Gum in her hair

Carleigh walked up to me about an hour ago and pointed at her head. I was on a conference call with my boss, or I would have shouted the first thing that came to my mind.

In case you don't know, my daughter is "hair challenged". She is 4 years old and had her first trim in March, which was simply to even up the back. Even before the trim the back of her hair was less than two inches long. The front is even more stunted, and doesn't seem to have progressed past 1 inch. I constantly get compliments from strangers about her adorable hair cut, to which I explain God gets all the credit, since this is all He has given her. What you see is definitely no trendy trim. I long for the day that a bow or barrette will go in her hair! I did the head band bows when she was much younger, but she'll have nothing to do with those now. And I have even eeked out pig tails, but they really looked forced and not attractive.

So an hour ago, Carleigh alerts me to the wad of GUM in the front of her hair (about an inch behind her hairline, right in the middle). She has tried to get it out herself, but has only managed to get it spread around an area roughly 2x3 inches. If I were to cut it out, the entire front of her head would be bald. So I grabbed the peanut butter and started massaging it in the gum. Not sure if you've heard differently, but this did nothing but cause her to have gum and peanut butter in her hair.

I went online, searched for possible resolutions, and went with the cooking oil idea. I don't have any oil in the house, but I have a brand new can of cooking spray. It seems to have worked. Lots of her hair came out with the gum, peanut butter, and oil, but not as much as cutting would have taken. I wish I had snapped some pictures, but I wasn't thinking clearly.

Some seem to rebound quickly, it seems

That other table group birthed from ours didn't waste any time finding new friends. Cameron proudly announced that while us, the "old" group, had 17 people Sunday afternoon for Table, the McLendons had 18! And leave it up to those competitive folks in Brittany Lakes...they've already rubbed our noses in it! Of course I love this. I just have to act all hurt and upset, or it won't seem like a real break up. He he he!

Kuddos

Friday was a big day at our house. Craig and I both had our egos bolstered. Craig's boss took him to lunch and, long story short, told him he has big plans for Craig. Lots of big visions, and some of them may come to fruition within the next week. My boss went on vacation last week and left me as her out of office contact. And it was really cool to have some big time responsibility! Friday blind-sided me with a last minute big project that my boss's boss needed ASAP. I managed to get it done, on time and as requested. It felt good.

Answered prayer

When I was pregnant with Jonas, I remember specifically praying that my child would be intelligent. Above average, I believe I asked.
Now what is it they say about being careful what you ask for? Yep- I agree.
Jonas' teacher e-mailed me yesterday afternoon to let me know he has been not listening and acting out more lately than any other time this year. I went to talk to her, because I want Jonas to know that this is not acceptable, no matter how close to the end of the school year we are. I also think it's important that he knows that I will put everything else on hold to address what he is going through, no matter what it is. Mrs. Kowis spoke to Jonas with me in the room and let him know that she expects more from hims because he's the oldest, the smartest (!!!), and a natural leader. That the kids will do whatever he does because they look up to him and think if it's ok for him to do it, then it is ok for them to do it. He seemed to understand and she asked him to leave the room while she and I talked.
She then told me she is amazed by Jonas' reasoning abilities and has never seen a kid advance in reading as fast as he has this year. She said she is glad he will be going to Gilmore next year, because he will have a better chance of being challenged the way he should be. Where he has been at the top of his class at Weber, she thinks he will be closer to average at Gilmore. In the meantime, she wants me to get him outside and running around as much as possible this summer. She also said she will be noting in his file that his next teacher should call her as soon as he is assigned so that she can warn him/her. Not sure how to take that comment...
I'm very happy that God gave Jonas a sharp brain- but I think I agree with Mrs. Kowis when it comes to his reasoning. He's going to have to accept a few things "just because" as he gets older or he is going to get in trouble. I don't want him to ever stop questioning, but I also pray that God will give me the strength to endure his endless streams of questions and that the teachers he has in the next 12 years will be as receptive as this first one has.
I love my son so much. Thank you God, for this crazy, funny, emotional, deep thinking, boy I get to have for a little while. Forgive me when I lose my patience with him. Thank you for leading him to You at such a young age.

