One last summer fling

I know technically her summer doesn't really end. I mean, I still have three days of the week to take her to the zoo whenever I want. BUT, the zoo was the one place she'd wanted to go all summer and we hadn't yet, so Reed came along with us this past Saturday to fulfill her summer list!

The macaws

Playing in the splash park in the Children's Zoo area. Once we get here, it's hard to leave!

Does every native Houstonian have this picture? This is actually the second picture like this of Evy.

Yes, there's an animal back there. You get a prize if you can tell me what animal it is and where it is! (Yes, it's out - not in that cave somewhere.)

The giraffe. My favorite. And apparently, as Stephanie bluntly pointed out, "It's everyone's favorite animal!" True or false. I think a poll is in order here. Vote on the side, please! (I like how this is shaping up to be quite the interactive post, eh?)How can you finish a hot day at the zoo without ice cream? And how can you give a cutie like this ice cream without sprinkles?

Fun times.

Well, I gotta go pick up the girl from school now. :-)

The Annual First Day of School Picture

How cute and big is she?!

And no tears this year! (hers or mine! - but just wait until next year!!)
P.S. Cuter, better, reversible, made-by-mom-with-love apron coming soon!

You think you're so funny!

Dear Anonymous,
That cracked me up! I can't believe no one else noticed that in my previous post as I listed the SIX people that I tagged next...I neglected poor little #4.
That's fine. That's fine. I got a good little laugh ('cause I'm humble like that...!). Now I guess it's your turn.
#4. Mrs. (or Mr.) Anonymous - yup, I'm calling you out! If you are who I think you are - it's about time you started a blog anyway. Now you can give me credit for making you do it!
HA HA HA - That was my best laugh of the week!

Is there anything random about me?

You know the drill now, right? I mean, has everyone been tagged by now? Well, thanks to Karen, it's my turn. I'm really not sure how random I am. I mean, it seems decidedly un-random to have already written a list of possible random things on paper first!? I also had to go back to this post to make sure I wrote something new!

The rules:

1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

Okay...

1. Hidden talent: I can "strum" my nose. Hard to explain, but there's this way that I sort of itch/sniff my nose using my fingers (not picking, mind you!) and it makes a strumming sound. I probably won't show you unless it's just us, so don't ask me in the middle of a big group or anything!

2. Wanna-be talent: If I could play any instrument, it would be the drums. Love it. I would love to learn and play. It's so unexpected to find a girl drummer. That's so cool. Like a girl bassist, right? Remember Beth? Very cool.

3. I just made my first ETSY purchase and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival! When on our Mexico trip, I lost a little zippered pouch that I carry in my purse one week of the month (you get me, right?) and when I couldn't find one that was cute anywhere (it should at least be cute, right?), I decided to try ETSY. I found this perfect one and paid only about $7 including shipping. Yea, ETSY!

4. Loudness really annoys me. I don't know which came first: the sensitivity to loud or teaching. Did teaching cause the annoyance or am I a teacher and therefore have this sensitivity? I'm very auditory and, well, y'know what...I don't know why, but I can only take loudness for a certain amount of time. Yelling BUNCO - fine. Listening to Rob Thomas cranked up in my car - fine. "MAMA!! MAMA!!" at 7:30am - not fine. Kindermusik for more than 45 minutes - not fine. Some people just seem to be louder than others. I'm always shushing around my house. "I'm right here." I'll quietly say to the offender.

5. I'm a gamer. There I've admitted it. There was a huge Tetris stint in college where all I wanted to do was plug in my walkman (yeah, yeah, I'm old - it was The Cure, too! haha!), eat pizza and rock on Tetris. I was good! Then I was game free for a long time until Reed introduced me to Civilization on the computer. I've been addicted ever since. At least once a week I play for a couple or more hours. We don't have any gaming system mostly because of me, not Reed.

6. I have scoliosis. My lower spine has a slight curve in it. The doctor says it will be fine and shouldn't change, but sometimes I get paranoid about it. When I bend over, one shoulder blade is more pronounced than the other and I get very uncomfortable, very quickly in certain seats, car seats in particular - Reed's Acura more than any other. wierd.

Okay, that's all, kids. Everything else about me is completely normal and boring. ;-)

I tried to look back and see who's been tagged or not, but it gets confusing. So here's who I tag and if you already have been tagged, consider this more pressure:

1. Mrs. Haskew

2. Mrs. Barosh

3. Mrs. Baudoin

5. Mrs. Tam

6. Mrs. Hargrave

(Using our "new" married names is kinda fun and different and, dare I say, random?!)

