Well, it's out there now...

Today was a bittersweet.

Nine years ago, I came to San Antonio to spend the summer at River City as a youth intern. I spent that summer getting to know some of the coolest people I'd ever known. There was something different about River City. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I felt it. Summer came and went, and I found myself not wanting to leave. So I stayed, went to school, worked, and continued to work with the youth. Many things have changed since then (like getting married, having kids, and becoming the youth pastor's wife), but in a lot of ways they haven't. I've been involved with youth basically since I was a youth, and it's been so cool to watch students grow throughout the time I've been involved.

Today, though, is the beginning of a new chapter for us. We announced to our teenagers that at the end of this school year, we'll be stepping down and moving on. There were tears. It's hard stepping down at a time when things are going so well.

At the same time, I'm excited, because we've been given a new mission. Aaron and I will be launching a new multi-site on the Northwest side of San Antonio and we're thrilled.

How did this come about? Well, it started last summer. In July, Aaron had some time to himself while driving from Bastrop to San Antonio one afternoon and he just began to sense God telling him to get ready for the next step. He wasn't sure what that looked like. Are we supposed to go to another church? Was his role within the youth ministry about to change? He didn't say anything to anyone (not even me) but just tucked it away. Over the next number of months, he continued to hear the same thing, still not completely sure what he was supposed to do, but he began to become passionate about the idea of the multi-site, like we have in New Braunfels. But still, he said nothing...

Until one day in November (or was it December?), we loaded the kids up in the car, got Starbucks and were driving around looking at Christmas lights, and I looked over at him and said, "I feel like God is telling us to get ready for the next step."

He stared at me, wide-eyed. (I took this to mean that he thought I was crazy.)

After a long pause, he said, "Well, what do you think that looks like?"

"I don't know, really. I don't think we're supposed to leave River City. And I don't think we're supposed to plant a church. I don't know, but I think it'd be really awesome to launch a new campus."

Another long pause. This time I was sure he thought I was crazy.

But then, the most amazing thing happened. He said, "Wow. I've been feeling the same thing." Then we were both quiet.

For the rest of the night, though, and over the coming days, we found ourselves lost in conversations about what God had been saying to each of us individually over the past number of months, and the excitement built as we realized that the hand of God had been guiding us individually, but very much together, all along. The ideas and the possibilities were overwhelming and thrilling, and we just knew this was where we were being called.

God has continued to confirm this every step of the way. As we approached Sean and the church leadership, we found that God had been moving in them too, and doors have continued to open.

Today, we were finally able to announce this new ministry to the youth and to the congregation, and I can't wait to see how things continue to unfold from here. We're so excited to see the team of people God puts together and all that He has in store. Please pray for us as we begin this journey! We'll keep you posted along the way!

Thanks for being a part of our life. Sorry for the super long post with no pictures. :)

Conviction

This morning, Lauri (a great friend and mentor) sent me today's reading from My Utmost for His Highest, and I was convicted.

We need to rely on... Jesus much deeper down than we do, to get into the habit of steadily referring everything back to Him; instead of this we make our common-sense decisions and ask God to bless them.

I was really convicted by this. I'm guilty. Especially lately. I started off the year so close to Him, and then in effort to "follow" Him, I began to charge on ahead, asking Him to follow as I ran. The results? Less than stellar. I've found myself disappointed, discontent, and apathetic. In my experience, that doesn't even closely resemble the fruit produced by following God.

I am glad for the wake-up call, and I'm ready for a change. I feel that God is on the move and I look forward to the next number of weeks and months!

Daybreak in Alabama [Poetry]

Langston Hughes is another poet I first heard in Mrs. Endicott's class in junior high and I love his poetry. I love the dialect, the cadence, the stories...

Daybreak in Alabama
from The Collected Poems of
Langston Hughes

When I get to be a composer
I'm gonna write me some music about
Daybreak in Alabama
And I'm gonna put the purtiest songs in it
Rising out of the ground like a swamp mist
And falling out of heaven like soft dew.
I'm gonna put some tall tall trees in it
And the scent of pine needles
And the smell of red clay after rain
And long red necks
And poppy colored faces
And big brown arms
And the field daisy eyes
Of black and white black white black people
And I'm gonna put white hands
And black hands and brown and yellow hands
And red clay earth hands in it
Touching everybody with kind fingers
And touching each other natural as dew
In that dawn of music when I
Get to be a composer
And write about daybreak
In Alabama.