Breaking up is hard to do

While I knew this was coming, it still hurts. Cameron has announced this first "break up" of our table group. Two families will be leaving our current table and joining with another family to create a new table. This is great news, because it means that we are growing. This is sad news because I will miss seeing these people as often as I have been. I know in the long term vision of The Springs, this will happen again. Eventually, we want table groups to be pedestrian friendly. I can hardly wait for that day! With Cameron's blessing Craig and I will open the doors to our new house to a new table group as soon as possible. And I pray that each participant will have walked to get there. But in saying that, I know that means that none of the current members of our table will be there. This is a good thing, really. I just have to pout for my own selfish loss a few minutes...

Your mom does what???

What a great dinner we had last night! A family from The Springs came over and we had typical comfort foods- meatloaf, potatoes au gratin, corn on the cob, and brownies. YUM! But the best part was the conversation. Cameron talked previously on his blog about crossing the line between acquaintances and living life together, and we certainly crossed that line last night. Our kids were telling stories on us, while we told stories on our parents. Transparency was a word that was used, and I think I like that. We were real, and leave it to the kids to get that ball rolling! My only regret is that last night was the very first time we have intentionally had people to our apartment for a meal. We have lived here for 15 months- that's just wrong. Yes, we are in a small space, but it didn't bother anyone last night. The kids headed outside just as fast as they could anyway, which freed up lots of space!
Thank you, God, for creating us to be with other people. Thank you for our pastors who encourage us to do so, intentionally.

A plan much bigger than I could have dreamt of

Craig and I were talking about our move to the Bay Area last night and I began remembering details that I had not thought of in a while. And while it is fresh on my mind, I want to jot down as many of the amazing things that happened to bring us here. In case you didn't know, we were living in Arlington, Texas up until January of 2007.

• In September of 2006, Craig was fired from his job. I had been a stay-at-home mom for the 18 months prior to that, but immediately went back to work when this happened. I was able to get a job with the company for whom I had worked up until Carleigh's birth, Citi. I retained all my previous time in service and benefits!


• In October, Craig went in to business with another chiropractor and opened an office in Mansfield.


• In the summer of 2007, Craig wasn't bringing home much money at all. But because of a convicting story we had heard from another Christian, we committed to begin tithing regularly, no matter what.


• In September 2007, he took a second job unloading freight at Kohl's department store. We shared our struggle with our Home Group, and because of their generosity we never missed a single bill or meal.


• By October 2007, Craig's partner asked him to step out of the business because they couldn't support two doctors on the income they were bringing in, and Josh had bought in the majority of the expenses. We were heart broken. Owning his own clinic had been Craig's dream, and we thought God has smiled on our venture with a fellow Christian.


• At the end of October, we attended a Financial Peace University lecture our pastor was giving at Pantego Bible Church. I couldn't make it through a single lesson without crying. It was all very raw for me. At the end of one of the sessions, I left crying without talking to anyone around me. Our friend Will Walsh caught me outside and asked what was going on. I broke down and shared the anger I felt that Ron was preaching about the "overflowing" that would come from tithing, and here we were with Craig having no job. Ron wasn't preaching the prosperity "gospel" by any means, but he was saying only good could come from being faithful to God. I felt that the opposite was happening in our case, and I was so angry. Will didn't offer anything other than "That has to suck". He was sympathetic, and that was all I needed right then.