Another chance to serve!

So, I've been given this goal of participating in at least one service type activity for our family each month. I feel that this is just as valuable, if not more, than any of the other things we do. And it really helps us teach MaryEvyn about life outside of herself and her wants (which is hard for a four year old!). I thought I'd share them with you not to boast (because of course the idea, the goal was God's anyway!), but, rather, to hopefully give you and your family some ideas to do the same! It's so much fun - especially as a family!

So this month we had donated school supplies for Second Mile in connection with Crossbridge but we weren't able to participate in the distributing process. I was sad about that because that's where you get to REALLY be a part of it and see the direct results, y'know. But then I got this email from Bobby Delgado about a bash that he was doing at his church over in Spring Branch and would we want to donate and/or help? Perfect!

We rounded up some more school supplies and headed out there Saturday afternoon. We dropped off our supplies (you can see all the bags in the photo above) and were surprised to find all the other fun happening. This wet blow up slide-y thing, face painting, popcorn, sno-cones, hot dogs, and, my favorite - this awesome rapper dude. He was great so I captured some of it for you (albeit out of focus, sorry!).

Good times and another great reminder for our family of how blessed we are and, more importantly, WHY we're blessed...so that we can bless others and show God's love in a practical way. Super fun!

I got one for ya'!

I've seen several recipes on blogs before but since I hate to cook, I measure them by my usual criteria: 1. how many ingredients are there, and 2. how much chopping do I have to do, and 3. how many dishes will I have to dirty (and, consequently wash) to make it.

Most fall short. (Kraft has saved the day for me!)

However, I frequently participate in a fruit/veggie co-op and was enticed by the most recent order list which included peaches, pears, carrots and kiwis. I knew that surely there was some simple little desserty thing that could be whipped up with those peaches. Sure enough I found this terrific little gem of a "recipe" on allrecipes.com that I remembered my mom making once.

So without further adue:

1 large fresh peach - peeled, pitted and sliced (Reed got to do this part)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespooons sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped pecans

And the complicated directions?

Place sliced peach in a small serving dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and spoon sour cream on top. Sprinkle with pecans!

YUM!

I know the sour cream doesn't seem right, but I'm tellin' ya, it's fantastic with the brown sugar to cut some of the sourness. And this is about as "healthy" as I can stand a dessert!

I had all of the ingredients on hand (a supreme bonus!) and we enjoyed these while watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Perfection!

I really should do this more often!

Why do I seem to forget the benefits of inviting a friend to play with my only child?
I do get a little tired out from more than one and, sometimes, my introverted self gets a little taxed after a while when a mommy comes, too. (Please don't misread that - I love playdates with mommies, it's fantastic, but it's not relaxing...does that make sense? If it doesn't, you're not an introvert according to my definition!) Anyway, I digress....
Today is MaryEvyn's "actual birthday" as we say, and, again, my plans for it were thwarted by Edouard on Tuesday. Long story short, we couldn't go swimming with the cousins. So, I decided to call up one of Evy's favorite friends who didn't get to come yesterday and see if she could come and play today.
It was absolutely perfect! We gave Evy the dollhouse so they could play with it, but by the time girlfriend arrived and we had all eaten lunch, all they wanted to do was pretend to be babies and little mamas! Then there were boxes to be used as cradles which turned into cars which were then buses. There was the beloved Dr. play game, oh, and yes, the coloring messages to put in the mailbox.
And what did I do this whole time? All 3 hours? Nada. Nothing!
Okay, well, I did read a book and occasionally help put on a play dress or reattach something or other...but that's it! They didn't even argue or fight!
About the time girlfriend left, I was putting Evy down for a nap when Reed came home early and announced that he was going to do the same. More blissful quiet reading!
I really should do this more often!

I'm not sure who loves this dollhouse more...

...MaryEvyn or me!!

I love the detailed little furniture with this collection. (We'll be collecting more here and there.)Here's the grill - there's a small knob on the side that flips the grill from the empty side to the other side full of burgers and hot dogs! Adorable!!

Then here a few pics from the splash play date we had on Wednesday (thanks to Edouard!). And a sincere thanks to the Nilssons for letting us borrow this fantastic splashy stuff!

Joshua enjoyed spraying the water from the "dueling noodles" directly down the french drain in our backyard. Nice.

By far the big hit, though, was the bucket that filled with water to dump on yourself as Elora is about to demonstrate!

