As We Go. . .

Crazy Grace

2012-01-01T18:31:00.000-06:00

Just a thought for this post that Todd, the girls and I have been discussing lately. In the life of the believer is there any bad? We're coming to the conclusion that there cannot be. There can be painful, difficult, heart-wrenchingly sad, unexplainable, but if God knows our frame (Psalm 103:14), and we "love Him and are called according to His purpose," (Romans 8:28) then it truly is all good. Everything He allows into our lives is for our good and His glory, and in that discovery I'm realizing how crazy His grace is. He is hunting me down with His grace so that I will stop doing things in my own strength and quit doing what is right in my own eyes (Proverbs 21:2) and truly rest in Him. I'm praying that anyone touched by this blog will have their eyes opened to His crazy grace. (Isaiah 35:5)

Saturday Bliss

2011-09-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

Since my last post a MILLION years ago, lots 'o stuff has been happening in the Williams clan. Our little boy Jacob Wade entered the world on July 11th weighing in at a hefty 8 lbs and 3 ozs. Go little man! Our natural birth went amazingly well, and only a very few times did I catch myself thinking, "Now why did I want to do this?" I still wonder that every now and then, especially having experienced the pain-free bliss that is the epidural w/two of our girls. But, I also wanted to know more about my body and how God designed it to work - childbirth is a gift, after all, and I figure He gives pretty awesome gifts. Thanks to Todd, our doula, Jenny, and lots o' prayer and memorized Word, it was truly a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I am ever-amazed at how much I love telling my own labor stories and how much I enjoy hearing other moms tell theirs. It truly brings us moms together.

Jake (We're still not sure what we're calling him, but this is what comes out most of the time.) has almost doubled his birth weight at only 2 months. Go "little" man! He laughs and smiles a lot, and you would think that we'd never seen a baby do these things because the whole family has to stop and take notice of his cute tricks.

So, life is trucking on pretty normally. We're doing a little bit of school - trying to ease back into real life. I'm trying not to drown in laundry which normally gets washed in a fairly timely manner but then stays in the baskets until I have to dump those clothes out to fill up the basket w/more dirty clothes. The girls are an awesome help, and the house would be a complete pit of despair w/o them. They practically run the house and have a great time helping out.

On to Saturday bliss. Todd took the girls out to the hunting lease to put out a few trail cams. (I'm not sure who was more excited, Todd or the girls.) In the meantime, I had Jake and the quiet house to myself. Saturday bliss. Complete and total. Now I really missed my clan while they were gone because I would have loved to be out on the trail, too. I've got a good eye for picking up deer sign. But, the thought of having some time to myself just about brought tears to my eyes so I figured that was a good sign I should stay put and enjoy the silence.

So I did. I got some sewing done and then did something which still perplexes me. I cleaned house. I didn't just clean. I got out the carpet steamer and cleaned our sofa (which Todd couldn't sit on because it was so dusty - poor allergy-affected man) and the carpets in two rooms. I washed clothes and aired out sleeping bags. Crazy you say? Probably. But I had the best time taking care of our home. It's strange to me what marriage and family have done to me. I NEVER would have thought that I would be called a home body one day, but that is exactly what I have become.

I love drinking my morning coffee w/the kitchen window open listening to the geese land in the pond behind our house. I love the sound of the girls working together to empty and re-load the dishwasher. I love the smell of Todd cooking breakfast. (He's taken over this job most days since Jake's arrival.) I love when the girls play for hours making up their own quirky games. Shocking to say, Saturday bliss wasn't shopping, eating out, or watching a good movie (all which I enjoy). I think because time to get things done comes in such precious little chunks when taking care of a little one that bliss for me, for now, was having time to check just a few things off of the never-ending to-do list inside my head. Because I don't have time to even write it down!

Keeping It Alive. . . Barely

2011-02-10T14:28:00.004-06:00

So, after another protest from my dad, I've returned to blog world. I really do love this world, but, honestly, I have not had the time to read blogs or maintain my own. Have they made a camera that can "beam" your pictures to the computer w/o having to plug it in. every. time? Call me lazy, but the hassle of getting pics to my computer and then uploading them to the blog is just too much for me. Facebook is quicker, but I can't remember the last time I uploaded a picture there either. Anyway, that's my excuse for having a pictureless, boring blog. When I actually blog, that is.

So, the girls are resting, my hair is in a towel, and I'm snagging a brief moment to update the handful of blog readers that stroll this way. Just be prepared for random. . .

For those not on Facebook or for those who just missed it, we are expecting bambino numero 4 this summer sometime mid-July. And, it's a boy. Who would have guessed that? The girls are thrilled, and already we have folks offering to give us little boy clothes. Can I just say that it looks a lot easier to clothe a boy than it does a girl? Shirts, pants and some shoes, and you're set. Oh, that it were that easy in girl-world.

We had a snow day, of sorts, today. We had some sleet yesterday evening and later, some snow which miraculously stuck and was still there this morning. So, Todd encouraged me to let the girls play in it before it melted. (Can I just say that it is STILL there - hardly any melting yet.) So, being the generally agreeable person that I am, I let them go out right after breakfast. After and hour or so of the in-and-out, "I'm cold," drying wet cold things to only go back outside to get wet and cold again, they were in for the morning.

Well, since things were already off-track, we decided to clean the mess that was our home a bit. The bit turned into an hour or so. Then, of course, we had to have hot chocolate. The temp. as I type at three o'clock is 25 degrees, and temps like that require warm sweet drinks. After hot chocolate is finished, it's just about time for lunch. Still no school done. At all. Grrrr. So, lunch is served.

I have to digress just a moment to express my excitement at fixing poached eggs for the first time ever for our lunch. We had a very light eggs Benedict - minus the Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce. Anyway, my mom had always had an insert that fit into one of her pans for making poached eggs so I had to muster up some bravery to try these suckers on my own. Have to say it was really fun and yummy.

So, after lunch, on to school. Finally. We just attempted our group school which consists of our memory verse, Bible reading and astronomy. Did you know that there was an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter? Well, I'm sure I'd been taught this before, but it sure did pass right by me. There's even a theory that the belt was previously a planet that exploded. This would also account for planets and moons that have craters on one side but relatively none on the other. Well, I was impressed anyway.

Death and Life

2010-09-30T12:52:00.001-05:00

So, just a few minutes ago, Jessie comes into my room crying (not an unusual occurrence), but she did seem a little more upset than normal. “Aubrie said that she knows something that’s not special about me.” Now, I’m not sure if that was supposed to be, “Aubrie thinks I’m not special,” or if Aubrie knows one secret, tucked-away thing about Jessie that’s not special which really wouldn’t be so terrible. I’m guessing the first idea is what was implied.

After reassuring Jessie that she is indeed amazingly special in every way – insert lots o’ hugs – I called Aubrie into my chambers.

Sometimes being a mom feels a little like being the grim reaper. “Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly.”

So, I explain to Aubrie that her words hurt Jessie.

Aubrie: Words don’t hurt. They can’t hurt.

Mom: Oh, yes they do.

Aubrie: No they don’t.

Mom: Aubrie… (one of us is supposed to be the adult in this scenario)

So, the rest of the story is that we both say THE VERSE: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Prov: 18:21 The truth is that the adult in this story needs the reminder as much as the little turkey does.

Home Discipleship

2010-07-26T12:01:00.001-05:00

Most folks who know me know that I LOVE homeschooling and wish everyone would try it. However, I really think that home discipleship is a far more important issue. I can homeschool my sweet ones all day, make sure their academics are rigorous, plan numerous field trips, and schedule extensive science and history projects. I can make sure that they learn several foreign languages, play piano, and participate in sports, dance etc. and completely miss the boat.

I can still have unruly, undisciplined children.

“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.” Proverbs 29:15

“He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Proverbs 13:24

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” Proverbs 22:15"

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

I can still fail to teach the girls to love the Lord and His ways.

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9

I can still unwisely plan our calendar.

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” I Corinthians 15:33

I can miss true knowledge and wisdom and just fill their heads with “stuff.”

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” Psalm 111:10

“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” I Corinthians 1:21

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8

While I obviously think that schooling choices are important, it would seem that much more important is what we do with the time we have with our children. What are we intentionally or unintentionally pouring into their lives? I wish I could say that we started out with an understanding of home discipleship vs. homeschooling, but we didn’t, and I’m sure there is so much more that we still don’t “get.” I was pouring myself into the girls’ academics with little thought given to anything else.

For us, the motivation to homeschool has become a mission of multi-generational faithfulness, that our children and their children will walk with the Lord and not turn away from Him. God gives us His plan for this again in Deuteronomy 6.

"Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.” Deuteronomy 6:1-2

Fun in Vicksburg

2010-07-11T20:58:00.001-05:00

While driving past the Civil War Military Park in Vicksburg two weeks ago (actually three weeks ago now since I forgot to post this), I commented to Todd how sad it was that no one had ever taken me to see it. He was surprised to realize that I had never been (We both love history.) and made a plan for us to drive through it that day. We didn’t have much time, but your entry pass is good for seven days. So, we did the zip-through tour, and the girls and I made a plan to come back the next week when we could soak it all in.

Can I just say that I NEVER thought I would run into anyone who wanted to see it all at a museum, park, what-have-you more than me, but our girls gave me a run for my money. I was like, “Let’s just stop at the major tour stops.” Seriously, we could have been there all day. Or several days.

After our tour, we cooled off (Again, I will whine about the heat.) at the Vicksburg art park. So much fun, and I did not mind getting splashed occasionally. Not one bit.

Backyard Summer Fun

2010-06-28T07:37:00.001-05:00

When we can stand the heat, we have really enjoyed our backyard so far this summer. The garden is growing, and we’re figuring out what to plant next spring and what not to plant. Also finding out that the planting dates really do matter as you can tell by our sad cabbage that just didn’t make a head because of the heat. We’ve got LOTS of tomatoes, cucumbers have been pretty good, and the squash and zucchini have been fair. They started out pretty well, and then got some kind of disease. So, some fruit makes, and some falls off the plant after it shrivels up and dies.

The most fun garden news is that we FINALLY have a watermelon that just might be large enough to eat on the 4th. We thought we were going to have all vine and no fruit, but those suckers grow fast once they appear.

The girls got swings from Nan and Pops and cannot wait to go outside in the morning to get on them. We have the typical arguments about sharing swings and whose swing is the most fun. I think the basic, standard, plain ol’ swing gets the most use!

The weathermen say that we may get a reprieve from the heat this week, and I say, “Bring it on!” We survived a record heat summer in TX last year, and I was so looking forward to the milder (about 5-10 degrees milder) summer temps in MS. I’ll gladly take some extra humidity for the cooler temps.

Birthday Video (for Papaw and the Aunties)

2010-05-30T17:49:00.002-05:00

I sadly didn’t get too many good pictures at Jessie’s and Aubrie’s birthday party, but we did get some good video of the cake moment.

Since May is a toss-up for heat and humidity (It can either be really pleasant or really miserable.), we asked everyone to don swimsuits and turned on the sprinkler – it was a LOT on the miserable side. The kiddos also painted ladybugs on their ladybug houses, and a good friend, Miss Karen, painted ladybugs (and a few butterflies and flip flops) on their faces. We have some wonderful friends who endured heat and pesky flies in order to wish Jessie and Aubrie a happy birthday. Thank you!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-05-24T09:18:00.001-05:00

Thirteen years ago Todd and I began the wild ride called marriage. It is amazing to look back at who we were then and who we are now and marvel at how God makes the two one. In a day of gender blending, confusion and role reversals, I am so thankful for a husband who looks to God’s word for his role as husband and father and who understands that our roles are different but neither less worthy or important than the other.

I started out in marriage thinking that I would do my “job” as long as he was doing his. Man, does that lead to a big mess. Since then, I’ve been so blessed to read several books that have pointed me back to the Word for how a wife and mother is to conduct herself. The life-changer is understanding that I fulfill my role regardless. When I go back to my conditional behavior (if he does x, then I’ll do y), things can get ugly quickly.

I posted on FB this morning that I’m thankful for the mystery of marriage for it truly is a mystery to me that if we follow God’s plan for surrender and death to self, that the blessings can be so utterly amazing and lead us to places that we never could have imagined.

A friend said something last summer that really resonated with me. “I want to understand God’s role for me and then quit fighting against it. I want to find contentment in it and rest there.”

One Month Old

2010-05-04T11:29:00.001-05:00

Our garden was planted a month ago today, and we are amazed at how things have taken off. We harvested the rest of our radishes last night and need to figure out something else to go in that square!

We also took some pictures of the girls last week – they had as much fun as I did picking out fun places to “shoot.”

Jessie Claire

Aubrie Ann

Patience Emory (aka, Emma)

Getting into our life here in Clinton is taking some time, but slowly the Lord is showing us where He wants us. So wish I could occasionally fast forward! One thing we are SO looking forward to is the Homeschool Conference this month in Starkville. We just finished (well, Todd has finished, and I am in-progress) reading Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, and he is one of the main speakers. Can not wait!

You Know It’s Bad When

2010-04-21T16:38:00.001-05:00

your dad is asking you to update your blog because he misses his grandkids.

So Sorry!

The two major happening in the Williams fam are the puppy and our square foot garden. The puppy is DEFINITELY more work! Her name is Brown Sugar – Sugar, for short. She is super smart and just about potty trained inside. I know I am very thankful for this. We’ve had her about a week-and-a-half, and I was up with her more the first two nights than I was when we had babies in the house. Ugh. Those nights are much better now, although she still thinks that 3 am is a good time for a party. I do not.

Our other new endeavor is the garden. We, a.k.a Todd, built two 4x8 beds complete with weed backing and Mel’s Mix from the book Square Foot Gardening. So far, things are taking off. I need to take some new pictures, actually, because the tomato plants are much taller now. The girls have pretty much taken over this project, watering every day and picking weeds. We can’t wait to start eating out of our own back yard!

The Summer Olympics?

2010-03-08T11:25:00.001-06:00

Today for our history lesson we studied the beginnings and history of the Olympics. The girls were really excited about this because what little Olympics we watched this winter, they were really into. (I know that’s really bad grammar but too much in a hurry to fix it!) I won’t even go into how frustrating it was to close on a house the day the Olympics started and the fact that once we were pseudo settled, we didn’t have a converter box to pick up any channels. Okay, so I sort of went into it, but you gotta feel some of my pain. And, I realize I sound like a complete whiner, but it’s the Olympics, people!

So something I didn’t know that was surprising: The last Greek Olympics were in A.D. 395 because Olympia was destroyed by an earthquake. They weren’t reinstated until the late 1800s. Am I the only one who missed this is my history classes? I just assumed they’d been going on since the Greek time. Maybe I shouldn’t publicly admit that…

We went back to the “roots” of the games and had five competitions: a foot race, arm wrestling (The Greeks just wrestled, but I figured this was safer.), jumping, discus (plastic lid throwing) and throwing the javelin (or a really big stick). I captured some of competitions and just love the very competitive looks on my girls’ faces. If you know them, this won’t surprise you a bit. They are very tenacious girls. Very feminine, but very determined.

Notice Aubrie lost in Aubrie-land.

Here’s some of that determination in action!

The Winner’s Circle

The Sun Shines Again

2010-03-04T21:31:00.002-06:00

So glad that the sun decided to make a lengthy appearance today! We thoroughly took advantage of such beautiful weather. We played with friends, came home to rest a little and played some more! I am loving that the girls are enjoying the back yard and have discovered all sorts of fun hiding places. I have a little chuckle every time I hear, “Ready or not, here I come!”

As a matter of fact, they’ve become rather good at hiding inside the house as well, and they had me completely stumped the other day. I was beginning to wonder if they had slipped outside. I’m still not sure how I didn’t see them in the laundry room. It’s not that big, and I LOOKED in there!

We had a really great week of homeschooling and basically stayed on-schedule which is a MAJOR feat for us. Seems like life is always interrupting our schedule. The other big news for the week is that our heater was fixed today! Oh, how I love heat when it’s cold outside. I had taken to moving the space heater to whatever room we were in. So thankful for our home warranty, too. I was trying not to complain when people were asking me how I was liking our new house because I really do love it, but I HATE being cold. Every now and then I over romanticize the Little House on the Prairie days, and then I remember that Laura did NOT have central heat and air and come back to reality!

Painting, Cleaning and Lots o’ Fun

2010-02-15T21:51:00.001-06:00

We were able to close on our house in MS this past Friday despite the several inches of snow on the ground. Our resident meteorologists (Poppy and Emma) tell us that there was between five and six inches. We built snowmen, made snow ice cream and kept mom busy washing the layers and layers of clothes they got wet and dirty in the snow. What a first day back in Clinton!

We then went to work picking out paint colors. I am so challenged in this area. I know what I like, but I have no idea how to go from paint swatch to what it’s actually going to look like on a wall. Our good friend Kristy came to our rescue with her paint samples and touch-up paint, and we have successfully painted the living room, one of the girls’ rooms and our bedroom. I say successfully only because we’ve decided that we’re not trying to fix anything else. I don’t know if it’s the eggshell finish, or if we’re just stinky painters, but we could NOT get rid of some of our roller lines. Ugh. We’re hoping that when furniture arrives and things are hung on walls that we won’t notice them so much.

After finishing up our painting this afternoon we shifted gears to cleaning up before the truck arrives. We have basically worked until we’re both pooped! But, we have had so much fun getting our house ready to be a home and have not had so much “alone time” in FOREVER! We even got to have a date Friday night. Yahoo! Thanks to Nan and Pops and to the Kysers who have made it possible for us to get this much done in such a little time.

We are so thankful to stand around and truly count our many blessings and are in awe of all that God has done for us.

Good News!

