'Round Here...

I have not been a great blogger lately. There's tons going on, so I have lots to blog about, but sadly, it just doesn't get done. So here's a summary... or at least a sampling...


- We got a house! We'll be closing on it in April sometime. It's a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath with 2300+ square feet. It's only a few years old and is in great condition. I thought it was a little plain at first, but now I realize it's kinda cool to have a blank canvas and I have lots of ideas to make it "home".

- Hence, my new favorite magazine.

- We also just realized that we have to be moved out of our house this MONDAY and will have to live with Aaron's parents until we close on the new house. It'll be fun, I just hate the idea of moving twice. And packing. I just really really really hate packing. Really.

- We had our first vision meeting last night for the new NW campus! I'm excited to start building a team. We've got some great people on our side!

- My parents and my niece, Jerah, came to stay with us last weekend, and that was a lot of fun. The kids loved having them around (and so did we). I forgot to take any pictures. Oops. But you can imagine the fun. :)

- I got my computer back finally. Something about updating the BIOS. Seems like it shouldn't have taken a month to figure that out, but... I'm a happy camper now! Just trying to get caught up.

There's a lot of other stuff going on, I'm sure, but I'll have to unpack that later. There are a select few things kind of dominating at the moment. :)

Did I mention I hate packing?

Andre Brian

Thursday morning I woke up to a text from my sister. "We're at the hospital! I'll keep you posted!" As soon as I finished up the morning's portrait shoot, the kids and I drove to Bryan/College Station to welcome baby Andre.

We spent Thursday and Friday at the hospital taking in his cuteness. I'm bad with numbers so I don't remember all the "specs" but he was in the 7 pound range and I think 20.5 inches. He is very cute and sweet and spent a lot of the time wide-eyed and quietly taking it all in. Val did great and they got to go home from the hospital yesterday!

Here are a few pics from our time up there. :)













Proud big sister, Jerah. She calls him her "Baby Butter". :)

This Week [03.15.10]

This week (and the week before. I'm kinda behind!)

- I didn't sleep well. At all.
- Aaron didn't sleep well. This is unusual.
- Had dinner with friends.
- Aaron's Mom quit her job to pursue her passion. So proud of her!!!
- Looked at more houses.
- Shot some of my first portraits of Spring.
- Abby has really gotten good at reading and spelling!
- Went to an Oscar party!
- Got in an argument with Aaron at HEB. Why does this always happen?! lol
- Finished the book of Numbers and started Deuteronomy.
- Took the kids to the park
- Fell in love with Texas' spring weather!
- Got caught up on my TV shows (Community is still my favorite!)
- Spent time with some really wise ladies.
- Prayed.
- Had emotional ups and downs.
- Got to see my family when we went to Bryan for my sister's baby shower!
- Booked a couple more 2010 weddings!
- Still didn't get my computer back.
- Still wished I had a Mac.
- Started to get used to not having a computer. This is probably a good thing except I have to use one for work.
- Picked up my camera again. Felt good.
- Got to spend a little time with my amazing sis-in-law.
- Sat outside all Sunday afternoon with family and talk and laugh while Aaron smoked up some yummy ribs!
- Fell more in love with my husband.
- Worked on a blog for our new campus.
- Cleaned.
- Relaxed.
- Watched a movie.
- Panicked about having to move soon.
- Had a kid-free night.
- The kids got to go ride horses at Aunt Judy's!
- Trusted God.
- Saw the first bluebonnets of the season.
- Experienced an amazing time of worship.
- Heard God speak.

Coconuts and Other Simple Pleasures

For months (and perhaps even longer) Abby has been extremely intrigued by coconuts every time we pass them in the produce section. "Mom, can we please get one of these?!" I don't really like Coconut and I've seen too many movies with people making fools of themselves trying to open one. So we never did.

But last week our friends Jason and Candace invited us over for a Hawaiian themed dinner, and she asked me to make coconut rice. Knowing very little about coconut or coconut milk, I purchased pretty much all varieties. Coconut milk, coconut creme, and of course, the real deal. Abby was beside herself with excitement and couldn't wait for us to crack it open. (I have to admit being a little curious myself.)

Turns out... 1) It wasn't that hard to open. They do all the hard work for you beforehand. 2) I was pretty intrigued to try what's inside. There was TONS of liquid sloshing around inside. We eagerly tried it out to see what it tasted like. It was fairly flavorless. The stuff in the can was much tastier. 3) Also tried making our own toasted coconut flakes. Well, we succeeded in toasting them for sure. But they tasted nothing like the packaged ones.