Evy and and her pink pal Eloise as mermaids.

Nothin' draws 'em in like candles, singing and cupcakes! Chocolate with pink and purple icing was her request!

Tonight it's dinner at Lupe's Tortila's (as Evy calls it). This was her request, too, because she likes to play in the sand. That's fine because we like to stuff our faces with beef fajitas (and maybe a margarita for a tired party-throwin' mama)! I was reminded by my mom of how I used to request the Old San Francisco Steakhouse down Westheimer for my birthday just so that I could ride the swing (it was amazing!) even though I HATED (and still do) steak. (okay, there's one exception: filet mignon!)

Every birthday becomes more and more fun. This year has been my favorite so far!

Four is great!

Me, too

I've been inspired by this post from my friend, Monique. She's so honest and I love that. Of course we are not perfect and along with some great play dates and fun things that Evy and I sometimes do, there are MANY more guilt-ridden daily rituals that plague me when I go to bed sometimes. So, I'd like to jump in her confession booth with her and share a few of my parenting "sins" as well.

1. I, too, really hate Little People play but even ranking above that is the tea party. Ugh. I really don't know what it is, but it makes me SOOOO tired. I thought that this would be what I would treasure and look forward to. After all, I love a great table setting (Evy has a cute tea set) and I'm even making her a pink tablecloth for her play table (though it's not a princess print on plastic coated flannel like she wants...). But for some reason, as cute as I really do think it is when she drags out all of her stuffed animals and lines them all up around her "picnic blanket" and she even makes them all "place cards" using our printer paper and her crayons...well, it just bores me to tears! I wish it didn't.

2. There are many days where there's way too much TV. I try to balance it out, but, man, Fridays are tough. I tell myself that at least it's "educational" and there aren't any commercials (she only watches PBS, we don't have cable). So, she watches SuperWhy, Word World and Caillou on some days to her heart's content! On the really bad days, I then let her play with those same characters on the computer!

3. Yes, I too, clean more than I play. There's a never ending list of things to do! I try to make myself give her x number of minutes to play with her per day, but it is soo hard and such a struggle. "Okay, MaryEvyn," I find myself saying. "Right after I fold these clothes, we'll do that." "Well, Evy, right after I put these dishes away, we'll play." But then it's 5 minutes to lunch, then I need to clean up after lunch.....

4. Where's the Bible time? Good days: I read her Jesus Bible to her and we talk about it before we do anything else. Awesome days: we practice a Bible verse or two as well. Most days: she gets a Bible story and prayers before bed. Still just as heart felt, but it just doesn't seem as "instructional", y'know?

5. Evy wakes me up! No, I am NOT a morning person by anyone's definition. Why is it that my bed is most comfortable when I wake up in the morning. So, I am actually very ashamed to admit it...Evy wakes me up. She bolts into my room, climbs into my bed and begins talking. At that hour, I refer to it as "yammering". She continues this until I can't take it anymore, or until she inadvertently hits me, so I drag my poor, selfish body out of bed and stumble to the kitchen to make breakfast. I'm really not awake until after I eat.

Well, I think that's enough humble pie for me today. (Plus this makes 3 blog posts in one day!)

Thanks, Mo, for keepin' it real!

The update

Well, my house is a flurry of activity.
As I write this:
* Reed is running around outside with duct tape, electrical pliers and wires in between calls to our expert electrician friend, Chris. And there's some sort of circuit "board" on my kitchen table. Apparently, our house was on the brink of electrical disaster when we came home!
* My mom is chopping green onions and digging out things from our kitchen. I think there's some celery and apples involved, too!
* Holly is browning sausage (it smells wonderful!)
* MaryEvyn is complaining that "No one will play with me!" in her most woeful voice completely forgetting that she has had a playmate in Aunt Holly and Gram for the last 2 days straight!
* My dad, PawPaw, is supervising it all from the wing chair, though he has just acquiesced to read Evy a story.
And me, well, I'm fielding a few phone calls, answering emails, checking blogs, and updating you guys! Don't worry, I've already taken two good naps and one good pain pill!
Here's the simple version: Dr. Dunn found a polyp that may have caused some blockage and a couple of areas of endometriosis. He was able to take care of both and I was home and in bed by about 11:00 this morning. The nurses were wonderful and all told me that I had the best doctor in the business (and they see a lot of them!). If you haven't figured it out yet, hopefully you won't ever have to, but should you need a fertility specialist, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Dunn! Also, one of the nurses there is the wife of a guy that works with Reed and she was a patient of Dr. Dunn's as well. She was able to come by and visit before the surgery.
So, there's the run down, pretty much. I'm feeling as well as can be expected. Some pain in my shoulders and side and, of course, my incision sites (one at my belly button and another about 3-4 inches below that - both very small) are rather sensitive. Other than that, feeling okay. Nothing that wasn't mostly expected.
Thank you all so very much for your prayers. I really, truly felt encouraged and comforted by them and can't imagine going through any of this without my Savior. Now, hopefully, if it's the Lord's will, we'll have baby news in a month or so, right?!! So keep up the prayers and, really, I can't thank each of you enough for your prayer and concern. We are so very blessed and (this isn't just the drugs speaking) I love you!