2010-02-02T19:48:00.001-06:00

We got our appraisal back a day early, and we’re all set! Yahoo! Thanks so much for praying for this step. So, I have new life breathed into my packing efforts which were a little slow today, to say the least. Ugh. So hate packing. My goal for this evening is to have the office junk sorted through and packed away.

Thanks so much for the office ideas so far… definitely thinking the closet may be an option. And, a cute basket or two might help with some of our other office clutter that needs to stay handy. I could really use my stackable drawers for homeschooling/crafty stuff which seems unending but is much more organized!

Mer, I was wondering if the book you recommended, Confessions of an Organized Homemaker, had any suggestions about office space. I don’t think the box it’s in has been taped up…may have to take a peek this evening.

A Little Advice for a Big Mess

2010-02-02T12:38:00.001-06:00

So, our appraisal is supposed to happen tomorrow, and I will try to remember to let you know how it goes. Praying for God’s plan to unfold.

In the mean time, we are packing as if everything is going forward which brings me to my need for advice. Our office-type stuff is such a huge mess! We are so hodgepodge in this area, and it’s about to drive me crazy.

We need space for the following:

income tax records

past bills

insurance claims records

vehicle info – registration and titles

tape, staplers, calculators, envelopes, rulers, paper clips, stamps, notepads, computer paper

USB cords for cameras

software

blank CDs and DVDs

I really want to turn over a new leaf when we move and somehow pull together a cohesive way of storing all our stuff. So, where/how do you store your “office” type stuff? Also, how long do you keep bills/medical records, etc.? I tend to be a little bit of a packrat so I need some advice in this area, too. I realize I could probably go online for this sort of advice, but I don’t have the time right now. Maybe later.

All of our stuff is contained in a two-drawer filing cabinet, a plastic filing box, stackable drawers and a tray set I used when I taught school a million years ago. It all looks very dorm-room somehow (not to mention messy), and for someone who has been out of college for a VERY long time, this just seems so unacceptable. Oh, and I forgot to mention that all this junk is in our bedroom which is just a disaster. We used to have an office nook so it wasn’t really an issue because we could easily hide it all. We’re not sure yet where it’s going to end up in the new house, but I think I need to get my brain going on some creative solutions. I would LOVE your suggestions because we obviously need serious help.

This Week’s Snapshot

2010-02-01T09:45:00.002-06:00

Well, we passed inspection last week. Yeah! So, that means that we get to move on to appraisal this week. Sometime. It would really be nice to know when this is going to take place since I have a long list of things that need to get done if this part happens the way we hope it will. Change of address, utilities, etc.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are pack-it-up days, and Thursday the girls and I head to Grand Prairie to take care of some stuff with my dad. Friday night is our last homegroup – lots of tissue going to be needed here, and Saturday we drive to San Antonio for Judah's first birthday party. Sunday, of course is our last service at RVCF and the Super Bowl with friends.

Sorry for the list-like post, but I want to keep folks, who are interested, in the loop. I will try to update about the appraisal as soon as I know something. Thanks for praying for us!

On the Go?

2010-01-22T23:03:00.001-06:00

Thinking maybe I should change the blog name. Just thinkin’.

Anyway, our trip to MS went really well, and we were able to find a couple of houses that would work for the fam. We were able to put a contract on a house just down the street from Jill which makes all of us very excited. (I’m sorry if any of this information is a repeat for you, but I find that I’m leaving people out of the loop so this is an effort to avoid that!) We have our inspection on Monday and will just need to get through the appraisal after that. If those things happen to cross your mind, sure would appreciate your prayers for us. All hoops jumped through, and we’ll close February 12 – that’s not that far away! Scary.

I am finally able to think about the move without tears. This last trip did wonders for my excitement level about the move. I still can’t “talk” about the move with my friends here w/o some emotion, but I figure that may just be something I have to live with.

Tomorrow is “re-pack the garage day.” Let me say, that I am looking forward to this with much trepidation. Since we thought we were going to be renting for a short while, we didn’t unpack all our boxes, and in some cases just unpacked part of a box. We’re going to try to go through all that stuff and get the boxes move-ready. I’m hoping to find lots that I can part with since I haven’t needed much of it for the last year. One would think that we travel lightly since we’ve had so many moves, but I am hopelessly attached to way too many things! I’m going to try to be a little less sentimental – I can still remember where most of our wedding presents came from, and I just feel guilty letting those things go. Sad, I know.

Moving… Again.

2010-01-11T12:12:00.001-06:00

If you’ve known our family for any length of time, you know that we have been really mobile. Sorry for those of you who try to keep us on your Christmas card list! We are headed back east to Mississippi, and I’m not sure where to begin the tale, but I’m going to do my best!

The economy. The cost of living here is much higher than MS, and with the economy really messing things up, the “promotion” to come to TX ended up being a lateral move. Had we our crystal ball in hand, we would not have uprooted our family for that.

The mission. Also, we’ve been asking ourselves what the purpose of our little family is. This has helped us in making this very difficult decision. One of our main goals is keeping me at home. We feel that this is much more doable in MS than here. Our dollar stretches further there for housing which is probably the biggest consideration. Also, there are other factors about Todd’s job in MS which allow for a richer family and professional life. This was a big deal for us.

The unknown. So, why did God move us to TX only to move us back to MS a year later? I have no idea! But, I do know that the experiences and friends we have had here have enriched our lives beyond our craziest imaginings. It has been a true season of blessing for us. Will the Williams clan ever go to Africa? I’m sure it’s a question that many are afraid to ask, and for those who have asked, they have gotten no clear answer. Again, I have no idea!

As We Go. When Todd was at DBU taking Greek, “we” learned that the little word “go” means, “as you go.” As you go to the grocery store, as you get your oil changed, as you train up your children, as you go to another country, perhaps. I have no clue what the future holds for us. I do know that we plan to be apart of God’s work wherever we may be.

The hard part. Saying good-bye to all our wonderful friends and to our church. I plan on bringing tissue with me to every service we’re able to attend from here on out. As a matter of fact, I may just carry it with me all the time. You would think after so many moves, this would be a snap by now, but I still have a really hard time with this part. Your prayers are very much needed and appreciated!

A Life Lesson

2009-12-21T08:10:00.002-06:00

I think I’m always conflicted this particular week of the Christmas season because we talk so much to our kids about focusing on the birth of Jesus and what that means in our lives and then run around like crazy people trying to get everything done.

Since we just got back from Mississippi last night, today is a day of re-grouping. There will be grocery lists made, laundry washed and , hopefully, an assortment of other things accomplished. What I’m hoping for most is that my behavior will reflect what we’ve been trying to teach the girls - that Christmas is not about gifts, food, or even family. It’s about Christ. And, if the other things weren’t around, it would still be one of the best times of the year.

So, what would a Christmas life lesson look like? Peace. Joy. True joy in all of my to-dos. I love making lists of things to do, not because I’m incredibly organized, but because if I don’t write things down, I don’t seem to have the mental capacity to remember anything, and this is incredibly annoying. But like the typical list-maker, I get a little caught up in my list. My goal this week is to let the list go. Oh, I will still make my lists, my friend, but I’m going to try and remind my little type-A self that the list is not the end goal.

I so want my life to not be sending a double message, especially to my sweet family. I think I’ve come to grips that it is impossible to escape hypocrisy entirely while we’re on this side of heaven, but I do want to constantly examine my actions and words to see if they line up with what I say I believe and tweak “as I go.” Sounds kind of like “working out our salvation in fear in trembling,” now that I think of it.

Getting Caught Up Before I Go Crazy

2009-11-11T22:15:00.001-06:00

If I don’t get busy and post some pictures, my brain is going to explode, and the grandparents are going to think I’ve fallen off the planet. So, please excuse the long post, but it has to be done.

I gave Todd a surprise birthday party at one of our favorite local restaurants, and it was pretty chilly and windy that night. It was a major accomplishment getting the candles lit. Creed’s birthday was actually that day, too, so we celebrated together. He is precious and as fun as he is cute!

The grown-up girls wanted to get a picture together while we were at the party, and the littl‘uns wanted to join us. We are not matched up parent-to-kiddos, and I’m not even going to try and straighten it out!

We did get our own picture eventually.

Some of my dear Bastrop friends: Melinda, (me), Ashley, who cooked us dinner tonight because we’ve been a little sick around here, Erin, and Julie.

A picture of Emma playing soccer because I promised one a million years ago.

While Daddy was in Illinois, we carved our pumpkins.

And, finally, our Halloween pictures. The poodle, gypsy and flower fairy had a great time. We visited a friend’s neighborhood and hit some houses over there, and then we went to the nursing home to trick-or-treat and to hand out fall decorations that our kiddos had made during homegroup. See why I love our homegroup? I thought this was such a great idea, and all the kids did a great job. You know, honestly, you never know what you may see/hear while in a nursing home, but all the kids were so sweet with everyone, and I was so proud of them.

After that, we headed back to Ann’s house (another homegroup gal) for the most incredible fall fest ever. I’m scared to ask her how much time it took for her to set everything up. Off the top of my head the following were available for the kids: pin the nose on the pumpkin, toss the hula hoop over the pumpkin, a go-fish game with prizes, bagged popcorn for the hayride, put a funny face on the pumpkin (using potato head pieces) bean bag toss through the pumpkin, iced cookies for the kids to decorate after they had finished the friendly ghost hunt inside. I get tired just trying to list it all. It was amazing!

The hula hoop toss.

I had to show the back of Aubrie’s wings. I thought these would be easy to make. I was wrong.

Homegroup friends.

The poodle pose.

Thanks for hanging in there with me! I feel so much better getting that done.

A Year Now

2009-11-09T20:43:00.001-06:00

I really wanted to sit down and reflect before I entered this post, but my pajamas are calling. A year ago today we pulled up roots from our wonderful Mississippi town and landed here in Bastrop. I must say that things have been about as clear as mud since then, but I know that there is purpose in our being here. Just about everything thing we thought was supposed to happen hasn’t, and we’re really working on being okay with that.

We’ve really been trying to figure out ways to teach our girls gratefulness and contentment with what they have. I’m finding that in an age when they have just about everything they want and/or need that this is very difficult. It’s even more difficult when you realize that you struggle with this yourself. SO, I’ve been working on being content with the shelter, food and clothes that I have. I’ve been trying to not think about the parts of my life that are in the garage or under the stairs in a box because we thought our rental would be temporary. I want to cultivate thankfulness for the real things in my life, not the trappings that honestly can soak up a lot of time and don’t matter in the end.

This is NOT easy for me. At. all. But, I’m working on it day-by-day…and here we are, a year later. How is it that it was fast and slow all at the same time? When someone figures that out, please let me know!

I have a ton of other things I want to post, but I’ll have to get to it later – sick kids lately, so the pajamas are now screaming at me.

Christmas Cards

2009-10-29T21:30:00.002-05:00

Just in case you haven’t decided where you’ll be ordering yours this year, you can check out my sister’s Facebook page. Colleen does a great job and will work with you to get it how you want it!

This was our card from last year, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with this time.

A Lot For Which to be Thankful

2009-10-28T21:29:00.001-05:00

Before I get to the thanksgiving, I wanted to let you know about my friend Mer who is having a giveaway every day this week (but she’s not determining the winners until the end of the week.) So you still have plenty of time to stop by!

After reading a book this summer, I realized that I had lost the habit of thankfulness and that somehow ugly cynicism had crept in its place. I don’t think there was some big event that caused this to happen, but it sure has. One of the things I want most for our girls is for them to be truly joyful, but I realized that if I was full of complaints and looking at the negative side of things, that they were going to pick up these nasty habits as well. Yuck.

I don’t really have a well-laid plan, but I’m going to try to post a little thankfulness on my blog just to keep my thankful/joyful juices flowing.

I’m thankful for a GREAT husband who works so hard at a very thankless job so I can stay home and train our sweet girls.

I’m so thankful that I get to be the one to teach our cuties even when being at home really stinks – I’m trying to remember to tell Todd this, too, so he’s not always hearing about how hard homeschooling can be. I really wouldn’t trade it for anything!

I’m thankful for a great community of homeschooling friends – seems like I make a new one every week or so. (That includes the ones here and Jill, too!)

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but just to make sure, I’m so grateful for our church home. We have been a part of some really great churches, but this is one that finally fits in just about every sense of the word. Our church family has really become our extended family, and I don’t know what we’d do w/o them.

I’m thankful for Ashley who was crazy brave and went to the outlet malls in San Marcos with me and the girls today. I would have even more gray hair if it weren’t for you!

I’m thankful for finished Halloween costumes! Pictures to follow sometime this weekend, I’m sure.

Oh, and the thought which inspired the blog tonight – I’m SO thankful for good health. We have had people battling illness left and right all around us, and we have been unscathed. I’m especially thankful for this as Todd is away this week. Thank you, Lord!

Just a Few Things

2009-10-26T20:56:00.003-05:00

Thanks for stopping by.

Please don't forget to enter the give away on John's blog for his new book celebrating advent, Touching Wonder. If you don't win a copy, you can always purchase one here. You really don't want to miss the bonus gifts for weeks 4 and 5. They're going to be good!

Just a note - I did manage to work out last night but then had WAY to much energy and found it hard to wind down. I must say that I felt great getting some exercise in - physically and mentally. I'm feeling a little tired and achy tonight so we'll see how things go tomorrow. I've heard great things about echinacea tea so I'm fixin' to try some.

Have a blessed evening.

A Little Craftiness and A Good Workout

2009-10-25T20:33:00.001-05:00

So, I’m going to try to make some headway on Emma’s costume and finish up Aubrie’s. May not get that much accomplished, but I’m going to give it a shot. Thankfully, E’s doesn’t require sewing, and I’m done with the sewing on Aubrie’s. Thank goodness for glue guns – that’s the only tool I’ll need to finish A’s. What would we do w/o glue guns? I shudder to think.

Also, I’ve GOT to figure out a way to get in some more exercise. I find that the “at home video routine thing” is proving a little too much for my level of discipline. I’m really hit-or-miss w/them which means I only work out about once a week, and let me tell you, friends, that is NOT cutting it. At all. I’m really trying to be aware of my eating, but w/o some sweat, I just don’t feel like much positive is going on. I had worked so hard a while back (two summers ago) to shed some pounds and get fit, and I’m so discouraged that I’ve completely backtracked to where I was before. I’m probably more fit now (not sucking wind when I run), but the scale is a real downer. Of course, I could be working out instead of typing…choices, choices. Maybe if I put on my workout clothes, I’ll get motivated!

Happy Friday

2009-10-23T09:41:00.002-05:00

I won! I won! I won! I’m not gonna gloat any more than that, but it sure does feel good. I won the advent book and the additional freebee, a Moleskine, that were given away here. Happy Friday to me, happy Friday to me, etc.

I love Fridays because we don’t do “formal school.” We may catch up on a thing or two left undone, but then we either go to the library for story time or do a homeschool p.e./playdate thing. Both are really fun and at the same time so we have to alternate. Today it’s pretty chilly so it looks like a library day. I better get movin’ because we’ve got to be in the van in about half an hour.

Hope yours is a happy Friday.

Potential Bliss

2009-10-22T23:50:00.001-05:00

This year we decided to school three weeks on and take a week off and to pretty much school year-round. We have found that we I just don’t do very well without some routine and structure to our days, even in the summer. So, the first week we took off was for a trip to Dallas to see my dad and for me to go to an alumni board meeting since I hadn’t been to one in over three years. Pathetic.

This week has the potential to be pure heaven. I have been saving up some projects to work on during our week off. I’m planning to sew Christmas shirts for the girls to wear in our Christmas card picture. If they turn out decently, I may post a picture of the shirt, but I don’t want to give away too much of what our card may look like.

My other project is to finish the girls’ Halloween outfits. I’ve got Aubrie’s pretty much wrapped up, Jessie’s requires no work (super), and I haven’t even started on Emma’s. I really want to have these finished over the weekend so I can devote the rest of my time to the sewing of shirts and my other big project.

As anyone who has been in our home knows, we don’t have much “new'” stuff. We kinda sorta inherited furniture from my family for which I’m very grateful. However, none of our stuff is of the valuable antique sort. It’s worn, not particularly attractive, BUT it is solid wood and well-made, and so, much to sweet man’s dismay, I don’t want to part with any of it. I am hoping to give it a face-lift. I am trying to be realistic about this project because stripping and painting furniture always takes forever. I’m starting with the smallest piece, a bedside table, and we’ll see what happens from there. I would love to finish all three pieces, but this is VERY unrealistic.

So, if we can avoid major catastrophe for a week, and the weather cooperates, this week could such a fun break for me! I’m keeping my fingers crossed!!

Just a Reminder

2009-10-20T09:16:00.001-05:00

for you to visit this site for another free giveaway. I still need to get my copy of the book just in case I don’t win one.

No time for anything else today. I have three busy little ones upstairs waiting for me to come and teach them something good!

Loving the Weather

2009-10-16T09:47:00.001-05:00

We had our first cold spell last weekend, but of course, it’s Texas so things warmed right back up this week. Last night a cold (ok, a cool front) blew in, and we get to wear long sleeves to the park today – heaven!

I really need to mention that we had a first last Saturday. Emma scored her first soccer goal! Since she plays on a co-ed team, I’m extra proud of her because the boys do dominate most of the time. I had wanted to post pics (We didn’t get any of the magical goal, but I thought any soccer pictures would help set the mood.), but practice was rained out Tues., and Todd took her last night. Maybe I’ll get some good ones at tomorrow’s game.

