The Family Rice

Pumpkins #2!

2011-10-31T07:58:00.000-06:00

Pumpkins!

2011-10-31T07:57:00.000-06:00

Tree Climber!

2011-10-31T07:47:00.000-06:00

Kindergarten: Week One

2011-08-29T19:25:00.003-06:00

No, I don't plan on blogging about the goings-on at Kindergarten every week for two reasons. 1) I would lose blog readers in heartbeat! and most of all 2) I really have no idea what goes on at Kindergarten. The most we can get out of our boy is "I don't remember," "I don't know," or a one-shoulder, are-you-STILL-asking-me-what-I-did-today shrug.

But I think the first week of the next 20 years of my life is toooooooootally blog-worthy. Because I know I have some real-life friends who can relate. I know. So, the rundown:

Day One: Dropped off at classroom. Caleb walked in like a champ. A little shy and slow-moving, but excited and smiling. Mom did not even cry. Got a green star for the day. (that's a good thing.)

Day Two: Dropped off in cafeteria. Clung to Daddy's leg for a few minutes until teacher took his hand and he stood beside her. Mom did not cry. Got another green star for the day.

Day Three: Dropped off in cafeteria. Teacher wasn't in the cafeteria today. Caleb clung to Daddy's legs and after numerous trips to the hallway to chat, became upset and did not want us to leave him. Principal intervened (I LOVE HER!) and screaming fit ensued. Mom and Dad left him in the cafeteria, bucking and screaming "Daddy! Daddy!" Mom cried all the way home, and then cried some more at home. Teacher called 30 minutes into school day to say Caleb was doing fine and calmed down very quickly after we left him. I still got teary off and on until we picked him up for the day. Stinker ended up getting a BLUE star (better than green) and 5 fuzzies (it's a reward system - fuzzies are like money).

Day Four: We decided to wait the few minutes until the class was in the classroom instead of the cafeteria. Worked wonders. Caleb put his backpack, lunchbox, snack, and folder up without help and walked right in. Green star. Mom wanted to cry tears of joy but didn't.

Day Five: Same as day four. Really really great, independent boy who was happy to be at school. Green star.

Except for Wednesday's dropoff, our first week of Kindergarten was a huge success. It's hard for a mama bear to be okay when she leaves her cub kicking and screaming in the arms of another person. It's easy for that negative moment to overshadow the entire week. But getting all written out makes me realize how awesome our funny little guy is. He is so ready for this school thing! One little hiccup in the whole week.

Here's to another 35 weeks of awesomeness! Maybe someday I'll get used to waking up at 6:45 again. But I'm not counting on it!

Austin Trip

2011-08-27T18:17:00.009-06:00

This was our last little hurrah before school started. It was also my cousin's wedding!

Congrats the the happy couple! Aren't they beautiful? It was a very sweet wedding.

After the wedding festivities were over, we spent the rest of the weekend seeing some sights around Austin. It's funny to me that we used to live in Austin before we had kids, and now, visiting Austin WITH kids, we had a hard time thinking of things to do!

First we visited Mount Bonnell, which is a scenic area overlooking Town Lake or Lake Austin (or whatever- it's actually part of a river).

You can also see the Austin cityscape.

It's a neat place and the kids had fun climbing a TON of stairs to get up to the top. I have fun memories of the place because my college biology lab took a field trip here once.

Next stop was the Texas capitol building. (I have no idea why my text is underlined. Crazy Blogger!!)

We expected it to be closed since it was a Sunday morning, but were pleasantly surprised that the doors were open!

We walked around and explored the building, and of course, we climbed every flight of stairs to the very top of the dome.

Here's that floor the kids were standing on.. I couldn't believe I got a picture with nobody walking on it!

(That's right, Texas isn't just a state - it's a Republic!)

We peeked in the Senate and House meeting rooms, and looked at the pictures of our Texas legislators on the wall. Of course, no one was around on a Sunday.

We also took the opportunity to get some family pictures taken while we were all spiffed up for the wedding.

And there are always outtakes! I blames every one of these on Greg. He either makes a funny face or takes a funny picture when I give him the camera, which isn't very often! Love that silly guy!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2011-08-27T16:44:00.007-06:00

The day has now come and gone. I have worried, fretted, planned, denied, avoided, and shut out this day for a year now. The day my Firstborn starts school! Somehow, I survived. In fact, I've now survived and entire week! I'm already weary of it, so please don't remind me that this is only the first week of the next 20 years of my life. Mom of school-age kids. The title is growing on me. Slowly.

Here are a few pictures from Caleb's first day of Kindergarten. I love his school. I love his teacher. I love the administration. I love the location. And I LOVE the size. (It's tiny!)

Truth time: this picture is staged.. yeah, we went to school the night before for a dry run [also known as an unhurried photo op for a picture-obsessed mom who was afraid she'd be too much of a blithering mess on the actual first day of school]

The obligatory front porch picture

getting in the car

Dad walking him in

A picture with mom (who was NOT crying)

Now here are a few pictures that we took during a little photo session the weekend before school started. I got a lot of pose inspiration from Pinterest (my new creativity obsession).

