Emma’s TX Birthday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.