Just to Share

So, tomorrow is a big day. For me, anyway.
I actually don't have much time to write about it, but I'll be going in tomorrow to a day surgery center so that my wonderful Dr. Dunn can perform a laparoscopy/hysteroscopy. Our hope is that he will find the cause of our infertility with baby #2. He will be able to see anything he needs to and if he finds a problem, he can fix it right there.
I'm scheduled for 8am but should be done in only a couple of hours at which point Reed will bring me home to recover for a couple of days with my mother and Holly's help.
So, the reason for this post is a shameless plea for prayer. Pray for Dr. Dunn's steady hand and that this will be the end of fruitless effort month after month. Pray that our hope will remain in God and nothing else. Pray that recovery will be speedy! Homes don't revolve so well with a mama who can't stand up! (But I'm secretly looking forward to the rest!)
Thanks, everyone. And, as always, I will keep you all updated afterwards.

Recovery

How was the trip?
Recovery.
I remember this post written by Aaron Ivey that I read a while back and when I read it, I was incredibly moved and one of the things he says in it is probably one of the reasons I insisted on going on this trip.

"i strongly believe that every single follower of Christ needs to make every effort to get out of the country at least every other year, if not more. for the sake of recovery. "

Everyone else on the trip expressed this as well. Only let it not just be a moral guilt. No, it is the conviction of serving, bowing to, and buying into other gods.

Read that post. It says everything I am feeling right now and that I hope to remember for another year until I go again. and again. and again. and hopefully someday take MaryEvyn with me. and hopefully you can come, too.

God is with the poor. Go and you will see Him more clearly than ever.

Mexico Mission Trip Slideshow

Heading to Mexico

Ever since I felt God tugging on me to go on this trip I had mixed feelings. I must confess that there is part of me that dreaded it. The part of me that can only think of the sacrifices: the heat, the lack of plumbing and electricity, the hard work and sore muscles, the dirty, the strange bed, the long trip... But there is that wonderfully excited part, too, thankfully! Serving, painting (I do enjoy a clean coat of paint!), community with people working and sacrificing right along with you, singing along with Tony's amazing guitar talent! I am also joyful about you and our church participating right with us as you pray and hear what God does in and through us. And I'm looking forward to sharing pictures and telling MaryEvyn how others live and how her Mom and Dad obeyed God and went!
So, today, Saturday, I am packing, preparing, taking a monster trip to Walmart, and hugging my sweet girl whom I'll be away from for 5 days. We'll snuggle up on the couch tonight with Aunt Holly and watch the Sound of Music which we just got and kiss her sweet little head. Then tomorrow after church, the fun begins!
So, I invite you to be a part of it, too. Pray for us! (Pray for my in-laws keeping Evy - they'll need their rest!)
Can't wait to tell ya stories and share pictures!
See ya in a week!

Discovery Green

Hey, everyone!
This past Monday Reed had off work so we headed to Discovery Green, a great new park downtown (well, I consider it downtown). It's across the street from the G. R. Brown convention center and you should definitely meter park if you find a spot. But we had a great time. Evy rode her bike from the parking lot to the park itself. We ate a picnic lunch (though there are a couple of restaurants/cafes that looked pretty good!) and then headed off to the "Rain Tree". She loved it!

Hair

Okay, I'm not sure how this mom has time to do this and does she do it every morning?! BUT...if you've ever seen a cute little hairdo (especially on a little girl) and wondered how and if you could do it, you have to see this great little blog! Click here! Sooo cute. If I could get Evy to sit still long enough and let me comb her hair without screaming, I may just try one!

What a weekend!