This one is my favorite because you can see mine and Carly's reflections in the door! And Caleb's giving a subtle "thumbs-up" too.

Happy School Year! We're adjusting, and marching forward in life. I only wish we could march a bit slower.

Don't call me a quitter..

2011-08-27T16:31:00.002-06:00

but you may call me a very long delayer-er.

Nearly two years ago I began a training program called "Couch to 5K." It's a running regime that gets you literally off the couch, and running a 5K (without stopping) in 9 weeks. I did the program for about 2 1/2 weeks before I quit. I had a cold, so I skipped a few days, but then never started back up when I got better.

Fast forward a few months (okay, about 20), and I decided to start over. As one of my very honest, and very right, friends pointed out on Facebook, "Haven't you done this before and quit after a couple of weeks?" Why, yes, yes I have. And there's nothing to say I might not finish this time, but I'm going to try! I'm currently on week three, day three of the program, which is farther than I got the first time around, and I feel great!

And now, I have a goal. On October 9th, there is a 5K in Tyler that I am going to register for. I've already got a couple of friends that want to run it with me, so I'm super excited! For the personal goal, for the accountability that friends bring, and for my abs!! They are already shaping up and it makes me happy :)

Can you help?

2011-07-27T14:15:00.007-06:00

I know I've talked about my mom and her African adventures on my blog before. She is there now, in the thick of things, living and teaching in Congo. She's there to fulfill a calling to spread the love of Jesus Christ to those who need it.

At the Fort Worth Zoo, December 2010

She's planting seeds in the hearts of her students, and she's seeing fruit from seeds planted by those who went before her. She's been in Congo for about 5 months. Her term is to be for 2 years, but those two years are determined by the monetary support she receives from people just like you and me who commit to give $10, $20, $50 a month.

MaMaw and her babies, 2008

Her mission board sent her ahead of her money, because the need was so great. However, that makes it even more difficult for her to complete the task of raising the rest of her funds from the field. At this point, she lacks about $250 a month in pledges. If she continues to fall short, the mission board can bring her home early-- as much as an entire year early.

Christmas 2010

As much as I'd love to see my mama, I don't think her work will be finished after only one year. At this point she is hoping for at least 18 months - that would give her time to finish out the school year, which runs from about September to June (same as USA, except their "summer break" actually occurs in winter! Yes, it is winter in Congo right now. 95 degrees of humid, sunny winter!)

Thanksgiving 2010, Mom and all her kids

You can read about the ministry she is doing on Nouvelle Creations Facebook page and about her daily life in Congo on her blog. Also, if you would like to commit to a monthly monetary pledge you can visit this website and it will go directly into her personal missions account.

Carly's 3rd birthday, January 2010

Mostly, would you please pray for my mom? Pray that she will be at peace in Congo, that she will accomplish the things she's been called to do, that the support would come in and she would not have to worry about that aspect of life? I know it is hard to squeeze another penny out of the budget. I know that once you commit to something, it soon becomes easy to forget, especially once the missionary is "out of sight, out of mind." Please pray that those who pledged in the last two years would continue to send their commitments each month, or start sending them again.

Returning home from her first mission trip to Africa on Caleb's 1st birthday, 2007

In mom's own words, " Thanks for anything you can do, especially for your prayers! I'd really like to finish what I've started here..."

If you are interested in a mail-in donation form, please contact me via email. It's in my profile on the sidebar. Also, if you'd like to receive her monthly newsletter via email, let me know. I can very easily forward it to you or get you on her direct email list!

Water Park

2011-07-13T20:53:00.004-06:00

Today we took our very first trip to a small indoor waterpark with the kids. They aren't huge water lovers (that's an understatement!), so I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out, we were pleasantly surprised with how much fun both kiddos had! Both were wary of the wave pool and the lazy river, but Caleb eventually got in the river and went around three times, at first clinging to a tube and crying, then just clinging to Greg and not crying,

and finally holding Janell's hand and bouncing his way around the whole thing. Carly went around once, unhappily, and she was done :-)

Both kids enjoyed the splash play area and Carly ate up the "green slide!!!" I think she went down that one slide at least 20 times. Every single time she came to the bottom, the look on her face was one of pure childlike joy.. and it never got old to watch! She never would go down the other slides, because "they were dark."

Caleb went down all the slides in the splash play area, and then climbed the stairs and went down the two bigger body slides. I was so proud of him!! He laughed and laughed.

A VERY FUN DAY! Thank you to my in-laws for the fun afternoon at the water park!

Fourth of July weekend

2011-07-13T20:21:00.006-06:00

Also known as my birthday around here!

On the evening of the 3rd, my dad and stepmom came over and brought a portable party with them! They even brought guests! My Grannie and a new cousin (cousin's wife I hadn't met before) came too. Oh, and they brought cake, and presents, and sparklers for the kids! It was a fun little partay!