• During the next week, Craig sent out resumes to offices in DFW, the major metroplexes in Texas, and even in Nebraska where he is from. We heard from only 2 offices- one in Mesquite and one in Pearland. The one in Mesquite sounded perfect, and the Pearland one sounded ok. They both wanted to interview Craig on October 31st, so he scheduled the Mesquite interview for lunch time, and the Pearland interview for after 6:00 PM. We saw Will again on Sunday and updated him on the status of Craig's job search. During the conversation, we found out Will's uncle is the city manager of Pearland! Small world, right? Also, we mentioned that the Mesquite job sounded so good, we may not even bother making the drive to Houston- we didn't even have the gas money it would take to do so. After church, Will caught us again and handed us $100 for gas money and said "I don't think you should close any doors that God has opened. Let Him do that." Wise man, that William Walsh!


• I took the day off, we loaded up the kids, and we went to Mesquite. The kids and I drove around to kill time while Craig had his interview. When he came out he was excited, because the owner had practically said Craig could have the position and start as early as the next Monday. He would call Craig in the next few days to iron out the details. We sat in the car and again thought about not going to Houston. But I was reminded of Will's advice, so we headed south.


• It was Halloween and Craig went to his interview in Pearland while the kids and I trick-or-treated with Sara and John Sanders. They loved the idea of us moving to Houston, but I kept telling Sara how awesome the Mesquite job had sounded. I remember walking through her neighborhood that night, sweat dripping off my face because of the lovely Houston humidity, thinking "I don't think God would make us come here."


• Craig made it back from the interview and all he could say was "It seems great, too." Huh. Didn't expect that. Our drive back to Arlington the next day was spent talking about the pros and cons of both options, the entire time expecting the Mesquite office to call and seal the deal. Instead, halfway to Dallas, Craig's phone rings and it's the Pearland office. Can he start on Monday? Shocked, Craig said he'd have to call him the next day. We honestly thought we'd weigh the two offers and choose the better one.


• We get home that evening and there is a message from our Children's pastor, Keith Smith. He had hurt his back and was looking for Craig as a chiropractor. I called Keith back and let him know Craig was no longer in practice in DFW, but I would recommend someone for him. Keith asked why, and I explained we might be leaving the area for a small town outside Houston. Oh really, where? asks Keith. Pearland, I answer. Well, you know that is where we moved from last year, right? NO! We began a dialogue about the area, churches, schools, etc.


• By 5:00 the next day, no one had called from Mesquite. And Craig had called and left a message for them. The Pearland office wanted an answer by 6:00, so Craig went ahead and called and accepted. We assumed he could always call and back out if the Mesquite deal came through before Monday.


• Craig called and left no less than 5 messages for the Mesquite office over the next few days. But on Sunday, with no contact with them and a paying job waiting in Pearland, Craig loaded up his truck and drove to the Sanders' house. He would stay with them and drive the 40+ miles to Pearland each day.


• I was in school and working full time, and my parents were worried about me having the kids by myself while I finished up the semester, so by the end of Monday, my mom was at my house ready to take my kids home with her for the next 5 weeks.


• That next week was a blur. I got the house ready and listed on the market with a realtor friend who was from church. We listed it above the price our realtor recommended because I had dreamt of a certain number and felt convinced that was what we needed to ask. We sent out a mass e-mail to everyone we know in Texas asking if anyone knew of anyone who lived in Pearland and might be willing to put Craig up until January. We had no extra money, and we hinted that the cheaper the better, and free would be best. The 80+ miles a day on Craig's truck was expensive and long!


• In the conversations with Keith Smith about Pearland, he had mentioned a church he knew of in the area, but had not been to himself, called Gateway Community Church. Craig and I prayed that we could find a church similar to our beloved Pantego Bible Church- focused on people and community more than the church building and programs. I sent an e-mail to the pastor of Gateway, Randy, because I saw their website listed the same 30 Core Competencies that Pantego used, and they had a study guide that looked like the Scrolls we had used. I mentioned we were coming from PBC and we wanted something like it. Randy wrote back and said he would love to have us there, but really wanted to introduce us to two men on his staff that would be starting a new church based on PBC- Brad Gartman and Cameron Simmons.