Notice [Poetry]

I'm continuing to post, now and again, poems that I love for one reason or another. I discovered this one in college, and it's a bit strange and funny, but I find myself drawn to it for some reason. :)

Notice
by Steve Kowit

This evening, the sturdy Levis
I wore every day for over a year
And which seemed to the end in perfect condition,
suddenly tore.
How or why I don’t know,
but there it was—a big rip at the crotch.
A month ago my friend Nick
Walked off a racquetball court,
Showered,
Got into his street clothes,
And halfway home collapsed and died.
Take heed you who read this
And drop to your knees now and again
Like the poet Christopher Smart
And kiss the earth and be joyful
And make much of your time
And be kindly to everyone,
Even to those who do not deserve it.
For although you may not believe it will happen,
You too will one day be gone.
I, whose Levis ripped at the crotch
For no reason,
Assure you that such is the case.
Pass it on.

The Road Not Taken [Poetry]

This was the first poem that I ever really remember reading (besides Shel Silverstein). We had to memorize it Mrs. Endicott's speech class (or was it English) in 6th or 7th grade (I had her three years in a row and I loved her), and I still know it by heart. It may be a bit cliche, but it has always really resonated with me.

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Retail Therapy

I got to go do a little shopping this morning. And it felt good. :) Well, except for my momentary lapse in judgement where I thought I might try on a pair of skinny jeans. Ha ha! Seriously, I don't know what I was thinking. Ha ha ha! It was extremely comical and humiliating all at the same time.

Aside from that, it was a fun morning, and I left with a new pair of [non-skinny] jeans, a shirt that's not black or a tee, and a new dress. A new dress that isn't black. If you know me, you know this is a big deal. Add this to the fact that last month, when I needed new dress pants, I passed up the black and went with brown... watch out world.

Silence [Poetry]

As I go back through my little collection of poems, I'm noticing some of them are a bit dark... or somber, rather. But I like them because they make me feel.

Silence
by Edgar Lee Masters

I have known the silence of the stars and of the sea.
And the silence of the city when it pauses,
And the silence of a man and a maid,
And the silence for which music alone finds the word,
And the silence of the woods before the winds of spring begin,
And the silence of the sick
When their eyes roam about the room.
And I ask: For the depths
Of what use is language?
A beast of the field moans a few times
When death takes its young.
And we are voiceless in the presence of realities—
We cannot speak.

A curious boy asks an old soldier
Sitting in front of the grocery store,
“How did you lose your leg?”
And the old soldier is struck with silence,
Or his mind flies away
Because he cannot concentrate it on Gettysburg.
It comes back jocosely
And he says, “A bear bit it off.”
And the boy wonders, while the old soldier
Dumbly, feebly lives over
The nashes of guns, the thunder of cannon,
The shrieks of the slain,
And himself lying on the ground,
And the hospital surgeons, the knives,
And the long days in bed.
But if he could describe it all
He would be an artist.
But if he were an artist there would be deeper wounds
Which he could not describe.

There is the silence of great hatred,
And the silence of a great love,
And the silence of a deep peace of mind,
And the silence of an embittered friendship,
There is the silence of a spiritual crisis,
Through which your soul, exquisitely tortured,
Comes with visions not to be uttered
Into a realm of higher life.
And the silence of the gods who understand each other without speech,
There is the silence of defeat.
There is the silence of those unjustly punished;
And the silence of the dying whose hand
Suddenly grips yours.
There is the silence between father and son,
When the father cannot explain his life,
Even though he be misunderstood for it.

There is the silence that comes between husband and wife.
There is the silence of those who have failed;
And the vast silence that covers
Broken nations and vanquished leaders.
There is the silence of Lincoln,
Thinking of the poverty of his youth.
And the silence of Napoleon
After Waterloo.
And the silence of Jeanne d’Arc
Saying amid the flames, “Blesséd Jesus”—
Revealing in two words all sorrow, all hope.
And there is the silence of age,
Too full of wisdom for the tongue to utter it
In words intelligible to those who have not lived
The great range of life.

And there is the silence of the dead.
If we who are in life cannot speak
Of profound experiences,
Why do you marvel that the dead
Do not tell you of death?
Their silence shall be interpreted
As we approach them.

