A Near Miss

Jonas saved enough money to buy himself some off-brand Heelies. For those of you who don't know, these are tennis shoes that have wheels on the bottom of the heel area. Kids can walk normally, or lean back on the wheels and roll. Well, I told Jonas I don't think he's old enough to have these, but I told him if he raised the money, he could buy them. Saturday was the big day. Sure enough, he fell more often than he would have liked, but he seemed to be getting better. On Sunday we went to the park with our table group for lunch, whiffle ball, and volleyball, and Jonas brought his new shoes. Everything was fine for the 3 hours we were there. As we were loading the car to go to Jonas' soccer game, Jonas became distracted and fell. His elbows took the brunt of the fall. Immediately, his left elbow began to swell and became very ugly. He said it hurt, but he could straighten his arm and put weight on it, so we went on to the soccer game. of course, Jonas falls during the soccer game, on his left elbow, and comes off the field in tears. Poor guy- he was trying so hard to be tough. We came home, iced it down, and put him to bed. This morning, it still looked gnarly and was tender to the touch, but he had full motion and was in good spirits. We took him to Craig's office to x-ray it, just to be sure. It appears there is no break, so it looks like we lucked out this time. I told Jonas that he will have to pay for the doctors' services needed to fix something when he does break it, since I didn't want him to have the shoes to begin with. He just laughed at me. We'll see how much he laughs when I hand him the bill!

Friendships Old and New

This weekend was busy, but so much fun! The kids and I drove in from the valley to go to Megan Sanders 5th birthday party. We met the Segel's at the Sanders' house and had the perfect weather for an outdoor party. The kids were able to run in and out of the house at will, ride bikes and scooters, and play on the jungle gym. We had a pinata and eventually a water balloon fight. I can't speak for anyone else, but it was my idea of perfect! And as I sat and sipped a Mojito (thanks John- you always know how to make me smile) I relished in the fact that I am blessed beyond measure. My two very best friends since 3rd grade are STILL my two very best friends. We have a total of 8 kids between us, and each one is healthy and beautiful and smart and funny and sweet and kind. They like each other and call us all Aunt or Uncle. Each of our husbands' gets along with the others, and we live within 2 hours of each other, so gatherings like this are possible. We have known each other long enough now that our conversations always include some trip down memory lane. These people are my family, and I hope they know how much I love them. We are so comfortable with each other that the smart cracks about gray hair and wider waist lines are taken in stride (usually!) and I even am able to poke fun at Sara's mom without fear of retribution. What a deal we have going! It's hard to believe we ever swore we'd never speak again (those High School emotions ran high) and yet Jodi and I talk 6 or 7 times a week, and Sara and I are on the phone 4-5 times each week.

Then on Sunday, I gathered with the newest members of my family- my church. After service we went to the Simmons' home and shared a wonderful Easter lunch. We've know these new friends for about a year now, and the conversations are different that those I had on Saturday, but no less precious. I'm able to laugh and joke with each of these new friends almost as easily as the old ones. The stories don't go back nearly as far, but we already share some inside jokes. (Kris is not allowed to christen my house slab in any way....) One fun part of my new friends is that I get to learn something every time we are together. I already know I want to take family vacations with these guys, and I would LOVE to have the new people meet the old ones. What a day that will be!

Other stuff- my interview went well, but I always interview well. It's that God given gift of gab. Whether it gets me the job or not is still to be determined- but I am happy with my effort! Also, Craig and I BOTH maintained our weights this past week. Not a pound was lost on either side. That's great, considering the food I consumed at the party on Saturday and at Easter lunch (mmmm- if you haven't yet, you HAVE to try Elizabeth's cheese grits...). But I have no excuse this week, so I better see some numbers dropping on Saturday!