• The time frame of the next few things is blurry, but isn't as important as the fact that they happened at all! We were connected to the aunt of a family friend who lived alone in Friendswood, and had a room Craig could use, for free! Julie let a man she had never met before live with her in her town home based solely on the character reference of her nephew's wife. Ashley and I grew up together, as did our fathers, so I think that is saying a lot for how Julie feels about her nephew, Andy, and his wife Ashley. What an amazing blessing! Craig was able to reduce his commute to less than 5 miles each way and stay in a safe, very comfortable home, for only his share of the utilities for a little over 7 weeks.
• Somewhere in that time, Cameron and Brad met Craig for lunch. We discovered that Brad had been on staff at Pantego! They laid out the plan they had for the Church at the Springs and before lunch was over Craig told them to count us in. I'm not sure how much more God could have answered that prayer!
• Nine days after we listed our house for sale, we got an offer. Vickie, our realtor, sat me down and showed me the details. It was 6k lower than our asking price. You could see Vickie's expression say "I told you so". So I told her that we had to counter with our original asking price, and we'd throw in the play scape in the backyard. She said "they won't accept this, but I'll do it just to show you. We'll come down next time." Three hours later she called me and started the conversation with "I owe you an apology." They had accepted the counter offer! This was a family in California, and they hadn't even stepped foot in our house. They saw the pictures on-line and sent their realtor to look at it. It was exactly what they wanted. AND they wanted to close the weekend before the next semester started at UNT. We couldn't have asked for a better closing date!
• I asked Cyndi and Clint Rains if I could stay with them during the Spring semester. I was slightly hurt when they said no. I really thought that would be the best case scenario. I then contacted friends who live in Denton, Greg and Sarah Kemper, and point blank asked if I could stay with them until I finished school in May. They have a huge house and have been good friends to us. They said yes, and only asked me to pay my share of utilities! Amazing!
• Craig secured an apartment for him and the kids and we planned to close on our house, load the U-Haul, and move in to our apartment in Friendswood the same weekend. Other than a couple of snags, we made it. I helped move Craig, Jonas and Carleigh in to an apartment on my 33rd birthday. The next day I drove back to Denton to start my last semester of school.
• While I glossed over it, it is no small feat that my husband didn't even hesitate when he found out he would have to be a full-time daddy in order for me to finish my master's degree. NOT ONCE did he indicate or hint that it would be too much for him to handle. So for the next four months, I saw my family every other weekend and worked and went to school in between visits.
• I was still employed with Citi in Irving, and wasn't sure what I should do about getting a job in Houston. I enrolled in the alternative certification program for Clear Creek ISD, and naively marched in to a job fair that April. Me and 2500 other applicants. Talk about God slamming a door shut! I was so overwhelmed and quickly realized that I was not in the right place that I left less than 30 minutes after showing up. I left my resume, but not surprisingly never heard from them.
• I approached my boss and asked if she thought I could keep my job and work remotely full time from home in Houston. She said she would take it to the powers that made such decisions, and I would know before I planned to move in May. God taught me a big lesson in patience on that one, as it was the last day I planned to work in Irving before I found out that my request was approved!

I know I'm missing other little things along the way. And I know I spent way too much time on this entry. But I don't ever want to forget the miracle(s) God worked in our lives in the past two years. I want someplace to come back to and see the faithfullness of God, especially when I think He isn't. And maybe someone else will read this and be encouraged, inspired, or blessed.

Meeting the neighbors (part 1)

As I left our worship service today, I intentionally drove past our lot to see if anything had changed. I saw a car parked in the cul-de-sac and several people milling around one of the foundations across the street from ours. I stopped and introduced myself. Jerry and Joann(e?) are an older couple (they have at least one grown daughter named Mary- met her too!) with a small dog. Jerry works for the post office here in Friendswood and Joann recently retired (didn't get from where). Awesome! As much as I love having other kids for my kids to play with, I also adored having Bill and Helen Kennedy live across from us in Arlington. They treated Jonas and Carleigh like their own grandkids, and were able to help us with stuff around the house that we either didn't know how to do, or didn't have the tools for. I have no idea what Jerry and Joann will be like, but I am excited that we get to find out.