Ah, the Fourth of July. Hot, humid and red, white and blue! Parades, fireworks, hot dogs and chocolate chip cookies. Sweat, swimming, grilling, family and friends. This was all a part of our weekend experience. Here's a taste:

Our neighborhood parade

(We just barely made it before the rain. Remember last year?)

Then Evy got to swim with Braelyn!

The closest thing Evy gets to a little sister! (for now, anyway!)

Then we took Evy to see fireworks. Because we chatted so long, we were awarded a terrible view over the trees and around the water tower, so she sat on Daddy's shoulders until...

This looked too comfortable to pass up!

The next day we headed to a splash party. It was a doozy! What fun!

But the best part was getting to hang with my sweet friends whom I was blessed to have in the same place this weekend!!

Oh, and then of course, the wonderful news of baby Ethan's birth on Thursday.

Congratulations, Coffmans!

What a brave girl!!

So I'll omit the scarring story of the first time I "jumped" off the diving board and how I still hold it against my dad for letting them do that to me and merely tell you that I was scared FOR MaryEvyn today as her swim class made the obligatory walk to the plank, er, board, I mean. Here's where she started:

This is WAY over to the side from the diving board. If you remember what happened at swim class last year, I'm surprised that she looks like she would even consider doing this!

She then is coaxed closer by one of the instructors where she stands at a distance watching and carefully considering the risks involved:

She climbs up on the board when it's her turn and is coached to the edge...

He gets her to let go of him (which I would NEVER DO!!!):

I figured she would hang out there for a while and then back down (like I did many times)

BUT NO!!!!!!!

Check out my girl!!

WOW!!

I almost did one of those cheerleader back flips....except I don't know how...

Then we left with Evy so proud of herself and holding hands with one of her swim buddies on the way to the park.

She's my hero!!

Out with the old...

In with the new....I had long been planning on replacing the old table. I like it still and it is a testament to the steals found in Round Top (I bought it for $35 on the last day and Reed and Chris trimmed down the legs for me). However, with a new style direction I'm going in...the table needed to go. (Steph, it's all yours whenever I see you again, if you still want it...if not, I'll accept offers!!) I considered skirting the old table but decided this round one gave me more needed space in our family room. After discovering this matelasse looking fabric at JoAnn's for half off and these easy directions for a table skirt - it was done in an afternoon!

Oh, and here's a quick little dolly high chair cover I made for Evyn. The old one was, well, ugly (we can't have that, can we?) and I wanted some practice, so here's what I made (beautifully modelled by Stella) using the old one as my pattern:I'm now working on some more curtain panels for a client for Sonya. Yea for more family income!

P.S. When are we gonna get together and sew again, girls? I'd love some company!

Coupons - am I really saving that much?

I have been awed by a few of my friends' homemaking skills which I do not posess. One of these is the successful organization and use of coupons. We have this one friend who has a special accordion type folder thingy where all of her coupons are organized by type (food, grocery, entertainment...). Then inside of each compartment they are organized by their date of expiration. She could rattle off to you at any time the cost of her last grocery bill and how much she saved. AWE!!!

For years we did not receive the newspaper (much to the chagrin of our parents) and my coupon clipping was thereby limited to weekly fliers in the mail and maybe in a few local magazines. But about a month ago I was inspired to try my hand at the coupon game again by subscribing to the newspaper. Setting aside the fact that it drives me INSANE to get the paper EVERY DAY when I only desire to get it on Sunday therefore all I do with it every other day is transport it to the recycling bin. (Are there coupons in it every day? Does anyone know?) Anyway, I've gone through it cover to cover every Sunday for about 4 weeks now. I do enjoy the comics ("the sillies" as MaryEvyn calls them), I admit. I have clipped quite a few coupons and go through them to see which I want to use as I'm making my weekly grocery list. But here are my problems/gripes about this:

1. I am constantly having to check the stack of coupons as I go through the store to make sure I bought the right amount and brand to qualify for using the coupon AND

2. to see that I am buying all of the things I brought coupons for.

3. What if I don't want THREE six packs of applesauce? Where am I going to store three of them?

4. How often do I have to go through the stack of coupons at home and discover that the one that I really did want to use has now expired now that I need it. (Two weeks ago I didn't NEED new razors, I do now!) Do you just buy it ahead of time anyway?

5. With all of this buying MORE than I wanted and BEFORE I even wanted it....am I saving money at all???????

I wish I was scientifically minded enough to come up with some way to determine my average bill and how much I'm actually saving (if any!) - but my grocery runs are often too sporadic and I'm often buying different things....I don't know how to make a "control" run, y'know?