Random

As I was pulling out of our driveway this morning, I noticed this sign taped to the light pole on the corner. It made me laugh, so I thought I'd share. :)

i carry your heart with me [Poetry]

In high school and college I always loved my Literature classes. They fascinated me. I give all the credit to my high school English teacher, Ms. Jarma, who made it exciting and interesting and enjoyable and who really helped us connect with the stories and poems we read. In college, though I quickly sold every other college textbook, I always held on to my Lit books. I just couldn't bear to part with a book so full of stories and thoughts collected over centuries. There's a lot of literature I don't care for, but the pieces that I love, I truly love.

Yesterday I found a file on my computer that had a small collection of my favorite poems, so I thought I'd post one now and again. The following poem is my favorite of all time. And if you know e.e. cummings at all, you'll know that I didn't botch the punctuation, spacing, and capitalization... that's just the way he does things. Enjoy!

i carry your heart with me
by e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

What's Going On? [02.22.10]

There's nothing super significant to say, and my brain has been somewhat in a fog lately, but here are some snippets of what's going on around here lately (and other miscellaneous thoughts)...

- The House Hunt... it continues. What a roller coaster! To sum it all up, there is one particular house that we are praying for. If it doesn't go through, we are back to the drawing board. Pray that if God wants us to have this house, that it would happen. (I really really want this to be the house.)



- I think today is the anniversary of the day our house burned down when I was in third grade. I can't be certain. Not sure why that popped in my head today. This week (on Wednesday) also would've been my brother's 26th birthday. Okay, I'll quit being depressing.

- I love Pioneer Woman. The girl KNOWS how to cook and I have yet to try any of her recipes that I don't love. So far we've done the Italian Beef Drip, Restaurant Salsa, Chicken Spaghetti, and the Beef & Broccoli. I want her cookbook.

- I also [still] love my iPod touch.

- My computer has been upsetting me terribly lately. It keeps shutting down without warning. I took my laptop to the computer doctor last week and took my desktop today. I'm praying it comes back fixed because I've almost literally gotten NOTHING done the past week or two.

- Pray for me. I've caught myself worrying and being easily bummed out a lot lately. I don't want to be like that.

- Last night I was up for the longest time because I couldn't stop coughing. I was supposed to get up at 6:45 this morning to get Abby ready and take her to school, but when I woke up, Aaron had gotten up and was taking her to school himself. He told me to go back to bed (!!!) so I did, and when I finally got up again at 9:30, he had brought me flowers and cough drops. Isn't he sweet?! (I have pictures, but due to the aforementioned computer drama, I can't get them off my camera.) He also made his delicious Chicken Scaloppini tonight. My husband takes such good care of me.

Sorry for the completely random, hodgepodge of a post. Welcome to my brain. :)

Enchanted Rock

This past July, we went camping at Bastrop State Park with my Mom and Dad. While we were there, we decided it'd be a great idea to buy the State Park Pass. We had grand visions of spending all of our weekends in the outdoors, taking hikes, etc. There was lots of excitement. Well, I'm sad to say, it's February and we just now got around to using it. Ha ha. Better late than never, right?!

Saturday, we packed up the kids and some hot dogs and took a little road trip out to Enchanted Rock near Fredricksburg. The drive was beautiful, as was the day... a little cool, a little windy... perfect for a hike. We enjoyed our picnic by the water and then set out on our journey with four kids in tow. Surprisingly, the kids all did great! Abby, Carson, and Jack made it all the way to the top without any trouble. Really, only Natalie and I had any trouble. But after being passed by a one-legged man, we soldiered on. :) It was a really fun day. It was just so nice to be outside and be active. I spend far too much time in front of my computer and the TV lately (as well as my kids) and I don't want to be like that. Growing up, we spent tons of time outside... playing, camping, hiking. It's good for the soul, and being out in God's creation like that gives such perspective.

Now that we've had a little reminder, this is something we plan to get out and do much more often. Don't let me forget!

The Green Room

Today I had the opportunity to be a part of a really cool Creative Arts/Ministry conference, The Green Room. The speakers were inspiring and helpful, and there's something cool about gathering with a community of artists. We "get" each other. :) Probably my favorite was a talk given by Dewitt Jones. He was amazingly inspiring, happy, wise... and of course talented (to be a photographer for National Geographic, you'd have to be, right?!). One of my favorite quotes from him was, " Creativity is a moment where what we see is extraordinary." He talked a lot about just seeing things with new eyes and taking in the wonder that is all around us. "Celebrate what's right with the world." I don't do that enough.