Have to share this sweet picture of Carleigh- she's wearing a dress handed down from Jodi. Another wonderful perk of my old friends- we get to share kids' clothes.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

I love this place. My parents' home sits on the Arroyo Colorado, a "river" that connects the Port of Harlingen to the Laguna Madre. Just hop on a boat and you can be in the Gulf of Mexico in 30 minutes. It's a quiet place, except for all the birds and the occasional boat. I love mornings here- we sit on the 2nd story porch that overlooks the water and take in the start of the day. Conversation always centers on the wind, the birds, and the chance for rain. My kids are old enough now to have full run of the place and I don't even worry. They can ride bikes up and down the long caliche road that leads to the main road, play basketball in the driveway, sit on the deck and "fish". It's beautiful and peaceful, and even though I didn't grow up in this house, it is home.
An update on our weight loss endeavor this week-

Craig stayed the same

I lost 1.5 pounds

That gives me a total of 4 pounds and Craig a total of 3. I hope I can stay at this pace, as an average of 2 pounds a week will drop me past my goal by 8 pounds! I can handle that! Then again, as I feared, my mother has prepared gooey yummy desserts for us to graze on this week. I must just say NO. Most of the time. Ha!

####Update since this morning#####

Did I say it's peaceful here? I meant to say it is USUALLY peaceful here. Today is an exception. The wind is sustained at 30 mph with gusts up to 55. I'm losing my mind! There hasn't been rain lately, so it's a dust storm out there. The kids can't even stand to be out in it for more than about five minutes. So I logged on to work for an hour to escape the insane sounds of the wind.... Good news- I found out I have been asked to participate in a 3rd interview for a promotion I applied for in November. Yipppeee! God willing I will get the job and it will allow us a little more breathing room on our new house. Which, BTW, I also discovered we have been pre-approved at a very decent 6%. That will probably change before September, but it could very well go down with the way things have been happening!

TGIFBIGOVNW

(thank God it's Friday before I go on vacation next week)

Woo hoo! It's Friday, and I am on vacation all next week! Well, sort of- as I agreed to help with one project while I'm gone. But for the most part, it's no work! The kids and I are driving to Arroyo City Sunday after church and we'll be there until next Saturday. My brother, his three boys, and a friend of his will be there the second half of the week, too. It should be crazy fun. I just need to get through today. Carleigh and I will be taking a break in the middle of the day to go to Jonas' school to watch their egg hunt. Just what the kids need- more candy.
It's hard to believe that Jonas is almost done with Kindergarten. He has done so well this year! His teacher, Mrs. Kowis, has been excellent. He can read just about anything he sees now. I think he is going to be very good in 1st grade, as long as I keep him reading this summer. I think I will add that to his chore list- reading to Carleigh for 30 minutes a day. The boy loves money, and will try to barter for it through any task. "Momma, will you give me a dollar if I take your shoes to your closet?". So throwing in a new task will be easy, as long as I attach a dollar figure to it.

Blah

I have not felt good all day. My allergies are on overdrive and I tossed and turned all night. I have a phone meeting with the mortgage company about pre-qualifying for our house, and I have a dead weight in the pit of my stomach. Work has been rough lately, with very little positive feedback. My back is achey and I've gone through an entire roll of toilet paper for my drippy nose (I'm too cheap to buy a box of tissues). On top of all that, my momma is in Mexico until Friday. When I realized I couldn't call her like I do almost every day, it made me sad. Then it made me realize that some day, I won't be able to call her at all.

My parents are in excellent health and do not resemble most people their age (see the wonderful picture of them with my brother and his wife). So when it dawns on me that they will die, just like all of us, it catches me off guard. I KNOW they won't be here on earth forever. I just find it hard to imagine life without my momma being a phone call away.

We are going to their house after church on Sunday, and I can hardly wait to give both of my parents big hugs and lots of kisses.

Free Willy

Dara Freed, a woman I have never met, is having surgery today to remove a large tumor from her brain. She is the sister of my friend Julie. Dara named the tumor Willy, thus the saying, Free Willy. My thoughts are with her and her entire family as they prepare for the 5-8 hour surgery. Her blogs have been inpirational and touching, and funny! I feel like I know her, and pray I someday can meet her. She has faith that God is in control, no matter the outcome. Wow- amazing. Check out her story at http://darafreed.blogspot.com/, and please lift her up in prayer today.