Sigh.

I guess I'll keep at it and let the budget do the talking.

Meanwhile, if anyone has any tips for how you do this and keep it all organized (Mel, I'm sure you're all over this!) - please let me know!

photo from flickr

Going further down the path

Update on baby #2 (if you're lost, see this post):
So, what I didn't post was that once we got all of our paperwork completed and turned in, our fertility doctor called and we got to see him a month earlier than our scheduled appointment. That in itself was a real gift. The initial appointment was really just to find out where we are, and schedule me for more tests. He was super nice and friendly and explained everything very patiently (especially since he probably explains the same things over and over again on a daily basis!). I didn't feel like a number or just another desperate mom - I felt completely normal and unhurried.
Anyway, after an ultrasound to see how eggs were developping (which was interesting: I had lots of eggs which is very good, but confirmed that I ovulate late - not a problem, "That's just you," he said.) and a blood test and after gathering numerous other test results and records for him to look at, we went in yesterday for our follow up appointment.
Because everything did look normal and fine, he says our next step is a laparoscopy. Under general anesthesia, he'll be able to make a small incision and see and do pretty much anything that might need to be seen and done. If there's any endometriosis (which is what he suspects at this point), he can find it and get rid of it while also examining all the other parts - including my liver and gall bladder! wow. We're going to schedule that for the latter part of July.
While I'm not looking forward to this and hoped, of course, that I wouldn't have to do it, it makes sense, I know lots of people have done it before and, finally, I have a lot of faith. I have faith that God is sovereign and has us here for a reason. I have faith that He will be glorified. I am learning how miraculous babies truly are and how incapable we are! I have faith that God has given our doctor some amazing revealed knowledge about women's bodies and that he will be able to perform this surgery successfully and with little or no complications. And God has given me hope and love for another child. So, to that end I will be praying. Thanks, you guys, for joining along! Love y'all.

The story

Okay, so maybe you've seen Reed's gash above his eye. Maybe you didn't get a chance to make a remark about it, maybe you are one of the ones who made a fantastically witty comment about it....here's the story:

Kris and I always have a fun game for the jr. highers on Wednesday night. This particular one was going to be a game night only so I needed some really great new games. I remembered this one fun, physical game that I played back in college and thought the kids would love it. You take a pair of socks rolled into a ball and stuff them in the toe end of some panty hose that have been cut off. Do the same with the other leg. Then you pull the open end of the hose over your head (that's funny enough if you ask me) and someone puts on the other one then you go at it. You start to swing your ball around to twist around the other person's so that you can pull it off their head.

That's what I remembered and it was soooo fun. I couldn't remember if it was better with two socks or one so when Reed came home from work, I gave him one sock and me two to give it a try. As Evy watched, Reed and I began slinging our sock ball around laughing hysterically but unknowingly getting closer and closer to each other until...BAM!!! Our heads smashed into each other with terrible force! I collapsed in tears and Reed's head started gushing! Evy wasn't quite sure who to go to first! As soon as I could see straight again, I could kinda start laughing about it but it hurt SOOOO badly! Reed realized he was bleeding (after getting some on the couch - AH!) and got us both a baggie of ice. So there we were wincingly laughing at our stupidity with ice packs on our heads!

He did come out the worse for it what with the scar he'll probably end up with and we found out he probably should have gotten a couple of stitches, but, oh well!

So, there you go. Reed wanted me to post about this as soon as it happened but I wasn't so good-natured about it at first. Now, I guess, it's just funny. ha. ha. :-)

Need a Family Night Activity?

Okay, one more for you mommy friends out there!

A couple of weeks ago I was in need of a family night activity that didn't cost money, and didn't involve pizza or movies (we get enough of each!). So I went to the Family Fun magazine website and typed in games/activities for toddlers and got some great ideas. Here was the winner:

We tossed all of Evy's socks all over the family room floor and pretended they were alligators. Then we threw a bean bag into the middle of it and you had to retrieve it without stepping on an alligator. When that got a little old (for Mom and Dad, not her), we switched it to the socks being "lily pads" and you could only step on certain colored socks. Good times.

Then to pick up and sort the socks again, we made three piles. 1 pile was all the white socks, the other two piles were one each of the other pairs. We put one set of socks in a bushel basket while we put the pile of mates at the other end of the room. At "go" two people had to grab a sock from the basket, run to the other end, find it's mate, then run back. Perfect! All cleaned up!