They sang to me!

Gave me a Keurig! Now I am officially an adult.

We did sparklers and poppers on the back porch

After the family party, Caleb and Carly gave me a birthday-eve present: my own set of tools, in a pink bag! I LOVE my tools, and have already used them a bunch!!

The next day, on the 4th, we made me a birthday cake (strawberry cake with cool whip and fruit topping, YUM!)

my first ever flag cake

Later we went over to some friends' house to eat and play, then the plan was to go at dark and watch fireworks at a nearby church, but just before dusk a storm rolled in -- the first rain in weeks -- so we waited and waited for it to stop raining so we could load up and watch the show.. Finally we gave up at 10:15 and decided to call it a night. We were so thankful for the much-needed rain that we weren't too disappointed about not seeing any fireworks, but on the drive home we watched as the church put on the show even in the rain. We stopped in the middle of the road as we drove by, and I got some pretty great pictures with my iPhone camera.

I even got a great video!

It was a great weekend to turn 28. Only two more years until all birthdays stop! :)

My Beautiful Babies

2011-06-26T19:14:00.004-06:00

Caleb: 5 1/2 years old

Can you believe this guy will be starting Kindergarten in a few weeks?

Me neither!

Carly: 3 1/2 years old

Carly's new dresser - before and after

2011-06-20T13:54:00.001-06:00

Occasionally, I get lazy and let my blog go for several weeks at a time.. ha! So sorry, this is a cross-post from AlexiaJean.com......

I have had this thing finished for a couple of weeks, but forgot to post the pictures. Here is the dresser I painted to match the bed from the previous post. I L-O-V-E the pieces together.

Before: This dresser belonged to a friend, whose boys are grown and it wasn't being used anymore. It was originally painted (or stained) black, but her husband had started taking off the black already. I received it as a "project in progress" and was more than happy to transform this boy dresser into a shiny girly dresser!

After lots of sanding and about three coats of white paint:

Finished! I changed out the knobs to some fun mismatched glass knobs, and again added the wooden scrolly doohickeys on the cabinet door.

Doesn't the distressing look fantastic? Thanks again to my friend Jess!!

Here it is in Carly's room. I'm terrible at taking indoor pictures, so you get what you get, but I think it looks great with the yellow walls, and the pink and green accessories.

Next up: my crazy self bought this nightstand at a flea market..

It's a nightstand (or something) that looks like a cabinet with doors, except it is actually two drawers thast slide out. It's interesting! It's unique! It's gaudy! And sooo ugly!

I LOVE IT!

.....any guesses what my plans are for this gem?! It will go in the same room, but it ain't gonna be white, that's for sure! And it won't be one solid color. My husband just shakes his head at me.. :-)

Before and After Bed

2011-05-26T21:04:00.004-06:00

My latest project: Stripping/Sanding/Painting a bed for Carly's room! Check out the before and after pics! I also posted more pics on AlexiaJean.com.

Antique bed before:

After!!

I (and when I say I, I really mean my friend Jessica) distressed the edges for a shabby chic look.. SO much fun!

I also added a little wooden scrolly-dealie to the middles:

Total cost: Around $50, for paint, clear polycrylic finish, the wood details, and paint brushes. The bed itself was inherited, I borrowed the electric sander (Thank you to my Father-in-law! Saved my life!!). Next up is a dresser!

Dyeing Eggs

2011-05-10T15:05:00.003-06:00

There's a first time for everything!

Caleb's face: "We're gonna do WHAT with those cups??"

Mommy's neato eggo

Caleb's eggin

Carly's eggy

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T21:10:00.004-06:00

Easter Hunting, Country Style:

In the woods!

Easter Sunday! He is Risen!

Easter huntin' suburban-style:

EYE SEE YOU!!!

<3

By Cracky!

2011-04-24T20:56:00.003-06:00

This is a video of Carly "reading" her favorite book -- Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Suess! She had a little help from Caleb, who is off camera.

Spring Scenes

2011-04-11T08:35:00.006-06:00

Here are some scenes from our Spring so far....

Caleb wrote his name totally unprompted! I'm not pushing learning letters and reading before Kindergarten, so I was pretty surprised when he busted that out!

Caleb's cute little soccer team - the Little Bears!

Carly posing in front of the azaleas

Reeeeeeach!

I completely love this picture.. she was done posing and was on her way back inside. Just funny.

We have some new neighbors! These guys live with the cows in the field behind us. They are friendly, unlike the cows!

Swinging at sunset

These a re a few little video clips I took of the kids. Watch them if you have a few minutes! The first one is worth your time, I promise (I think they are all worth your time, but they are my kids, so of course I feel that way!)

Lego Castle

2011-03-31T15:27:00.009-06:00

When Greg was a kid he had this Lego Castle. Being Greg, he kept up with every single peice, AND the instructions. He doesn't remember if he ever even built the castle but he kept it for all these years. We pulled it out for Caleb recently, and guess who built it? (That would be me.) It was fun, frustrating, and somewhat fulfilling. I love Legos! It took me two days, and a lot of Caleb saying, "Mom when are you going to finish my castle?!"