Chicken sacrifices

Yesterday, before we met for dinner, our Table Group met at our empty lot. As we waited for one family to show up, the kids pulled a soccer ball out of the car and started kicking it around in the cul-de-sac. My heart swelled, as did the tears in my eyes, as I realized THAT was the best thing about our new house. Our kids are going to be doing exactly that, maybe with those same kids, probably with the neighbors we haven't even met yet, in less than 6 months! Very exciting!
We had met at the lot so we could pray for God's blessings on the home to be built there, and for all the neighbors God will touch through it. The joke was that someone forgot the chicken/goat for the sacrifice. I'm sure the idea of 8 adults and 16 kids forming a circle and bowing their heads as they pray in the middle of an empty cul-de-sac evokes images of crazy rituals for some people. Some wouldn't have been shocked at all if we had crossed the line and pulled out the animals to slaughter. Or added the nearest lizard to a bubbling cauldron.
So to set the record straight, let me be clear that the sacrifice has already been paid, through Christ, with his death 2000 years ago. As Christ followers we believe that blood was sufficient for the entire world! And please know that we don't think that by standing over a peice of dirt and saying specific words we will somehow "protect it" from evil. We could have had that prayer 100, or 1000 miles away. But standing there, knowing that God gave us this opportunity, and if we let Him, He will use this new house to further His kingdom... made me almost want to take my shoes off so I didn't defile the Holy ground (see Exodus 3:4-5).
I love the people God has put in my life right now. And I can't wait to meet the people who will be my closest neighbors. I am so glad He brought us here over a year ago.

Big Losers

Craig and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary at the end of May, and we have planned a low-key get away to mark the occasion. Additionally, we have decided that we both want to look our best after 10 years of marriage instead of the alternative. I'm already 2 sizes smaller than I was on our wedding day, so I could just be happy with that. But I do have 20 or so pounds to get to my ideal weight. Craig has put on some pounds this past year because he has worked 70 hour weeks, and chooses to spend time with the family instead of riding his bike on his rare afternoon away from the office (which I appreciate, of course!). So we have challenged ourselves to lose a specific amount of weight before our trip to the beach. I want to lose at least 17 pounds and Craig wants to lose 19. We weighed in last week to start the process, and had our second weigh in this morning.

Craig lost 3 pounds!

I lost 2.5 pounds!

Hardly Biggest Loser numbers, but we also have a lot less to lose than those people. I'm half bitter that Craig lost more weight than me, and half thrilled to have already made a dent in my goal. We'll see how that holds up after the kids and I go to see my parents for Spring Break.

Soccer

Jonas is playing soccer again this Spring. We wanted to get him in to BMX, but the track is on the other side of town and we'd have to buy him a new (used) bike, helmet, and pay for each race entry. Soccer, on the other hand, cost us $80 to register and $10 for a new pair of cleats. Maybe we'll do BMX next year- but then again, the track will be even farther away as we will be in our new house by September.

Yep- a new house! We put earnest money down on a new construction house in League City! It is perfect- in a cul de sac, within walking distance of good friends, has a dedicated study, covered front and back porches. We are very excited, to say the least. We spent the other morning spending gobs of imaginary money talking about what we'll "need" to buy once we move in. A new tv (for the HD upgrade, of course), a real desk, bar stools, patio furniture, a bbq pit, a chimenea or fire pit. But in reality, we don't need anything. We moved from a fully functional house in to this apartment, after all. And while we have gotten rid of some stuff (our bbq pit, for example) we managed just fine for 6 years without patio furniture or a fire pit. It's fun to think about. We won't have to spend money on any new appliances, ceiling fans, fixtures, or window blinds, as those are all included.

Jonas will be able to play soccer in the yard and we'll be less than 5 minutes from the practice fields. Yipee!!!