Just guessing, but I think this may unleash the soccer wild-person in E. She’s very assertive in other areas of life but has yet to let that out on the soccer field. I think it will be so exciting when it happens. Got a little glimpse last Saturday, and it was a beautiful thing. I had to fight all my mommy urges not to run out on the field and hug her when she scored. Don’t think that hugging a player in the middle of a game would have gone over very well…

A Chance to Win

2009-10-06T12:39:00.004-05:00

I love winning things or getting anything for free. My friend Meredith's husband is giving away a copy of his new book about Advent (which I haven't read yet, but I'm sure is wonderful), and all you have to do is post a comment on his blog about your favorite Christmas song. So easy and so fun!

Here's what I said, and I hope you'll take the time to contribute, too! (But I really want to win the book.)

1) O Come, O Come Emmanuel - I love the word "ransom" in connection with Christmas. He really is our rescuer in every sense of the word! 2) A choral song I learned in high school called Baby, What You Goin' to Be? I found a choir singing it on YouTube so here's the link, and you can judge for yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnPxBpYY5z0

Ballet Class

2009-10-03T14:37:00.004-05:00

As promised, here is some footage of Aubrie's and Jessie's ballet classes. Aubrie's class is more like movement and music rather than ballet, but is bunches of fun! Jessie's class does actually practice "real" ballet, but the video shows what they get to at the beginning of class. I love her concentration playing hop scotch.

P.S. If the videos don't start, you can press F5 to refresh the page. At least that's worked for me.

Friday Fritters

2009-09-25T06:35:00.002-05:00

Some things you need to know…

Jessie had mono and CMV this summer except that she had NO symptoms (so crazy). We didn’t know anything was going on until she wanted to wear her pajamas in the middle of the day and lay down. She tested negative for mono because she technically didn’t have it anymore. More blood work showed that both viruses had been in her system but a while back. The human body is truly an amazing thing. She still gets a little tired but hasn’t wanted to wear her pajamas during the day for a while now. It’s so good to see some improvement in her.

Our house search continues, and in the middle of this economic uncertainty I have to wonder if it’s really a huge blessing to have such a wonderful place to rent. There are lots of things that bug me about this place, but when I find myself starting to complain on the inside, I remind myself how much it would cost to rent an apartment and how much we’re paying for a large house on five acres. Keep your mouth shut, Dee Dee Williams!

Emma and Jessie both took swimming lessons this summer and were little fish by the end of the summer. Emma was already swimming fairly well, but Jessie’s more like her hesitant mama and wasn’t so sure about this swimming thing. The last day that we were able to go swimming Aubrie (who has gills, I think) swam for the first time. What a fun summer and even better is how much easier next summer will be for Mom!

Now for some real fritters:

I love that Aubrie will say something silly and will pause and then add, “Just kidding,” at the end.

I love that all three girls will create a new make believe game just about everyday and carry it out all day long. We have to make them stop at mealtimes because they REALLY get into their roles.

I love that the girls are getting to have some real time outside.

I love that they play in the back of Todd’s old truck and have made it their clubhouse of sorts. They even have a flag flying from the bed of the truck.

I love that Emma grabbed her Bible and asked me to read some more about David and Absolom yesterday after we learned about part of their story in our history lesson.

I love that the girls are learning so much about nature and the outdoors from their sweet dad.

I love that we can watch hummingbirds, cardinals, finches, wood peckers and a variety of doves from our dinning room window.

I love even more that, thanks mostly to their dad, Emma can identify all of these on her own; she’s even better than me at telling the different doves apart.

I love that we have a great church family and that we get to go to homegroup tonight – sure to be a lot of fun!

A Little Relaxation

2009-09-24T10:54:00.002-05:00

I don’t know why I forget this time and again, but my sweet children are only 7, 5 and 3. I get so caught up in our schooling schedule that I think it really stresses them out. The problem is that they are unable to tell me they’re stressed so it shows up in other ways like completely forgetting things that they know to do or being really grumpy. So, today we are enjoying a little relaxation. We’re still doing school but in small time segments and not worrying as much about the to-do list (with which I can be COMPLETELY consumed).

They’ve been out of sorts all week long and about to drive me to distraction. The funny thing is that while I’m down here on the computer taking a break, and they’re upstairs coloring, they are also going through their favorite books and reminding me that we haven’t done our weather graph yet. These are things I love – when I don’t have to prod and pull them, and I get to see their real joy and interest in learning.

Bears in My House

2009-09-23T13:57:00.003-05:00

I don’t promise that this is a full return to blogging, but I thought I would make a brief appearance. Let me start off by mentioning that homeschooling two at the same time whilst keeping occupied the very busy 3-yr-old who lives with us too is quite the challenge. And, unlike others whom I truly admire, I will probably not find any extra time to blog any time soon. Not only blogging, but other activities as well have been cut from the schedule. We are pared (sp?)down and trying to get the basics firmly under our belts. I have to say that every now and then I feel a little cooped up, but it is making for very full and interesting days that are primarily spent at home.

I was in a book/Bible study this summer which focused much of its time on Titus 2 where the older women are admonished to teach the younger. One of the tenants taught is to be “keepers at home.” (The NAS says, “workers at home.”) Now, one of my dear homeschooling friends that I’ve known since college once said to me, “How can we teach our girls to be keepers at home if we’re never home?” She doesn’t know it, but that has stayed in my head over the years, and this year I was finally brave enough to follow through.

You see, as a homeschool mom I fell into a common trap that because my children are schooled at home that I must make up for their lack of “socialization” by carrying them to every activity imaginable. (In homeschool circles this is often referred to as the “s” word, very nasty indeed.) Some moms even joke that they become van schoolers instead of homeschoolers. I think for some moms/families this is fine, and they really do seem to function well. For me, running around from place to place is like death. A slow and painful death.

So, each girl has an activity. Emma is still playing soccer, and Jessie and Aubrie are both in ballet – I will have to post pictures soon because Aubrie’s class is too much fun. Jessie’s is, too, but there’s just something hysterical about those little preschool behinds in their leotards that begs for pictures. We have playdates/story time on Friday (We alternate because they’re at the same time.) and are trying to get most of our schooling done Monday-Thursday so we can relax on Friday. This is our life. We don’t even leave the house at all on Mondays and Wednesdays unless we absolutely have to. Heaven!

Back to the bears in my house – since that’s what I titled this silly post – I was just thinking about how crazy a homeschool house can become. My lovely sister Colleen used to teach second grade and was cleaning out some of her stuff and decided to bless us with these wonderful bears used for counting and various other things in math. Now, there are a million of each color, and we have four tubs each with a color of its own – so many bears to count. In order to keep the beautiful 3-yr-old child happy and learning something constructive we sometimes get out the blue bears and let her take off with them. For days and sometimes weeks I find blue bears all over my house for she finds such creative places to put them.

The bears are put in the kitchen (and I assume cooked, for I can’t imagine that raw bear tastes very good). There are bears in purses – apparently they like to shop. And bears in jewelry boxes, the vain little things. I’m sure some of them are laughing at me right now because I haven’t discovered their little hiding places yet.

This week Jessie needed to use all four colors of bears for one of her lessons so you can only imagine the bears that I am finding. It kind of drives me crazy finding them in random spots and having to dig the tubs out to put them up. I am trying to turn over a new leaf and let go of the bears. After all, they aren’t doing anyone any harm, and I apologize in advance if I suck any of them up in the vacuum cleaner. It has happened, I’m sad to report.

A Little Break

2009-07-11T21:41:00.003-05:00

I know, this is already pretty obvious. But I've realized that trying to still do school (long story, but basically we postponed school a while last fall while we were trying to sell the house and Todd was already in TX) and do summer stuff too is very overwhelming. I think so that I don't feel bad about not blogging, I'm just going to declare a blogging vacation and pick things back up in the fall. I'm still on Facebook, and it doesn't seem as overwhelming so I'll keep checking in there.

Something random - after a bazillion days our computer was ready this last Monday except that no one called us. I really think I'm in the Twilight Zone sometimes. Anyway, unless something really bazaar happens, I'll be able to pick it up this coming Monday and get caught up on so many things that have been nagging the back of my mind.

Where did the month go?

2009-06-04T20:59:00.005-05:00

So, almost a month ago, Ashley and I walked in the March for Babies walk-a-thon in Austin. I had intended to post our pictures back then, but we were in the middle of our computer bru-ha-ha and didn't have our loaner yet. I really wanted to share because I was so amazed that my new friend Ashley would give up her Saturday to walk in honor of someone she had never met. Thank you, Ashley!

If you haven't heard the story yet, please visit this site to find out about Noah and Julie and their precious Magdalena. Ashley and I walked for Magdalena's Feet (their team) and had a great time on a beautiful day in downtown Austin. In the midst of the gorgeous day I was often moved to tears because there were so many people there representing so many precious little ones. It was really wonderful to be a part of something so big.

You can read about the Mississippi team's walk here. Thank you, Noah and Julie, for being so faithful and letting God use you in wonderful ways to reach so many!

More Important Things

2009-06-01T21:17:00.008-05:00

I should have posted this last week, but we were in the throes of company and lots of special events, and since Aubrie can't read, I don't think she'll be offended! Our sweet third arrival had her third birthday last Monday on the 25th. Although we had already had her party, we still like to do something special on the actual day. (I'm infamous in my family for cramming in multiple b-day events and stretching out my birthday celebration for as long as possible. I even had a college friend explain to me that my b-day was not the same as Rashashana (sp?). I'm apparently passing this trait on to my sweet girls.) So, we were with Nanny at one of our favorite local restaurants, and they brought Aubrie a piece of cake and sang to her. She was very thrilled.

Aubrie is truly the one to keep me on my toes and remind me that I'm not as on top of things as I would like to think. The most recent episode occurred not too long ago, thankfully on a cool day. All three girls were outside playing, and I had just seen Aubrie go by. I stuck my head out a few minutes later just to check on them, and no Aubrie. Anywhere. So, we start calling. I'm pretty sure she hasn't taken off down the driveway because it's pretty long, and she would still be visible. We're on five flat acres so she should be pretty easy to spot. Right? Oh, how I wish. We call inside and out for what seemed like an eternity but was probably about five minutes. I'm finally calling Todd to inform him that I've lost his youngest child when I think to look in the van. There she sits happy as a lark putting on sun screen. If I told you all the things going through my mind at this point, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.

Aubrie Ann is a great joy in our lives and things literally just roll right off of her - a trait she did NOT get from me or Todd. This she got from my dad and my sister Mary. It is also amazing how much she looked like my dad when she was a baby. She also looks a lot like my nephew (Mary's son) Judah. Strange, huh?

I know every parent must feel this way about each of their children, but we simply cannot imagine life without our Aubrie. We were at the "should we really be crazy and have a third child" crux in our lives, and we were trying to figure out if that would push me over the edge, and if we knew just how much fun this little one was going to be, there would have been no discussion. Happy third birthday sweet girl!

Also, important was Jessie's and Aubrie's end-of-the-year preschool program. We had a blast watching them perform their artist songs. Their last unit of the year was on famous artists, and Jessie represented Degas (He painted ballerinas.), and Aubrie represented Mary Cassatt who painted moms with their babies; she also painted ladies with hats on. Hence the outfits.

Jessie graduated and looked MUCH too mature in her cap and gown to suit me. We may have to follow through with our threats to put bricks on their heads.

Friday Fritters

2009-05-29T15:09:00.003-05:00

-Gearing up for Emma's first sleepover. A friend from church is coming. We've planned fun in the sprinkler, a dance performance, make-overs, popcorn and chocolate chip cookies.

-I'm missing the girls who are in MS with Nan and Pops. Emma, however, is relishing the time with mom and wishes they were going to be in MS for another week.

-We still have a loaner computer as the part for our broken down one is on back order. Other than a few things (my budget software, grocery list, etc.), I'm perfectly happy as long as we have a good internet connection.

-Emma and I slept in this morning. She crawls in bed with me when Todd leaves, and I must say it has been heavenly. Can't remember the last time I slept until 8. Emma looks at the clock and says, "Mom, why am I in bed at 8:02?" We were all out late last night so sleeping in was a good thing for both of us. Poor Todd must need a nap!

-Emma and I have turned our brains to mush today watching TV. We watched back-to-back episodes of Meerkat Manor, and she's now watching a show about leopards. We're gonna school through July so I figure this is our very short summer break, at least until August.

-Last summer we visited the San Antonio Zoo with my sisters, and we had to cut the trip a little short because Aubrie had had all the zoo she could handle, and Jessie got a fever while we were there. I'm very excited about taking Emma on Monday so she can zoo all she wants. Last year she cracked us up with map in hand planning what we would do next. I can't wait for this year's excursion.

Special Times

2009-05-25T20:05:00.007-05:00

This has been a truly full weekend in the Williams family. We celebrated Jessie's and Aubrie's birthdays this past Saturday. If folks got graded on their family planning skills, we'd probably get a D. Jessie and Aubrie are 2 years, one week and a day apart. Makes for interesting planning since you can pile on a bunch of end-of-year stuff on top of that. They had a blast at their joint party, and we actually had very pleasant weather considering that it is May in Texas.

Yesterday we celebrated two special events. Todd and I were married twelve years ago in Clinton, MS, and time has zoomed past ever since! We have had a wild ride and lived in ten homes in nine different cities during those years; we've been seminary drop-outs (twice) and almost missionaries!! :-) We have considered ourselves on mission whether here or in Africa, and God took us seriously when we told Him we'd go wherever He asked! We are truly enjoying our new adventures in Bastrop, TX, and can see so many wonderful reasons that God landed us here. We are so grateful.

Our other special event was Emma's baptism. About two years ago she told us that she had prayed to receive Christ. She was in our backyard swinging and praying and came inside to announce her news. We've tried to always have an ongoing discussion about what it means to be His and what happens when we are. So, we decided to continue the discussion and look for fruit in her life. We looked for the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 and for a few other things: conviction when she messed up and a desire to tell others the great news of salvation. She continued to ask about baptism, and we continued to look for fruit. We began seeing quite a bit and had actually planned to have her baptised at Morrison Heights before we left, but things got pretty crazy when Todd had to move to TX before us, and we just never got things worked out. I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed. Well, of course, God has a great plan. Shocker. It would never have occurred to me for Todd to baptize her. But I can't think of anything more beautiful or special in her life than for her dad to get to welcome her publicly into God's family.

Friday Fritters

2009-05-22T15:03:00.003-05:00

--Baking a cake and talking on the phone at the same time - not a good idea. Thankfully, I had extra batter that saved the day. I wouldn't say the cake was burnt, just a little extra crispy.

--Looked up online how to get rid of scorpions. Cleaning out leaves/debris from around your foundation is apparently a good idea since they like cool dark places. Also found out that cracks and crevices in your foundation and doorways are favorite entry spots. That'll have to be Todd's job, I reckon. Also found out you can spray pesticide around your house and up to a foot above your foundation. Apparently, cracks/crevices in the attack are a no-no, but looking at the attic in our rental house, this is probably not going to be a feasible part of our "kick the scorpions the heck outa here" plan.

--Pondering whether or not it was a good idea to tell my dear offspring that their grandparents are coming to see us today. I think surprise is going to be the order of the day from now on. They are wound up tighter than a who'da'thoughtit, and the grandparents from MS aren't coming until late tonight. UGH.

--Wondering why on the day you have a TON to get done your children can't seem to be in the same room together.

--While I was on the front porch swing on the phone letting the cake burn, uh, I mean get well-done, Aubrie swiped the scraper from the batter bowl, ran upstairs with it, and had a chocolate mask facial.

--I love that a family of mud swallows has their nest on our front porch (Can I blame them for the cake?), and I am fully enamoured with them. They are so big now that I'm not sure how they all fit in their fairly tiny nest. Also, I'm trying to prepare Emma for the inevitable - the birds will leave the nest. She's adopted them, named them, and I'm sure there will be mourning when they leave. If we're lucky, they'll set up housekeeping on our porch, too!

Two Posts in One Day...But For Good Reason

2009-05-21T15:23:00.005-05:00

I know this is rare, but I'm just now learning how to upload pics to my loaner computer, and I didn't want to do this post without a picture. Just wouldn't be the same. Trust me.

First, and most importantly, I want to celebrate the birth of Jessie Claire. She was born May 17th of 2004, and is shockingly five years old. Have no idea where that time went.

Now if you know Emma and Aubrie, we could switch their baby pictures around, and no one, and I mean no one would be the wiser. Even Aubrie has convinced herself that pictures of Emma are her. Anyway, Jessie Claire has been her own individual since day one. While Emma's and Aubrie's hair was/is curly, Jessie's is stick straight. She was a hefty 9 lbs. at birth (w/nothing but Stadol, I might add) and is now a petite flower of a little girl.

She is a thinker, organizer and has one of the most tender hearts I have seen. She is so needed in our rough and tumble family, and makes me want to be more tender, too. She is our resident gymnast and is still torn between that and dance, and since we only have time, energy and wherewithal for one activity per kiddo, she must pick. It will be interesting to see which way things go. She also will be officially added to our little home school this fall although we've been easing her into things throughout the year.

I cannot fail to add that while she is, for the most part, a delicate flower of a child, she is also a Williams and has no problem in standing up for herself when she's just plain had enough. She actually used to get pretty physical ...okay, she was a biter. The upside was that she would only bite Emma (that sounds bad, doesn't it?). From my selfish perspective it at least saved me some embarrassment! The only exceptions to that were Reece Gibson and a kid at the YMCA. You didn't mess with Jessie's toys. Gladly, we've left that behind, but the tenacious attitude lingers. I hope we're the kind of parents that can help shape that attitude into perseverance and never-let-go faith.

Happy Belated Birthday, Jessie Claire!!

One last thing, if this post, you remember my encounter with the scorpion and my hope that he would NOT invite his friends to our house. Well, no such luck. Just discovered another live one in the girls' room as I'm putting them down for nap. 15 minutes ago. Ughhh! Going to have to find out how to get rid of these things. These pictures are of the first DEAD scorpion we found (also in the bathroom). I am so glad to say that the other two aren't quite as hefty as this one, but that only slightly eases my freaked-out-ed-ness.

