write, see, hear, touch, smell, and taste all the goodness (and yuckiness) in my life. Thanks to each of you who endured my pity-party a few days ago. Nothing in that area has changed since then, except my attitude.

Please take a second to remember my friend Andi and more specifically, her mom. She is going through liver failure and is not doing well. Heartbreaking to us all is that she is not a Christian. Andi's had a roller coaster summer so far, and it doesn't look like it is settling down any time soon.

Melancholy

Seems the lending rules have changed since we last financed a home. Craig has a student loan in deferrment- but guess what? It still counts toward our debt to income ratio. We both have very good credit scores, but no one will look at us without at least 5% down. We don't have that. The massive business loan Craig took out at the start of the last crazy 3 years is being repaid on a 5 year note- that means we make the equivilant of a house payment each month already. In the long run this is good, as we won't have a bunch of accrued interest. But right now, when we want to get in to a house, this sucks. I feel like a tire whose air is slowly fizzing out. I'm not boo-hoo sad, but I could slip in to that state pretty quickly. I dread the idea of living in an apartment again, and at the same time I know any roof is better than what is endured by millions of people in the world. I want to be with my community, and there isn't a rental in that area that we could afford. Maybe God is saying we need a new community. I don't want to assume I know where this will all lead, but right this minute, I am crestfallen, blue, having a small pity-party, etc.

And then, to add insult to injury, Craig's boss has implemented a new rule. Since Craig is straight commision, he now has to pay back a percentage of his paycheck anytime the office has to write a refund to a patient who decided to discontinue care. This is supposed to make Craig feel more invested in the clinic and the results it has. But dammit- I want him to just have a job with a PAYCHECK some times!!!!

Why am I surprised?

We called our realtor this morning to make an offer on the house on Green Cedar. She called back five minutes later and said they had accepted another offer last night. We had prayed that God would close the doors we weren't supposed to go through, so why on earth was I surprised to hear this? He's so awesome. I was sad/dissappointed for about 5 minutes, but then quickly reminded that this was what I asked God to do! Can't wait to see what He has in store!

Another fun moment- I have a Facebook page, and I don't spend much time on it. But I received a notice yesterday saying someone wanted to add me as a friend. I immediately knew the name and was thrilled to get the notice! Brad Wheeler was a pivotal part of my teenage years. I met him when he was the youth pastor of a church in San Antonio and had some down to South Padre with a group. He and I were quickly friends and maintained a great long-distance friendship. I still have some of the awesome letters he wrote to me. He was a strong Christian and actively growing in Christ, and that influenced me in wonderful ways. I remember the day he called me to tell he had met the woman he would marry, Robin. He had it right on, and is married to her now with a daughter! I wish I had been able to maintain the friendship, but life happens- he concentrated on getting his marriage started and ministry growing, and I was off at Boot Camp and then on to college. Now, fast forward 16 or so years, and he is thinking about church planting while he is a youth minister in San Antonio. I'm a year in to a church plant, and thrilled to have another friend and mentor in Christ! Wow- the cheesy but true line from Michael W. Smith just popped in my head "Friends are friends forever, when the Lord's the Lord of them."

Thanks God, for the people you put in my life. You are amazing!

A change in plans

I feel like I'm calling off a wedding. In a way, I am. Craig and I have decided to not commit to the house we were building. It's hard to do, as we have had countless people pray about this house and gush over it and ooh and ahhh over pictures. But when it comes down to it, it is not enough house at too much price tag. We went out yesterday with a realtor and looked at houses the same price as "ours" with 600 more square feet and a much bigger yard (one even had a hot tub that was staying with the house!). But I think we are going to put an offer on a house tomorrow in a subdivision a little further north. It is in the same neighborhood as Brad (our community pastor), has 250 more square feet, a fourth bedroom and a dedicated study, a great front and BACK yard! It is not on a cul de sac, but that is just about the only negative. I think we need to be better stewards of our money, and this house will let us do that.

I'm so grateful for the gentle way God showed us we were making a mistake, instead of letting us figure it out the hard way. He's so gracious, isn't He? Beyond words...

Jonas swims

Jonas joined the YMCA swim team on Wednesday. Today was his first swim meet, and he raced the 25 freestyle. He did an awesome job, and came in either 2nd or 3rd. We left as soon as his race was done, as they don't hand out ribbons for these meets. We'll find out his time at the next practice, and then his goal will be to beat that time. He's such a good competitor- I'm very proud of him! He's always been great in the water, so I think this sport might be a great fit for him.