Caleb and "his" castle

The built castle lasted exactly one day before it was pulled off the kitchen counter and shattered. That's the life of a Lego for ya!

Fort Worth Children's Museum

2011-03-31T15:27:00.007-06:00

At the end of Spring Break we went to Fort Worth to the Museum of Science and History with Greg's family. The kids had a great time exploring the museum! Afterwards we went to the Fort Worth Stock Yards to do the big human-sized maze. Talk about a humbling experience! You think you have a good sense of direction, and then you get totally turned around and feel rather helpless in there. It took me 20 minutes to get through, and I was the first one in our group to get out. Lots of fun!! Here are some pictures from our day.

Dinosaur footprint

a guy driving a horse carriage

A very rare group picture

Caleb

Cool 4D ride thing. Aren't I cute?!

Ain't he cute!

Caleb playing trains

Carly "blowing" the bubbles in the bubble tubes

Pretty girl

Hands-on

Water fun

Hot stuff

HUGE Light Brite

Caleb and Aunt Heather playing Lite Brites

The Whole World

2011-03-02T13:01:00.005-06:00

Today Caleb got a box on the front porch. I already knew what it was, but had a lot of fun building the suspense for him. We posed for pictures with his box...

...then I very slowly opened the box and pulled out the contents.

A globe! Caleb knew exactly what it was when I pulled it out. "That's the WHOLE WORLD!" He exclaimed. I found the packing slip and read the message to him:

So we searched for MaMaw!

Found her!

And then we found us:

Thank You MaMaw for sending Caleb a globe all the way from Africa for his birthday! And thank you to my awesome Grandma for braving the world of online shopping to be the middleman! It is perfect!

^ We already are!

I realize 6 of the last 7 posts have been mostly about Caleb if you count this one. It's not that he's more interesting than Carly, but she is in that stage where she doesn't want to participate in much or let me take her picture much. So her blog presence is suffering! I'll try to be better about getting pictures of her on the sly. That'd be about the only way!

The big 5

2011-02-28T22:26:00.007-06:00

Today our precious firstborn turned FIVE years old! I had a few moments this morning with my cuddly little guy, just enjoying the few more hours of having a four-year-old before we set out for a day full of activities to celebrate Caleb's special day.

We started at the zoo, where we saw a brand new black bear exhibit. It was a perfect day for the zoo, except it was quite windy. The animals were out and about and we saw more active animals than usual.

(Mom, this is exactly where we were when you called to wish Caleb happy birthday! I was balancing my phone and camera and trying to keep the stroller from rolling away! Skype on my iPhone is the coolest thing!)

The mountain lion was exceptionally friendly today. He sat down right next to Caleb and stared right at Carly. She was appropriately freaked out.

Then we saw an ostrich wandering the African Savannah. We played hide and seek with it. Literally! It would look at me and then move it's head behind the wood post - "hiding" from me. We repeated that several times. It was hilarious!

By the way, ostriches are HUGE!

We got to see the cheetahs awake and close up. One of Caleb's favorites!

And the ever-fascinating macaws. Caleb perfected his bird call today. It was pretty accurate!

After the zoo Caleb wanted to go spend a Walmart gift card he got from Grandma and Grandpa. I was somehow able to convince him he didn't need another truck and steered him toward something new. He picked Sea Monkeys!

We've already started the process of growing the sea monkeys and I think I am more excited than he is!

After we spent his money we headed to McDonald's for lunch and both kids played in the play gym for quite a while, then we stopped by Barnes and Noble for a free cookie for the birthday boy. He got to pick from any cookie or cupcake in the case, and he picked a gigantic sugar cookie with red sprinkles.

This afternoon we took advantage of the gusty wind and flew some $1 kites in the field behind our house. Caleb loved the kites! (Carly, not so much.)

Pizza ad leftover cake for dinner was a nice end to Caleb's birthday. I had so much fun letting him choose the activities and chauffeuring him around town.

He is so stinkin' big!

I LOVE IT.

Dino-RAWR Party!

2011-02-28T21:33:00.009-06:00

Caleb chose a dinosaur theme for his birthday party this year. It was so fun! In the days before the party, we enjoyed making some making some decorations together and I think Caleb had a blast with all of his friends at the party.

Pinata - always a "hit"!

The gift table pre-gifts

Some decorations

The cake table!

Dangling Dinos - hand made by the birthday boy and his mama

Intensely coloring a T-Rex

Food!

Yes, that is my child pretending to eat the corner of the cake while his friend Ava looks at him like he's crazy!

Happy Birthday to You!!

People eating cake

More people eating cake

Presents

This picture cracks me up! Caleb is surrounded by the ladies!

Caleb and Ruthie checking out the big cattle truck

Boy huddle - the girls were off in another area playing.. kids this age are so funny!