A Little Homeschooling Stuff

2009-05-21T11:53:00.004-05:00

I just sent this email to a friend of mine who is thinking about homeschooling her daughter when she starts kindergarten next year. I realized that I was talking her poor ear off, and so we decided I should email her some things so she could do some digging on her own. I thought that someone else might want to find out about our homeschool life so I'm posting my email to her on the ol' blog. Most of the websites I gave her are also on the right-hand side of the blog, but I went into a little more detail so she could pick and choose what she wanted to read. Hope this helps anyone who's considering this option.

Okay, here are my favorites:

http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/v2/index.php?page=3

This website will give you a VERY in-depth overview of some of the main reasons we chose to homeschool. Todd was introduced to classical education when he studied at Focus on the Family. Two things to read further on this are: _The Lost Tools of Learning_ and _Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning_. I can help you find these...one is a book and the other is an article...we have both of them packed up "somewhere."

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/index.php

This is a website based on the book of the same name. This is kinda over-the-top, but follows the classical model (which I love) and has GREAT curriculum suggestions at the end of each grade-level chapter.

http://simplycharlottemason.com/home/

Charlotte Mason was an educator in England, and there is a book called _The Charlotte Mason Companion_ which condenses her 6-volume work into more understandable language. Also has some great child-rearing stuff in there. Her method is literature/experience driven and fits nicely with classical ed so I combine the two which I think lots of homeschool families do. Best of both worlds! This website actually provides a year-by-year curriculum guide which I consult. (I can show you how I combine all this later if you want.)

Now, when you've digested all that and are ready for curriculum websites let me know. If you want to go ahead and dig, I'll tell you that I use the following:

Saxon Math (going to use Singapore math with Jessie- tell you more later)
Handwriting without Tears
Winter Promise for readers
Ambleside online for read aloud material (it's free!)
Noeo Science (I've also purchased some stuff from Sonlight - they have an amazing catalog)
History Through the Ages for timeline figures
Mystery of History for their storybook (goes with the timeline - way cool)
I do a combination of things for phonics: Alpha Phonics, Explode the Code, McGuffy Primers, and one more book I just bought. I mainly use Alpha and McGuffy and fill in with the others if I feel E is getting bored. They're pretty old school so they aren't very colorful, but I LOVE how systematic and logical they are. If you watch Little House on the Prairie, you might notice that they are using McGuffy primers in the school, and they are really that old (which I also LOVE)! I know, I am so corny!!

Computer on Loan

2009-05-15T22:04:00.003-05:00

Well, our dead computer still isn't revived yet, but the place where we're having it fixed gave us one until it is! I was super excited since life without a fast computer is just no fun.

We've had a lot going on and even more coming up. Here's a brief summary just to catch you up:

* Emma was bitten in four different places by a spider on Monday. By Tuesday her forehead looked like a golf ball had landed on it, and one of the bites on her arm had a ring around it making it look scarily like a brown recluse bite.

*Tuesday Emma's bites are worse so we go to the doctor and are so THANKFUL to learn that they are not brown recluse bites but still kind of nasty. We are given a topical steroid, and things are finally looking much better.

*Tuesday evening Emma falls down while getting ready for bed cutting her lip - lots of blood so I was glad Todd was handy to help the clean-up on this one! Today (Friday) her lip and cheek are still swollen so we tried to get her in to get an x-ray, but no luck. I'll save the health care situation in Bastrop for another day, but will say that we'll probably be driving to Austin for most of our needs.

*Oh, on Monday Aubrie had been complaining of a tummy ache, and after we finished our trip to Costco and WalMart, she proved that she was in pain. Just as we're backing out of our parking spot, she gets sick. I don't want to be gross, but we had to have the van shampooed the next morning. Thankfully, we were five minutes from Todd's shop and were able to get some clean-up help from Daddy.

*My girls are growing up. Aubrie has said good-bye to pull-ups, and she and Jessie are both dry through the night. I think I may have bought my last diaper/pull-up, and Todd says that's enough money for a boat payment! :-) More on growing up - Emma fixed dinner tonight. We had VERY delicious turkey melts with dip and chips. I feel like I'm entering a whole new era of Mommyhood.

*I had the BEST mother's day weekend I think I've ever had last weekend. Todd and our friend Ruel kept all five of our girls so Julie and I could go to Chili's and have dinner including a Chocolate Molten Cake...so yummy! Thank you, guys! That morning my friend Ashley and I walked for March of Babies in Austin and had lunch at Shady Grove which is really fun burger joint just down the street from the walk. My sweet family fixed a fun breakfast Sunday morning, and each of the girls had something special wrapped up for me. Later that evening we had a girls' night at the movies. Such a fun time!

* Highlights of what's ahead - Jessie turns 5 on Sunday, Judy and Jerry are going to visit next weekend for Jessie and Aubrie's joint b-day party, Todd is baptizing Emma the next day at church (our anniversary also), Monday Aubrie turns 3, and Tuesday Jessie graduates from preschool, cap, gown and all.

Oh, I forgot one more thing - I had a visitor in our bathroom this week...a live scorpion. I hope he doesn't invite any of his friends over! Those things give me the willies.

Comupter Dead

2009-05-05T13:59:00.001-05:00

Our computer's mother board died last week. So sad. Not that I post just a ton, but it is really crimping other parts of my technical life. Thankfully, it looks like the issue we have has been covered by an extended warranty because the problem is so wide-spread. It may be a while before I'm back in action...

A Much-Needed Retreat

2009-04-18T15:04:00.002-05:00

I know I’m posting out of order, but that’s just the craziness of my life! This trip actually took place the first weekend of April.

I have two dear friends from college who decided during one of the most difficult times of my life to drop everything and come to my rescue. Chelsea was living in Colorado at the time, Kris was in the Dallas area, and I was living with my in-laws and pregnant with Jessie Claire. Jessie was just a few months from arriving, my mother had passed away a few months before, and we still didn’t have a house. To say the least, things were pretty stressful and, quite frankly, dark for me. Anyway, these two precious people did something for me I can never forget. Chels flew from Denver to Dallas and then she and Kris drove to Clinton to basically deliver a baby shower on my front doorstep. They came with gifts, lots of laughter,and, of course, Kris had baked goods! We played, ate, and shopped together, and thus began our “tradition.”

Two summers ago we hooked up again in Jefferson, TX, which proved to be pretty convenient for everyone. Chels, by this time had moved to east TX so it was a quick trip for her and only about four hours for me. We stayed at a bed and breakfast, shopped, ate and laughed until the wee hours of the morning.

Since we’re all in the same state again, we (actually Kris who always gets the ball rolling) decided it was time for another retreat. She threw out the suggestion that we each bring our oldest daughters along for the ride. I have to say that while we didn’t get as much personal visiting done as in the past, I have no regrets! Our daughters LOVED each other and had the best time playing together. I may be dreaming, but how great would it be if their friendship continues to develop through the years? Kris’ parents have a time share at Canyon Lake so we shopped in San Marcos and slept at the condo for free! Now that’s a retreat.

Somehow, we always forget to take pictures of ourselves on these little trips (which we are going to HAVE to get better at), but we did manage to get some of the girls.

Emma, Reagan (Kris), and Alex (Chels) during a morning swim

Lunch at Johnny Rockets

Walking between shops at the outlet mall.

A Weekend in the Woods

2009-04-14T22:58:00.002-05:00

Well, I don’t have pictures from this big adventure yet – trying to get my non-tech friend to send me the ones she took, but I couldn’t wait anymore to post. We all survived, had a blast and got a little bit of sleep to boot!

Sleeping in our tent: we did have blow-up mattresses which came in mighty handy as the ground is really hard! (Feel free to laugh at me here.) The girls used their sleeping bags on top of the beds...keeps them from fighting over the covers. :-) Todd and I were sleeping in luxury with our cotton t-shirt sheets. We actually needed a fan for a while the first night, but when I woke up for the millionth time around 1 am, I turned it off...definitely a little chilly by then. I think the first night Emma had to go to the bathroom, Aubrie woke up cold and out of her bag, Jessie took Aubrie's pillow, and our friends' little girl had night terrors right next to us, and that kept E and I up for a while as we had just returned from the potty. Glad to say that the second night was VERY calm in comparison. We did have some younger campers next to us that second night who decided it was a good idea to wash dishes around 2 am. I'm sure I would have thought that at some point in my life LONG ago, too. :-)

We had s’mores over coals because we're still under a burn ban so it took a while but was so much fun! We also had an Easter egg hunt and just about lost Aubrie on the "mountain" behind our campsite. We were packing up and lost track of her so I go to a neighbor's site to look for her. I see her coming down the mountain, and let's just say that I've not allowed myself to think of what would have happened had she gone down the other side of the ridge... thank you, Lord, for your protection even when we're not asking for it! (For those of you who’ve read The Shack, I can’t let my mind go there either.)

The pictures I’m waiting for are of our crew up the mountain and on our hike that we took, and I'll be sure to share as soon as I get them. We have proof, I mean pics, of our pastor leading the kids in pushing down a pine tree which we're pretty sure is against the rules in our state park. He's a crazy man. We had seven families and about 14 kids along for the ride...it was wild to say the least.

Emma’s TX Birthday

2009-03-30T22:25:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Emma’s 7th birthday this last Saturday at one of our favorite places: The Sugar Shack. It was one of the first places we discovered in our new town, and we love it. It has handmade candies, ice cream, every packaged candy known to man, and a really cute gift shop. They have a deck out back, and other than the wind, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

Emma, who wore camouflage for her party invitation pic last year and wanted a safari theme, completely surprised me this year when she picked out Barbie’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses for her invite this year. We were all pink, purple and VERY sparkly for this little shindig – all girl and so much fun. We made tiaras and beaded necklaces, and I tried my hand at a carriage cake.

Last year’s invitation

This year’s very girly choice, minus a few teeth.

The really cute princesses.

The cake…just don’t look too closely! :-)

Emma striking a pose in her very sparkly pink dress. I love it!

For those who don’t know my dad, he was an elementary music teacher for a LONG time. We decided that he should hire himself out to do birthday parties to make some extra money. This is my sweet dad Bryan at his best! He was the hit of the party!

The best part was that the party was very low-key and low-maintenance. Both are very good in my opinion.

On a more sober note, I can’t believe that our first little one is seven years old. If my pictures weren’t in boxes under the stairs, I would scan one so you could see how curly her hair was and how dark it was when she was little. She is growing into such a precious young lady with way more self-control than I have sometimes.

I was talking to some friends in MS, and we found that we all seem to expect a great deal of our first-borns. I must say that Emma handles the expectations we place on her with so much grace and ease. She is a huge help around the house, and I find that I rely on her a great deal. Last week I really tried to just enjoy Emma and plan time with her doing things she likes. It was so much fun, and she just thrives on it. I tend to get wrapped up in my to-do lists, but I really want to plan more special time with this very special girl.

Good Times in MS

2009-03-21T22:39:00.006-05:00

Just got in a little bit ago and had to follow up on our trip. This should be brief as I am really tired...

1. See Nan and Pops
2. Have a playdate with Amy and Jill (and anyone else that wants to join in!)
3. Go to Morrison Heights - visit my old SS class that I LOVE
4. Play Guitar Hero with Lori
5. Eat a chicken salad sandwich at Newk's!
6. Buy some t-shirts from the talented Lisa Gunn
7. Sleep in
8. Drink coffee on the front porch
9. Celebrate Emma's b-day
10. Order a Mocha Choca Ya-Ya from Bops!

1. Loved seeing Nan and Pops which also made #7 possible on several occasions...complete bliss.
2. Got to go to Brighton Park with friends on Wed. - beautiful day and fun watching everyone keep up with their little ones!
3. Got to go to a SS fellowship last Sat. night and accomplished #6 while there.
4. Sadly, this one didn't happen!! Lori was out of town unexpectedly when I was free, and the week took off from me in warp speed after that. Sorry, Lori...maybe next time??
5. Got to have a girls' night at Newk's which was followed by #10. No, I did NOT follow my P90X diet this week...
6. :-)
7. :-)
8. Almost didn't happen, but Nanny decided to have breakfast on the porch this morning so all is well.
9. Nan threw a wonderful party for Emma and gave us a chance to visit with some more wonderful families.
10. Tried to figure out a way to do this twice, but considering the cake from That Special Touch for E's party that I ate, it's probably best that I didn't.

We're celebrating Emma's birthday here this coming Sat, so I'll blog about her sweet life later this week when I've had a chance to stop feeling like I'm still moving in a car. What causes this?

Thanks again to all our friends and family who made this week so much fun!

Post Script

2009-03-12T22:26:00.010-05:00

Well, it seems that we won't be signing a contract tonight on the house in the Lost Pines. At least not for now. The sellers had some timing issues (things that they wanted taken care of next week), and we've had a Spring Break trip to MS planned for quite some time that we didn't feel we could cancel. They've decided to go ahead and list the house so the search continues. The good part is that we've gotten the lender search completed and are pre-approved so we are ready when we do find something that works out.

We are so excited about our trip to Clinton - we've really missed Nan and Pops not to mention all our friends and church family. We're planning to leave after Emma's game on Sat. if she has one at all. Last week we had temps near 90, and today we pulled the winter coats back out because it was raining with highs in the 40s. Crazy Texas weather! Personally, I'm kinda hoping the game is rained out because we could get on the road earlier and be rested for church the next morning.

Things I can't wait to do in Clinton:

1. See Nan and Pops
2. Have a playdate with Amy and Jill (and anyone else that wants to join in!)
3. Go to Morrison Heights - visit my old SS class that I LOVE
4. Play Guitar Hero with Lori
5. Eat a chicken salad sandwich at Newk's!
6. Buy some t-shirts from the talented Lisa Gunn
7. Sleep in
8. Drink coffee on the front porch
9. Celebrate Emma's b-day
10. Order a Mocha Choca Ya-Ya from Bops!

(Notice the exclamation marks next to the food items.)

A Lot Going On, and a New Era

2009-03-11T20:12:00.019-05:00

I have way too much to catch up on to be too creative so I'm just throwing it all out there. We have found a house and are planning to sign a contract tomorrow. Please pray all goes well, and we're able to amicably work out all the details. We found the house through our small group - just one more reason to love that group of people! We'll both save money because the couple hadn't listed the house yet so no realtor fees! Yippee!!

So, we've been busy with getting our affairs in order, finding a lender, and all the other gross stuff that comes with buying a house. And, we've just finished our taxes as well. Oh, the fun we've been having!! (I've had a root canal, and it was MUCH more fun than getting ready for a mortgage and/or the taxes.) We're excited about the house, but there was a little grieving involved because it finalizes the "death" of the hobby farm dream. The back yard is small. Very small. BUT, we are so thankful for the house because the space is great with wonderful closets, and we have lots of friends nearby. If you want to do some reading on the LostPines area of Bastrop, it's pretty interesting, and our neighborhood is smack dab in the middle of them.

In the mean time, life has slid by at a rapid pace, and we've been having a lot of fun!

Going back quite a ways, I made Todd's favorite cake for his Valentine's present: Lane Cake. I had never heard of such until I married into this fun southern family, and it is quite the southern cake. Judy (Todd's mom) gave me the treasured family recipe years ago, and we all agreed that this year's cake was my best performance. A random side note - I had never read To Kill A Mockingbird until a few years ago, and the cake is mentioned in the book. It also mentions one of the key ingredients, but I won't tell you what it is here! You'll have to look it up! :-)

Jessie and Aubrie studied life in Egypt at preschool this last unit and know all about the Nile River, pyramids, and Egyptian musical instruments. I LOVE their preschool. They also studied pottery and made their own bowls. They are eating their snack from their bowls below:

We made another trip to San Antonio to see that cute nephew of mine, and so I have to share pics. We realized that Colleen had somehow not gotten her picture with Judah at the hospital so we remedied that right away.

Emma and I are still having fun with her history lessons, and we recently studied about Joseph and of his seemingly disastrous adventures which God used for good. She got to make a cookie coat of many colors. I think she enjoyed eating it much more than making it. :-)

Now, for the new era. I am officially a soccer mom. Emma's first game was this last weekend, and she had a really good time. She started out a little uncertain but warmed up as the game went on. She's the only one on her team who hasn't played before, but we haven't told her that! She is so enamoured with all that's going on around her that she still has a little trouble focusing on just her field, but I think that will pass pretty quickly. Her legs are sufficiently bruised despite the shin guards, and she cares not a bit.

Have to go because Todd and I are doing P90X. Yes, we are slightly crazy, but it has proved to be the solution to my fitness dilemma. I'll post more about that later.

Friday Fritters

2009-02-20T16:03:00.009-06:00

Okay, corny title, I know. But, I didn't have anything even remotely original to share and thought I would just ramble a bit. I know. The excitement is more than you can bear.

Have I mentioned how much we love our church? Well, we do. It is very casual in atmosphere but very serious about scripture and fulfilling our purpose as a church. To say we have a great band sounds very shallow, but they are great to me, not only musically, but in how they lead us in worship. I know I've mentioned our homegroup, and I love them even more now than I did before. Very real people on a real journey with the Lord. Does it get any better than that?

Yesterday Emma and I went to our second science class for homeschoolers which is sponsored by a non-profit group that helps take care of a section of the Colorado River. Anyway, the first one was on mammals, and this one was on tree bark. Doesn't sound thrilling, does it? But, it was really pretty fun. The foresters brought all different kinds of bark samples, and we wound up down at the river reserve on a nature walk. Pretty cool, and it was a gorgeous day! I'm starting to really love where we live.

