While We Were Out...

The kids and I rolled in to Waco yesterday evening around 6:30pm. Isn't it funny how just four or so days away can make you look at your little world differently? Last night as we drove in our driveway I was pleasantly surprised by the red brick house before me. For months I have only seen the grass in the beds and trim that needed painting. But yesterday when I drove in I just saw my home ... and it looked good.

We went to Arkansas last Thursday to visit my good friend Susan and family who moved to Arkansas almost two years ago. We had never been to their neck of the woods and it was way past "our turn"!!! Susan was sweet enough to send us passes on Southwest so we could fly instead of drive. This was my kids first time to fly and one of their few trips out of Texas. Despite the three hour delay on our flight Thursday, both kids loved the airplane. Rhett complained that his "ears weren't normal" during our decent, but over all they did great!

Arkansas (or at least the Conway/Little Rock area) is so pretty to me. I love the trees and the hills. It rained every day we were there. Susan's husband was working from Friday to Monday and was not home. (He is a pilot.) So what did we do with four kids with four straight days of on and off rain storms? We re-decorated and reorganized several rooms in Susan's house!

That wasn't the plan at all, but that is what happened. We mainly focused on converting their playroom to an office. We decided we would pull a "while you were out" thing for Susan's husband Mark. Several late nights and a few hundred dollars later, we stood quite proudly in the new office. It is almost weird to me how much I actually enjoy decorating and organizing other peoples homes! It seems so much easier than doing my own. Am I the only one who feels that way?

I would post before and afters pictures ...but I'll leave that to Susan since it is her house. Go over to her blog and bug her to post pictures if you want. I wish I could have seen the look on Mark's face when he walked in late Monday night to see what all we had done. He told me himself that he loved it. Susan said he even mentioned something about a spa weekend.... Mark if you read this....I'm all over that idea!

And what were the children doing while the decorating divas did their thing? Miracle of miracles I have never seen four kids play so well for so long together. Susan and I were both amazed and very grateful. We did make it to the pool one day and we ate out a lot. Rhett loved playing with boys and with big boy toys. I think Kolby loved being the only girl, and therefore Queen. It was a great visit.

Meanwhile back in Waco, we are un packing and continuing the "clean and organize" campaign I began several weeks ago. It has been a slow go since three of the four of us have been out of town every weekend for over a month now, but we are trying.

In other Grosz news, Kolby let me pull her loose tooth today. That's tooth number 10 if anyone is keeping track. The tooth fairy is going to have to rob a bank to keep up with Miss Kolby. We all go to the dentist next week. I have a feeling he will soon refer my small mouthed, extra toothed child over to an orthodontist...and yes, she is only seven!

I guess that about covers it. Ever had one of those times when you are constantly doing things and going but it doesn't seem like much is going on? That is where I am.. Perhaps it's denial... Anyway good to be back and wish me luck with the projects... Less than one month until school starts. You don't know the panic fear and dread that sentence just produced in me!!! Take care blog world! :)

Nick remembered

A year ago today my distant cousin Nicholas Whitaker died in a Dallas hospital while waiting for a second liver transplant. His heart couldn't take the strain and it stopped. He has been memorialized many times since then. I talked about him on this blog a lot last year so I won't repeat all the details. I just couldn't let this anniversary go by with out recognizing him and the loss of his precious life. He died way too soon. He is missed by all who loved and knew him. We'll never forget you Nick!

So much to say, So little time...

Usually when I take a break from blog world it's because I can't think of anything to say. This week it has been the complete opposite! Too much to say... Every time I sit down to blog, I don't know where to start and have to get up and go again.. Today has been a bit slower paced.

I've said before I love the lazy days of summer but am not to fond of the heat... I think I need to move to Canada. Do they have heat index of 106 in Canada? Actually it is a bit cloudy today and a little less furnace-like.

Kolby has completed three days of Camp Success and loves it. She is very proud to be a Baylor student telling a new little friend who asked where she goes to school "Right now I go to Baylor but normally I just go to Spring Valley." That girl! She always makes me smile... In between the times she makes me see red and want to pull my hair out! :) I have had many a weepy mommy moment in the past few weeks realizing how much my baby girl has grown up. I would swear she was just learning to walk yesterday...Where does the time go?

As far as the Rhett report goes.. He is happy as a clam! He loves Mothers Day Out, swimming, movies and all the time he gets to spend with his big sister. He is also acting so big lately! Today he called me from my Moms house on the phone by himself. He talked for a minute before I realized it was Rhett not Kolby! They sound just alike on the phone but I clued in when he asked me to bring his trains over. Rhett currently has a black eye. We have no idea how/when he got it. He is such a rough and tumble little guy that it could have happened a dozen different ways! This summer Rhett has fallen in love with traveling! We will take our fourth trip in four weeks this weekend... That is more than we usually average in six months!

Last weekend we went to our big Fort Worth reunion. Saturday night we ate with 6 other families who we met at church when we first moved to Fort Worth. These people became the core of our Fort Worth friends. When we met, our group consisted of 7 couples, a 3 year old, and a new born. Now our group has grown to 7 couples and 18 children- 17 of those are 8 or under! Though some of us had not been together in three years, there were no awkward moments or strange silences. We all just picked up where we left off. It is truly a blessing to have friends like that! Below is a picture of most of the kids (4 are missing).

As I sat there with my best Fort Worth friends I felt like I was home. These ladies and I became mommies together. We were young married career girls when we met. In less than a year we were all stay home Moms. (OK, one friend had a 3 year old when we met but she worked full time. When we were having our first babies, she had her second and stayed home from then on.) Our husbands became daddies and the sole bread winners of our households at the same time. Our kids played together in their cribs and were each others first little friends. I get all teary-eyed just thinking about it.

We weathered pregnancy, playgroups, baby showers, Gymboree sales, photo ops, bunco, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, carnivals, church splits, miscarriages, second babies, and Bible Studies together. When we celebrated, when we mourned, or when life was just ho-hum normal, these friends were there. Our families did guy's nights, date nights, girls nights and family outings together. Four of our families had no family in the Fort Worth area so we were all like a family to each other. It was a very special time in our lives.

I don't think I will ever have another group of friends like that again. Not to say that I don't have great friends now because I do and the circle widens every year we live here. It's just that the Fort Worth group formed at such a formative time in my marriage, my adulthood, my parenthood and in my spiritual walk. I think of Fort Worth as my own private Bethlehem, the place my family was born. We were so blessed to have such a great group of Christian friends at that very unique time in our lives.

And even though we don't live down the road, or get together like we once did, these friends continue to be so important to me. We e-mail and call each other. We pray for each other and marvel at how fast our kids are growing. If I have a deep deep concern I know I can pick up the phone and call one of these friends and they will listen and be there. We keep up with each other through each other. I have no doubt that we will always be connected because of all that we shared and continue to share... Not just in life experience but through Christ. Godly friends. What a blessing!

Lord, Thank you for bringing friends in to my life and planting them firmly in my heart. Thank you for the example and encouragement they are to me. I pray our children will be friends and have the type of friendships we share. May we bring each other closer to you as the years bring us closer to each other! And thank you for all my old and new blog friends. What a blessing they are to me as well! It is so exciting and comforting to think that someday we will all be at home with you!

That's all the time I have for now. Starting tomorrow I'll be out of town again for a few days.. Have a great weekend blog world!

This picture is from Destin Florida. It was in an AP story about the damage in Florida from Dennis. It reminds me of a comment Mike Cope made on his blog about the Cof C signs you see on the outskirts of so many towns. Wonder how the church faired in the storm?

Fort Worth Reunion

Last year I shared this picture from our Fort Worth friends reunion here in Waco.

















Here are the FW friends one year later at our reunion this past weekend in Fort Worth. Baby Brooke made her reunion debut! We had an incredible time and loved seeing these precious friends. Honestly I feel more like they are our Fort Worth Family More later!



PS I just finished un-installing HELLO from my computer! The new blogger photo thing is too cool! Last month I learned to download pictures from the camera. This month the blogger photo thing...my pictures feel so liberated! :)

Open letter to the terrorist

I wrote this Thursday after watching all the coverage n the London Bombings... I wasn't going to publish it as it is a little more opinionated and darker than my normal Mommy post. However, I decided that I would post this because I plan to publish this blog into a book for my family someday. I want those who come after me to know how pointless I think all this violence is and how ticked off I get when I see people hurt for no reason!

To the terrorist:
I don't get it. I must be really slow. Somehow I don't see how bombing subways and buses in London, Spain and Moscow further your cause. Who are you and really, what was your point? If you were trying to make a political statement...All you have said is that you are ruthless killers who have have no regard for life. Not too PC a statement to make if you are trying to get the world to see you as anything other than crazy.