T-Rex eating a cow!

Pinata time!! Give it a whack --

love this.. Adam is 18 months and was totally into the pinata-whacking!

Post-Pinata chaos

One last present from mom and dad -- a new comforter "that doesn't have any holes in it!"

Caleb had a great time at his party. We are so blessed to have such supportive family and friends that love our kids so much!

(And with that, party season is officially over!)

Fort Worth Zoo with MaMaw

2011-02-24T21:14:00.006-06:00

My camera's memory card decided to take an extended vacation at Grandma's and I just got it back in the mail this week. It was full of pictures from our trip to the Fort Worth Zoo with MaMaw before she left for the Congo. It was such a beautiful, warm, sunny January day and perfect for checking out the animals at the zoo!

They had this moving dinosaur outside the entrance. Caleb's birthday party theme this year is dinosaurs, so this fits so well with us right now!

This is WAY too close to that tiger. Gotta love the zoom lens!

Handsome boy with some Zeebs

Miss Tagalong copying brother

Carly, MaMaw, and a really huge lizardthing.

My crazy children touching a snake. Ick.

Riding a turtle

Pinguinos! Les encantó!

"That's a really big wheel!"

Touching stuff in water. They had live starfish (actually, we learned they are called sea stars since they aren't technically fish) and some crabby guys that looked like rays.

Well, hello, Mr. Eagle. You are beautiful!

Icee! Yay Texas January!

Fluffy! Baby! Flamingo!

Checkin out the flamingo colony. Those guys had the longest necks ever! They all went through this crazy routine of honking/squawking, then pumping their necks up and down, then flicking their heads back and forth. Then repeating it over and over. It was funny!

After a long day at the zoo we caught a little train and took a ride around town. Fun times with Mamaw!

We miss you, MaMaw! Have a good time "at Africa" as Caleb says!

A tractor, a dump truck, and one lucky little boy

2011-02-19T21:40:00.002-06:00

...And a sneak peek to our new improved back yard!

Caleb builds a bird house

2011-02-19T21:15:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Caleb built a bird house with Papaw. I love his face when he turns to the camera to tell us what he's making. Such excitement!

Today Greg hung it up on our big huge oak tree in the back yard. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a picture of the finished house!

Caleb's first soccer game

2011-02-19T20:57:00.004-06:00

Today was Caleb's first soccer game ever! He has had two practices with his team and then they threw those 4-year-olds onto a field and let them mix it up! It was SO STINKING CUTE! I got a few pictures of our boy playing. He's number one, and the tallest one on the team! They play four on four, and his team is called the Bears.

Coach Michael placing the Little Bears for a throw-in

Center

Far left

Warming up

Why I like Wednesday

2011-02-16T12:50:00.004-06:00

While I could totally write an entire post on how much I have in common with Wednesday Addams (above), that's not what I mean! But I thought the image was cute.

In reality I feel the opposite from the caption on the photo above.. I LOVE Wednesdays! Here are a few reasons:

1. It is the one day of the week I most consistently get to shower AND wash my hair.
2. I have a good reason to dress in something other than "house clothes." Which excites me! What? I like clothes!
3. It's the middle of the week, which means it's not Monday or Tuesday anymore.
4. On most Wednesdays, the kids and I get out of the house in the morning and go to Mops at my church, which I enjoy. On the off-weeks, I look forward to getting out of the house for #5.
5. I get to go to church orchestra rehearsal and play with a bunch of really talented musicians. I love the challenge of trying to keep up with band directors and grad students who play more than twice a week (me).

Right now, my life is simple. I stay close to home with my kiddos. Next year when Caleb is in Kindergarten, life will be quite different. We won't have the "luxury" of staying in our pajamas all day, or not leaving the house for 3 days. So, I'm savoring this time I still have left with both kids at home with me all the time. I love every minute of it and would not trade it for a stack of money as tall as Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Speaking of tall mountains in Africa, my mom posted an update on her blog today. Wednesdays are her "day off" - which adds another reason to love Wednesday -- I hope to get updates from her on those days! I've been getting periodic text messages and occasional emails, but yesterday I got to Skype with her! It was totally unexpected, which made it that much sweeter! I just happened to be on the computer, and the little Skype pop-up popped up and told me she was online, so I dialed and she answered! The kids came in and got to see her too. They are still pretty oblivious to the whole "halfway around the world" thing, but for me it was such a relief and an unexpected blessing to see her face and hear her voice! Thank you Lord for allowing us to have this technology!

God is in the Details!

2011-02-07T09:49:00.004-06:00

36 hours later, mom is in Africa at her final destination. That comes with a lot of relief for me. I'll be honest, I was a total mess all of Saturday. Not being able to go see her at the airport almost broke my heart. But now that she's there I can rest easier and stop stressin'! The email I got this morning when I woke up said she had arrived and had been exploring bit. She is understandably overwhelmed and exhausted. Thank you for your prayers for her safety!