There is also a state park about 15 minutes from our house where we have planned to go camping. in. a. tent. in April. I'm afraid. I need to hurry up an get Aubrie potty trained because I really want to be pull-up free during the day. I haven't camped in a tent since I was a kid. We've done the cabin thing several times so this is something totally new. There are lots of families here who are totally into the camping, cycling, outdoors thing, and who wouldn't be when it's in your own backyard? In some cases, literally. I have two moms who've promised to make lists for me of things I need to bring. Any suggestions from the blog world?? I so need them!

As you know, I've had a bit of a hard time lately, but this was Todd's week to struggle. Things were just rough at work, but they've been rough for a while so it made things even worse. Anyway, I just think it's pretty wonderful that my attitude seems to be on the upswing so that I can emotionally support Todd.

The Meme

2009-02-16T07:55:00.007-06:00

I did this for Facebook a while back and just recently realized that Missy had tagged me on her blog. I thought I would cheat and just copy what I had already done. On #20, I enjoyed my class and am getting better at strumming. They actually taught a couple of strumming patterns that I can practice, and I think it's helping! Also, I'm getting some nice callouses on my fingers...I can't wait for practice to not hurt.

1. Given the choice of doing something with someone or by myself, I usually prefer to be alone. I even go to movies alone.

2. I love to read. Right now I'm reading a book by Francine Rivers. She's one of my favorite authors.
3. I have such a temper - when I was seven, we were having family pictures, and I didn't like what my mom wanted me to wear so I stormed off on my bike, ran into a tree branch and had to have stitches in my eyelid. I also have a nice scar in my eybrow.

4. My hair was blonde as a kid and didn't start turning darker until high school and college. I still don't realize sometimes just how dark my hair is now.

5. Colleen and I used to never tell on each other when we were little. We both had too much dirt on the other to make it worthwhile.

6. I wanted to be a ballerina when I was little and read all kinds of books about different ballet companies. I broke my fingure in ballet class once...probably a good thing God shut that door!

7. I lived in a van with 13 other people for four months on a singing tour- not really. We actually got to stay in a lot of Motel 6s and other people's homes. I still like these people! :-)

8. I used to refuse to do Bible studies by Kay Arthur and Beth Moore because I hate bandwagons or Christian "trends." (I'm so badly stubborn and slightly rebellious.) Finally, I came to my senses and am a Kay Arthur nut. I really miss my Bible study group at Morrison Heights. Since I'm w/o my group, I'm doing a Beth Moore study on John.

9. I've lived in 1) Grand Prairie,Texas, 2) New Orleans,LA, 3) Independence, MS, 4) Hernando, MS, 5) Columbia, MS, 6) Rocket, TX, 7) Red Oak, TX, 8) Clinton, MS, and 9) Cedar Creek, TX, and this is all since being married for only 11 years. Yes, we are semi-nomadic! :-)

10. I worked at DBU for about eight years.

11. I've been a substitute teacher.

12. I've been a 6th grade teacher.

13. I've been a 9th grade teacher.

14. I've been a college lit. professor.

15. I've been a houseparent (w/Todd) to 9 boys at the same time! Crash crourse in learning to cook for large groups!

16. I've been a literacy grant coordinator.

17. I homeschool my sweet girls. And, let me put my two cents in, that of all the jobs I've had, being a mom is the toughest and the most rewarding.

18. One of my favorite things to do is to go out to eat with Todd. We love to eat and talk and never get tired of trying new places...we both eat anything - including crawfish and raw oysters. See #24 below. Truly, a match made in heaven!

19. I like to make baby gifts for people - blankets, diaper bags, burp cloths, etc. I really want to take a sewing class so I can actually know what I'm doing.

20. I am signed up to take a crash course in guitar on Feb. 6 and hope to actually learn how to strum. The class claims it teaches this so we'll see!

21. I bite my nails. I actually quit when I'm pregnant so I have this theory that I'm missing something that I'm supposed to have that will make me quit (not that self-control has anything to do with it...).

22. I cannot stand shopping for clothes and do it only when the girls are running out of things to wear.

23. I love to cook (and eat) and am so thankful for a mother-in-law who shares all her incredible family recipes with me!

24. Todd and I started dating on a trip to New Iberia, LA, for Habitat for Humanity. I went on the trip mainly because my tax return didn't come back in time, and I didn't have enough cash to go on my church ski trip. Thanks, IRS, for a wonderful 11 years of true adventure!

25. We have been to seminary twice and have no degree, we thought we were going to Africa in March but wound up in Cedar Creek, TX, and though I have no idea what God has next for our little family, I KNOW it will be good because He is good all the time, and all the time He is good!

A New Day

2009-02-13T13:54:00.013-06:00

I'm so glad that God's mercies are new every morning. It's amazing how his word can lift me out of the pit over and over again; usually the pit of my self-pity. Today, I read in Ephesians because it's what our homegroup is studying. Here's just a run-down of the good stuff God pumped into me today:

1. I have been called to hope.

2. I have the riches of a glorious inheritance.

3. I can know the power of God that a) raised Christ from the dead - it can also transform all the "dead" spots in me, b) seated Christ at the right hand of God - His work was done/complete, and c) placed all things under Christ's feet and placed him at the head the church.

That's some pretty powerful stuff and has so helped my despairing attitude of yesterday.

So, I was thinking about how aggravating it is to not know at least a little bit of the big picture when I started thinking about the small picture and the things I know I should be doing regardless. Loving my husband, loving the girls, loving on the folks around me. And, let me tell you, there are plenty of people who need loving! Back in Clinton, homeschool mom is synonymous with Christian mom. Not so here. There is such a cultural mix here at our playdate group and even at church. So many people are seeking and looking for answers, and Jesus is right there waiting for them. It's pretty exciting to have a mission field that is so ready for the harvest right in front of our noses. I think God may get a chuckle out of that one. "I'm not sending you to Mozambique. How 'bout Austin?" Our homegroup which meets twice a month is the biggest breath of fresh air I could have ever longed for. People are there from all different backgrounds and some don't know Christ at all. But they come to home group. Amazing. God is really at work all around us.

Okay, I was just sitting here typing and realized that I've left out a big part of my frustration. A few weeks before Christmas, Todd got a pay cut. A big one. So, we moved to Austin for a promotion with a certain plan in mind; a few acres to learn to be chicken/goat farmers, and that plan no longer exists in its original form. Not life-shattering, I know, but still more change in an already big transition time. I'm just not so great at that. I like a plan. I like a plan even more when I get to check off all the steps. So, we are trying to look for a house where we could still possibly have chickens (sorry goats) and trying to decide what our revised budget needs to look like. This majorly stresses me out because we can't seem to land on a new plan.

More random stuff. One of Emma's best new buds is a hoot, and she and Emma are peas in a pod. Emma's lost some more teeth, and we're thankful to have Olivia around so she can be in good company! :-)

Yes, they both have their pajamas on. We had Olivia's family over for dinner, and Melinda said they would love to come but that they would probably bathe their kids and have them come in pjs. Sounded like a great excuse for a pajama party to me!

Last random tidbit. I'm no photographer, but I had some fun playing with some pictures I took of Mary, Micah and Judah. Hope you enjoy.

Grumbling and Really Fun Stuff

2009-02-12T15:28:00.010-06:00

I told myself that I wasn't going to wait this long again to post, but here we are. I think an underlying reason for my lack of posting is a general negativity I feel in myself. I don't think I'm upset about not going overseas, but I think I am experiencing some real frustration over not knowing what God has for us. I realize that probably most folks find themselves in this position from time-to-time, but this seems to pretty much be the theme of our lives. And, I'm tired. I'm weary. It's one of those moments that I want God to write on the wall and spell it all out for me. I'm ready to not feel like I'm on hold. I want so much for God to use our family for eternal things, and most days I just feel so mundane. I realize that I'm echoing the tune of a million stay-at-home moms, and I know that pouring into our sweet girls is a high calling indeed. I just need a little space to air my grievances.

Now, the daily activities of my life definitely don't feel like I'm on hold. There's been a lot going on around here. We just recently bought a new history curriculum that we love. It's called The Mystery of History, and it beautifully intertwines what is usually left segregated: Biblical and ancient history. It's truly so much fun, and Emma and I have had a blast with it.

Adam and Eve - in case you couldn't tell!

Emma's own cuneiform tablet

Emma as a mummy - Jessie and
Aubrie had a big time helping with this one.

On another exciting front, Mary, my youngest sister, had her baby Monday night. We drove down that evening in the hopes of getting to see her before the C-section, but she was already underway when we got there. I had to bribe the girls with donuts for breakfast because they were so disappointed. Anyway, we got up the next morning to go meet Judah Micah Coop, and I know I'm biased, but he's beautiful! Mary had not really wanted a C-section, but the stinker was breech and had already dropped so she and her doctor decided it was best to ahead and get him out of there.

Jessie Doing Her Thing

2009-01-22T21:31:00.006-06:00

Jessie recently started taking tumbling (tonight was her third lesson) and is loving it. Judy suggested I record her in action so I did. Hope you enjoy watching her!

Walking for Magdalena

2009-01-21T15:07:00.007-06:00

Where to start. Probably the best place is on this blog. During the time she was here Magdalena touched many lives, and the testimony of God's amazing mercy and grace continues to amaze me in the lives of her sweet family. On May 9th I'm going to walk a little over three miles in her honor. I'm hoping some of my San Antonio and Austin buddies will join in!! (hint, hint) If you would like to sponsor my team (ha! a.k.a. me), you can follow the link on the right.

Also, you can find out more about the amazing Magdalena on Lori's page. One more thing, if you want to walk, too, you can go to this page to sign up and find an event in your area.

Yes, I'm Still Alive!

2009-01-20T21:41:00.009-06:00

I won't go into great detail right now, but I kinda had a post-holiday slump and didn't blog, and then, life got busy, and I didn't blog. I missed some fun and some grieving and keeping up in general. I'm going to try to do better, but I'm not making any promises!

My friend Amy photo tagged me (actually a while back, and she had to get my attention on Facebook...so sad, I know), and I am finally cooperating!

Amy's blog explains what to do. Once tagged, I am to go to photos on my computer, choose the 6th folder and the 6th picture and post it on my blog. Then, I have to tag 6 people to do the same.

So, without further ado, here it is...

I love that you get to see this sweet picture of Papaw and his girls, BUT I would NEVER normally have posted it because I wrongly dared to go sleeveless. There is a reason I don't do this except when it's extremely warm. This picture was taken during a pivotal weekend for us. We had just been in the Austin area praying, thinking and worrying about whether we were supposed to go to Mozambique or Austin. Strange, the choices life presents to us. Anyway, after deciding that the Lord had Austin in mind, we headed up to Grand Prairie to see my Dad. It was a short visit, but I'm glad I get to share it with you.

P.S. I forgot to tag anyone!! Okay, I tag Angie, Meredith, Amy Travis, Lori, Sherrey, and Tina.

Fitness Dilema

2009-01-04T22:19:00.006-06:00

Before we moved to Cedar Creek, I checked online to see where the nearest YMCA was located. I thought there was one about 20 minutes away which, although not near as convenient as Clinton, was reasonable. Well, the map on the internet was way off. I mean really off. The Y is actually about 40 to 45 minutes away which is not okay. So, I've called and asked around, and the ONLY place with childcare here is Jazzercise, and they charge you for keeping your kids. I'm not a big class taker when it comes to exercise so this idea leaves me pretty cold. I love to be on a treadmill with great music and Fox News. I don't mean to sound anti-social, but I need a little bit of alone time in order for it to be safe for others to come near me. I love being with people, but if I don't get that time alone, it can really affect me in some not-so-pretty ways.

So, I need some help. Our driveway is .10 of a mile. I can run it at the crack o'dawn before Todd leaves (not likely to happen), do a work-out video not quite so early, or purchase a jogging stroller for my two youngest and hope Emma can keep up. Quite frankly, I'm not sure how far I'd get pushing the 75-80 lbs in the stroller. The other option is to buy a treadmill...but where to put it??

Is there anything you can think of to help me out of this crisis? Between the comfort eating I was doing in Clinton with Todd in TX and the lack of exercise since we've been here, things are starting to get a little scary. Please help me out of this mess I'm rapidly getting myself into! Anyone else have fitness challenges that they've overcome? I really need some ideas here...so stumped.

A Gift He Loves

2009-01-03T16:26:00.007-06:00

Each year at Todd's birthday and Christmas I struggle with what to give him. This is primarily an issue because he usually wants hunting stuff, and I am still so clueless sometimes as to what to get. Is it going to be the right kind, brand, etc? This year the choice was easy even though I was a little unsure if he was going to like it because I was going out on a little bit of a limb. When Todd's Uncle Larry passed away not too long ago, we were looking through his vast collection of cookbooks, and Judy and Jerry (Todd's mom and dad) brought home with them this book. Well, Todd was glued to it any time we were at their house. I knew it wouldn't be the same as having Larry's, but I thought he would still appreciate it.

Let me tell you! He has carried the book to work, to the "library," and is presently cooking up a gumbo in the kitchen. It has been an all day affair, and I think he is in hog heaven. I am too!! It's been so fun to watch him enjoy his gift. It may sound silly to be so into a cookbook, but this is no ordinary book. It gives all kinds of incredible history and pictures, and it makes me want to jump up and cook any time I look at it.

Jam Session

2008-12-31T17:00:00.008-06:00

There is a wonderful music store in Bastrop that basically will let you hang out and play around with some of the instruments. I was hoping they were open on New Year's Eve, and they were! So, after eating our lunch at the park and trying to feed sleeping geese and ducks who were not interested, we went on over to Owens Music.

It is about as laid back a place as I can imagine. One of the guys in the store turned on a keyboard for the girls, and they took off from there. Next, there were drums. Lots of drums. Apparently, the wee ones have a thing for them. We may have lots of visits to Owens in our future since I don't think the drums will be coming home with us any time soon!

I failed to mention that when we got there, the man who I am supposing to be the owner, was asleep on a couch kinda mixed in with the sheet music. After he woke up, he came over to where we were playing (they actually have a kids play area there with dress-up, games, toys, etc.) and showed Emma and I a few music tricks for learning rhythm. We also got a free piano book out of the deal which Jessie and I can try out as Emma has informed me she's not interested.

Finally, once I smelled an interesting aroma coming from the direction of Aubrie's pull-up, we had to have one last jam session on the drums. The girls were accompanied by an employee on the guitar, the owner on another drum, and I was assigned to the chimes. I hope they let us come back and don't run for cover the next time we show up! I felt badly for the lady behind the desk who was actually trying to get some work done. I so wished for a camera to capture the extremely animated faces of the girls while on the drums - maybe next time.

I Gotta Shake My Booty

2008-12-29T08:10:00.026-06:00

No, not me. Our youngest, Aubrie, announced last night as we were getting ready for bed that she had to shake her booty. So, she proceeded to run to her bedroom where she shook it...for a while...to a booty song she made up, apparently. How does she come up with this stuff? She is definitely the family comic, and her sense of comedic timing amazes us - she did NOT get this from me!

Christmas was wonderful here in the Williams house. We had my dad, two sisters, my brother-in-law, his sister, a friend from San Antonio, and my in-laws here at our house for Christmas. It was our first time to host the holiday, and I had a blast!! I would normally get pretty wound up about such a large gathering, but everything was really calm and pleasant - very un-Dee Dee-like. I followed a much-reduced menu that Judy (mom-in-law) gave me. I really don't know how she does this every year. I definitely have a new appreciation for her!

Todd was so sweet and remembered to take a picture of our Christmas Eve food. Judy told me that this tradition started so she didn't have to cook dinner the night before Christmas. So, we have snacks and sweets instead. The girls love it because they get to eat for dinner things that would typically be desert. What could be better than that?

Enjoying the mild weather Christmas Eve

Our friend Peggy's mother lives in Lockhart, only 30 minutes from us, so Peggy brought some of her family up to see us later in the evening. Peggy's mom Frances is 94 years old, very spry and can play anything on the piano in any key. I told Todd it was wonderful that he got me a piano for Christmas a few years back because it would truly have been a shame not to get to hear her play. The girls ran to put on dress-up clothes and danced away for as long as Miss Frances would play, and she knew all kinds of wonderful dancing songs. She also played a ton of Christmas carols - it was a wonderful way to end our Christmas day.

Backtracking just a bit, we really enjoyed lighting our advent wreath each week this year. I think there was added pleasure because Aubrie was old enough to participate. I've looked online for several different ways to celebrate the coming of the Savior and finally just decided to break up the telling of His arrival and the events leading up to it as they are found in Luke. We discuss the birth of John, the angels' visit to Mary, Mary's visit to Elizabeth, and finally, His birth. Next year, however, I'm hoping to be reading out of John's new book. I can't wait! Oh, I also wanted to steal Meredith's mom's idea of wrapping up baby Jesus from the nativity, but I forgot...maybe I'll remember that for next year.

I hope that you and yours had a blessed Christmas and have found or will determine to find time reflect upon what Jesus' coming means. I love the words from a song, "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross." I think that much of the cost was in His coming in the first place, leaving glory, leaving His father. We just couldn't have the cross without His willingness to leave it all to rescue us and to glorify His Father.

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Todd's first ham

Too full to move

Too full to move II

A Chance to Help and Win Something Beautiful

2008-12-16T15:18:00.006-06:00

A friend of Todd's from Focus had this on her blog, and I hope I win it! Please stop by her site to go to the donation site and get a chance to win. . . I hope I get it, though. :-) I think the drawing is December 22nd so don't wait too long.

A Different Kind of Week

2008-12-06T01:27:00.010-06:00

Thanks so much for the Christmas food ideas - I've gotten some really yummy ones for breakfast, and a plan is already coming together! I looked up this online tonight and it was yummy! Again, my normal one is in a box...somewhere...