If you were trying to wage war, who were you waging war against? The single Mom of three who had just dropped her kids off at a daycare and who was going to work to be able to feed them that night? Did you you think you would get the worlds respect by killing a 79 year old man who was on his way to see his wife in the hospital? All you have gained is more of the worlds disdain. You blew-up some trains and a bus and made a big mess. Now what? Do you truly think the world is going to listen to you and meet whatever selfish demands you make? Yeah right.

You only created a greater rift. You only further alienated yourself from anyone who values life. You may have killed a lot of people and hurt even more, but in the end you have hurt your cause more and sealed your fate as murders who must be hunted down and stopped. If you were aiming for the sympathy of the world and attention to your cause...You sorely miscalculated. Really, what did you think this would accomplish?

AS to the big bad USA hype that you like to promote these days.. No nation is perfect. All nations are under God, not just ours. No nation is going to be able to please everyone in the world. As Americans we have things in our past that we are ashamed of...What people/nation doesn't? Your childrens children will bear the burden of what you did today. You will be their shame. Does the USA have a great responsibility to the world? Yes! But it is a responsibility shared by all peoples and nations of the world. How are you handling that responsibility?

It is clearly wrong to plant bombs in trains to kill people who have no idea who you are or what it is that you want. It is really stupid to think that this terror thing will work for long. Yes, you will hurt lots of people. You will kill innocent people all over the world. You will bathe your request in the blood of people you do not know. In doing so your message, or whatever it was, will be completely lost.

All that will be seen is the blood of our loved ones and allies, the blood of people you did not know and who had never personally done anything to you. You are giving the world cause to despise you. You are ruining any bit of credibility you might have had. By committing wrongs worse than any committed towards you, you have become that which you say you are against.

No God would condone your actions. No civilized people will tolerate it. A hundred years from now, if you have not come to your senses, changed your ways, and realized the value of each human soul predestined to walk this earth, your people will be hated, despised, and if there is hope for our world, eradicated. You will kill yourselves and whatever message you had will die with you.

Hate begets hate, so I will not let myself hate you. I pray that your hearts will be touchedand you will stop using acts of terror as a mode of communication. I pray for your sakes, and ours, you will find a new voice and a new method... For the choice you have made is just madness.

Thank God that this is not all there is! Heaven is a promise I cling to during times such as these. But God did not put us on this planet to die, he put us here to live. While we are here we all have the charge to love each other and help those who need help. Loving each soul, even the souls of those who have gone mad and who have hurt us, is our lifes work and goal. God help us all to reach that goal!

May God show you more mercy than you have shown today. May we all work and pray towards an end to this madness!

Breathe

I can do that in my kitchen now without feeling like I am in a bar. Everything now has that ozone clean almost chlorine like smell...but we're not complaining. It amazes me that there is an invention that can scrub the air. I wonder why we don't have skyscraper size machines like this to scrub the air in our environment?

"Breathe" is also my favorite Michael W Smith song. Still wish Zoe would "do " that one! It is amazing to think of salvation as the air we breathe. Must go find that CD!

Well that's it for now. Short and sweet. Makes up for yesterdays long winded post. Happy Wednesday!

Happy 4th / Burning Down the House....

Happy 4th of July everyone!
Hope all of you had a great Independence Day! As a tradition, our family descended on my aunt and uncles house and pool, in China Spring for the afternoon. As is also our custom, there was lots of good food. I took my potato salad. We had a fun day of cannonballs, diving, and cousins drenching each other in the pool. After we ate and watched a little Star Wars ( yes we are all SW geeks) we drove in towards the Lake and watched the fireworks. There was a bigger display downtown at the river (where we usually go) but, the Lake fireworks seemed enough this year. We had a great 4th!

Oh and about that potato salad...My cousin Ashley told me to just go buy some at HEB in the tub already made. I should have listened to her, but no, late Sunday afternoon I put a huge pot of potatoes on to boil so I could make home-made potato salad for Monday. Sunday evening we went to a cookout at our neighbors down the street. My potatoes weren't done so I set the alarm on my cell and planned to walk back down and turn the potatoes off in 30 minutes.

We had a great time at the cook out! We have great neighbors who we always enjoy visiting. Rhett and Kolby had a blast in the pool with all the neighborhood kids. About 9pm we wandered back down the street. I heard Rob yell something as he opened our front door but, I wasn't sure what he said as he was a ways in front of me. Then I noticed the smoke billowing out the door. Still it did not register. Finally Kolby ran out of the house and informed me I had forgotten the potatoes. OOoopps!

Luckily nothing burned but the potatoes and the pot. I am very VERY grateful that I did not burn down the house making potato salad!!! We have some smoke damage, but nothing too terrible. But, OH what a smell!!! Evidently cigarettes and potatoes give off the same aroma when burned because our house smells like a bar at midnight...

I am typing this from across the street at my parent's while two big ozone machines from my Uncle's restoration business work to scrub the air in our house. Ozone is great for scrubbing the air but, not so good for lungs. We are to stay out the house for the rest of the day. I am hoping that the smell is gone by the time we come home from Rob's softball games tonight. Never a dull moment!

I was totally disgusted at having to stay away from the house today because, as I mentioned last week, I am in full closet clean-out mode. I have tackled two closets and a mountain of items have been hauled off to Good Will and such... But there are still four or five more closets/areas to go. I had planned on getting a lot accomplished during this last day of MDO before Kolby goes to Camp Success next week. I was really grumpy about it all.

When dropping my kids off at Mother's Day Out this morning, I ran into a friend who just hung up her cell from a call from her husband telling her he had been laid off. They have three kids and had just come home from a 9 day vacation. She was beyond shock. Please pray for my friend if you get a chance. I feel so bad for her and for her family! Her awful news put my day into perspective.

This morning I woke up and grumped around because my house smells and I have to stay way from it all day. How dare I? I am blessed way beyond what I deserve to even have a house as nice as ours. The fact that I only made it stink and did not burn it down is another great blessing! We have so much. All this reminded me to give thanks for all we have and to choose to live happily in this moment because today is a gift! We don't know what will happen tomorrow, but there is usually more to rejoice and give thanks for than there is to mourn. In my down time out of the house this blessed day I am going to take time to give thanks and rejoice for all the good in my life. Anyone care to join me?

Happy 5th of July everyone!

A sign?

For the first time in over two years I have had the house to myself overnight. Yesterday and today are the hottest days of the year to date with a heat index of 102. Last night, while in full closet clean out mode, the air conditioner's fan motor died! It was a balmy 87 degrees in here by 10 o'clock. I called the air condtioner people this morning and they had the air up and working by noon today...but still, I can't help but wonder if I should take all this as a sign to stop cleaning? :)

Along came a spider

I'm not sure when it first appeared. It was just a tiny red dot, then it grew a few veiney red legs. By the time Kolby was four it resembled a tiny spider and was about half the size ofa pencil eraser located just underneath her right eye. Over the years it has grown, getting darker and more defined.

It isn't really that noticeable. People who have noticed thought it was a bug bite. I took Kolby to a Dermatologist when she was five. The doctor told us it was a spider vein that might go away on it's own...or we could "zap it" a time or two and it would most likely disappear in a few weeks. (Eveidentally "zap it "is a medical term becasue both dermatologgists used it!:) At the time Kolby didn't want to be "zapped" and I didn't think it bothered her that much . As she has grown older, it has bothered her more and more.

Towards the middle of Kindergarten, Kolby started asking to put concealer on her "spider" for dance recitals and pictures. She started talking about MAYBE getting it zapped. This last year, in first grade, the concealer was requested more and more as the spider seemed to grow a bit. Once I found Kolby trying to scrape"her spider"off with a butter knife. She only likes pictures of herself if the spider doesn't show. Around Christmas she said she was ready to have the spider zapped. We waited until this summer, mainly because it was hard to get in with a dermatologist. Yesterday was the day.

The whole way to Temple (no Waco dermatologists take insurance) Kolby was upbeat, though she admitted being a little nervous. When the nurse asked why we were there, Kolby told her "I want to get my spider zapped." We have changed insurances and had never seen Dr Barton before. He was very nice, and good with Kolby. He too said we could leave the spider alone and it would most likely be gone by the time Kolby is 12 or we could "zap" it. He said he was comfortable with whatever choice we made, but he did describe the "zap" procedure to Kolby and stressed that she would have to be still as a statue as there would be a little spark, and it would hurt like an ant bite.

Kolby freaked. She was suddenly terrified at the thought of a "spark" and pain. TERRIFIED! Like a cat trying to escape a bath, Kolby practically climbed me saying she wanted to go home. I felt sorry for her but, UUGGHH! I don't know why this frustrated me so. Maybe it was the fact that we were there and she had talked about it so long. Maybe it was the fact that I knew she would be better off having a minute of pain rather than trying to sneak concealer in her back pack for the next five years. Maybe it was that I didn't want my daughter to bow to her fear. Some of the people I love most in the world are known for letting fear paralyze them and keep them from a better life. Kolby sometimes shows these signs and I tend to over react to it....