A couple of interesting things happened during her journey. These are two examples of our no-coincidences, all-knowing, Great Provider God! I heard about this first story from my Grandma. Just after I talked to her at DFW and the plane began boarding, she handed over her boarding pass and it would not scan. WOULD NOT SCAN. The gate agent set her aside and boarded every other passenger, including stand-by passengers(!!!!), while she tried to figure out why mom's wouldn't scan. There were phone calls the the airlines to confirm her connections and identity and at one point, very near departure time, the gate agent herself was put on hold by another airline person and in frustration exclaimed, "They put me on HOLD! I HAVE GOT to get this flight out!" So, in one last flurry of activity, the gate agent printed mom a new boarding pass, handed her carry-on --which contained her purse, money, everything-- to another flight attendant who gate-checked it, and sent mom on her way down the ramp with nothing but her passport in hand and her computer. She was The. Very. Last. Person. on board the airplane. She sat down next to what she called, "the sweetest little Southern Baptist boy you ever met" who was on his way home to Atlanta and shared her story. During the course of the flight to Atlanta she made a new friend in him, a new prayer warrior in Atlanta, and a guide though the apparently confusing and difficult Atlanta airport. He helped her find her carry-on at the baggage claim, and it was safe with all her valuables inside. It's no coincidence that she was sitting next to that guy. That's God.

Here's an even better one: Arriving at the airport with five very large and heavy bags (some were actually huge plastic containers on wheels), which were going to cost an arm and a leg to check, she met an airport employee at the baggage check-in. The man, they found out quickly, was from Sudan (in Africa). He noticed she had a LOT of bags, and then saw where she was going - one-way - and said in his funny accent, "OH! You are going on a mission! God Bless you God bless you! I will HELP you!" And that sweet Sudanese man proceeded to help her rearrange some things and consolidate things so that every bag was exactly the right size and weight -- saving her over $700 in costs! Of all the people that could have been working that counter, that afternoon, at that airport, for that airline. This is NOT a coincidence, people. This is God's hand in EVERY detail!

I hope to Skype with mom very soon and plan to keep relaying some stories of her adventures in Africa. She also has her own blog about her adventures.

Snow

2011-02-05T15:56:00.003-06:00

Call me a scrooge, but I HATE snow. I dislike being cold, I loathe the dry air that makes my skin crackly, and the mess left behind by the melting nastiness hurts my feelings. We usually get one or two snow events in the span of one winter around here. This is the second. Thankfully, while I type this, the sun is out, the snow is mostly melted and the roads are clear and dry. Wish it would have happened 24 hours earlier. I'm especially mad at this snow because it made me miss the departure of my mom to Africa. Questionable roads this morning made us stay at home while many other family members gathered at DFW airport for final hugs and goodbyes. I do think I get to claim the title of "last" - I talked to her on the phone just before the battery died and she started boarding.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our latest snow day. We made the most out of the powdery white stuff.

No snowmen this time, just snow balls!

Not Snowballs. Actual balls. In the snow.

Snow. Yay. Spring now, please!

Request

2011-02-01T21:34:00.002-06:00

The kids and I took a 5 day trip to visit my mom and grandparents before Mom leaves for her two-year missionary assignment in the Congo Republic on Saturday (4 days!).

We visited the Fort Worth Zoo, rode a train, played outside, spent Sunday at church and with family, and even had a picnic lunch outside! (In January!). I would post pics of the zoo and the train, BUT I misplaced my memory card and the pictures are missing. BOO! Thankfully, mom's got them on her computer so I'll eventually get them and I will post them here.

Please pray for her as she goes:

- that the airports at DFW and Atlanta will be clear and unfrozen
- that all FIVE of her large luggages (I honestly can't think of the actual word for a very large plastic bin filled with two-years worth of necessities) would arrive on time and intact.
- that the security process would go smoothly and flawlessly
- that once she gets there she gets settles in easily
- that her internet connection works well so we can Skype frequently!
- Most of all, that her work there will make a difference for countless girls and women, and that Christ's love will be shown through her amazing sacrifice for this people.

I know she would appreciate the prayers as she begins this HUGE journey.

snot

2011-02-01T21:14:00.002-06:00

The last few weeks have been filled with lots and lots of snot around here. All four of us have had the gunkies. Greg was lucky enough to kick his after only a couple of days. Caleb and Carly both had nice sinus and ear infections, each getting steroids, antibiotics, and Carly got some prescription cough medicine. They both went back for a recheck today (two weeks later) and Caleb STILL has a bad ear. So more (expensive) medicine. I also have been feeling yucky for 9 days now so today I got a cortisone shot and a z-pak, which I would love to start WORKING already..

So, it's official, my family is allergic to January.

Our office redo

2011-01-18T15:25:00.003-06:00

Last week I - meaning my mom, Greg and sometimes me - rearranged our office to make it less cluttered and to try to make it more kid-friendly. So the kids could come in and play or watch TV while I sew or work on the computer. With my mom's brains and Greg's brawn we accomplished much! I don't have any before pictures.. sorry. I don't really want to remember the way it was anyway. But here it is now! All we did was remove one rather large piece of furniture and rearrange the rest to maximize the floor space. It's amazing! What you can't see now is the art easel and toy box on the right wall, which is great for the kiddos to play and be creative while mom's in here creating stuff.