Have you ever had a week where you just couldn't get things going? I love to feel productive, and on my productive scale, this week stunk. I really LOVE to check things off of my to-do list, and this was just one of those weeks where I'd get some of a task done, but I really couldn't check it off, and it would just linger there, taunting me. I figure there's a lesson in there somewhere that I was supposed to learn, but I mainly just stayed frustrated. The biggest thing was that our van died. It was a minor death, and it was soon back to life, but it interfered with my plans, nonetheless. I think, on top of this, that I was homesick a little. My main evidence for this, besides being awfully teary this week, was that while I was at WalMart, I kept on thinking that I heard people calling me. Now, I either need medical attention, or, my personal theory, is that I'm used to running into people when I go out and keep expecting to see someone I know. Not very likely at this point. So sad, so sad. I know that this is a really long paragraph, but I also have to add that my teariness all started when I discovered one of the sweetest things. My friend Jill had given us a going away present. Now, when glancing into the gift bag, I thought that she had given us a photo album so, like the sometimes procrastinator I am, I had not really looked at it yet in the midst of getting settled. So, Sunday, I pull it out of the bag, and WHAM, I am hit with a flood of tears and couldn't stop. Jill had collected pictures of us and our friends and filled the entire album with a "year in Clinton" theme. She had written comments for just about every picture in there. Now, I've been aware for quite some time that she's a dear friend, but seeing how much our families have done together really overwhelmed me, and quite honestly, I know I took that for granted. So, even though I called her and left an embarrassingly teary message on her voicemail, I wanted to thank her in a more public way for her dear friendship and her sweet family. Thank you, thank you!

Okay. Now that I've gotten all teared up again, there are some more reasons that this week was odd. I visited The Best Little Hair House in Texas this week, and I could barely make the appointment to get my hair cut without laughing! However, Texas name aside, I got a great haircut, and the girls did a great job waiting for me. This was the first time EVER that all three had gone with me for something like this. I had each of them pack a fun bag, and they played in the waiting area like angels. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! I think it helped that everyone in there was friendly and kept on telling them how good they were being.

Last thing. There are just some things in life that I just never pictured myself doing, like sewing a hat for a cat so that it can have a birthday/welcome to our family party. First of all, I'm allergic. Second, I'm not a cat person. And, third, I can barely sew. We had told Emma that when we got to TX she could have an outside cat so we very promptly found a *free* one (the only way we would get a cat...sorry cat people). Anyway, she planned out the whole thing. She made brownies. (I only measured the oil and vanilla, honestly.) Jessie made *whooped* cream to go on top - this is how she says whipped. She bought Misty, the cat, two outfits at WalMart, and she ordered, I mean commissioned me to make the hat. How can I not post pictures of this monumental event? Oh, and since Misty couldn't have chocolate, we served her a bowl of milk which she LOVED. I have to say she is a very sweet cat, and we really had fun at the party!

Emma making brownies - we had *camped out* earlier that morning...set up the tent in the living room.

The cat.

The cat in the hat.

SOS - Save our Supper!

2008-12-01T14:48:00.006-06:00

I'm curious about your favorite holiday-time dinners, dishes, drinks, etc. Trying to be oh-so-wise, we decided that it was not a good idea to unpack everything at the rent house. I still think it was a good decision overall because we have way too much stuff, and the thought of having to pack it all up again in six months when the lease is up is a little daunting, to say the least.

That brings me to the part where my Christmas keepsake book is still in a box somewhere. I keep all my Christmas recipes in this book...

Rather than pout and completely spoil the wonderful season, I decided to see what your favorite things to eat and drink are and if you would share the recipes with me. I usually try to scatter holiday dishes throughout the month since we're kinda big on food around here so I'm up for just about anything.

Besides dinner-type stuff, I'm also looking for a good Christmas morning breakfast dish. We normally eat this wonderful treat called Apple Puff Flapjacks, but maybe it's time for something new. Thanks for the help!

Fun With the Fam

2008-11-29T22:04:00.009-06:00

Since we are all in Texas, we got to spend Thanksgiving Day with Mary and Micah at their house in San Antonio. Colleen lives a mere few blocks away, and Dad came down from Big D. It was much fun! Aunt Colleen was wonderful and braved the Wednesday traffic to come and pick up the girls a day early so they could spend the night with her. It took them three hours to get back to SA. Scary!! Thank you, Colleen for a great night to ourselves!! It was pretty weird waking up without the girls Thanksgiving morning, but they were full of fun stories and were thrilled to get the extra time with the aunts.

Everyone pitched in and fixed a couple of dishes, and there was so much food. We wound up with quite a crew: Mary, Micah, Colleen, Dad, the girls, Me, Todd, Micah's sister, Melissa, Karanda, Rudy and Ann. Karanda, Rudy and Ann are friends of Mary, Micah and Colleen who wanted to hang out with our crazy family for the holiday. What were they thinking? Oh, and I can't forget the two dogs who about dragged me all over the neighborhood while we were taking them for a walk! (Bishop and Brooklyn) Seriously, the circulation in my hand was cut off trying to keep Brooklyn from running off. She actually did get away from Jessie once, and Emma commented that she was hot and sweaty when we got back because they were so much work!

Karanda holding Emma, Me holding Aubrie, Colleen, Jessie and Mary (Judah is in her tummy.)

Todd is holding Emma in this one - he was napping when we took the full family pic, and Melissa had to go to work before we took the one of the girls.Melissa is holding Emma, and Micah is on Dad's left.

Aubrie and Dad playing a duet.

Well, my goal for this week is to finish unpacking boxes so we can drag out the Christmas stuff. I haven't had much time to devote to what we may do special this month. I think I may keep it simple and just do our advent wreath. The girls love it, and I think it will be so much fun this year since they're older (of course, they're older, it's a year later than last year...) and starting to appreciate the meaning behind things much more. The box thing may be a really lofty goal with how tired I am tonight. Maybe I'll get a good holiday second wind. I could always watch White Christmas or Polar Express to get in the mood!

No News is Good News

2008-11-21T18:02:00.009-06:00

Friday night...

Well, since we didn't hear from the attorney's office otherwise, I will assume that our house closed without a hitch. Yeah! We had a rather eventful day yesterday trying to overnight some notarized documents back to MS. Apparently, delivery time with UPS depends upon the area in which you live. For instance, in MS delivery is between 10 and 11 in the morning. Well, delivery time here is guaranteed for 7 in the evening. Thankfully, we got our packet by 4:30, just barely got it notarized at 10 til 5 and dropped it off just a few minutes before the UPS man came by to pick it up. We had a back-up plan in place, but it was such a load off my mind to get it taken care of.

I need to tell you, though, how great the sale of our house was. We had been trying since August, when Todd left for TX, to sell the house by owner, and I had worked and worked and worked on it trying to get it ready for two open houses which were pretty unfruitful. We had finally decided that the time had come to hire a realtor so that we could all be together just a little while ago. A friend from church, Lonnie, listed the house and was really optimistic about getting it sold. Long story a little shorter, the day Todd was coming home to help us pack up, I saw Lonnie at church. I was joking with him because he had shown the house on Sat., and I had all of about twenty minutes to get it ready. I was shocked when he said that he would probably have two offers for us Monday or Tuesday! The rest is history. Before we left for TX we had a contract on the house. We are so grateful to have that part of our move taken care of!

Now it's Saturday...

We are continuing to get settled here in Bastrop. I made my first trip (since living here, anyway) into Austin today for a Christmas market that is very similar to MS's Mistletoe Marketplace. The Austin event is put on by the Junior League and is called A Christmas Affair. Much fun! Todd kept the girls all day, and I had a great time. I had some difficulty finding the mall where the shuttle was running, but if it hadn't been for that, I would have been to the market in half an hour - not bad. I love alone time and got to browse and sample to my heart's content. Got lots of great Christmas ideas and got more acquainted with a really neat part of Austin. Since Todd was super wonderful, he encouraged me to explore downtown Bastrop once I was done in Austin. There are some really great antique stores, gift shops and restaurants that I can't wait to visit again. Well, I guess my shopping trips aren't complete without a visit to WalMart so I ended the day there and bought some t-shirts and cute fabric (They still have fabric at this WalMart - so happy.) to make Christmas shirts for the girls for our card pictures. If they turn out well, I'll post pics...I only have until Wed. to find out!

Getting Settled

2008-11-15T22:18:00.010-06:00

I realized when I was just reading my last post that I need to post about the sale of our house. I'll try to do that next time. We're supposed to close the 21st so please pray everything goes off without a hitch. Thanks!

I wrote this the other day because I didn't want to forget our first day or so in our new home:

When we pulled into our driveway in Cedar Creek, TX, Sunday night, Aubrie wanted to know where are animals were. In fact, the next few times we pulled into the driveway, she asked again about our animals and where they were. She’s apparently very excited about the prospect and has been paying attention! (By the way, don't know if I've mentioned that the place we're renting has 5 acres, goat fencing and a chicken coop so we're all set.)

Monday was supposed to be cleaning day since the moving van was coming with our stuff on Tuesday. I say “supposed to be” because like most best-laid plans, not much cleaning took place. We were in need of quite a few things from WalMart so we headed off to Bastrop which is about ten minutes away. Now, I wasn’t sure if there was a WalMart, let alone where it was. So, I pulled into McDonald’s, laptop in hand to get on the internet to find out. Todd asked me later why I didn’t just go inside and ask someone, but I really didn’t want to hear the possible answer that there wasn’t one. Turns out, the WalMart is just about a block away from McDonald’s so I was really glad I opted for the internet; that would have been too embarrassing.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to the store with all three kids, and like I said, we needed quite a few things. I was worn out when we were done. We were headed home when we realized we needed to look up a couple of more things online. Back to McDonald’s we go. This is where things really started to go awry. My car wouldn’t start after we were done. So, the nice people next to us give us a jump and back to WalMart we go to have the car looked at. I was pretty proud of myself (first sign of trouble; what's that about pride and a fall?) Now, I had already eaten at McDonald’s the day before (which is difficult for me in the first place), but that’s all there was at WalMart. While they’re checking out the car, we eat our fish and chicken. We then find out that they are not able to detect anything wrong with the car. (Jill, you will remember that this happened once before at church.) However, the nice man at WalMart said that the car was starting now. Off we go again.

I unload the stuff at home only to find out that several of the things I bought were the wrong size – mainly different light bulbs we needed and some sheets. Now this seems minor enough, but it was enough to get me near the edge. What happened next sent me over. We (okay, I) decided that it would be a great idea to put all the girls in the same room to sleep so that we could have a play/school room for them. This was the first sleep time that I had put them all together. Not such a brilliant idea, but remember, I went to WalMart w/three children. I have no brain power left. Skip ahead about half an hour. Aubrie locks the door to the girls’ bedroom, and I can’t get it open. Neither can Emma. I lose it now. There is screaming (I’m sad to say) on my part, tears on theirs, and I call Todd to ask him when he is coming home. While the girls are upstairs not getting a desperately needed nap, I am crying, cleaning the kitchen and wondering how long it takes to get from Buda to Cedar Creek. Meanwhile, the girls are not getting along and Jessie scratches Emma’s face – looks like she was in a fight with a cat. Lovely. I'm now feeling like the worst mom ever. Ever.

Anyway, in the midst of my meltdown, I thought about Africa. I thought about how much more stressful the days’ events would have been in a different culture, in a different language (that I wouldn’t know very well, if at all), where there is no WalMart (not that I'm a particular fan of WalMart; it's just so good and cheap). I have to say, and not in a trite way at all, that the last of my Africa grief is gone. I am now very content to allow the Lord to work out His plans for our future in His timing. And that, despite the days events, was very valuable to me.

So Much to Say, So Little Time

2008-11-06T22:02:00.007-06:00

Things have been so busy lately that I've barely had time to read a blog let alone post to my own. Let me catch everyone up really quickly, and I'll try to do better in a week or so.

Todd came home Sunday to help get us packed up for our move to Cedar Creek, TX. Monday, we changed our movers and our load date to Friday. Tuesday, our realtor came to our house with two offers on our house. Wednesday, we signed a contract on our house. Today we continued to pack like crazy. Todd is still there while I sit at Judy and Jerry's house with the girls asleep (finally) and get caught up on the blog world that I've missed. After the truck comes tomorrow, we'll spend another night here and then head to Grand Prairie.

We'll stay there a night and then head to our TX house on Sunday. The plan is to clean, sleep on air matresses and hope to get some sleep until our stuff gets there on Tuesday. So, I may not be back for a while. I have all kinds of pictures from our church's fall fest which was so much fun that I'd like to post when I get the chance - may be close to Thanksgiving by the time that happens!

Tribute to Uncle Larry

2008-10-20T21:51:00.012-05:00

Sorry, I took the pictures off because they were causing the whole page to jump. Maybe I can put them back later...

Todd's Uncle Larry passed away last night, and Todd is driving as I type to come back to MS so we can all ride to Dothan, AL, tomorrow. I expect he will sleep most of the way there since he didn't get back to Buda until 11:40 last night. I hope you enjoy the pictures from our cousin Kristy's wedding. They are just a little taste of Larry's incredible handiwork, and I thought it would be nice to share their beauty. Ironically, the wedding was over a year ago, and I just ordered these pictures yesterday which were ready for in-store pick-up today. I was just cleaning out my emails and realized that I had never ordered any of these great pictures that cousin Patty took. I'm so glad that I did so that I can post them tonight.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, but my favorites have to be the lemon topiary trees. Once the sun went down, all the lanterns, candles and luminaries were lit, and it was even more amazing - truly a dreamland.

I would have posted some snapshots of our wedding from eleven years ago which Larry also did, but those are all packed up along with tons of other books and pictures so that our office doesn't scare people who come to see the house. Someday really soon, when we're all settled, I'll try to remember to post those, too.

The Perfect Fall Day

2008-10-19T23:21:00.012-05:00

We had a surprise visit this weekend! Todd called on Wed. morning and told us he was headed our way. He got here early Thursday morning (like 1 am early) and was able to stay almost all weekend. We didn't tell the younger two that he was coming home because I wanted to see their reactions when they woke up with him in the house. Before I knew that he was coming, I had told Jessie that she could sleep in the bed with me. I warned Todd that if/when she woke up during the night not in Mommy's bed, that we might have a visitor. Sure enough, at 4 am she comes to our room wanting to know why she was still in her bed. Finally, I got her attention so I could show her that Daddy was in the bed. She climbed up there so fast and was the cutest little cuddle buddy. I don't think we could have pried her from that bed if we'd wanted to. We didn't want to, of course. Aubrie joined us later that morning, and her reaction was equally as precious. Emma had made plans to spend the night with a friend, but we got in some special time with her Thursday afternoon.

We crammed in as much "Daddy Time" as we could. It was so wonderful to have him home for a while and so hard to say good-bye today. Since we weren't with him on his birthday last weekend, we had a little party of sorts today. Jerry had been home in Dothan, AL, and came back with one of our favorite things - oysters. Now, one of the things that Todd claims sealed the deal in our relationship was that I ate oysters on the half-shell. We love them, and so do the girls. Well, Aubrie hasn't quite made up her mind, but Emma and Jessie are on board. Todd and Jerry shucked them in our backyard, and we couldn't have planned a better day for an outside meal. The weather was so nice and cool and no bugs! It was great to not have to spray the girls down before we went out.

We got some great pics of the afternoon including Todd's "cake" which consisted of his favorite cookies (oatmeal chocolate chip) made into a sandwich of sorts with whipped cream in the middle. If you are grossed out by oysters, probably best to skip the pictures.

Bunko Night

2008-10-13T22:26:00.005-05:00

I had never heard of Bunko until I moved to Mississippi and was pregnant with Emma. I subbed for a friend of mine, and I have to be honest, I thought, "This has to be the silliest game ever." You sit around a table with your partner and another team and try to roll sixes. That's it. No strategy, no skill required. Which, as it turns out, is a good thing since I'm doing good to count how many sixes I've rolled. Seems I can't talk and count at the same time, go figure.

Anyway, we've had some turnover and some babies born so we made an executive decision not to have Bunko last month. I was so disappointed! The girls I play with are so much fun, and I really look forward to spending time with them. Since I'm more home bound than usual, it was really sad to not have my time with them. Most of the girls are in my Sunday school class, but it's just not the same as our time together every 2nd Monday of the month. For instance, I don't think our SS teachers would be too thrilled if we decided to talk about the woes of nursing babies for half an hour like we did tonight. It's just that kind of group where we can talk about quite a lot. I also love this group because, aside from a few rare exceptions, we are gossip-free. It is just so great and makes me really proud of our little group.

So, in the midst of missing Todd and being stretched really thin, tonight was just what I needed. Some really good food and great atmosphere (Thanks, Lori.) and wonderful friends. Just the thing for what ails me.

"Down in the valley, the valley so low,..."

2008-10-12T21:19:00.007-05:00

I have tried not to blog much about Todd being in Texas for fear that I would run off anyone who regularly or randomly reads this, primarily because it would mostly be whining, and who wants to read that all the time?

But, since this is one of the most difficult times in our lives, I feel a need to share it, or at least a part of it. I think it will be good for me. Tomorrow marks the eighth week that Todd has been away from us. That I've been without my best friend. That the girls have been without their daddy. That I've had trouble sleeping because I hear every little sound and because Todd is not in the bed next to me. I'm truly running on fumes, and the tiredness I'm experiencing ranks right up there with taking care of a newborn.

This is a time I'm full of questions and doubts, not about the big things since I know and have seen many times before that God's plan is always the best and is always worth waiting for. I hate waiting. Really. I think that it is probably the hardest thing in the world. To trust in what we can't see ahead, for what we want to happen, especially when we want it to happen sooner rather than later.