Wonderful time away!

Our trip to the beach to celebrate our 10th anniversary was wonderful! Here are some pics to mark the occasion...

Me at Wahoo's- my favorite place.
And this is our view from our condo.


Craig and me on the beach- awwww. And the entire result of 10 years together!

The Shack

A book I recommend to any and every one who comes across my blog. The Shack grabbed my attention from page 1 because of the writing style- but held me in its grip beginning with the chapter titled "A Piece of Pi" (the author uses the mathematical symbol for pi, but I can't find it in my font options, so...3.14....). I want everyone I know, and people I don't know, to read this, so we can talk about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please comment as soon as you are done, or as soon as you have questions or comments.... My mom has read it and Craig is in the middle of it, and I want more input!

Ten years

Friday marks the 10th anniversary of my marriage. I won't be in front of a computer that day, or I would save my musings for then. Instead I hope to be soaking up lots and lots of sun on the same beach where said wedding took place 10 years ago! We are leaving tomorrow for South Padre for 4 days. Not exactly what Craig and I had daydreamed about when we sat and discussed where we saw ourselves in ten years, but I am happy to take it! Amazing how reality sets in, and dreams of a 10 day trip to Australia turn in to the actual trip to drop 2 kids off at my parents and spending three nights in a friend's condo cuz it's free.

I am so proud to say that I have now been married ten years. It wasn't a given, as that first year saw the "D" word thrown around a lot. But God has gotten us through some crappy stuff and revealed the multitude of benefits that come from honoring a promise. I love my husband, and feel lucky to have him love me. He's funny, and so smart, and works hard, and is so handsome. Perfect? No. Wonderful? Absolutely!

I won't be making any predictions about where we will be in 10 more years, except with each other.

Life is so short

One of my favorite singers, and the favorite of many people, Stephen Curtis Chapman, had a double horrible tragedy hit his family yesterday. His youngest daughter, Maria, 5, was killed yesterday when a car driven by her older brother hit her in their driveway. I can't imagine loosing a child. But then to think that they have to simultaneously grieve their daughter and comfort their son...beyond comprehension.

When I'm right...

I'm right! Those dumb shoes with the wheels, Heelies or Spinners or whatever you want to call them, were not a good idea for my son. At church yesterday, he marked up the entire building with rubber from the soles mixed with wheels marks. This was brought to my attention at least an hour after we had been there. I'm sure I don't even know half of the extent of the damage. Luckily it is just superficial, but we are using the YMCA with the understanding that we will take excellent care of it.

Then, at the VERY end of the VERY long day, Jonas stepped out of the car, took one step toward me, and lost his footing. Craig was on the other side of the car helping Carleigh out and all he heard was the thud of Jonas' head hitting the ground. I saw the instantaneous reaction on Jonas' face as he knew he was going to fall, and then saw his head actually bounce on the ground. It only bounced about an inch and he managed to keep it from hitting a second time, but the damage was done. Screams of pain ensued, followed quickly by Craig saying he was throwing away the shoes, which only made Jonas scream louder.

Jonas is ok today- we gave him Tylenol last night and iced his elbow (yes, the same one that caught the brunt of the last fall) and gave him a little TLC. Trying to repair the wound of Craig's threat to throw away the shoes, I told Jonas I would buy them from him. I will give him the money he spent on them to begin with, because I never should have let him buy the shoes in the first place. Immediately he said "Then can we go buy the real Heelies?". I answered "Yes- when you are 8."

Different personalities

We've decided that Carleigh is an instigator. We had game night a while back and we were playing Sequence for Kids. Instead of using playing cards, they use cards with animals to match the animals on the board. The goal is to get 4 in a row. Carleigh figured out within a few turns that she had more fun keeping Jonas from getting his 4 in a row than she did trying to find her own pattern on the board. Jonas would get so excited because he would see the chance to win in his next turn, only to have Carleigh see it too, and happily crush his idea by placing her own chip down first. Poor Jonas was miserable, while Carleigh was having a great time!

Another example, we like Taco Cabana. At some point we starting calling it Taco Banana to be funny. So that is what Carleigh calls it all the time. She would probably stop doing so, except it makes Jonas crazy. Without fail, she'll say "Banana" and he'll try to correct her with "It's Cabana, Carleigh". She just smiles and says Banana again. Jonas about looses his mind after 5 of these back and forth exchanges. He can't help that he is such a rule follower. He'll even spell it for her, as though that will make a difference. She knows exactly what she is doing, and keeps it up.