So why have I spent this long blogging about an anticlimactic coconut experience? I'm still not entirely sure. I guess the fact of the matter is, the coconut was secondary. Abby and I had a lot of fun trying something new and hanging out in the kitchen together. I love seeing the smile on her face brought on by a coconut or a hug or by her making up a "new recipe" (there have been some very interesting ones lately!) I'm so thankful for my sweet girl!

Things That Make Me Happy Today

Last spring we finally took the time to create a flowerbed in the front. I loved it. The cold was hard on some of our plants and I don't think they'll be coming back this spring, but I was so excited the other day when I discovered my favorite, the Carolina Jessamine, blooming big and bright as ever!



When I was in college, after moving into my own apartment, I decided one day that I wanted a guitar. So I saved up my money, bought one and began learning to play. A few months in, I started dating this guy, and the guitar didn't get much attention after that. I later married that guy, and my guitar spent years up at the youth center being played by people who knew much better what they were doing.

But now my guitar is back. I can't remember a thing about how to play. And I may not ever learn. But I like having it. :)



Carson will just walk by my room about 10 times a day and stare at it. "Mom, can I play that?" He's pretty obsessed. Maybe he'll learn to play it since his old mom never did.

Speaking of Carson, I've got an absolutely hilarious photo to share as soon as Aaron sends it to me from his phone. In the mean time, here is a different photo. Lately, as we're doing things like getting dressed or making lunch, as we do each task, he'll say, "Pajamas off. Check!" then, "Pants on. Check!" and make a little check mark with his fingers. He's pretty proud of himself and it's cute.



More to come! I'm gonna go play with the kiddos (Jack and Reagan are over) and Amanda is coming over to watch Project Runway. Good day!

Calm

I know I haven't blogged in a while. Honestly, this has been one of the craziest, most emotional, most up + down months I've had in a good long time. And I don't want to re-live it.

Right now I want to celebrate the calm
and the peace
that i feel.

I feel like I can breathe.

And that feels good.

So what changed? Well, I could point to a lot of different things...

Spring is springing, the sun is shining, and I've started making lists to keep myself organized.

Or perhaps it's the fact that we found a house and I got my computer back. Oh wait, those two things still haven't happened yet.

I have a feeling, though, that it has more to do with the fact that I've shifted my focus back to God. I got awfully distracted for a while. I can't tell you how good it feels to just know that God is in control. I had to tell myself that over and over for a while, but now I know that it's true. And he loves me. And he wants good for me (even thought that might look different than I imagined). And somehow when I put him first (in my day, in my responses to people/situations, and in all aspects of my life), everything comes out better.

For weeks (or perhaps longer) I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. So many things to do and not enough time. But strangely, now that I get up every day, and spend time in the Word and in prayer, I've had enough time to get just about everything done (sans photo editing, which I can't do at the moment). Could it be that what they say is true? God can do more with 90% than you could do with 100%.

Our housing situation is still completely up in the air. We have an offer on one house (a short sale), but it's been probably 4-6 weeks now and they said it'll probably be another 2 weeks before we hear anything (I'll believe it when I see it). In the mean time, we've come across a few others. Some doors have closed and others still remain open. I have NO idea where we'll end up, but I've come to realize that God has the ability to lead and guide us in our search and to open and close doors as he wills. It's not worth it to worry.

What's changed is that God is daily reminding me of those simple truths...

Matthew 6

²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jeremiah 29

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you," declares the LORD...

This Week [03.05.10]

This week I...

was without my work computer,
got really frustrated with my super slow laptop,
was thankful that I at least HAD a laptop,
found out we didn't get the house we wanted, :(
announced a very big change in our life,
had a lot of really fun times with my family,
had an engagement shoot,
have been very frustrated at my very limited ability to download/edit any photos,
missed my computer... again,
prayed,
got caught up on my Bible reading plan,
found enough change in the laundry to treat myself to a Route 44 vanilla Coke at Sonic,
cried,
had a really fun time with our small group,
met with a great mentor/friend, Lauri,
started working on the blog/web presence for the NW campus,
snuggled on the couch with my hubby,
laughed my head off at Community,
was inspired by the creativity on Project Runway,
worried about getting a house,
worried about my business,
worried about too many other things,
handed it all over to God,
cleaned the house,
did laundry (several days in a row!),
made Aaron's favorite meal, Dirty Risotto,
went to Costco 2 or 3 times,
felt like a basketcase,
felt at peace,
got excited for all God is doing,
went on a walk with the family,
cleaned my office/workstation (this is a very big deal!!),
had dinner at Jason and Natalie's house to celebrate our new calling (Thanks, guys!),
really missed taking pictures (I'm so ready for my computer to be fixed AND for it to be spring!),
drove around just for the fun of it,
bought gifts for my new nephew (who should be arriving in the next few weeks!),
was thankful that God is in control and that He loves us.