Speaking of strawberries and the lack of fantasy (Updated)

One of my best friends, Sara, just called to tell me that I am missing a land-mark episode of Go Diego Go. I have previously made fun of this otherwise harmless show for it's lack of authenticity. Granted, cartoons aren't ever going to claim to be factual or accurate, but there is a difference between, say, the Backyardigans and Go Diego Go. The Backyardigans are all animals who walk, talk, dance, and act like humans- anthromorphized penguin, moose, kangaroo, and ladybug- so we know from the start that this is imaginary. Dora the Explorer has a human character, Dora, but also has Boots the monkey, another animal who has been given human qualities. Once again, the cross over is obvious and there is no harm, no foul.
But Diego seems to be marketed as the cartoon version of the crocodile hunter. This is a boy who has access to lots of different kinds of animals and teaches kids very specific things about them during the course of 20 some minutes. The premise, to me anyway, is that kids can take what they learn and apply it to real life ("Hey look Mom! There is a three toed sloth/ banded armadillo/ howler monkey just like we saw on Go Diego Go!"). But then they go and mess it up by sugar coating the idea of predators and prey and don't mention that the wolves would never race against the armadillos in the relay race because they would be too busy EATING THEM.
So Sara called me today to let me know that I would be proud of Go Diego Go, episode 76, "After the Wind Blows". Seems the hero armadillo is going to help Diego save his grandfather's strawberry farm. How, you ask? By eating a bunch of strawberries and then pooping out the seeds at the appropriate time and place, of course.

I have to say I'm confused by my emotions. I am thrilled that the armadillo didn't pick up a basket of seeds and walk on his hind legs to abuelo's farm and plant the seeds himself, using a hoe and watering can. But I am also disturbed that they assume the armadillo will eat the strawberries on demand, hold his poop until it is time to let loose, and then defecate in the appropriate location, again on demand. *sigh* I will have to hold off on a final decision until after I see the entire episode for myself.

I immediately went to my DVR and found said episode and set it to record, so I can see this rare bit of, albeit far-fetched, accuracy. Want to see it too? Monday, April 21st, at 8:30 AM CT on Nick.

Update- I'm speechless. First, to correct my entry above, the hero is an iguana, not an armadillo. Resisting the urge to tear into the entire series, I will simply say that I should not be watching Go Diego Go, and I should prepare myself for questions when I let my kids watch it. If you have seen the series and have anything to add, please do so. Otherwise, I'll be moving on now.

So this is when the real fun starts

Jonas brought home a new word last night- the 'f ' word. Starts with f, ends with k. You know the one. This is a word that Jonas has probably never heard. We don't use it, we don't watch shows or listen to music that uses it, and 99% of our friends are just like us, so they don't use it. But some great kid on the bus told Jonas about this word, and was even nice enough to teach Jonas how to spell it. I knew this would happen some day, but when he stepped off the bus and asked me if I knew what that word was, I wasn't prepared. My first impulse was to be mad at him and punish him for saying it. But within a nano-second I realized he was just asking a question about a new word. So I calmed down and told him it was a word he should never use and there are too many other words in the world he can use, and to not waste his time or breath on that one.
But leave it to Jonas to go one step further and ask "But what does it mean?"
I was stumped.
All I could eek out was something about it being used to be mean and hateful and really didn't have a meaning, per se. What a crock! Jonas didn't buy it, and asked at least 3 more times "But what does it mean?" I had to finally tell him that all he needed to know was to not use it and to ask other people not to use it around him. Here I am, the parent who has taught him the correct anatomical names of his body parts and never pretended Santa was real. We talk about the difference between skinny and healthy at dinner, and I've taught him how to read the nutrition label on food packaging. There has been no veil of secrecy or fantasy in our house. But when it comes to a simple word...I pull the equivilant of "Because I said so". And Craig pointed out that it only gets harder and more complicated from here. *sigh* God help us all!