But I stayed cool. I told Kolby it was her decision but if she decided not to zap the spider that was it... No more concealer. No more paying $50 to have it air-brushed off portraits because she didn't like it. No more trips out of town to the doctor. I told her once we got home, we would not come back until she was twelve. Yes, I was trying to get her to face her fear. But, she insisted that she didn't care about the spider being there anymore and could wait for five years or so for it to go away...so we left. The nurse told us that she would keep our chart out and that they would be there another hour if she changed her mind.

As I slowly headed home we talked about fear. Kolby talked to her Daddy on the cell phone. Still no dice. We talked about times I have had to do things I was afraid of. We talked about other fears she has faced (like swimming and stage fright) and come away so happy and proud when she didn't let feaar stop her. Kolby had been crying but she quit. Finally, I pulled over on the side of the road and said "Kolby you have wanted to do this for a year and a half. I know you are scared, but I also know you are strong and brave and I know you can do this." Amazingly, she agreed. We said a prayer as I drove back to the Doctor's office asking for courage.

I was so proud of her! She rehearsed what she was going to say to the nurse as we walked in. As we walked the long hall to the doctors office she kept saying "I can do this, I can do this." The Doctor and his staff were wonderful! They kept telling Kolby how proud they were of her. The doctor suggested I leave the room but, I let Kolby decide. She wanted me to hold her hand,so I did. She was so incredibly brave! I have never been more proud of her. As it turns out Kolby's spider was much deeper than the doctor expected. He zapped it several times. Kolby had huge tears running down her face, but she didn't move. I had a few tears too but I didn't let her see!

When it was over she was all smiles and said it wasn't that bad. Dr Barton told her that she might have to come back one more time before school starts to finish the ole spider off. She didn't even hesitate before agreeing! The best part of it all was that she was so proud of herself. She just beamed with confidence! Kolby could not wait to call her Dad and let him know that she had done it. It was a happy trip home!

I told Kolby I would buy her one treat for being so brave. She picked a dairy from the dollar store that has a lock and key. Last night after I tucked her in, I went back in her room to put up some laundry. She had fallen asleep writing in her diary.... Though diaries are secret, I don't think she would mind me telling what her first entry said...

Deer Diary
Today I got my spider zapd.
It didn't hert to bad.
I am brav. By by spider!

I feel like my little girl took an important step towards growing up yesterday! It was a very good day.

Just a side note... Rob took the kids to his parents in Denison today. I decided to stay behind and clean out the guest bedroom closet, and if I have time, my desk. If I am going to expect Kolby to face her fears, I am going to have to start facing a few more of my own. ..and believe me this is one of them!

The meaning of ...

Rhett playing with his star wars toys at the kitchen table one day recently....

"What was Anikin's Mom's name?"
"Shimi Skywalker " I answer not really paying to much attention but proud of my Star Wars wisdom. I'm a cool Mom!
"Anikin's Mom died in Episode two, didn't she?"
"Yes she did and Anikin was very sad."
"What is died?"
"What does "died" mean?" I ask for clarification and paying more attention now.
He nods his head and asks again "What does died mean?"
I drew a blank. "DON"T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SLEEP!" I think as I remember my Mom saying I didn't sleep for weeks at age 3 because someone told me dieing was going to sleep and never waking up.
"UH ...UH..... Uhhhhhh" think think think.....
"Dieing is when your body stops living."
He looks at me like I am speaking in Hebrew.
OK Try again.
"Dieing is what happens when all the muscles in your body stop working and you aren't awake anymore. Your spirit is still alive but your body is dead. You spirit keeps living. Because Jesus died on the cross, our spirit, or our souls, can live in Heaven when our bodies die." OH NO! I said something about not being awake...I didn't mention Hell, Does he understand???Yikes!
Rhett gives me an expressionless stare.
"What does died mean?" he asked again, slower this time as he isn't sure I speak English.
"Dieing is what happens when you get shot and you fall down and don't get up" Kolby pipes in.
"Oh, like when you get killed?" Rhett asks.
"Yeah, like when you get killed," his older sister answers.

Here I thought Rhett was asking me to explain death, and all it's deeper far reaching meanings. I was trying to answer the question of heaven, where souls go, and whether someone is really dead when they die. But that is not what Rhett wanted or needed to know. Sometimes I make this Mom thing harder than it has to be. Rhett just wanted to know that "died" means that you get killed. Does he know what getting killed means? I am not sure. But one thing I am sure of, if he asks me, I will be ready....

"What does getting killed mean Mommy?"
"It means she died."

Happy Blog-a-versary!

I began blogging one year ago today. WOW! This morning I went back and read over that first post. It seems so much longer than a year ago. So many things have happened in our little world over the last year...And blogging has been a big part of it all!

This morning I also read over some of my blogs about the kids... So glad I wrote some of those things down! I had completely forgotten the Cheetoes incident last summer! Kids grow so fast! Until I stop and look back I sometimes don't realize how precious these days and moments are! Blogging has helped me with that. In fact I hope become better at blogging about these precious moments.

Blogging has also allowed me to vent and express my feelings on current events and topics of the day. As much as I love my kids, they aren't quite up to speed on politics and such, so it is nice to have a place where I can talk about grown up things in the midst of my mommy days.

I am still amazed and feel incredibly blessed by the little band of bloggers I consider my blog family! Being able to reconnect with old friends and make so many new ones is hands down the biggest blessing blogging has brought into my life...But not the only blessing. There have been so many!

Because so many of you are my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom, and most of you hail from the same little "tribe" as me, reading your blogs touches me on a spiritual level. I am so impressed with you guys. When you share your "God" thoughts and your spiritual challenges, I am challenged, encouraged, comforted and sometimes kicked in spiritual pants! You all have prayed for me as I have prayed for you. We have shared joy at births, travels,and milestones (such as potty training), recipes and great triumphs. We have shared challenges, tragedies, fear, and great sorrow. More than anything we share a love for Christ and his sacrifice. We share a heritage of grace and the promise of Heaven. We share the joy and the charge to be Jesus and show Jesus to those around us. We serve a perfect Savior through imperfect means with imperfect brothers and sisters. We share a part our lives through a keyboard! Amazing!

I dream of a day when I get to meet all of you who have come to mean so much to me. It is fun to think about a blog reunion. But if I never meet you in person, I have a very strong feeling we will meet somewhere beyond this life. What an amazing thought that is!!

In the mean time, thanks for keeping up with me. Thanks for all the comments and e-mails. Each has been an encouragement to me in one way or another.

And if there is someone reading this who doesn't know Christ, who isn't a part of our little tribe, or who thinks this all sounds too polished and Pollyanna-ish... I am very honored that you stopped by!

If you read this blog of random wonderings for very long you will discover that I am a very flawed person. Not only can I not spell, sometimes I use bad grammar and I am grumpy. Sometimes I can be mean. Sometimes I make mountains out of tiny little things ignoring the truly important things that are right in front of my face. I procrastinate. I am slow to commit. I am overwhelmed easily. Sometimes I put my foot so far down my throat that it takes days to dig out! Sometimes I am ungrateful and selfish. I am in no way an ideal anything...mother, wife, friend, blogger and most of all Christian.... BUT God loves me, forgives me, blesses me, challenges me and most of all, he claims me as his own. If you read this regularly you may know what a testament to grace that is! I serve an amazing God.

I want to thank you for joining me in this journey. I hope to be blogging along with all of you for the next 365 days and beyond!
Love you guys!
Happy Blog-a-versary!

Happy Birthday Sari!

It is late in the evening but I just had to say Happy Birthday to my little sister!

ALL ABOARD!

We had a great time in Palestine and Rusk, Texas. None of us had ever been to Palestine. (pop. 17,398 SSSAALLUUTTEEE!) It was only two hours from Waco. We even stayed a day longer than planned. The train was fun! But in all honesty I think that a good hotel room and a pool are all it takes to keep my two kids (and me) happy, no matter where it is! No really, we had fun in the big town of Palestine and met some really nice people. We also saw some beautiful old homes and buildings. I loved the trees! Palestine is a nice size small town...It had a Wal Mart and Applebees but no Target. I have never lived in a town smaller than San Angelo, population 100,000 +, (though it was more in the 75,000- 85,000 range most of the time I was there.) My grandparents hailed from Coleman (pop 4,000) and Colorado City (pop 3,500) respectively, so I know a thing or two about small towns. I think I could live comfortably in a 17,000 + town, but that is as small as I want to ever go!

Must catch up with Rob and do laundry! Happy Weekend blog world! More pictures below...can you tell I just learned how to download pictures from the camera this week? :)

The Train!

Papa & Rhett share a love for Steam Engines!

The AIR-CONDITIONED "45" Car ~ Glory Glory Halelujah!