There's still lots to process, but all in all, it was a great day that made me fall more in love with what I do and helped me to get a vision for how art can make a difference in people's lives.

Coffee with "Mimi"

Yesterday Abby stayed home from school because she was coughing like crazy and "feeling a little sick-ish". We spent the morning on the couch, watching way too much TV, while I tried (without much success) to get some work done. None of us were feeling all that super, but the real sick one is my computer. I think I'm going to have to take IT to the doctor. It's frustrating. But I digress...

Finally, the day came to the point where I had to get some things done since I was going to be out all day today at The Green Room (super excited). So we ventured out of the house and went to run some errands. One of our errands happened to include stopping by Sandy's work to drop off some pictures, and of course, we had to say hello. Not only were there lots of hugs and squeals, but Ammie (or "Mimi" as the kids seem to be calling her lately) invited us to walk down to Starbucks with her for a mid-afternoon treat. Of course, the kids (and Mommy) were thrilled! :) It was a wonderful pick-me-up (literally for the kids... "Mimi, pick me up! Pick me up!") for a very average day, and as always, I just feel so blessed to have a family that I enjoy.

Poppy's Tortilla Soup

There was a night about seven years ago that changed my life...

I was taking night classes at SAC, and I walked out to my car to find it covered in ice. It was freezing cold. While I waited for the ice to melt off of my windshield, Aaron called (he was my boyfriend then) and invited me over to his mom and dad's. I would've gone anyway, but when he told me his dad had made a huge pot of soup, I was sold.

An hour later, I finally made it to their house, and Bill graciously filled a huge bowl of his tortilla soup. I remember sitting at the table, and for a while, there was nothing else in the world but me and that soup. It was extraordinary.

A couple years later (when I was sufficiently tied to the family), he was kind enough to share his recipe with me when I asked, and this is still one of my favorite meals. I love the smells, the process of making it, and the fun of adding all the "fixins" when its done. It's so good that I'm going to have it for dinner tonight AND tomorrow night (and perhaps for lunch). :)

The Way to Travel

Every time we go shopping, this is the way Carson likes to travel. He is content as he can be laying down on that bottom rack and watching the world go by. Give him something with wheels to roll along the floor as we go and he's in heaven.

I don't think a whole lot of it, but I've noticed that it always makes the people we pass smile and laugh to see him riding that way, and as we walk away, I can always hear the old ladies saying, "Awww... now isn't that just the cutest thing?!"

Abby

Just wanted to give a little update on Abby. She hasn't been on here as much as Carson lately since she's at school most days, and then when we are together, she's usually running around so much, I don't have the chance to get a picture! She's been doing pretty great lately!

- Every day when I pick her up from school, the first thing she asks is, "Can we have a playdate with someone today?" If the answer is no (like it is most days), then her next question is, "Can we invite our neighbors over to play with us when we get home?" The girl loves being around other kids.

- It means the world to her when you take the time to sit and talk to her. She LOVES when I come sit at the table while she's eating her cereal in the morning. She considers it the highest honor if she's able to come "keep me company" while I'm getting ready. When her daddy comes and eats lunch with her, she talks about it for days. One on one time is like gold. I love this about her. (She's a lot like me in that regard, I think.)

- She's doing quite well at reading! She's starting to get the hang of it. Teaching a child to read, though, has gotten me pretty frustrated with the English language however. What about this language makes sense? I should make a list sometime. Ugh... but I digress. I'm really proud of her. And she knows almost all of the books of the Bible, which impresses me to no end. I didn't figure those out until I was 12!

- She loves talking about the Bible and about God... always has.

- She asks at least once a week if she can set up another art sale or a lemonade stand in the front yard. Perhaps she'll be an entrepreneur one day. Plans are underway for an ice cold lemonade stand once it starts getting hot out.

- She is also very focused (and has been for a few months now) on planning her birthday party in May. So far she wants to do a princess slumber party at home and decorate purses, wands, and crowns. :)

- She is very excited (and anxious) about losing her first tooth. She always thinks she's about to lose one. It's cute.

- She loves her brother.

- She adores her daddy.