Little things and pretty mornings

Carleigh walks with Jonas and me to the bus stop every morning. Some days are hectic, but most days are like this one. Carleigh took the time to point out the birds, flowers, rocks, bird poop, dog poop, big trucks, old cars, shrubs that are growing fast, a rough patch on the concrete...but my favorite one this morning was the dew on some of the longer grass. She asked me why there were diamonds in the grass. Of course I did a double take, but then realized what she meant. And it was better than jewels! Millions of droplets of water balancing precariously on each blade of grass, at once reflecting both the green of the grass and the sparkle of the morning sunlight. I stopped in my tracks and we spent the next 30 seconds or so in silence, simply taking in the sight. Then Jonas broke the trance by announcing that the bus was here. I wonder how many times I have walked right past that scene and never once noticed it. I thank God for Carleigh taking the time to point it out to me.
It's nice out this morning, but it is supposed to storm later this afternoon. That patch of grass will look beaten down and swampy after a good Houston thunderstorm, a far cry from it's bejeweled start to the day. It makes me think about the way God brings us what we need- water for that grass is essential, and some times it falls gently in the form of dew. Other times it is expected to endure a storm in order to get its required dose of sustinance. I know the storm metephor is tired and old, but it works for me, especially when I think about trees and grass. Instead of falling over and giving up, plants actually use the wind of a storm as a motive to drive their roots further down in to the ground. Ever hear about the trees in the Bio-Dome experiment? They didn't take root hardly at all, because the scientists didn't allow them to be pushed and tested by strong winds.
Thank you God for encouraging me to hold more firmly to you, to send my roots further in to your word and your love. Thank you for pretty mornings where the blessings fall gently like dew and make me feel beautiful. Thank you for the storms that still bring me the nourishment I need, plus the benefit of growth! Thank you for my children who have fresh eyes and are quick to see the beauty in everything around them.

What about Carleigh?

Since November, Carleigh has stayed at home with me every day. We pulled her out of daycare to save money, and it has worked. But the poor girl needs to be with other kids (other than Jonas) and watches way too much tv while I work. I'm trying to decide if I should enroll Carleigh in a Mother's Day Out program for the rest of the school year, or continue to let her stay here with me and only use drop-in daycare when needed. The MDO is 2 or 3 days a week, from 9-1. The daycare is open from 6:30 to 6:30, and I can use them any day M-F. I like the idea of Carleigh knowing what to expect every day (which would be the case with MDO) but I also like that I can have her stay at daycare as long as I need her to, when I need her to. So what's more important- her stability or my convenience? She's at daycare today, and the house is soooooo quiet. The cats are snoozing like they haven't slept in days (Carleigh won't leave them alone while she's here, so this may the best nap they've had in a long time). I'll have to pray about this one a little longer- nothing seems obvious to me either way!

My first blog!

I've been responding to other blogs for years now, but never knew I could start my own. I'm glad I finally figured it out, cuz I have lots to share!



I called this blog Here for Just a Little While, because I want to have a more eternal focus on my life. So many times I glance at the news or hear about a friend who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and my spirit sinks. How can I keep going? This world is going to crap, and it makes me so sad. I think about the upcoming elections and wonder if my vote will even count (have you heard about Texas' cooky caucus/ primary election process? ) and who do I vote for anyway? Is it okay to settle for the lesser of two evils, or do I start a write-in campaign? And time and again it hits me- this is not my home. I am just a visitor here. Jesus promised I will be with Him for eternity in paradise, where the worst thing we'll have to think about is...oh I don't know- can you lose your voice from singing praises for eternity? That doesn't mean I can simply ignore the world around. Just the opposite in fact. I must remember that the peace I find in remembering where my eternal home will be is exactly what millions and millions of other people need to know!



So what do I do with the "little while" I am a a resident of Earth? Share the gospel of Christ, love each and every person I meet (and those I never will), and let people know that we do not have to settle.



I can't wait to share my journey with whoever wants to read it!