So, the next time you find yourself as I did, try our little game but beware, she asks to play it now EVERY NIGHT after dinner! Or go to familyfun.go.com and find your own family game!

Family night lives!

Sounds Like Fun!

We missed this last year but I wasn't about to let it go by this year - the Houston Symphony Orchestra children's program and "petting zoo". Monique, this is another freebie to add to Chris' list for the summer!

Several times this summer the HSO is being hosted all over Houston and inviting kids to come, see, and feel some instruments and hear some of the classics played up close and personal! I have always been fascinated by people with this much talent but am a little hesitant because of my ignorance of classical music. However, with Evy's love of ballet came an equal obsession with "ballet music". So we listen to a lot of KUHF and I was so excited to have this opportunity to visit my Mom's church, CEPC, and see and hear the instruments up close and personal in an air conditioned building!

We arrived quite early and saw the big truck unloading some of the last instruments. After a brief hello to Mom and her coworkers, we walked over to "pet" the instruments. This wasn't what I thought it would be but fun nonetheless. It was only a select few instruments (that had maybe seen some better days) like a trumpet, trombone and a flute and there was a violin that a very kind man was helping the children "play". There was also a snare drum, xylophone, and some other percussion instruments.

Then we went inside and there were very few people there and the musicians were warming up/practicing. I took Evy up and down the outskirts of the "pit" (though it was on level ground) and we went to each instrument and I would tell her what it was and the musician would play it for her to let her hear what it sounded like. They were extremely friendly and all smiled at Evy and talked with her a bit. (Especially that bassist...was he winking???!!!) We took our seats on the second row where we wouldn't miss anything. They played a wonderful set of music including the Blue Danube and other familiar compositions. And it was cool to see Evyn figure out that the bigger instruments played the low notes while the smaller ones played high notes and how different it sounded when they were all practicing their own notes compared to when the conductor led them as one. Terrific music lesson!

It was just long enough for just as Evy was saying that she was ready to leave, the conductor said they had one more song - and it was a sing-along! (She didn't know the songs, but she loved hearing them!)

My mother had been telling Evy about an instrument with a funny name - the oboe. They had been saying it in all kinds of silly ways and she couldn't wait to see it. (I had only a vague notion of what it looked like, honestly). But I figured it out and so, after the show, I walked her up there and introduced ourselves to one of the musicians (an oboist?) and he was so very kind. He took it back out (he'd already begun to put it away) and played just the reed for her, then put it into the oboe and played for her. She was delighted. It was really cool!

After that it was a pizza lunch at Fuzzy's (YUM-O!) with Mamaw and then home.

Super fun!

SOOOO...if you're interested, click here and find out where you can go and see it for yourself!

"Helping people makes my heart happy!"

A while back I wrote an ambitious little post about serving with a three year old. Well, I didn't really plan this, but it just so happened that we found a wonderful opportunity to introduce the idea this weekend.
Now, please know that of course we teach Evy about the little servant hearted things we can do every day to show God's love and share His joy, but this was one of those directed, purposeful projects that would really put teeth on it, y'know?
So, about a year ago, Crossbridge Student Ministry helped a sweet elderly lady with some yard work. Okay, so maybe we got a little zealous with an overgrown vine which, as it turned out, was the only thing holding up a rotting back fence, but she was very appreciative. So much so that she called me up a couple of weeks ago asking if we could come again. "Sure," I say with confidence. Only the fact is that organizing our little group isn't what it used to be and after she had to call me again, I just gave her a date that was good for us and Reed and I headed out there.
Evy was very excited to help, though she was distraught at not having her own work gloves (pink ones, of course...). When we got there Mrs. B showed us what she'd like to have done and it was just perfect for our allotted time and for Evy to help.
Okay, so, really she just watched and played but she did help me bag up some of the clippings and pulled weeds and grass. But the best part was just getting to really talk to her and put real action to what we teach her about serving others. She really seemed to get it and my favorite part was the quote you see as the title of this post. She said that as we were cleaning up and she was actually helping.
A priceless opportunity and I'm going to be on the lookout for more!

Hmmm...

Okay, so here's something I just read in Reader's Digest.

"Having a husband creates an extra seven hours a week of housework for women...

A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week."

from the University of Michigan.

What do you think? True or false for you?

Umm...I think it's probably true for me, however, I wouldn't trade my man for anything. Because what the study doesn't include is what my loving hubby saves me from!