- And she talks about family all the time. Cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, second and third cousins, great grandparents... everyone.

- She likes to pray and talk to God.

- She's very thoughtful.

- She's growing like a weed. I have to go buy her new clothes this week (and shoes soon) because all her pants are suddenly too short.

I'm so proud of my sweet girl, and it's so exciting to see the young lady that she's becoming!

Sunday Mornings

I really enjoy going to church on Sunday mornings. Now I'll admit that getting there (happily, on time, without incident) is sometimes an ordeal, but once I get there, it's awesome just to slow down and realize God's presence all around.

I sometimes forget to blog this part of our life, because it's just so normal for us, but I'm truly grateful to be part of such an amazing community. Also, while I'm on the subject, I wanted to drop a link to last week's sermon called "A Vision of the King". It was so amazing... rich with wisdom, perspective, and inspiration. I definitely encourage you to check it out if you didn't get the chance to hear it.

Weekend Update [02.13.10]

This weekend's been a lot of fun so far! It's been pretty laid back (just the way I like it). Last night, Abby went to a sleepover for a friend's birthday, so I told Carson he could have Jackson over to spend the night. Boy, did they have fun! I'm so glad they can be close. This morning we got up, had cinnamon rolls, and then went to pick up Abby, do some shopping, and then go to a birthday party. We had loads of fun, then came home for nap time. Well, nap time for the kids. I've been waking up super early lately, so I didn't want to risk taking a nap and having even more sleeping issues at night. I did get a massage though. Aaron is so awesome. A massage is probably one of my most favoritest things in the whole wide world. :) The rest of the evening, we just kinda laid low and didn't do a whole lot (except for trying to get caught up on our laundry and watching TV). Good times.

Here's a few pics from the past couple days...

When we got out of the car at WalMart this morning, I just looked at this crew and laughed. The goggles, the bandana... they're gonna love these pictures someday.


We went to Asher's birthday party today and these cupcakes were A-MAZ-ING. Candace and her family know how to do some SERIOUS cooking. Lunch was also spectacular!


Trying to get a sweet picture of Nat and Reagan, when Aaron decided to jump in...


I love this picture of Natalie. She's GORGEOUS!


This picture is called "Time Out"


I couldn't help but snap a quick portrait of Reagan with her big red bow and lollipop. Isn't she adorable?! (Clearly, I am not biased towards her in any way!)


And, of course, here is the birthday boy! Told ya those cupcakes were GOOD.


Had to get him with the lollipops too!


And the whole pinata thing was HILARIOUS once the grown up boys got involved!


Not sure what to say about this one... :)


Aaaand tonight, Aaron decided again that he was just going to make something with whatever we had on hand, and we had delicious fish and chips! I typically don't like fish, but cover it in batter, grease, and malt vinegar and I'm all over it! :)

The Chopped Champion

I am not a very good meal planner. It's just that I don't really think about food until I'm really really hungry and it's time to eat. Last night, Aaron got home and he asked what we were having for dinner, and I said, "Well, we have NOTHING to make here, so we'll probably need to go grocery shopping or get take-out." (Because that's how I roll.) "Nothing?" he replied. "Yeah, nothing... I mean look!" He gave me a smile that showed he was out to prove me wrong. I looked at him skeptically. He stood there for a while, and I said, "See??"

"Nah, we're good," he replied, and he pulled out several links of Alsatian sausage that he bought in Castroville last week, shredded hash brown potatoes, and parmesan cheese. What?! This was looking more and more like an episode of Chopped, where contestants are faced with a basket of completely random food, and have to make a delicious dish from it. Like watermelon, canned sardines, and pepperjack cheese.

I was skeptical, and as he cooked, I sat in the living room [not-so] secretly making plans to eat that last egg roll that was in the fridge instead.

Well... I never made it to the egg roll, because Aaron created a masterpiece of a burger with his odd assortment of ingredients. It was unbelievably good, and I was so proud (and jealous) that he could just "whip up" something like that without a recipe or anything. I seem to screw up food even with a clear instructions before me! I should've taken a picture, but I didn't. Regardless, Aaron has been named the Chopped champion in our household, and yet another great burger has been added to the family cookbook.

This Week [02.13.10]

This week I...