Last week at our church we had our Global Impact Celebration. I normally love this time when I get to visit with missionaries and see what they're doing, but to be really honest, I couldn't even make myself go. I think, for one, that I could not have held it together long enough to have a conversation with anyone, and once I break down, it's all over. So, I skipped the stuff I normally go to, but, alas, I was not out of danger. The speaker from the IMB chose to focus his attention on one country Sunday morning. You guessed it, Mozambique. To my friend, Tiffany, who was trying to see if I was holding up, thank you. I'm glad you couldn't see my grief from where you were!

Then, on to Sunday school where we were one of the classes chosen to have a missionary speaker come and tell us about their work. More Africa. This time tears I could not hold back. More loneliness at not being able to have Todd sitting beside me squeezing my hand.

I truly do not know what God's plan is for us, where we'll be down the road. Isn't that kind of stating the obvious? No one does, not really. I pray that by His grace we will still be seeking Him and wanting all that He wants for us. So, if we cross your minds, do you mind praying for us, most especially for a speedy family reunion! Thanks!

35 Odd Things About Me

2008-10-04T14:52:00.008-05:00

My friend Chelsea emailed this to me, and then another friend, Mer, had this on her blog, and it looked like fun especially after my ranting the other day.

35 Odd Things About Me - and this doesn't even scratch the surface!

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? yes, with really big chunks of blue cheese

2. Do you own a gun? I personally don't, but if we're counting Todd in this, I'm not sure how many we have!

3. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? caramel frap

4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? water or coffee

5. Do you do pushups? only when I can't get to the gym and am feeling completely flabby

6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my engagement and wedding rings

7. Favorite hobby? reading and drinking coffee (at the same time!)

8. Do you have A.D.D? no

9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? quick temper

10. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: Why won't Aubrie go to sleep, why won't Jessie go to sleep, why won't Emma go to sleep?

11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink. water, coffee, coke, and chai - only in the fall and winter, though

12. Current worry right now? When will our house sell, when will we find a new home?

13. Current hate right now? being w/o Todd!!

14. Favorite place to be? on a date with Todd

15. Do you like to travel? Yes, yes, and yes!

16. What color shirt are you wearing? khaki

17. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? no, too slick!

18. Can you whistle? not at all, sounds terrible when I try

19. Favorite color? red

20. If you could would you be a pirate? nope

21. What song do you sing in the shower? Actually I usually don't in the shower - sing lots of other places, though.

22. Favorite girl's name? Emma, Jessie and Aubrie!! I also love Elizabeth, but it got shot down - twice!

23. Favorite boy's name? John, actually is the only boy's name we ever had picked out, just in case.

24. What's in your pocket right now? nothing

25. Favorite bedsheets as a child? Raggedy Ann and Andy.

26. Worst injury? Due to quick temper mentioned above, I ran my bike into a tree when I was seven, and pieces of it got stuck in my eyelid. My second grade pictures are lovely. I'm sure mom was so proud...

27. Do you love where you live? yes, and I love where we're moving, too

28. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two

29. Who is your loudest friend? Brenda and Sharon, and when we're all together, we're pretty unbearable. If it happens to be in public, our husbands want to hide! So glad to be closer to you two!!

30. How many pets do you have? None, for now, but we're hoping to change that pretty soon.

31. Does someone have a crush on you? What kind of question is this??? No, and like Chels said, I wouldn't want to know about it if they did!

32. What is your Favorite Book? Ever? So hard. Most life-changing that I can pretty much re-tell w/o looking is The Hiding Place.

33. What's your favorite candy? anything dark chocolate with mint

34. Favorite Sports Team? Don't really have one, but I have a new-found love for the SEC; the competition is pretty fierce, and I definitely prefer college to pro.

35. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Can it really be time to get up already?

To The Rescue

2008-09-30T07:32:00.011-05:00

Can I rant a little today? I just watched an piece on Good Morning America, and my blood is boiling. I know most folks don't get into politics and such on their blogs, but seeing as how this is the new public square in our world, I really can't think of a better place for such discussions.

Anyway, Chris Cuomo was interviewing two congresswomen, one a dem the other a rep, who voted against the bailout bill. It wasn't so much the interview that got me boiling but the follow-up piece where George Stephanopoulos showed the results of of the ABC poll revealing who Americans blame for the economic crisis. Most blamed the president; of course, he's the easiest target. Next in line was Wall-Street, and then people blamed Congress. Here's the kicker for me.

Why weren't these two options on the poll: mortgage companies who made bad decisions by giving loans to people who couldn't afford to repay them AND people who wanted more house than they could afford but decided that really didn't matter. (Just a disclaimer - I realize, too, that life happens and people find themselves over their heads through no fault of their own. I am not talking about these folks.) Also, if we want to play the blame game, why not blame the lawyers/realtors who try to rush people through the signing of their mortgage documents when it comes time to close on a house? I know that both times we have bought a house that I was made to feel like a moron if I had a question about the mounds of paper in front of me, asked for clarification of a term, etc. (Of course, this didn't stop me, and I read everything before I signed which I think frustrated a few folks.) Maybe if more people had asked questions about adjustable-rate loans and gotten answers, there wouldn't be an economic crisis.

Okay, last gripe about this whole deal although I could go on for quite a while. One of the biggest things we try to teach our girls is that there are consequences for our actions. We reap what we sow. It irks me to no end that people feel like they should be absolved from their natural consequences. That they're too good for that somehow. That Big Brother should swoop down and rescue us. So, I realize that some kind of "rescue" bill is eventually coming down the pike, but I am so thankful for the two ladies this morning and all the others who did not vote for this past bill. Both pointed out that we did not get in this mess in a few days and that they refused to be steamrolled into passing a bad bill (which from all I have read and understand, it was).

Shifting gears drastically, I just had an interesting thought about God's rescue plan. For He did rescue us in the greatest and most dramatic of love stories. But, even in that rescue, He didn't wipe out the underlying system. Sin still brings about death and destruction and can make a mess of our lives. We still have consequences for our actions. We still have to choose life, to follow Christ in every decision. I'm no economist or politician, but wouldn't it be great if you could mirror the bail-out bill to look like that?

Feeling A Little Different

2008-09-26T17:13:00.008-05:00

We're almost at the end of our visit with Todd, and I realized that I haven't mentioned anything about where we're staying. Todd was staying in an extended-stay hotel, but when he checked out to come see us in Louisiana, Ike was on the way. So, when he got back, they would only let him reserve a few days, and then, he got the boot. Since Ike arrived, he's been staying with his boss which we're so grateful for. Todd got a taste of Austin traffic since they live just north of Austin, and the Tuff Shed shop is just south of it. He's been thrilled.

Knowing that we were planning a visit, we knew that he'd have to find some other place to stay. Again, thanks to his boss' generosity, he has his current situation. Ron and Trish have an RV. Now, many don't know that Emma thinks we should sell our house and get an RV. That way we can live wherever we want and see the country. She wanted to do this even before we planned to move to Austin. She just thinks it makes sense. So, Todd looked around for a scenic state park, but most of them are pretty far away from Buda, TX. So, he then started looking for RV parks with play areas, fishing or something like that, but no luck. Finally, he just looked for a place to hook up.

All that said, we ended up in a side parking lot of an RV sales center which is right across the street - literally - from Cabela's in a sort of pseudo RV park. They do have a nice cabin with tiled showers, a laundry facility and wi-fi which cracks me up. So, yesterday for entertainment the girls wanted to hang out at Cabela's, one of their favorite places. While we were there, someone gave us a ton of free tokens for the laser shooting gallery. Turns out, Emma is a pretty good shot! We shot for so long my arm hurt, and I felt a little different as we left from our shooting practice session at Cabela's to head across the street to our RV!

Teeth, Fairies and Stickers

2008-09-18T20:13:00.008-05:00

Random things.

Emma lost her tooth earlier this week pronouncing very loudly that she is no longer a little bitty girl. She's a big girl, and I have to say I am a little sad over the whole thing. Within five minutes of losing her tooth, she informs me that the other bottom tooth is loose. This is happening way too fast for me.

She has decided that the tooth fairy will not visit until we are with Daddy again. Thankfully, that should be some time this next week. I don't have a tooth fairy pillow handy...note to self - find tooth fairy pillow quickly.

Last thing. Tonight while I was putting Aubrie to bed, she sweetly let me know that I would get a sticker if I behaved. Not likely that will happen! :-)

P.S. My friend Mer's husband John wrote a much more inspiring post about lost teeth - at least I'm not the only one saddened by them!

My Friend Amy

2008-09-15T21:21:00.005-05:00

I have a great friend here in Clinton, Amy, and she has friend, Stephanie, who has recently undergone great tragedy. I've never met Stephanie but am so encouraged by her faith and reliance on God. You can read about Amy and Stephanie's great weekend with two of their other friends from jr. high here. You can also link to Stephanie's blog through Amy's : Leaning on Everlasting Arms. I hope you'll be inspired by Stephanie's story as I have been.

Tailgating and Camping, Sort Of

2008-09-09T21:51:00.013-05:00

Weekend before last our Sunday School class met for a tailgate party before the first game of the season. It was the girls' first, and they had a blast. Emma was feeling a little sick then, but was still so into the game. She couldn't wait for the players to start tackling each other. Her daddy would have been proud. At half-time when Clinton had failed to put any points on the board, she let me know that they were going to have to suck it up and stop playing like babies. Oh the mercy she sadly didn't get from me!
Aubrie enjoying MY Coke.

This weekend we were able to meet Todd half-way for a much-needed visit. We stayed at SouthToledoBendStatePark which is fairly new and really nice. We enjoyed the cabins, going on walks, swimming, fishing, feeding the birds and squirrels and eating smores. Anyway, we didn't technically camp out since I'm not brave enough to do that until everyone is fully potty trained! Oh, and I thought that the lovebugs were bad here - my goodness, they were everywhere. Aubrie, who is a little bug-shy, was none to thrilled with their presence, but we convinced her they were lovin' on her, and she warmed up to the idea eventually.

Helping the ranger feed the squirrels.

Emma with her fish. She learned to bait her own hook and take the fish off - quite a big weekend for her!

Oh, other big Emma news. We have our first loose tooth, and let me tell you, her talk was of NOTHING else for two straight days. Thankfully, the new has worn off a bit, and things are back to normal. We had questions about how to chew, if she was going to need special toothpaste, and we were asked about a million times if we wanted to wiggle her tooth or see it move. Such fun! She's also decided that she's not handing it over to the tooth fairy until we're with Daddy.

Speaking of Daddy and our move, I'm going to have an open house this Sunday. I'm a little nervous and trying to get ready for it while I also try not to lose my sanity. Please pray that it goes well and that someone will fall in love with our house.

Thank You

2008-09-01T21:24:00.007-05:00

Thank you, Lord that Gustav wasn't as strong as expected.

Thank you, Scotty for mowing our front yard and HUGE back yard Friday.

Thank you, Jill, for being the back-up to keep my kids last week while I showed the house and offering to let Jeremy mow our yard. :-)

Thank you Nanny and Pops for keeping the girls more times than I can count and for inviting us to Hurricane Party 2008.

Thank you Scott and Angie for checking up on us.

Thank you Sunday School class for praying for us.

Gustav and Katrina

2008-08-30T18:11:00.008-05:00

So, I just got back from WalMart where I stocked up on some extra batteries, water and some canned goods which I almost never keep in the pantry. Pickin's were slim. I feel a little reactionary doing all this since the likelihood that I'll need any extra staples is pretty unlikely, but three years and a day after Katrina, I'd rather be prepared.

It feels like yesterday that I was gathering up some things to take to our church which functions as a Red Cross shelter during emergencies. I was just about ready to load everything into the Camry when Todd called and politely informed me that I was not going anywhere because Katrina graced us with her presence 30 minutes early. From where he was calling limbs were already falling into the roads so I was confined to the house feeling pretty helpless. This was not the first time I was going to feel helpless over the next few weeks.

I cannot, for one, describe how strong this storm was where we are. Clinton is three hours from the coast, and when the storm blew in with sustained winds at 60 mph and gusts to 80, I cried knowing that I could not possibly imagine the devastation that most certainly had occurred on the coast. At the time, we didn't know what had happened because they had lost all power as did portions of Clinton for days and even weeks.

I can also not explain how strange and odd it was to watch all that was going on in New Orleans, also only three hours away in areas that I knew so well knowing that I could do nothing physical to help them. I've been back there just once since the storm about a year ago, and the neighborhood where we lived is almost a ghost town.

The way life changes in such a small amount of time amazes me. When Katrina hit, we were not a minivan family. I was not even pregnant with Aubrie, and Jessie had been walking for only 3 months. She looks so grown up now, and Aubrie is quick on her heels. Emma is ready to take over running the house.

We Need Daddy the Most

2008-08-28T20:58:00.008-05:00

Tonight Jessie was upset about Daddy Todd not being able to come home this weekend; we thought there was a slight chance, but it just didn't work out. I was trying to cheer her up by telling her about the football game we're going to tomorrow night - cheerleaders, bands, food. Her eyes lit up for a second, and then she said, "But we need Daddy the most." You know you have a high standing when you trump football, cheerleaders and marching bands. They really miss him.

So do I.

A friend sent me a message today asking how I was holding up. Most days we do pretty well. I have to say that I have no idea how single parents do this. I really think I am past tired, and it's so weird knowing there's no back-up when I'm tired or not feeling so great. Today was also difficult because I felt like a bad mom. Emma has had a persistent cough, but I waited it out thinking it would go away, plus she'd had no other symptoms and was completely functional. Anyway, the last few days she had said that she was just not feeling well, and it was starting to show. So, off we trek to the doctor today where she had a breathing treatment, was prescribed an antibiotic, steroid and and inhaler. We also made a visit to the radiologist for a chest x-ray to make sure she didn't have walking pneumonia. She was one sick little girl. I felt so low...I cried. And later, I cried some more.

The great news is that her lungs are clear. The weird news is that she looks really bad tonight. When I married into this Williams clan, I learned that I could tell if Todd is sick by looking under his eyes. If they're dark, I send him straight away to the doctor. Apparently this is a whole-family thing, and it works with Emma as well. Now the doctor said we would see marked improvement within two days and that she should be completely better in five. So, I leave our appointments feeling very cheerful, but she did not feel well tonight, and her Williams signs were not looking good. Will you please pray for her when you read this. I sure would appreciate it.

While you're at it, pray for me - I need my heavenly Daddy the most.

Update - I need to add that I have great in-laws and friends who have helped me out immensely and check in on me! When I said there was no back-up, I mean when I don't feel like baths, bedtime, daily routine stuff. I re-read my post and thought it sounded most ungrateful which I am most definitely not! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A Little Rest

2008-08-25T18:40:00.000-05:00

I was actually so tired at one point today that I wanted to cry, and I almost did except someone started fussing just about then so my focus went somewere besides my exhaustion. Emma sweetly reminded me that at least I wasn't a Hebrew slave during the Egyptian captivity because she was sure that they had to work harder than I did. Is she sure??

We got a call on the house yesterday. Sure, you can come see it tomorrow (after I do about a million and one more things to it)! So, quick call to Nanny Judy who keeps the girls last night and ALL day today - thank you - and let the house marathon begin. I painted, culled, and straightened last night and shopped, painted some more, cleaned and straightened this morning. I literally feel like I have been through a serious workout. My thighs hurt. And, my back is in such a state that I really can't even discuss it - because I'll probably cry. I had five trash bags and a broken set of folding doors to set on the curb this morning, and even more than that went to our local thrift store.

Just about the time when my tears were trying to resurface, Judy calls and says that the girls can spend the night again if they want. This makes me want to cry again - tired, wondering how I'm going to make it through dinner and bedtime, to not having to worry about it. All these emotions at once - just about can't handle it! So, now I'm fed, watching Entertainment Tonight, and wondering what to do with my evening. I realize I'm not chained to the house for the first time in ages, but I feel too tired to get up. I've thrown around the idea of Blockbuster, but we'll see if I can muster the energy. A good book and a bath are definitely on the menu.

Big Changes - Texas-bound!

2008-08-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

For those who keep up with our goings on, you know that we were supposed to be commissioned in November to serve with the International Mission Board in Mozambique, Africa. Well...

A few weeks ago Todd's company offered him a job in Austin, TX. Of course, my first reaction was, "No, way. We're headed to Africa." Then, I decided to at least try to be psuedo-submissive/supportive and pack us all up so we could drive to TX to check it out and be there in the flesh to pray about it. Tuff Shed made the offer on a Wed. morning and wanted an answer by Friday afternoon. Nothing like a little time to make a life-altering decision. Anyway, Friday at noon came and went, and we were still unsure until I realized that we had been looking at the decision as either/or and not both. We had a Holy Spirit moment where we knew we were supposed to come to TX and re-apply to go overseas a few years from now. We called TS and told them we would come. It is very odd for us to make this kind of decision on a "feeling," but we've been praying about our direction for so long that we had total confidence that God had spoken. There it is, I know we sound a litte (or a lot) wierd.

Let me backtrack a little for a minute...

Todd's trip to Nampula in June/July was wonderful, but when he got home, I expected that he would have an immediate, "Yes, God confirmed that this is what we're supposed to be doing," or a "No, it's not." Since life is not always as clear-cut as I would prefer it, that's not how things worked out. He did have some reservations about the girls and what their life would look like in this city. And since he thought it would be particularly hard for them, he figured that would have a huge impact on me. Thanks to the wife who is constantly at his side saying, "Are we going or not?", he relented and said that we would go ahead with the process, but I don't think he ever had complete peace about the situation. This ought to be a great lesson in nagging!