Rhett and Sari chilling on the train!

Moonlight dip with Mama K!

Can we just watch TV today?

Happy to be Home in Hewitt!

YEAH!

We got the call today that Kolby made it off the waiting list and into Camp Success! That is a huge answer to prayers! I can not tell you how pumped and relieved we are! Kolby thinks she is hot stuff going to Baylor and all. Just wanted to let you guys know and thanks for the prayers! RUSK or BUST!

This and That

(This post will be a bit long because I'm catching up from last week and won't be blogging again until Thursday!) PICTURES BELOW!!!

It's the third week of summer and we are loving it! This is the first summer both my kids sleep late...Therefore we have been sleeping in almost every morning. I could get used to waking at 8:30 all the time! But I feel guilty sleeping in when Rob gets up and heads out at 7:30. (after throwing papers from 3-5 AM every morning might I add!) So, starting tomorrow, I am setting the alarm for 7:45 ! Big sacrifice, I know! :) I have never been a morning person!

Last week was our VBS. The kids loved it. Our children's ministers, Jan and Dana, do a great job every year. This year was no exception! The decorations in the rooms and halls were amazing! And boy, do they know how to carry out a theme! They even had a live Zebra the last night at the Safari Party! As I mentioned before, I volunteered Rob to tie balloon animals during that last night. My plan was to help him set up and then go around to all the different stations with the kids. Our children's ministry intern Ashley was also helping.

At the beginning there was such a rush that I sat down to tie a few balloons to help get started. Two hours later, I was still sitting there twisting balloons. My sister Sari, who came to watch the kids, was even tying balloons with us. There were still kids wanting more when we quit at 9 PM. Rob and I had lots of fun doing the animals even though we were sweaty and had very sore fingers! Not sure it fit with the animal theme, but I completely mastered making a balloon light saber (sword) by the end of the night. I can do a decent giraffe, flower, and zebra too! Rob is more advanced and can do lions, cats, monkeys, alligators, and parrots. Kolby has even learned to make a giraffe and loves to "practice." I think we might start hiring out! :)

Other big things that happened last week... Both kids got their summer hair cuts. Rhett is just a tad longer than a buzz so his little head doesn't get sun burned. Kolby, who was growing her hair out, had a total change of heart when she got in Ms. Debbie's chair. She told Debbie she wanted her hair above her ears! Debbie and I talked Kolby into just cutting it chin length for now. It looks so cute and is really easy to do. Kolby absolutely loves getting her hair cut! She also wanted to get her nails done. Have I created a monster? :)

Last week I met with the very sweet lady who has evaluated Kolby for dyslexia over the last few weeks. Kolby tests out to be a very smart girl! She also, as we know, is reading way below where she should be based on her intelligence. Is it dyslexia? I am learning that dyslexia is not just reversing letters. These days dyslexia covers a wide variety of reading disorders. Kolby has a reading disorder. She is considered "at risk". We are just not sure that the "dyslexia" label, and all that goes with it, fits Kolby.

Kolby did qualify for the Scottish Rite's Dyslexia reading camp at Baylor this summer. We are waiting for a call to hear that Kolby has made it off the waiting list and into Camp Success. The camp starts July 5th. I was told they would start calling this week. Kolby is very close to getting in from what I have been told. God is probably tired of hearing me pray that this camp works out for Kolby, but I so hope it does!! From what the people at Baylor tell me, Kolby is an ideal candidate for this camp. They think it would give her the reading confidence boost and skills she so desperately needs. We just have to make it off the waiting list! If this doesn't work out, we have other options, but they are not as good and are very, very expensive. Any prayers on our behalf towards this matter would be greatly appreciated!

We ended the week, or started this one, with a great Fathers Day! Rhett took Rob golfing last Friday for an early Fathers day gift. I was worried about Rhett in the heat as he just hasn't been the same since having shigella a few weeks ago. But, he loved every minute of his 18 holes with Dad! It amazes me that Rhett can go golfing at the tender age of three. He watches the Golf channel and talks about "Tiger and Phil" like they are his playmates, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised! Sunday we ate lunch out with my family (just Mom, Dad & Sari) then did presents and ice cream at my parent's house afterwards. It was our first homemade ice cream of the summer! Strawberry sherbert! YUM! It was a quiet, restful, Fathers day!

Since today is "Monday Movie Day" we are gearing up to see Rookie of the Year or The Pacifier. The kids can't wait for Mother's Day Out tomorrow, especially Kolby! She is packing her bag as I type. Wednesday and Thursday we are going to Rusk, Texas with my parents to ride an antique steam engine in the State park. Not sure how this will go, but the kids are really excited!

Have a great week blog world!

P.S. GO BAYLOR! The Baylor Baseball team is in Omaha, Nebraska at the college World Series! They lost the first game but still have a chance to come back! GOOOOOO BBBEEEAAARRRSSS! ( I am slowly becoming a Baylor-ite!)

Happy Papa's Day!

Happy Fathers Day!

My favorite Balloon Guy

My part of the decor!

The Zebra

Saying good bye to the Zebra!

Duro's

We discovered a great new snack this week. Pasta para duros are these little wagon wheels that can be found in the dried area of our produce section. (This may just be a Hispanic thing unique to Texas, I don't know.) ANYWAY you pop a dozen or so of these in the microwave on a paper towel and heat on high for about 30 seconds. They puff up and become these cool chip like things. My kids love them! If you by the package on line it list 3 for $9.50. I bought a package in the grocery store for $2 something. If you can find them in bins like we did at HEB and WalMart, they are just 99cents a pound. We bought a huge bag full the other day for under a $1. Can't beat that! Just felt like sharing! Go see if you can find them in your produce section and tell me what you think! :)

In a galaxy far, far away...

The Force is with us!


The Collection

Leap of Faith

I was reading an article about a Pennsylvania high school teacher who had been supplementing his biology class Evolution lessons with Creationism for the last decade or so. He was ordered by the school board to stop and has agreed to comply. To the side of the article was a message board. The post below caught my eye for some reason.

fromoz 6/11/2005 3:13:42 PM In my mind Evolution will stand more rigorously against scientific enquiry, Creationism and the Bible won't.What sort of a God would deliberately create a World based on a "food chain" where life for one depends on the death and suffering of others? While I can accept such an outcome from Evolution I can't accept such an outcome from any loving God.God would be redundant without sin, so he made people prone to sin and then murdered his own son so those who believe this tale would be "saved"? Give me a break! I'll stick with Evolution; keep your hocus-pocus to yourself.
I can not address this person from Oz because I am not a member of the message board. But his statements got me thinking. Christianity makes no sense to those who do not believe in Jesus, God, and eternal life. Christians must seem crazy to those outside of faith... Living for a life and a Kingdom we can not physically prove exists. Believing a God who created the world and everything in it has time to commune, and listen to the prayers of each insignificant person who calls on his name. Ludicrous. Illogical. Can't be scientifically proven. What a stretch... Or is it?

Are humans by nature logical beings or beings of faith? Honestly as far fetched as Christianity is, there are other things that all humans buy into that seem just as hard to swallow at face value. For instance ...Parenthood. Who in their right mind chooses to be responsible for another helpless human being? Knowing the emotional, physical, not to mention financial toll brought on by reproducing and bringing a baby into this world, it is a wonder that any of us procreate! Parenthood is completely irrational. It is painful. Draining. Hard. There is no promise of success no matter how much you give. Someone once said "Becoming a parent is like choosing to let your heart live outside your self?" Who logically and knowingly would give their heart away with no assurance that it wouldn't be crushed? It makes no sense. Still 2.5 out of every 4 humans on this planet will venture into the irrational world of parenthood and procreation. Crazy!

Then there is love. Now love has to be the most irrational force on earth. Love can not be manufactured in a lab. It is hard to prove scientifically. Love is at times irrational and unpredictable while at times sure and steady. Love enables people to do amazing things and is blamed for many a downfall. Love is a decision and a feeling, It is a noun and a verb. It is healthy and deadly. Love is irrational, unfair, unstable and yet most of us pursue love for the greater part of our lives.

So really, is belief in a God we can not prove with science and can not fully fathom such a stretch? Is there anything in this universe that can be proved without some degree of faith? Faith in a theory? Faith that the universe has always followed the same laws of nature it follows now? Faith in Science and mans ability to reason? Seems to me all beliefs, proven or otherwise are based on a gamble of a faith .

Truly, I can not explain to the person from OZ why the world is based on a food chain. I don't think that was the intention in the Garden of Eden but then Satan and man got together and messed that up. And would God be redundant without sin? Who gets to define redundant? I sometimes wonder if unbelievers have a harder time believing that there is a God or that there is a devil?If you accept the existence of one, on some level you have to accept the existence of the other.