Made my own salsa,
Had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in a while,
Experienced Magnolia pancake Haus for the first time with a good friend,
Was given a massage by my husband,
Went to a birthday party,
Finished another good book,
Woke up unreasonably early every morning (like 4:30 and 5:30),
Enjoyed the rain,
Spent more time bundled up on the couch than I should,
Watched more TV than I should,
Called my mom,
Was encouraged by friends,
Prayed,
Played Uno with the kids,
Took Abby to a slumber party,
Wished I could go to the photography workshop in Banff,
Planned at least one week of vacation this year (time off, no location yet!),
Worried too much,
Cried in front of my realtor (who thankfully is a friend!),
Enjoyed my family,
Planned a portrait event,
Think I fixed my computer (!!!),
Looked at houses,
Had far too much sugar,
Loved,
Fought,
Was loved.

Lots of ups and downs, but it was still a good week. :)

A Morning Out

This morning I had the chance to hang out with one of my awesome friends, Amanda. We've known each other since back in the College & Career days, and she's super! I was excited to hang out with her because I've just always thought she was so COOL. She always seems to know all the great places to go (whether it's a restaurant, a cool website, or a travel destination) and she's a lot of fun to hang out with.

This morning we decided to get together for breakfast, and since I'd never been, she introduced me to Magnolia Pancake Haus, where I got an Omelet Monterrey (that came with a SIDE of pancakes). It was amazingly delicious!


Roman couldn't get enough of those pancakes either.


Then we went and walked around at La Cantera and Amanda introduced me to one of her favorite coffee bars... eBar, where I had THE most amazing Mexican Hot Chocolate EVER. Really.


AND I found an awesome Kate Spade cover for my iPod Touch at the Apple Store. :)

All in all, it was an amazing, fun, and restful morning, except for the passing of Amanda's beloved laptop, Jane. So sorry, Amanda. :( But I'm so glad we could spend the morning together! Thanks for thinking of me!

My Hero

I thought about titling this blog post "Everything is Falling Apart" or "Why Does Everything Cost So Much Money?!" or something along those lines, but I figured I'd focus on the positive instead.

My radiator on my car had to be replaced yesterday... another thing in the growing list of expensive things that need to be paid for. Frustrating, but then I have to stop and be thankful that a) although things are tight, we can pay for them, and b) I have a husband who knows how to fix things, saving us (in 2 out of 3 instances) from paying a repairman or a mechanic.

Yes, my amazing husband is my hero, in more ways than one, but yesterday he spent the better part of the day replacing my radiator. He is brilliant and manly and I love him! :)

"Pleazy Sweetie Hearts?"

Carson is a little stinker. And he makes me laugh pretty constantly. Lately he's been doing this thing where he'll ask for something he really wants, and if I say no, he puts on his sweetest little smile and says, "Pleazy sweetie hearts?" It is SO cute. (Not cute enough to make me change my mind, of course, but cute nonetheless.)

This morning while I got my last few minutes of sleep, Abby and Carson got out their boxes of markers, etc. to color and when I got up, I found this...

Carson said, "Mommy look! I'm all decorated for church!" He had stamped himself all over and was smiling very proudly. (This picture was taken post getting in trouble, so the proud smile is gone.)

This boy is something else and he makes life very interesting. :) He loves falling down and imitating all sorts of people, animals, sculptures... you name it. He's very affectionate and is good for a snuggle any time of day.

I'm so thankful for my little boy!

This Week I... [02.06.10]

Natalie started doing this cool thing on her blog, so I'm copying... :)

This week I...
finally laid tile in our master bathroom,
got a new CD that I love,
finished a GREAT book,
made pumpkin bread,

had a fire in the fireplace,

got a Route 44 vanilla Diet Coke at Sonic,
made up silly songs with my kids,
laughed at myself,
felt loved,
made my husband mad,
put an offer on a house I really loved,
walked away from a house I really loved,
went to a friend's 30th birthday party,

had dinner with more great friends,
fell more in love with my amazing husband,
made two new recipes (that actually came out good!),
ordered pizza,

did very little work,

but did manage to keep the house somewhat clean,

spent time with my niece and nephew,

prayed,
felt God's presence,
played,
worried,
spent the night at my in-laws because of plumbing issues at our house,
decided I was going to be better about sticking to a budget,
(then had to pay a traffic ticket, the plumber, and buy a new cooktop for our stove,
talked with my kids,
spent a lot of time with my hubby,
felt amazingly grateful.