Big bummer (little yard) and strawberry fields

On a whim I stopped by the builder's office today to see if they happened to have the official plot lines for our land yet. They did. The front yard is going to be nice and big, but the back, well, not so much. It is a great width- 69 feet. But it's only going to be 10 feet deep. That's crazy! So it will be big enough for a slip n slide, and that's it. If it weren't for the fact that it starts at the end of our covered porch I would say "no deal" right now and walk away. Our porch, which is included, is 17x13 and fully covered. So we don't have to find room in that 10 feet for furniture and a bbq pit. And we weren't planning on getting a trampoline or playscape anyway. And our house is on a cul de sac, so the kids will be in the front yard most of the time. I don't know. I'm not fully convinced either way yet. We'll see...
Trying to wear the kids out and keep them busy while spending little or no money, we headed to Alvin this afternoon. Froberg's Farm is a great farmer's market sort of place on several acres on which they rotate crops. Right now there are strawberries! So the kids and I went and picked our own strawberries. It was a beautiful day, and the kids really got in to the idea of "harvesting" their own food. I see this becoming a spring tradition!

Weekend-ing

I'll start with the good stuff... I lost 2 pounds this week! Woo hoo! I am now 9 pounds from my goal. So how did I reward myself this morning after stepping off the scale? With 3 cinnamon rolls, of course. =(
So it's off to the gym this morning to work off that sugar and all those empty (but oh so yummy) carbs. Lunch will have to be lean protein and veggies. Good thing I like those things.

Craig is somewhere between Houston and La Grange right now. They have been on their bikes for about 2 hours. It looks like they will have fantastic weather for the entire ride. I hope he has a good time, and enjoys his time away from us. I mean that in the best way, of course! We all need down time. I was going to take the kids and meet Craig at the finish point in Austin on Sunday, but then I found out the finish point is at UT. Are they crazy? 13K riders, and their families, downtown Austin, which is already a hard part of town to traverse. So I opted out and told Craig he can ride the bus home with his buddies. Besides, it cost $25 for the bus ride. It would have cost me well over a tank of gas ($40) to get to Austin and back. Craig gets a few more hours to himself, we save money, it's all good.

We went to the gym in League City yesterday and I drove past our home site on the way. They've started leveling the land next to our lot, so you can actually see our southern lot line! Very exciting! I plan to pop over there often as the building progresses, and maybe even start to meet some of our future neighbors (as they are out there watching their homes go up). What an exciting time for all of us! The kids are going to love this process!

Funky Houston caterpillars

I don't even know for sure if they are caterpillars, cuz they are sooo weird looking. But past the two sets of fuzzy antennae, three distinct white humps on their backs, red heads, and varied colored bodies, they do resemble a caterpillar. These are all over our apartment building. And the kids are fascinated with them! At first I had them convinced they might be poisonous and to not touch them. But that ended when Carleigh picked on up and played with it. Then the collecting began! At one point I think they had over 20 in one small bug carrier. All fine and good, I guess.
But then yesterday Carleigh broke out in a rash on her legs, face, and torso. I cannot figure out what it is from! There are no spots on her back, but they are all on her front. So I've decided that she must be having some allergic reaction to the caterpillars. (Not sure if it is true, but I'm going with it.) I told the kids this morning as we left for the bus stop to not touch any caterpillars as Carleigh already had a rash. Jonas, the smart boy he is (grrr) quickly says "Well I didn't get a rash so I must not be allergic. I'll catch them all from now on!" I guess I'm glad he doesn't spook easily.
Carleigh called me out on the porch a few minutes ago to show me that one of the caterpillars seems to have turned in to a cocoon. Hmm. Could be. Looks like it. Now we'll wait and see what happens. I am kinda excited about the idea, and very glad that my kids collected those weird things. Maybe we'll see a complete metamorphosis on our very own back porch!