The original plan was to switch Carly's bigger room with this room, but after one stroke of genius and a tape measure, it was determined that her room was only one foot longer and the same width as this room, which translates to 11 square feet. Which translates to not worth the trouble.

Look what got uncovered! The poor piano had been used as a storage surface - still able to be played but not the ideal place. I like it much better here, and the kids demand a concert now and then too.

It's still a work in progress. I want to make a shade for the window to protect the backside of the piano, and cover some canvasses with colorful fabric for decoration, and add a row of shelving above the computer desk to hold the printer and scanner and TV. But it's so nice to have a clean and organized workspace!

Birthday number three for number two

2011-01-10T21:33:00.007-06:00

Today is Carly's birthday! My baby is three! I will not do the sentimental letter to my daughter post, nor will I make a list of all her accomplishments this year, but I will photo-bomb you with pictures from her party at Chuck E Cheese! Thank goodness the snow cleared off the roads so we could even have the party! I'm so thankful for all of our family and friends that came to celebrate Carly's special day with us!

Her "Big Fat (flat) Cake"

Mom and my girl:

Caleb SkeeBallin with Mimi:

Carly playing games with MaMaw:

Birthday girl

Mom getting in on the action. I love driving games!

Sweet big brother. I have to brag on Caleb -- he was so sweet and helpful all day. He was genuinely excited for Carly's birthday. He wanted her to see her presents and was singing "Happy Birthday" to her in the car.

Doing a dance with ChuckE:

Pizza!!

Cake!!

She smiled so sweetly while we sang to her! It was so cute.

Blowing out the candles -- she totally gets it this year!

Presents!! And a wad of curious kids!

Carly got her "ooooone more Barbie"

Greg and I had another special present for her at home. Caleb didn't know what it was -- can you see the excitement in his hands?

A Bike!

With Dora on it!

She likes it! Now if the snow would melt and we could get back to our regularly scheduled temperatures, she can take it outside to practice riding!

Happy Birthday to our funny, smart, outspoken, sassy little THREE YEAR OLD!

Happy Snow!

2011-01-10T21:11:00.002-06:00

Sunday after church it began to snow on us. I was not excited about it, because when it snows here life pretty much shuts down, and we were having Carly's birthday party the next day. Thankfully, it didn't stick much to the roads, so we enjoyed our snow day and were still able to have the party on Monday. Here are the pictures from our snow day!

My beautiful back yard:

Busy Kids building two snowmen:

Caleb was all about the snowman!

It was a good wet snow that was great for snowball fights across the road. Greg tormented the neighbors for a while!

Carly trying to throw a snowball. It kept sticking to her fleece mitten.

The boys making a snow mound:

Carly's big handful:

And this is me getting hit with a snowball, while my husband doubles over with laughter in the background.

And this is me about to get hit by yet another snowball (it's midair in the top left corner of the picture)

Happy Snow Day!

What's the word?

2011-01-02T22:06:00.003-06:00

A few months ago in Mops, one of our speakers mentioned that she every year, she picks one word as a theme for the coming year. I thought that was a fabulous idea, and immediately started thinking about what I wanted my word for 2011 to be. The Lord brought one to my mind almost immediately.

Serve.

The reason I say God brought this word to mind is because I know this is not something I would come up with on my own. Mine would probably be "clean", or "responsibility", or "forgive." But that word, "serve" has been coming to my mind constantly since then, at odd moments, or when I need a re-focus.

My goal for this year is to concentrate on that word. Serve. In my world, this will mostly be directed to my family. I'm still thinking and praying about whether it will mean something more than that. But I think most of all it's an attitude that I'm being prompted to adopt. It's also a guaranteed way to take my focus off myself -- where it likes to be the most.

Serving others is a surefire way to eliminate selfishness. It's the ultimate in humility. Jesus served his disciples when he washed their feet. His entire life on earth was a service to humanity. The Message paraphrase says it like this: Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. (Matthew 20:26-28)

It seems a good way to imitate Christ is to become a servant like He was.

So that's my focus in 2011 and beyond. Serve.

What's your word?

Christmas Even More!

2011-01-01T18:49:00.000-06:00

New Year's Day we had our last Christmas get-together with my family.

Mimi and Poppy with Caleb and Carly:

My boys making the same face.. so cute!

Carly's new movie! We are SOOO in to Tinkerbell lately!

Caleb's new penguin pal and Carly got a ladybug pillow pet!

Mimi showing off her new scarf and charm:

.....ANNNNNND.... last but not least.... the Fruitcake!!

She's a genius, with no lack of confidence.

2010-12-31T19:26:00.002-06:00

Tonight's dinner conversation. New Year's Eve pizza in the living room on TV trays watching college football bowl games.