There are many things one could ask this person from OZ... But it I think it would take more than questions and arguments to convince this Oz-ite that there is a loving, all powerful God. He or she would have to see God for his or herself. And the most amazingly irrational thing about that is, God trusts us, his crazy, believing, weak, adopted children, to represent Him to our doubting world! It makes me wonder, who has the greater faith ~ us in God or God in us? I wonder if the guy from Oz would ponder that one for a while? I know I will.

Have you hugged a VBS worker lately?

Now I know how the other half lives. For the last two years VBS has been a major event in our lives. I taught 5 and under Bible and went to extravagant lengths to decorate my room. In the past two VBS's I spent many nights at church planning and decorating, many times until 2 or 3 AM. Why so late? It is hard to get much done with Kolby and Rhett in tow, so I would wait until they were in bed and then go work.

Problem was that I was completely worn out by VBS week. I struggled to teach and come up with small illustrations and activities every night. It was exhausting! AND no, I didn't have to go all out on decorations, but I am not good at doing things on a small scale. I just couldn't do it! Even when I thought I was keeping it simple, it was far from simple!

This year I had previously committed to a series of meetings that were scheduled for some of the VBS nights. I volunteered only to decorate this year. As I said in prior posts, I feel a little guilty about that. Although I spent large chunks of time decorating last week, this week Rob and I are free until Thursday night when we will help with the big finale. IT IS SO NICE! Last night we dropped our kids off and went to dinner! Dinner! By our selves! And then we shopped around for a while and just talked. For two hours we were completely kid free! That never happens. As much as I love my kids, it is really good to get a break.

Now I know why parents were so happy when they picked their children up in years past. I wonder if I looked as hot, tired, and frazzled as some of the VBS workers did when I picked the kids up last night? Do they know what a wonderful thing they are doing, not only for the kids, but for many parents? I hope they do! I have a whole new appreciation for VBS.

On top of the free time, I know my kids truly enjoy VBS. This is Rhett's first year. We were afraid he might not go it alone to well because he has had some separation issues in the past, but he is doing great! It is so sweet to hear him talk about the lesson, craft and snack each night on the way home. This is Kolby's first year with the big kids upstairs. She loves to compare what she did with what her brother did. My kids love going to anything at church.

Next year I pledge to be more involved again. I will go back into the trenches. Even if I don't teach, I will do more for those who are teaching. For now however, I am going to enjoy two more nights of freedom! Maybe I will find a way to express my appreciation to all those who are working so hard to make this a very special week for everyone.

Thank you Lord for VBS!

One of those Moms...

OK, I have become "one of those Moms" who gets a little crazy. Today Rhett and I went to two different Burger Kings looking for the R2D2, X-wing fighter, and Millennium Falcon toys. If we had found these three (which we did not) we would have the whole set of 31 toys! CRAZY! That means we have been to Burger King at least 8 -9 times in the last 6 weeks! That is more Burger King than we usually eat in a year! I guess we are one of those "target" families that the people who invented Kids Meal toys are gunning for. It has been really fun to go to BK and see which toy we will get next. Rob and I even order kids meals so we can get 3-4 toys a visit. One of the Burger King employees suggested we go on eBay to get the last three. AS IF! I am not one of those crazy Moms who shells out good money to buy kids meal toys off of eBay...
Do you think they actually sell the toys individually or do you have to get the whole set?

Things to smile about this week...

Opening my eyes one morning to see Rhett making faces an inch away from me... Great way to greet the day!

Rhett telling someone he went to Sunday School all day long after his first day of Mother's Day Out at our church.

The look of shock and joy on Kolby's face after shedding her floaties, jumping in the deep, and discovering she could swim there just as well as she can swim in the shallow!

Rob getting busted by Kolby for playing Zelda after lights out on a no TV/Video games night!

The excitement in my Mom's voice as she shared plans she has made for our upcoming family trip to Rusk, Texas. Yes, really!

Enjoying some good front yard girl talk with my neighbors Kris and Carrie.

Rhett dancing with his cousin Drake.

The goofy lesson about underwear in the VBS curriculum.

The telemarketer who left a message on our answering machine complimenting my "perky" message.

The thrill of finding the long sought after Darth Vader toy in a Burger King Happy Meal!

The sight of my husband filling our living room with various mangled and malformed balloon animals in attempt to master "the lion" by next Thursday night.

Rhett!

Kolby!

Rob!

These are precious days! Thank you God for my family!

You say Tomatoe, I say ...perfecto!

During the last two weeks we have harvested about two dozen CHERRY TOMATOES from our tomatoe plants! I love cherry tomatoes! I am very proud that we have tomatoes because I tried to grow them for three years in Ft Worth and it just didn't happen. I thought my thumb would never turn green! You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to step out the back door and gather some herbs or pick some tomatoes from our little garden!
Have I mentioned that I really like summer? :)

Day 3 of the Summer Schedule

So far so good! We may not get everything in everyday, but because we have a plan we are making good use of our time and becoming more balanced. I think the kids would just sit at home and watch TV all day if I didn't have a plan. Actually, we have spent a little more time in front of the TV and cleaning up than I like, but overall it has been a great start to our summer.

Rhett and Kolby had a blast at Mother's Day Out at church yesterday. Rhett goes to a different MDO during the school year, but I love that he is getting to spend the summer with his church buds! He especially enjoyed being around his cousin Scarlett. Yes, Rhett and Scarlett and no, we don't have a Gone With The Wind thing. :)

Kolby experienced her first sunburn this week. "I forgot my Sun Scream!" she said as I picked her up after swimming at MDO. Kolby is seven years old and I still can't bring my self to tell her that it is called sun SCREEN not scream. We also eat ice-scream. I know one day she'll find out she has been saying it wrong and stop, but I'm not going to be the one who tells her! She is growing up so fast that I relish those cute pronunciations left over from her toddler days.

Speaking of growing up, Kolby has been getting several phone calls a day from school friends. WHAT? Is that normal for seven year olds? I don't like it one bit, but I can't just hang up on her little friends. After much thought I told Kolby she can talk on the phone for seven minutes (a minute per year) once or twice a day. She was thrilled with that and has not asked to make calls herself yet. I know that is coming. Am I right that 7 is a little to young to be chatting with or calling friends on the phone? Tell me blog world...Is this normal?

Back to the mundane... Today we went to the library for the Hansel & Gretel Puppet Show. We were pleasantly surprised to see some cousins, lots of church friends, and a few neighbors there. It was a cute show though the little library reading room was packed! Kids everywhere! Afterwards, we headed to Burger King for lunch as promised because we are still trying to collect the entire set of Burger King Star Wars toys! (We are on a mission to find Darth Vader, R2D2, and two or three others.) There were lots of church friends there too. I felt as if we had a full day by noon!

This afternoon Kolby had her third 3-hour reading evaluation. She has been a trooper but, she is glad it is over. My Mom kept Rhett while I went to church to work on VBS decorations. For the first time in years I am not teaching, just helping decorate. I feel a little guilty about that. This years VBS is an African Safari theme so I volunteered Rob to make balloon animals during the Safari Celebration the last night. Rob is such a kid at heart that he loves this sort of thing and it eased my "not teaching guilt" a bit. VBS is a wonderful program... Next year I will get back on board and do more.

Not much to report from Hewitt these days. Off to dinner at church and more VBS decorating. We are loving summer! Hope all of you are too!

The Summer Plan

WALL PAPER WARNING!!!! (See my comment at the end of yesterdays post!)

Ok It has taken me some time, but I finally put our summer plan down on paper. I feel so much more focused! For those of you who are curious...Here it is!

Monday: Movie Day
Tuesday: Summer Fun Days (MDO at church)
Wednesday: Library Day
Thursday: Free Choice or Stay Home Day
Friday: Fun Activity Day (Zoo, Museum, Park or Swimming or other)

Here are the other things we are going got incorporate into our daily schedule:
20 m Outside Work : Clean up toys, Pull weeds, Water, Sweep, Garage clean-up, pick vegetables etc.
40 m Outside Play: Walk, Bike, Fort, chalk, ball etc
20 m Inside Work: Vacuum, Sweep, Clean Bathroom, Laundry, Dust
40 m Inside Play: Toys or other (no TV or V-games)
1-3 Hours: Weekday Summer Activity from list
30 m Art: Crayons, markers, paint, play dough, clay
20 m Writing Time: Journal, Letters, Numbers, Cursive
30 m Quiet/ Reading Time: In room, on bed, by self
20- 30 m Read To Time: Read together w/ Mom or Dad
60 m TV Time ~ Can earn more maybe

Both kids have a set of three chores in the morning, afternoon and at night. Our "tidy-up" time is from 5:00 to 5:20pm every day. This is the time when we stop whatever it is we are doing, put everything in it's place, and tidy up all the rooms. I will set the timer to see if we can get it done before the 20 minutes is up. It is more fun if it is a race. We will spend the rest of the weekend trying to tidy up and get ready to start our new schedule come Monday morning!