But, really, seven hours??!! Wow. Makes you think twice, Liz, doesn't it?! ;-)

Age of Grace

These words struck me this Sunday. I've heard them before but, for some reason, they made sense and had a real, significant meaning. The reason, of course, is the realization of my sin. The unfortunate thing was that it wasn't even my sin that Chuck was dealing with this particular Sunday, but in the Holy Spirit's way of using the Word to convict and grow us, I was hit by the crossfire. See, the topic was actually dealing with being pure in a porn world. Not that I thought I would just coast through this talk, but I sure didn't expect what I got. It became evident as Chuck spoke that this sin, as insidious as it is, is just like most (all?) other sin...we make an idol out of whatever it is we seek when it is not God. (Really we're seeking to please ourselves and at the root of it, we make ourselves our idols.) This began to really break my heart. My heart broke over my sin. My idol has been my home. Fixing it, decorating it, shopping over my budget. It has been what I've thought about, read about, thought some more about, lusted after (y'know that female porn!!), been discontent... It was painfully obvious to me where my heart had gone and how hard it had become. And as the words of Paul in the book of Romans sunk in, how God "lets them go" Chuck said that that's what had happened to Jesus on the cross in my place. God let Him go. Capital H - Him! Jesus with no one to turn to. No Father (that he'd always known), no unconditional love, no acceptance, no forgiveness, just gone to be sin. I sometimes wonder what people do with their guilt, discouragement, loss without God in their lives. Well, Jesus knows.

But then, Chuck said, you are here. God in His mercy has brought you here. Here to church to hear this message. Here to feel His conviction, His call to victory over addictive sins.

The Age of Grace.

Use it. Use it a lot. God shows us that He has nothing to hide. He has nothing but grace.

So there I sat with tears streaming embarrassingly down my face as Tim began to sing,

I have bowed at the altar

Of the world and it's lies.

Now I long to return to You.

You alone can satisfy.

I have wasted affections

On the things You despise.

They have failed and they always will

For You alone can satisfy.

Then we took communion and I went up there and I really did fall apart. Tears were running down my face as Ellis and sweet Rose served with those beautiful words, "The blood of Christ shed for you." Ah, such a gift to my soul. Forgiveness. The Age of Grace!

So, for those of you who may have seen my little breakdown, no, I don't have a porn addiction (again, simply by the grace of God!) but I do have a worldly addiction. And I'm so glad that God still allows it to break my heart. I pray that He breaks yours, too. What mercy and grace He lavishes on us!

You may or may not want to read this.

Hi, Friends.
I just got this link from the Crossbridge update. Maybe you got it, too. When I saw what it was about I knew 2 things: 1. I should read it. 2. I don't want to read it. I knew it would convict me. It did.
The article is actually really short, so whether you have those same thoughts or not...here's another chance (or first chance, if you're not a Crossbridger) to read "Economic Stimulus Payment and Christ" by [none other than] John Piper.
One word: ouch.

More Show and Tell!

This is the new look for my front door.

Morgan (thank you!!!) gave me the tip off on the topiaries at Home Depot. With the gift card my dad (thanks, Dad!!) gave me for my birthday, I picked up these two beauties. Of course then I had to find the perfect urn which I think I did at Garden Ridge, of all places!

I did all of this without a clue how to pot a plant. So after placing a quick call to Kat (thank you!!!) for some advice, today I finally gave them their permanent new home. Now here's hoping they don't keel over out there (which most...no, wait, all plants that enter my care do).

So, all you "back door friends" out there (you know who you are...), you have to come at least once now to experience my new front door!

Another Birthday's Come and Gone...

Reed and Evy collaborated on the cake. Her contribution: the pink icing, the pink heart, and the sprinkles!

As you can see, she also helped blow out those irresistible candles!

And this was my favorite birthday present of all! (Not that the others' weren't great or equally thoughtful...but giving a Mama anything representing her baby always wins!!) Y'know, I've had this interest in finding/making silhouettes and lo and behold after a wonderful homemade meal by chef Reed (he makes a mean orange roughy!) I opened this wonderful surprise gift! It made tears spring to my eyes. I LOVE it!! My baby! So, thanks to you, too, Mom for your help on this one!

I only have one question: How do you top that for Mother's Day???

Now THAT's a hobby!

Ever seen these items grouped together with cash? I do now!!

I just finished a pair of curtain panels and earned myself some cash! And more are on the way!

I must admit, it was difficult and I was pretty tired of them by the end, but I learned a lot and the next ones should go a lot smoother now that I know what I'm doing!

Thanks to Sonya, now I have my own decorating budget! Go, Mama!