Now, I know lots of folks who are on the mission field with more kids, younger kids, babies, in fact, and that God sustains them and takes wonderful care of them, and we know that He can do this for us, too. But, one thing echoed in our minds from our time at Candidate Conference back in May and that was the issue or question of timing. We heard over and over that a family's ability to stay and thrive on the field depends largely on timing. Is this the right time for your family? We have no idea what God has for us while we're still here, but we do know that His timing is perfect and we have complete trust and peace that we still have some lessons to learn before we're ready. Can't wait to tell you what those are!

The other strange and slightly confusing thing was that when we verbalized our decision with each other, it was as if a burden was lifted that I didn't even know I was carrying. Now, please understand that I WANT to be on the mission field. I don't think I've more sure of any of the other details of life except that I was supposed to marry Todd Williams. In fact, you could say that I'm utterly heart-broken that we won't be there next spring. When I read about Africa and my friends that are there, I lose it. So, I'm not sure what the burden was - did I have doubts about timing that I wouldn't even let myself admit, was it fear, wondering if I was going to have a meltdown when the electricity went out, and my dinner was in the oven? I'm not sure, but I look forward to the things that we have planned to learn in our extended training time.

For instance, we really want to be able to keep goats and chickens while in Africa. It's okay, you can laugh out loud, especially if you know me. We figure it might be easier to learn how to take care of them here while we're in a familiar environment. (I'm a little scared of powdered milk and would like some fresh eggs - the ones in the market are boiled.) Where was I? Oh, so we're looking for a place in TX that would give us the room to learn about getting hens to lay, milking goats, making goat cheese and whatever else one might be able to do with goat's milk. See, I don't know! Also, we've heard that it's easier to learn Portuguese after you've mastered Spanish. Great! There's lots of places to practice where we're going, and we're going to try to squeeze that into homeschooling.

So, my next blog will most likely be filled with much more whining because Todd is already in Texas, and I'm holding down, clinging to the fort with the girls trying to pack and get the house in decent shape to sell. (Todd did all of the hard, manual labor before he left.) But, there is some painting to do and lots of clutter to clean up so that someone will think that they have to have our house immediately!

Things That Make Me Smile

2008-08-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

Recently, I downloaded from iTunes a few Toby Mac songs (my first time to visit the iTunes store and to download - I was very impressed with myself...). The girls love the song, Lose my Soul. Apparently, they have a favorite line in the song because every time it comes around, they bob their heads (car dancing they learned from me; it's my only move) and sing very loudly, "I'm a little kid in a three-ring circus." Makes me laugh every time.

I've just finished reading Isreal, My Beloved by Kay Arthur which I finished pretty quickly for me. When we were returning it to the library today, Jessie commented, "Mommy, you really like that book, don't you?" We had already talked a little about the book, and the girls knew that the book was about Isreal and how they were scattered throughout the world. Emma was commenting on that when I added that God had promised that He would gather them from the four corners of the earth to which Emma replied, "Is the world a square?" Sharp one, that Emma.

Pealing Off the Pounds!

2008-07-21T20:41:00.001-05:00

Good news to report - Todd is about 2 pounds away from the goal! He is currently at the Y running some more and has been eating smaller portions and healthy snacks. I'm so proud of him for sticking with it!

Also, we decided to purchase Rosetta Stone software so that we can get started learning Portuguese. We're going to incorporate that into our homeschooling this fall, too. I can't wait for it to arrive.

On the home front, please pray that we'll have wisdom there. We really want to go ahead and put the house on the market, but we would need a place to stay in the meantime if it does sell. Since we purchased our house at a good time, our payments are considerably less than most appartments in Clinton which would put the squeeze on the ol' budget.

Where We Are

2008-07-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

Well, since Todd's trip to Mozambique, we've had quite a lot to process. Despite the challenges that will most definitely lie ahead for our family, we still feel God's pull on our family to go where He has called. We were able to eat dinner last night to continue our processing process with some wonderful friends of ours who served as missionaries in Africa until recently. They served in a "closed" area so, to be on the safe side, I'll leave their names out of the blog. Anyway, it always helps talking to them because they are able to shed light on something in about five seconds because they have this great framework for understanding our questions, doubts and even fears. They probably have no idea how much our dinners together have meant to us since we've begun this crazy journey.

So, before we can be officially approved on Oct. 7 there are some things we still need to do. We need to read a HUGE policy manual, send in a few more medical records for the girls, and Todd has a medical hurdle to get over. Many of you know, even though I haven't posted it, that Todd's BMI (Body Mass Index) is/was high. When we discovered this last November, he began working like a crazy person to get the weight off. In March he had lost 35 pounds and was able to send in a satisfactory weight to the agency that approves our health status for the IMB. This allowed us to go forward and attend the candidate conference in May.

Well, between March and May our family was introduced to something called Fifth Disease. (You can Google it if you would like to know more about it.) Todd suffered the most - Emma and Jessie didn't even know they had anything - and, for a while, we thought his arthritis had come back. The medicine he was given for his joint pain caused some weight gain (which is a known side effect of this particular medication) so that by the time we got to conference, he was above the qualifying BMI. The doctor in VA measured his waist and said that he thought Todd would be fine for health clearance.

After a while (It takes a little bit for the paperwork to get from the doctor's office in VA to the health agency), we got notification that Todd would need to lose the weight again. (He was probably 10 pounds over the mark.) Since he got back from Africa, he has been working on his weight, but it has been much harder for him to gain much ground. He's about halfway there. So, I have two requests. Please pray that he will be able to lose the rest of the weight quickly. Also, please pray that the health agency will be lenient in regards to the nature of the weight gain. They could possibly opt for him to have to maintain the weight loss for three months before we could move forward in the IMB process. This would mean that we would miss the Oct. 7 approval date that we've been hoping for. I know that would be so hard for Todd since he has worked so hard on this for what feels like forever!

Now, with all that said, I also know that God has the timetable for our journey all worked out - I just get a little antsy about it and really want things to work out the way we want them! So, please pray for peace and contentment for me when I get that way and lose sight of the fact that if God wants us in Moz, there is nothing that can stop His plan. I am more excited than ever about getting to go on behalf of my savior to another country where intimate knowledge of Him is scarce. It is truly what we feel we have been made to do and God seems to confirm this in our hearts, through His word and through our circumstances almost daily. Thanks so much for remembering us and praying for us!

Science Update...

2008-07-17T20:54:00.001-05:00

Please see the post under the Africa pictures for an update on our science projects.

Thanks!

Pictures from Mozambique

2008-07-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

At long last, we did find a way to upload our pics from the camera. (It took all of about 5 seconds...) Anyway, I've picked some of my favorites to post, and that took a while since I think there were between 500 and 600 to choose from! I'll try to talk him into posting here soon so he can tell his own story.

These are not in any particular order. Above is an example of a thatched roof which is the material of choice.

Above is a termite mound, pictures of which I've seen before, but somehow, it's different when you know your husband took this crazy picture.

Picture of an old church - just thought it was a really good picture. I think this is on Ilha de Mocambique, but I'm not positive.

Again, great picture he took while in Nacala.

This is the place he stayed while in Nacala (about two hours away from Nampula on the coast). So, I guess mosquito nets get folded up when you make your bed...pretty nifty.

I love this picture - the rolls are spice packets.

Another picture of a market in Nampula. Nampula is where we will live. It's the second largest city in the country with about 1/2 million people.

Dug out boats back on Ilha de Mocambique.

Another picture on Ilha - notice the folks carrying things on their heads. I wonder if I can learn that??

Granite outcroppings on the outskirts of Nampula.

I had to include the picture of the goats. We're hoping to have one/some. You can only get powdered milk so that would give us some fresh, plus I'd really love to learn to make goat cheese.

Just one of the many pictures of georgeous flowers he was able to take.

In a previous post, Todd mentioned the bicycles with charcoal piled up high - it's a little hard to see, but that's what this boy has on his bike.

More charcoal and bicycles.

Can't go to Africa without taking a picture of a baobab tree.

Since there was no order above, I thought the least I could do was finish with a great African sunset.

Weather and Things Inside Our Mouths

2008-07-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

I actually wrote this LAST Friday, but I'm just getting around to posting it...

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Emma and I have still been having fun with our science class every day. She loves learning anything about the world around her. Last week we made a weather station (thermometer, barometer, pressure gauge and rain gauge) and have been monitoring it every day. We were so glad to finally get some good wind yesterday...it has been very still around here; truly the dog days of summer! We also got some rain last night so we have something to report on the chart we're keeping.

This week we've been learning about bacteria and fungi. In one petri dish we are seeing how dirity our kitchen is (I may or may not report back on that one!) and seeing how antibiotic ointment works. In our second dish we are seeing whose mouth is the dirtiest, mine or Emma's; again, you may or may not find out the results. Today, we learned about yeast and are waiting for our rolls to rise. I've never made yeast rolls so really hoping they turn out edible.

Okay, and just a note: the rolls were terrible! We learned a mighty important lesson about old yeast - it doesn't work! I've got some fresh in the freezer so we're going to attempt this experiment again!

Blogging Etiquette...A Question for the Pros

2008-07-09T01:19:00.000-05:00

Okay, when someone posts a comment to your blog, is it appropriate to post a follow-up comment, or should you send an email? I'm just not sure!

Thanks,

Home Safe and Sound...last Friday

2008-07-07T20:48:00.000-05:00

Todd did make it home right on time Friday. The girls were so thrilled to see him, and so was I. He didn't get much rest that day but did get a little caught up on Sat and Sun, and I don't think going back to work today was too rough on him. As for promised pictures...the software for the new camera was left in Africa. I think we're going to take the memory card to WalMart, have a disc made and upload from there. We'll hop on it quickly because he really did get some great pics, and I haven't even seen them all.

Thanks so much for praying for him. Words cannot express how glad I was when he called from Atlanta, and I knew he was safely on our continent!

Oh, and my camera's USB cord did make a trip to Africa so I'll try to post pics of our weather station soon.

Last Day

2008-07-01T15:20:00.001-05:00

We just got to talk to Todd before the girls went down for a nap and as his last day in Mozambique was coming to an end. He gets on a plane to Johannesburg, South Africa, tomorrow and will spend the night there. On Thursday he flies direct from there to Atlanta and then home by Friday at noon. Makes me tired thinking about it.

The girls are excited because he was telling them about the gifts he's gotten for them. There are presents for me, too - I am getting two Mozambiquan (sp?) skirts which I can't pronounce or spell yet. I hope they come with tying instructions! Thanks Todd and Jan!

On another front, Emma and I have been working on science stuff this week (It was a little too much to fit into the regular school year so we're doing it now before she realizes there's such a thing as summer vacation.). Yesterday, we made a wind vane, but there has been no wind the last two days to measure - we're hoping for some by the weekend since it's supposed to rain. Today we made a thermometer and tested it out in hot and cold water. Way fun! I have pics but can't find my USB cord for the camera...it was going to TX, but I took it out of my stuff, or so I thought, when I realized I couldn't tote the computer along. Very random stuff, I know.

More from Mozambique

2008-06-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

I got a chance to talk to Todd tonight and get caught up on what he's been up to half a world away. I think the girls are really starting to miss him so, if you think about it, please pray for them (and Mommy) that we can hang in there until Friday. My great friend Amy is taking the girls for me tomorrow so I can have some Mommy time, and Nanny kept all three Friday night (I cleaned the whole house - such fun!) and Emma and Aubrie Sat. night. I think I'm starting to catch up a little from our trip - the drive back home from TX really wore me out!

Here's a sketch of what Big T's been up to:

Last Tues/Wed - He went to Nacala (on the Indian Ocean). He got to ride into the bush where they saw three or four villages where there is no evangelical work being done; there is hope to start work there soon. He was also very excited about getting to ride on a dirt road that became a walking trail (that they drove on anyway) which dead ended into the Ocean. Very much up his alley! They stayed on the beach at a place called Bay Diving where they slept to the sound of waves under their thatched roofs and mosquito nets.

Saturday he was back on the coast but this time in Angoche. The trip there was about 250 kilometers (going to have to re-learn that metric system...ugh) on a dirt road. They drove through a Koti area, and all I know about that group of people is that they fish for their livelihood. In addition to the Koti the Makhuwa people also live there, but they are separated from the Koti by a mountain.

Sunday he got to attend a local church which had a concrete floor and concrete walls with a metal roof. Pastor Fernando preached - the sermon was in Portuguese and Makhuwa. Todd said the music was great with about half African music and half hymns which were adapted to the African worship style. Lots of drums and other instruments; I can't wait for the girls to experience that!

He said to let everyone know that another highlight of the trip has been getting to visit with some missionaries who previously served two years in western Moz. Apparently, they have lots of crocodile stories...people getting yanked out of moving boats by these massive creatures. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, please.

It's already Monday morning for him so he just has two more days in-country before he'll begin the long trek home. Please continue to pray for safety, health and that God will continue to confirm in us that this is God's perfect plan for our family.

And There was Peace...

2008-06-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

We (the girls and I) got back home tonight from San Antonio. They are all in bed asleep, and I'm getting caught up on all the emails I couldn't see this last week because my webmail wouldn't work. I did not enjoy being out of the loop, to say the least. I'm hoping to be able to stay up a few more minutes so I can Skype Todd. Then, I will crash...

Catching Up

2008-06-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

The girls and I had a great day in San Antonio. We got to visit with some great friends of mine from Grand Prairie - we go all the way back to high school and DBU. We haven't seen each other in at least five years, but we picked up like we'd seen each other yesterday (which I think is so cool). We met at Chick-fil-A and let our kids have a playdate...so normal and natural - much fun! They are church planters in Kyle, TX and you can check out their website at http://theconnectionchurch.org/.

The other highlight of the day was that we got a call from Todd. He used Skype to call my cell phone for cheap-cheap money!! We all four got to talk to him for a bit; his next stop is Nacala which is on the coast. I'll be sure to check back in and let you know how it goes. Please pray for his health while he's there...no mos-qui-toes and getting used to the food.

Update from Todd

2008-06-23T18:55:00.000-05:00

From an email I got today from Todd:

I spent my day on the wild streets of Nampula. The roads are full of bicycles, motorcycles, Land Rovers, 4-wheel drives, luxury cars even here and more people out and about than I’ve seen except the French Quarter. It has that sort of feel, but very AFRICA. Open cargo trucks are piled 12 high and have five workers sitting on top of it going down the middle of the road at 50 mph. Then, we went to an open market and bought vegetables. They had everything from teeny tiny red VERY HOT peppers….don’t ask, so HOT it made my lips numb…you know I can’t back down… to potatoes and papaya, coconuts to cabbage, and cilantro to chickens….live or dead was the same price because it was the same chicken….They had oranges and green lemons and carrots and braided rolls of tobacco. So cool and I have pics to prove it. All over town in peoples yards are coconut bearing palms 75 feet tall, papaya trees loaded with fruit on the side of the road, wild banana trees just growing in an overgrown lot and the most brilliantly colored flowers.

Janice fixed an awesome chicken and potato recipe from Zambezie with rice, bread from the Indian bakery next door, fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion salad and fresh pineapple for dessert. The chicken and sauce on rice reminded me of jambalaya. GOOD stuff.

We went to a back alley post office and a grains/flour/corn meal store where you buy it off the pallet 25KGs at a time. That little store was packed with people of every socio-economic group. We went to the SIL compound and met some folks, drove down red sand roads that were still in city limits, saw thatched roofed homes with mud and brick mortar and more small roadside stands than you can imagine... all in the city limits. We saw granite rock outcroppings 300ft tall and termite mounds 10 ft tall and boys on bicycles so loaded with grain sacks full of charcoal on the back of the bikes it looked like it would take a small pick-up to carry it all.

Safe Landing

2008-06-22T18:10:00.000-05:00

Todd was able to send his first email today which was wonderful since that's the first communication we've had since Friday. He is now in Nampula with a long list of things he and Eddie (his future boss) want to get done. Thanks for praying for his safety!!

Please Pray for Trip

2008-06-12T14:46:00.001-05:00

Okay, first some random thoughts. We survived VBS last week and are having fun with Aubrie at Kindermusik this week. I hope to remember to bring my camera tomorrow so I can post some pictures. She's a hoot! :-) Big sisters have been very impressive staying in the hallway coloring and playing games on their cameras. It's gone very smoothly, and I have been very pleasantly surprised.

I have read on my friend Mer's blog and on another blog called GirlTalk about having kids spend a little time each day reading in the summer. I decided to try it out - I gathered some blankets and pillows and made a cozy corner in Aubrie's room and told them to gather up one or two favorite books. They loved it! Emma asked if they could do this everyday (this from the girl who declared this year that she doesn't like reading) so I was excited, to say the least. Emma opted for a "real" book instead of a primer and worked on reading the first sentence by herself. The other two gals had fun looking at the pictures, and Jessie "read" from her Mother Goose book which she has pretty much memorized. Thanks for the GREAT idea!

Now, on to the serious stuff. I can't believe it's finally here, but Todd is leaving for Mozambique (hereafter refered to as Moz) a week from tomorrow. We are such the procrastinators and are going to sit down sometime in the next few days and actually make a list for the trip. The purpose for the trip, since neither one of us has ever been to Africa, is for him to see and experience things that will help us better prepare for life there - at least whatever we can cram into the next six months. So, besides safety, the main thing would be to pray that he will see and experience all that he needs to for that end. He has been told repeatedly that he is to take many pictures, and I will be sure to post some after he gets back on the 4th of July.

Thanks!

Organization tips needed

2008-06-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

Mer, I figure you might have some really good ideas for this. I need some help. I have a 3-drawer craft caddy/tower thing which was organized way before kids. In one drawer I keep all of their markers, crayons, paint pens, etc. I need a neat way to keep the things inside the drawer tidy. The drawer is tall enough for the crayons to stand up in a cup or something but not enough for the markers. Any ideas?? I think we would use more of what's in there if we could actually see it!

I really appreciate any ideas I can get!