We also made a "Home repair/ Projects list" for Rob and I to work on this summer. The list is long, but do-able. We still have to decide whether to switch and redo Kolby's room. She really wants to move into our guest room because it is bigger and has high ceilings. She is tired of her garden themed room and wants something a little more pink and prissy. The problem is her room now has an attached bathroom and I love her garden stuff! The guest bathroom is the one closest to the living room and the more formal bathroom. It would be a challenge to keep it "company" clean with Kolby using it as hers. As much I love to paint and decorate, the thought of having to redo two bedrooms and bathrooms this summer makes me swoon! I am going to try to see if I can put Kolby off another year or figure something else out. We'll see!

I think this is going to be a great summer! As impulsive as I can be...I love having a plan! Happy Saturday!

The first week of Summer

It has been quite a week! School was out last Friday. Friday night we went to my aunts house to celebrate her birthday and let all the kids swim. Saturday Rob helped my cousins move and the kids and I did NOTHING! It rained off and on all day. Sunday we woke up bright and early and drove to San Antonio to Sea World.

It was really fun until Rhett started getting sick. We left the park around 8pm with Rhett puking in a cup. Once we got him situated, he feel asleep and stayed that way until we got home. As we approached Temple, the sky opened up and we thought we were going to be washed off the interstate! Big 18 wheelers were pulled over to the side of the road with their hazards flashing. Stalled out cars littered the highway and shoulder. We pressed on at a snails pace of 15 miles per hour and made it home about an hour and a half later! (Temple is only 30 minutes from our house.) When we got home Kolby admitted that she woke up during the storm and couldn't hold it!! Lovely! Nothing like a little puke and pee to make the Van smell oh-so -sweet! The moral of the story? NEVER skip church to go to Sea World!

Memorial day was spent trying to recover and clean up! On Tuesday Rob had work, I had McKenna for the last time, Kolby had the first of a three-part four-hour long reading needs evaluation, and Rhett started getting sick from the other end. YUCK! On Wednesday the sun was out and it was hot so we went swimming most of the day at our neighbors.

Thursday we went to Dr Kempers office twice only to find out that Rhett had a major stomach bacteria. He started antibiotics and he feels much better. Kolby went to the second part of her evaluation and the two of us did a little shopping while my Mom kept Rhett. Kolby had a birthday party till 9pm last night while Rob and Rhett went swimming till dark again with our cousins Robby, Justin, and Whitney.

Today it is cloudy and humid. It looks like it could rain any minute. I love summer rain! I am just now sitting down to work out our summer schedule. I am trying to get a good mix of activities and chores scheduled to make our summer run smoothly. Last year we went to the library on Tuesdays, the movies on Wednesdays and rotated between the museum, the zoo, and swimming on the other days.

This summer is shaping up the same, except I am trying to get a little more structure in our at home time. I hope to incorporate a little more time to help Kolby with her reading, help Rhettt learn to write all his letters and numbers, and get me in more of a work-out routine. My friend Elizabeth inspired me to write all this down and make an "on paper" plan. I'll let you know how that goes!

Reading over this I realize this post is about as interesting as reading wall paper! Sorry guys, I just can't seem to get the blog juices flowing! Maybe if I put blogging on my summer schedule....

I love summer!

The Worm Song

I actually had a really sweet blog about this being "the last day of school for Kolby and how much her teachers have meant" in mind when I started blogging today. But then I heard Rhett trying to sing The Worm Song. You know, THE Worm Song.....

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
Guess I'll go eat worms,
Long, thin, slimy ones;
Short, fat, juicy ones,
Itsy, bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.
Down goes the first one,
down goes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.
Up comes the first one,
up comes the second one,
Itsy bitsy chunky wunky worms

Now my mind will not go back to my former sweeter deeper thoughts. The ADD has wiped the sentimental teacher blog out of my head and all I can think of is The Worm Song.

JUST WONDERING...who wrote this song and why do we all know it? I have never knowingly eaten a worm. I don't think I would ever get depressed enough to eat a worm...unless maybe it was a gummy worm or a chocolate worm. Is this a code song for drinking tequila or some sort of drug? There has to be more to this song since we all know it. HMMMM?
Random, meaningless trival thoughts..... Aren't you glad you read this blog? :) HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

Old made new again

When I was little (pre-elementary) my mother went back to school three nights a week to get her masters. Three nights a week I had a date with my Dad. Because microwaves were not around (yes that was just 30 years ago) most nights my Dad would take me to McDonalds (pre- play grounds and happy meal toys) or K&N Rootbeer for dinner. Like all good dates, at least once a week after dinner we would check out a movie. (Yes, in the theater as there were no VCRs ...Yes that too was just thirty years ago!).

We saw all the Disney Movies. We saw The Wizard of Oz. We saw the cartoon version of the Return to OZ with Liz Minelli as the voice of Dorothy. We saw the cartoon Jack and the Bean Stock, The Cat From Outer Space and all the Bengi movies. I even remember some Peanuts Cartoons in the movie theater. But some of my favorite movies were about Herbie the Love Bug. We saw all the Herbie movies: The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Herbie Goes Bananas. I remember one Saturday my Dad took me for a test drive in a VW beetle because I loved Herbie so much!

Herbie is making a comeback this summer in Herbie Fully Loaded. I won't go buy tickets a month early, have a Herbie party, or go see the midnight movie with a 53 on my shirt...(see last week) But, I still can't wait to take my kids! One of the joys of parenthood is introducing old friends from the past to your children. It is so fun to see some of my favorite things through their eyes. The old is made new again. This joy is multiplied when your kids fall for something as hard as you did all those years ago. I'm not just talking about movies.

Rob's chest puffs up proudly every time Rhett wants to go play baseball or golf. The fact that our kids are very into collecting the Star Wars toys from Burger King and love to fake dual with their light sabers makes both Rob and I smile. The streak of independence Kolby found through learning to ride her bike reminds me so much of myself at that age. I loved my bike! Kolby's 4 year "all things Princess" craze has been fun for me too.

But perhaps the sweetest thing of all has been seeing how my kids view church. When I was little I loved going to church. I felt very at home in our church and with church people. I had no idea that there was anything wrong with our "little tribe." To me church was family, security and the good and right thing to do. My kids feel that way about our church now.

They don't know about the bitter words exchanged when building the community center. They don't know about the teacher shortages and the life groups that just can't seem to get together. My kids don't care what their class mates are wearing or what kind of car they came to church in. They don't see the crisis, the frustrations and the friction. Not that our church is not falling apart or anything, but with all churches there are rough spots and problems. Our church, like all churches, has it's positive and negatives. My kids don't see much negative. That is the privilege of youth.

While I think it would be immature and irresponsible to never grow up and see the church through adult eyes, I wonder if we (meaning I) should try to see things from our precious children's perspective more often. Is that what Jesus meant when he said that the Kingdom belonged to those who can make themselves like little children?

For all the talk of emergents, moderns, post-moderns etc., I think the secret is trying to see church through a baby Christians eyes, and making the old new again.

Schools Out for Summer.....

In just four more days! YEEEEEHHHAAAWW! Kolby was so excited this morning saying that this is the last Monday morning of school! I think she is a little sad to think she won't see her friends as much, but she is so ready for summer to be here. Aren't we all! :)

The only problem with summer is I have much to do outside and in the 97 plus degree heat, and I just don't want to do it! Have I mentioned that I'm not fond of hot hot weather? That I turn beet red and melt at the first hint of high humidity and high temperatures? I know, I know! I live in the wrong state! Well off to straighten up the house for a committee meeting to plan for next year. :)

P.S. Sorry for the short post, but between Episode 3, family day at L3, and the season finale of Extreme Home Makeover and Desperate Housewives... I am wiped out! :)

Star Wars Again

Sorry to any of you who could care less about the whole Star Wars thing. I figure if Mike Cope can blog about it for two days, I can too! I have a time crunch so forgive the spelling and the lack of thought provoked creativeness of this post.

Ok, I really am a Star Wars geek! It has taken time to admit it, but I am what I am. Yesterday between my yawns and longings for a nap (see yesterday) my mind was processing Episode III all day. My cousin and I talked about it on the phone for almost an hour. My sister came over and Rob and I finished telling her what happened. (She was at the midnight showing, but got really motion sick and almost ralphed in the theater so she left about the time Mace Windue went to confront chancellor Palpetine) My last words to Rob last night before I drifted off to sleep were about the few inconsistencies we caught and some other things I am not sure I understand. Isn't it amazing how much a movie can impact your thinking?

Star Wars is not the typical movie though. It is a story that has spanned 28 years of my 35 years of life. Luke and Leia and I go way back. I feel I have vested interest in this story line for some reason. AND it is complex, quirky, fun, dark, deep, cutting edge, creative and artful. How many movies can you say that about?