Final example- Jonas was in a cranky mood Saturday night after a long day, and was mad because we had told him Mother's Day was all about me. He was getting all upset about that, so Craig and I simply chuckled and wrote it off as exhaustion talking. He says "You need to stop laughing at me! That's rude!". Carleigh, in a complete dead pan voice, says "They aren't laughing. Laughing sounds like this-" and proceeds to break out in to a peal of laughter. Craig and I couldn't help ourselves- we busted out laughing, too.

Poor Jonas- he's going to have to learn soon how to ignore his little sister, or he's in for a lifetime of misery. He's her favorite target.

Meeting the neighbors Part 2

Yesterday was a big day in the life of our new house. We went out and saw the forms have been laid for the foundation, and we met our next door neighbors. The neighbors are Kent and Julia, and daughters Tina (7) and Valerie (4 months). Julia has a heavy accent, but I couldn't determine of what origin. They didn't chat long, as the baby was fussy, but Jonas, Carleigh and Tina hit it off in a matter of seconds! They said they hoped the house would done on time, as they need to have Tina in school. Julia doesn't drive. So- she and I may see a lot of each other, as we are both at home all day, and Tina and Jonas will go to school together.

The backyard is as small as we expected, and the front is as big as we hoped. On our way home Craig and I agreed that we would need to do something with the fence as it will be our only scenery from our bathroom window and one of the kids' windows, as well as the back porch. I then got excited thinking about the vines we could grow, or the hanging baskets that lay flush with the fence we could set up. There won't be room for any trees, but that makes mowing easier, anyway! As I said before, it will be perfect for a slip n slide!

Wandering in the wilderness between right and left

Back when I started this blog, I touched on the recent election broo-ha-ha that is going on around us and my confusion about for whom I should vote, if at all. I read this article today that describes my concerns completely! It doesn't give me any solutions, but at least I know I'm not the only person out there who is torn between social conservatism and global awareness. I want to break the cycle of poverty and welfare dependence, but I don't want any innocent children to go hungry because their mom or dad didn't graduate from high school and can't get a job that pays more then $6 an hour. I don't want another innocent life taken before birth, but I don't want condoms handed out at junior high health classes. I think that homosexuality is a sin, but I also think that we live in a country based on freedom, and since most marriages are no longer religious convenants between God and two people anyway, why shouldn't two men who love each other get married? All I keep coming back to is that I can't change the world, but I can love my neighbors. And regardless of who is elected in November, I believe God is in charge, and again, all I can do is love my neighbors. And pray, constantly.

Random thoughts

Carleigh announced a few days ago that she wants to be a fire-fighter, a ballerina, and a drummer.
Jonas wants to be a police office and a drummer. As a mom who was a drummer in high school, I'm not sure why I'm not more proud!
Jonas had field day yesterday and brought home a first place ribbon, two second place ribbons, and a participant ribbon. I have no idea what the ribbons are for, as he described races like the hippity hop, the tire jump, and the baton race. What ever happened to the 50 yard dash? Regardless, I am happy for him!
Carleigh sprinted home in front of me from the bus stop this morning, and announced that she's fast because her Croc's are fast. I'll let her believe that.
Craig continues to work hard to impress his boss and build the business. This weekend will be long for him, as he will work his normal 7-6:30 today, then go set up a spinal screening booth at a concert in the park in Pearland. He did these last year and they were effective. But we also know from last year that he won't be home until after 10:30. Then tomorrow starts at 6:30 at the Pear Run- a 5k fun run in Pearland. He'll rush from that over to an elementary school where he will set up a spinal screening booth at their end-of-year carnival. He'll go to the office in time to see patients from 9-12:30, and then go back to the carnival to work until 4:00. It normally isn't this jam-packed, but his co-worker, Dr. Davis, has to go to a funeral tomorrow morning and will not be able to help with any of that stuff. Then Sunday our church has a Mother's Day picnic planned at the park, which will end with the moms leaving and the dads handling the kids. I feel like I should switch the roles this Sunday and let him have some time off. He's worked much harder than me this week!
Weight loss- I lost 2.5 pounds last week! This week has been harder. I want to reach my goal so badly, but I'm beginning to think it won't happen by the 29th.

Newsboys pics

As promised- here we are (Carleigh is in my arms and hiding her face) with the band. Jeff, Peter, Duncan and Paul. ( You can click on these to see them bigger)Jonas shows off his backstage pass.

A great shot of the band on stage.

The Newsboys!