Update: I've discovered that these are Tussock Moth caterpillars. http://eny3541.ifas.ufl.edu/Tussock/Orgyia.htm This site talks about the Florida variety, but since our climates are similar, I don't see why these can't be the same as ours. AND they are considered mild stinging caterpillars, thus Carleigh's rash!

I love my husband

In case I haven't publicly said that lately, it's time for a reminder. I LOVE MY HUSBAND! And I love seeing what God is doing in his life. I had a bit of (possibly) bad news this morning when I found out that HR has approached a co-worker about her salary requirements for the job I was hoping to get. Punch to the gut, let me tell you. This doesn't mean it's off the table, but HR hasn't called me. Which leads me to believe the job will be offered to her. My ego is bruised. But Craig simply held me as I cried a little (no sobbing, I promise) and started praying for me. He thanked God for me, and asked that God would give me to peace that comes with knowing He is in control, and closed doors are God's way of showing us the open ones.

Wow. And I have felt that peace. God is faithful! I have found joy, JOY even in the fact that I have a current job that is already filled with unbelievable perks. And I've even felt a tinge of excitement at what the future holds, if not that promotion.

Thank you God, for Craig. Thank you for his words at exactly the right time. Thank you for making him point me to You. I am truly blessed.

A weight loss update

I have failed to mention my quest to drop some weight lately. Last week was intentional, as I GAINED a pound. Yuck. But this week I lost 2.5! I have lost 6 pounds since I started trying on 3/1/08. That could be disheartening, except I know that I am not doing anything spectacular to acheive my goal- I am simply eating less and exercising more. Then I watch Biggest Loser and see these people who A)have 20-30 pounds left to lose, B)work out like CRAZY!, and C) have motivated trainers in their faces most days of the week, and two of them gained a pound last week, too. I don't feel bad at all after seeing that. In fact- I am quite proud that I am losing anything at all!
So, with 8 weeks to go, I have 11 pounds yet to lose to reach my goal. I can do it, without a doubt.
Craig has maintained for 3 weeks in a row, but he has the MS150 this weekend. He'll probably lose 5-6 pounds this weekend alone!

Carleigh and her potty mouth

Ever have one of those moments when you just can't find the right word to explain how you are feeling? I sure have, and so have 4-year olds. Carleigh's problem is a lexicon that is not fully developed. Thus the following situation:
Daddy: Where did you find that, Carleigh? (pointing to a putty knife Carleigh is holding)
Carleigh: It's my, uh, screwer.
Daddy: A screwer? What do you do with that?
Carleigh: You use it to screw things.
Daddy: Oh yeah?
Carleigh: Yep! I'm going to screw you Daddy! (as she approaches him, turning the putty knife like she would a screw driver) Screw you! Screw you!

I honestly didn't think we'd hear her say that to one of us for at least 12 years, if ever!

The World's Biggest Church?

This makes me sad. At some point in my life it would have made me angry, but I'm past that. Check out what one of the most influential people of our generation has to say about God.

April 1st

I wonder if I have failed my son by not allowing him to experience his first April Fools Day that he might appreciate. He's not good at taking jokes, so I opted to bypass any practical jokes today. But will someone get him at school, and I'll be a bad guy for not prepping him? Guess we'll find out!
I spoke with a long time friend last night for almost 2 hours. She and her husband are embarking on this adventure called church planting, and I am so excited for them. They are in the position to allow him to not make a paycheck for an extended period of time and simple focus on building a body of believers. Their idea of church is almost identical to The Springs, meaning they think relationships are much more important than a building. We have already been able to share stories of how God has worked in our communities and I look forward to hearing more. They are embracing Dallas, and we are loving Houston. I think it's amazing that she and I grew up in the same little Baptist church, and we moved to the two biggest cities in Texas, and we are going about "church" the same way, which happens to be very different than how we were raised.