If you haven't seen the movie DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPHS because there are some big spoilers. I want to see how many other Star Wars geeks there are out there.

As to the few inconsistencies in the saga, here are the ones that bothered me a bit. In ROTJ or episode 6, Luke asks Leia what she remembers of her mother. She says she died when she was very young but she remembers mostly images, and that she was very beautiful and very sad. How could she remember that if her mother died at her birth? Or was she talking about her adoptive mother? Or did she know she was adopted?

Why weren't Pademes parents considered when placing the twins?

Obi Wan tells Luke in Episode 4 that Vader was a Jedi that turned to the dark side then hunted down all the other Jedi and killed them. Not exactly true. The clone armies helped with that.

Did any of you catch Obi-Wan picking up Anikin's Light Saber as he left him for the last time? When Ben gives the Saber to Luke he says that "Your father wanted you to have this when you came of age." Well that was a bit of a stretch since his father doesn't even know he exists.

So do we think that the prophecy was interpreted wrong and Anikin was not the chosen one? Or do you think balance was eventually brought to the force by Luke or by Vader/Anikin before he died so it was right?

Lastly, when the chancellor tells Anikin about the Sith, he says that the great Sith Lord (whose name I can not remember) was so great that he knew how to manipulate metaclorians to produce life on their own. Is that what happened to Anikins mother? She said there was no father, he was just born. We know Anikin had the highest metachlorian count in his blood of anyone ever. So was Anikin born of a Siths manipulation?

After all this contemplation, I have to say that I think I need to see this movie again and I really wish there would be an episode 3.5! Or better yet I wish they would pick up after Return of the Jedi and make episodes 7- 9. If they hurry they could start 30 years after Return of the Jedi and use Mark Hamil, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford again. That would be so cool! Ok, I will stop now.

Did anyone else pick up on story tweaks and quirks? I welcome the discussion. OH, I REALLY AM A STAR WARS GEEK!
But as the picture of my husband and cousin below prove, I am far from alone! The rest of you can just gawk at our Star Wars geeky-ness!

Beaner I expect to hear from you on this one!


Jenga Fett and the Tuscan Raider

Episode III Revised

Tonight at 12:00AM, Rob and I, along with 12 good friends and family members, will take our seats in history to watch the final Star Wars movie debut. EPISODE III! The final unfolding that puts all the peices in place to finish out the Star Wars Saga. Rob (aka Obi-Rob-Knobi) and some of my cousins are actually going to dress up as characters.
We are having a B-day/ Kick off party at our house then it is off to the theater with all the other Star Wars geeks! ANTICIPATION!!! We are all really pumped about this movie. The guys have always done the midnight movie thing, but this time we wives decided to join in the fun. Rob went out and bought all our tickets three weeks ago! Needless to say we can't wait! Tell you all about it tomorrow... May the force be with you!
Anyone else out there in blog world celebrating Star Wars tonight?



OK I just saw the movie. For some who asked about kids seeing it...here is my take
The movie is dark early on. I felt sick during many parts of it. I just kept hoping Anikin would not go down the dark path, but knowing that he would. Rob and I agreed that we will not let our children see it until they are much much older. George Lucas himself said he wouldn't take anyone under the age of 12 to this movie. All my family talked about it while leaving and we agree.The darkness builds quickly, but then at the end it just shocked me. I'm sure lots of kids will see it, but I think all parents should see the movie first before making that call.

Having said that, I really loved it. Yoda was awesome! All the questions I had going in were answered. It was amazing how they wrapped it up so neatly. There are only one or two things that don't jive to well with what was said in episode 4-6, but these don't completely contradict eachother either. As dark as it was, the unfolding of the story was amazing. I think it was the best movie of the pre-quels. Just glad I knew the long term ending! I don't think Star Wars would have been as successful if he had released them in order.

Must go to bed... I am just to pumped up to sleep!

Happy Birthday Rob!

Not much time for blogging, but this is a very special day I want to acknowledge. My favorite guy in the whole world was born on this day thirty something years ago! He is by far the best person I have ever known. I am very blessed that he is my husband, my best friend, my rock, and the father of our children.

Rob is the kind of guy everyone likes. He has a great sense of humor. He cares about people. He is the hardest working person I know. He never gives up. His bad moods pass quickly. He is faithful and always loyal. He is fun! He trusts God in ways that amaze, inspire and sometimes shame me. Rob is a great Dad. He shows our kids love every day. Of course Rob isn't perfect, but in my eyes, he is really close!

Rob may or may not read this, as he is not the blogging type. But, Honey if you do read this, I wanted to tell you that there just aren't words deep, wide and strong enough to say how very much I love, appreciate, adore and admire you! I am grateful for every year of your life and I live for the life we are building together. I thank God that we met almost ten years ago and that you took a chance "out of your league."AS IF! :) There is no one on this earth I would rather be partnered with for this adventure we call life. I hope, pray, and believe that it will only get better. Thank you for all you are, all you have been, and all you will be to me and our kids. I love you! HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Weekend Words

TGIF
make
b-day cake
out to eat
family shop
target
toy aisle
Rhett
shoes
Kolby
Stuff
Mom
craft items
crafting
finish cake
late night
sleep late
errands
birthday party
McKenna's 2!
sweet girl
so little
big personality
yard work
water balloon fight
first swim
shivering cold
fun neighbors
raspberry rita's
no fear
no floaties
Rhett jumping
panic
long arms
wet shirt
safe child
relief
out to eat again
can't sleep
trading spaces
Kolby up
1:30
2:30
3:30
paper route
overslept
rush rush
smocked yellow dress
hot pink polish
ruined
anger
tears
church anyone?
church
children's ministry sermon
OUCH!
sign me up
lunch with the fam
5 kids
8 adults
Unsuspecting Italian place
big tip
news paper
nap
phone
CLEAN
paint
CLEAN
Extreme Makeover Home
Tears
love it
No housewives
darn!
kid bedtime
tears
BEDTIME!
cleaning again
@%^*&/}
forgot the laundry
late night
still the laundry
weekend workout?
Oops!
week at a glance
busy one
make list
blogging
G'night!

Window into another

I stumbled on a new blog to read a few weeks ago. http://www.stevenkiel.blogspot.com/ Steven Keil is in the reserves and serving in Iraq. I don't know him at all but I am drawn to his blog. It reminds me daily how grateful we should be to the men and women who represent our nation in Iraq. They put their lives on the line everyday in hopes of a better world. No matter what your political preference, you have to respect our fighting men and women abroad.

Most blogs I read are written by people I know, or people who know people I know. Most are Christians. All are Americans. It occured to me the other day that blogs give us the opportunity to gain insight into people who are totally different from us. Maybe that is why I occasionally visit Rosies blog, or the blog of a single girl living in NYC who I have never met , or the blog of a retired journalist dealing with MS that I happened to come across one day. I think it is fascinating to see life from different perspectives. I have this tool of the web and blogs. If I don't abuse it, or let my opinions and prejudices blind me, I have a the chance to see the world through someone elses eyes. It's the techno version of walking a mile in someone else's sandals. Pretty cool!

I have warned and whined before about my experience with "next blog" button. ( see 9-21-04 for that story) The warning still stands. But maybe gaining insight into others is worth the risk. If you have found some blogs that give you insight into a different view of life, let me know. I would love to check them out!

SAALLUUTE to Summer

Have you ever seen the Office Depot commercial where a Dad is skipping down the aisle to "It's the most wonderful time of the year" putting school supplies in his shopping basket while his two children slowly and begrudgingly follow with very long faces? It usually starts playing mid-August. It always makes me laugh... but I am not that parent at all! I really love when my kids are out of school. I am always sorry to see their vacations come to an end. So just like the kids, I can not wait for summer to be here.

We have big plans, but nothing so big it is in permanent ink on the calendar. I love summer because you don't have to have big plans down on paper. Maybe it is because I grew up the daughter of a teacher, but for me summer is a time to do all those projects there is no time to do during the rest of the year. It is a time to travel, sleep late, and laze around the pool. It is a time to rest, re-do and organize. It is the time to toss the daytimer and just let the days come as they will. Not to sound like a song from Grease, but I long for those Summer nights!

Summer nights have always been my favorite. Summer nights are all about fireflies, baseball games, and star watching. Summer nights are times for watching the sun set over the water with the sting of a slight sun burn on your shoulders and the promise of staying out late and sleeping past breakfast the next morning. Summer nights are for movies, late night strolls and making out! Summer nights are about sleeping with the windows open and letting crickets and toads sing you to sleep. Though I despise heat and sweating, is there anything better than a shaved ice snowcone on a hot afternoon? Ah summer! I can't wait! Just nine more school days till summer!