We made the drive to Wichita Falls and it was worth every second, every mile! John Patterson, the son of Craig's patient, is not, as I previously stated, a roadie. He is the video producer for the band. I didn't realize I had demoted him! Anyway, he is a nice guy who went out of his way to make our experience awesome! Our seats were 8 rows from the stage. Super cool, eh? It got better...he got us backstage to meet the band by ourselves with no one else around! Super nice guys, sincere, seemed happy to meet us! I was a little starstruck, but not as bad as I feared. Carleigh was a hit, and turned shy, but everyone commented on how cute she is. Jonas did a great job and had a full on conversation with the drummer, Duncan. Then we made it back to our seats and the concert was amazing and fun. I'll get some photos uploaded soon.

Weight loss update

I haven't mentioned my weight-loss endeavor recently, but I certainly haven't abandoned it. I have managed to lose .5 pounds each week for the past two. How frustrating! Even though I am 8 pounds from my vacation goal (different than my forever goal, but more about that later) losing half a pound is dissapointing. With only 5 more chances to weigh in before May 29th, the day we start our vacation, I have to do better than that. So I joined Weight Watchers Online. I can't manage to ever get to the meetings (two kids, husband who works past 7 most nights and almost every Saturday...just doesn't work) and I sit in front of a computer every day, so it seems like a good fit. I've done WW before and it works for me. The Points tracker is a fantastic accountability tool. I started this on Sunday, and I think I've had a good week. I'll weigh in tomorrow and know for sure.

Speaking of tomorrow, I can't wait to see how our weekend turns out. We are leaving this afternoon to drive to the DFW area. We will be staying at my cousin's house. Tomorrow morning we are going to get all the cousins together (Jonas, Carleigh, Kelley, Cody, Jake, Jett, and Brooks) and go to the Dallas Arboretum to take some group pictures. Eventually those pictures will be framed and given as a giant collage to my parents. They will love it.

But we aren't just making this drive to snap photos. Craig has a patient whose son is a roadie for the band Newsboys. Newsboys happens to be Jonas' favorite band! I like them too, a lot. At the least, we have free tickets waiting for us at their concert tomorrow night. At the most, and we're still waiting for final confirmation on this, we have backstage VIP passes waiting for us!!!! I haven't said a word to Jonas, in case this falls through. But as we get closer I am getting very excited! I need to rehearse what I might say if we get to meet them, as I do not have a good track record with celebrities.

When we were in Jr High, Sara Penrod and I had gone skiing with my family, and we were souvenir shopping in Taos, NM. I slipped on some ice in front of a store and a man rushed out to make sure I was OK. Other than embarrassed, I was fine. He invited us in for some hot chocolate. He chatted with us for a minute about where we were from and our vacation, then he said good bye and left. We browsed the store and I ended up buying something (no memory of what). There was a flyer next to the cash register advertising a concert that weekend. The artist was Michael Martin Murphy, a country singer. I asked Sara "Doesn't he look familiar?" to which the cashier said "You were just talking to him. He owns this store and he's the guy who just gave you your drinks". So close!

And another brush with fame came when the band Third Day and Micheal W. Smith were signing autographs at an organized meet and greet at a local mall. I stood in line with all the other people and listened to an organizer say 5+ times "Don't try to shoot the breeze with these guys- there are a lot of you and we only have a limited amount of time." I took that to heart. As I quickly got Third Day's authographs and moved down the table to MWS, the guy behind me strikes up a conversation with the drummer of Third Day. MWS glances that way and sees the gap and says "How are you?" to me. Seems we had been given a few extra seconds and he decided to chat with me. Yep- I couldn't get out anything other than "Thank you!" and walked away. I heard MWS say to someone standing behind him "I guess she didn't want to talk to me!". DOH!

I did manage a civil and intelligent conversation with then Texas governor George W. Bush. His first High School graduation speech as governor was at my alma mater the year after I graduated. My dad, who has been in politics, was invited to a reception before the graduation to meet W. I went with him. He was polished and professional, diplomatic to be sure (glanced at my name tag and addressed me by my first name immediately) but very warm. I told him I had graduated the year before and he asked if I was going to college. I said yes, UNT, and he asked if I had made it to a Ranger's game. He was part owner of the baseball club at the time. I said yes, and then he signed a magnetic Ranger game schedule I had brought with me. Who knew I was shaking the hand of the man who would be president when both my children were born? Very cool.

So- tomorrow could go either way. I can't wait to get back and tell you how it goes, and hopefully post some pictures!