Senility Smiles

Two elderly women were eating breakfast in a restaurant one morning. Ethel noticed something funny about Mabel's ear and she said, '"Mabel, did you know you've got a suppository in your left ear?" Mabel answered, "I have a suppository?" She pulled it out and stared at it.Then she said, "Ethel, I'm glad you saw this thing. Now I think I know where my hearing aid is."

I got this joke in an e-mail and had to run to the restroom as I was laughing so hard! I know most of you are still trying to get through yesterdays novel long post so I'll keep it short today.

This joke is especially funny to me because I have been surrounded by older people most of my life. Yesterday we went to see Nana at the home for Mothers day. We took her a card, flowers, pictures of the kids. Funny how time changes things. A few years a go we would have carted Nana out of there a made a big to do over the whole day. Yesterday it was a quick visit after church. A few years ago if she had constantly asked where my grandfather was and when she could go home I would have left in tears. A few years ago if I was told that someone had taken her "Beautiful" perfume AGAIN, I would have been fuming. If Nana had not known my kids or my husband a few years ago, I would have been crushed. But yesterday all that happened and we went on like nothing had happened at all.

You have to smile at all this or just ignore it, or you end up crying all the time. I have been down that road and found it leads to nowhere good. So, we make light of it and laugh. Heard any good nursing home jokes lately?

Catch up

Where to start? So much to say since I last really posted. First a few updates...

The Gate Kids
After posting about the gate kids a few weeks ago, I e-mailed Berkley and Charlotte Hackett who I worked for in Nairobi those two summers so long ago. The Hacketts quickly became two of my favorite people during my first trip to Kenya. I'm not sure what I thought the "missionary type" was when I arrived in Nairobi, but Berkley was not at all what I envisioned a missionary to be. Berkley is bigger than life in some respects. The things God has accomplished through the Hacketts work in Nairobi over the last 30 years is just astounding.

Berkley And Charlotte Hackett

The Hacketts have braved revolutions, uprisings, government sanctions, and many, many legal an political storms over the years. Their work has produced an amazing church and technical college just a mile or so away from one of the worlds largest slums.. Mathari Valley. Their work has not always gone with out controversy. They have ruffled some feathers in Africa and the US. Berkley is a rebel in some ways, but not one with out a cause. Make no mistake, Berkley Hackett's heart is consumed with a God given love for the people, particularly the young people, of Nairobi. He and Charlotte may not be your typical missionaries, but through Christ they have dedicated their lives to the salvation and betterment of their adopted family in Kenya.

Not your typical Missionary
It took about a week or so, but I heard from Berkley. Here is an excerpt from his e-mail:

Njeri is now a senior in high school and Wachira is a sophomore. They haven't had overseas support to help them in over ten years. If you find someone to help these kids it would be great. Charlotte and I have done
what we could but with so much to do we can't do much. In fact we lost a good deal of our support in 2003 and are yet to gain it back. I could, of course, go back to the States for a few months, visit lots of people
and churches and rebuild the support base but we're no longer comfortable leaving the work and the people who depend on us for an extended period. So instead of that we go along the best we can, cutting good works that deserve to be supported. Right now Wachira has a $350.00 debt at the high school and is in danger of being expelled. Njeri is only $200.00 behind.

Eastleigh C of C in Nairobi and the KCITI Campus

I am very happy and a bit relieved to hear that the kids are OK and still in school. Even if they don't get to finish, having some high school education will give them a great advantage over many in Nairobi. Still, I hope they are able to finish school and really rise above their circumstances. It really saddens me to know that Berkley and Charlotte have had to cut good programs and not been able to give aid to the people they have loved and stayed with for so long because of whatever happened in 2003. I'm not sure what all happened in 2003. From the tidbits I have heard, it was an ugly church split that happened between the missionaries in Kenya. Missionaries are not immune to church politics and splits. I hope to find out more and perhaps start actively seeking aid for my precious African kids! E-mail me if you have any thoughts or insights in to this situation.

On the home front

Back here in Texas, things have been busy, as usual. There has been one thing on my heart and mind for the last few months that I have not been comfortable blogging about until now. I am just now to the point I don''t get all weepy when talking about it. It seems that Kolby may be dyslexic. She has not been formally diagnosed but, we are currently going through that process. Her teacher and I know that something is wrong and she shows many signs of dyslexia. There is a big discrepancy between Kolby's intellect and reading level.

It has been a heart breaking thing to watch unfold. I hate watching my sweet, bright, social, sensitive little girl struggle so hard. It kills me to hear her say that she is "reading dumb" and to painfully help her through her homework, AR books, and spelling words each night. I hate to see the gap widening between where she is and where she needs to be. I hate that her incredible little self-confidence has taken some very hard hits. BUT we still have much to be grateful for, even in this difficult situation.

As her wonderfully sweet teacher has told me time and again, Kolby is very, very bright. Socially and orally she is way ahead of the average first grader. She loves school. She wants to learn and she knows that she is smart even though she doesn't understand why she can't read as fast and easily as her classmates. Incredibly, Kolby has made mostly A's with just a few B's this year. That speaks to her ability to adapt and the coping skills she has developed on her own. But the time has come for her to get some help dealing with this... and we will get her that help! Because she is only seven, there is a great chance that she will be able to fully compensate for this reading disorder, once she is taught the right skills and techniques.

Finding help, the exact right help for Kolby, has become my focus for the last few weeks. It isn't as clear cut and easy as it may sound. We have talked to many, many wise and wonderful people who deal with this sort of thing professionally everyday. Most of them have very different views on what is best for Kolby. We are having to educate ourselves very quickly, and try to weed out what is truly best for our little girl.

Everyone agrees that we must do something now and that this summer will be crucial if we hope to close the gap and get Kolby where she needs to be to start second grade. Because she has done well in school and has no "educational need" everything we are doing, or will do, will have to be done privately and outside of the school system for now. I'm actually very grateful for this as I do not want Kolby labeled or singled out if it can be avoided.

Of course the downside to that is that we will have to pay or find funding for any programs, camps, tutors or evaluations that need to be done. All these things can be rather pricey. For example I have about $2000 dollars worth of options right now just for this summer. We can not afford all of these, and Kolby could not possibly participate in every one of these things as there are only so many hours in the day! So I am trying to find what will help her the most and give us the most "bang" for the buck. I really covet your prayers for this process.

In the mean time, we really have to work with Kolby with her homework. Spelling is a nightly chore. Unlike her classmates who just look over the list a few minutes the night before, (or so their mothers say) Kolby has to go over and over the words and sentences every night to be able to get a B on her Friday test. It really frustrates her. Last week after an especially frustrating time with spelling and reading homework, Kolby crawled in my lap and sobbed "I don't want you to be my teacher, I just want you to be my Mommy." It broke my heart. I so just wish she was three again and school was just her beloved preschool "turtle" class. My spunky three year old toddler somehow turned into a seven year old school girl. It happened so very, very fast! I look at my two years left before Rhett starts school with new eyes. I want to make the most of it!

Kolby's dsylexia came as quite a shock to my motherly pride. Up until this year, everything has come easily for Kolby. Starting at age two, every year her teachers have told me that she was one of the brightest kids in class. I never thought she would have problems reading, in fact, I thought I had done everything to instill a life long love of reading. But more than our parental pride has taken a hit as we have run the gamut of emotion during all this. There has been regret, wondering if something could have been done to prevent this. There has been guilt, thinking that I saw the signs and ignored them for months. I have been angry because my little girl has to deal with this. I have felt cheated as all this seems so unfair to her. I have stressed and worried about what this would mean for Kolby's future. I have cried at seeing her feel broken and defeated when unable to read as fast and as accurately as she wants to. Now I am at a point of acceptance and my focus has shifted to coping and making the best of this.

I truly believe that Kolby can and will overcome dyslexia and be a better person for it! Rob and I will do what ever it takes to get her the help she needs. We have all of our family backing and supporting us. I know that every person must struggle. Struggling is part of life, every life, even my little girl's life. I firmly believe that the God who blessed us with this wonderful little girl will help her and us through this latest challenge. I pray we all learn from this and further appreciate our God given blessings and abilities. I know there are much, much worse things that could happen. Dyslexia is not something that has to ruin a life. And it really helps to know that God has our back! So even if I mess up, God loves Kolby and Rhett more than I ever could and he will not abandon them. I always thought having children would bring me closer to God...I just had no idea how close.

So that's the update. Seems my heart and mind are consumed with my kids..both here and abroad. This post is so long it will take a few days to read. I'll check back in around Wednesday! I have missed getting to "chat" regularly with my blog world friends. I really appreciate the e-mails from those making sure we were still here and OK. We are! Now I am off to surf my blog list to see what the rest of you have been up to. See you soon in blog world! : )

The annual blue bonnet pictures

Computer Bug

My computer may have a virus... seems more like a full blown flu! Hope to be back to blogging soon! In the mean time I have heard from the gate kids. I can't wait to tell you all about it! SEE 8th COMMENT!