Caleb: Daddy, do you know everything?
Greg: No, I don't know everything.
Me: But he does know a LOT!
Caleb: Well, who knows everything?
Me: GOD is the only one who knows everything.

three-second pause

Carly: And me. I know everything too.
Me: No, Carly, you don't know everything, only God knows everything.
Carly: Yes I do.
Me: No, you don't.
Carly: Yes, I do!

....I could go on, but do you need any more proof that she is already a know-it-all? I thought not.

Also overheard during dinner tonight:

Greg, to Caleb: The older you get, the more you'll learn. Then the older you get the more you forget.

I think that bears repeating: The older you get, the more you forget! I'll have to remember that one.. hardyharhar.

Our vacation to "Dallas"

2010-12-30T18:50:00.012-06:00

This week we went for a short visit to "Dallas." I put "s around it because for the majority of the time we were actually in Grapevine. However, I told the kids we were going to Dallas to visit some friends, and stay in a hotel, and they took me at my word and kept asking, "When will we get to Dallas? What are we going to do at Dallas? Will there be elevators and escalators at Dallas?" We stopped trying to correct them and just rolled with it.

First we met some of our good friends Brian, Tiana, Kennedy and baby Jameson, and had lunch and roamed the mall:

Boys....

I'm so bummed I didn't get a picture with Tiana! Haven't seen each other in three years and we forgot to get a picture. Boo. :(

After they left to go back to Austin, we checked in to our hotel and explored for a few minutes before we went to the Bass Pro Shop to look around. It's a fun place for little kids and big kids alike!

Checking out the boats:

Catching the Big One:

And picking out our new ATV: haha

We caved and went back to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. It was wild... and loud! And dark. Well, at least we can say we've been there. It's the experience that counts, right? :)

While we waited for out table, I did a little shopping and Greg took the kids on a little train ride around the mall.

Loving each other:

The next day we took the kids to downtown Dallas to the Dallas World Aquarium to see lots of pretty birds, lizards, turtles, fish, sharks, rays, and manatees.

Carly feeding a toucan. Caleb did too but the picture was blurry. Boo.

Three story indoor waterfall.

Sharks! Lots of them! The shark tank was a tunnel shape so the sharks (and rays!) could swim over and all around us. And it was against a dark background. Freaky!

Look at the face on my daughter. She was making a "sly" face. Stinker!

The belly of a shark:

Sharks, Rays, and Greg. The three biggest menaces to fish societies everywhere. Ha!

Shark over my head!!

Some pretty, calm, non-threatening flamingos:

Manatees! Those boogers are HUGE! This one was right up on the glass chomping on a piece of floating wood.

Afterward we ate lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Dallas before we headed home. The kids had a great time and we successfully wore them out!

Christmas Again!

2010-12-30T18:30:00.004-06:00

Christmas Day, my mom and brother came over for lunch and presents. This is Mamaw's last holiday with us before she goes to Africa in February! We posed the kiddos and got some great shots with her. This one is my favorite:

Carly shows off one present. Toy Storyyyyyy!

Caleb loved his watercolor set from Aunt Melody! In fact, both kids got a set and both love it!

Proof that Uncle Cody was here:

A little down time on Christmas afternoon. This was a huge treat for them. Normally we don't let the kids in our bed, ever! But the grownups were watching football or basketball or some other such sport in the living room, and they got the boot! (Caleb wasn't sleeping.. I think he blinked)

Even more to come!

Christmas!

2010-12-25T10:21:00.006-06:00

Two days before Christmas, we made sugar cookies and decorated them with icing, sprinkles, raisins, marshmallows, and candy-covered sunflower seeds (pantry cleanout!). The kids had a blast!

Caleb with all our masterpieces

Carly's cookies

Caleb's cookies

Christmas Eve, our family of four opened gifts to and from each other. This year, we took each of the kids shopping separately and had them pick out a gift for their sibling, mommy, and daddy. We tried to focus on giving much more than what they would receive. So this little Christmas Eve exercise was perfect because we had lots of time to focus on each gift, and make sure to thank the giver of the gift. Caleb got great joy out of seeing Carly open the gift he picked out for her. And Carly was really excited to tell Caleb that she picked out the red bow on his gift because he loves red. So cute!

Caleb helped hand out gifts

Carly gave him a dart gun! Fun times ahead!

Carly getting excited

This is a big box! Need to stand up to open it!

Caleb waiting and watching patiently

New Barbie! It's a "flying ballerina Barbie"

Setting out milk and cookies for Santa! So excited!!!

And then Santa came! The whole stash:

Caleb's pile:

Carly's pile:

Their shared gifts:

Christmas morning! Caleb sorting through his stuff:

Carly looking at her stash:

They each got a recorder in their stockings. Yeah, thanks a lot, Santa. *headslap*

Carly got some Dora earrings in her stocking. They lasted about 4.7 seconds on her ears. Just long enough to get a picture!

More to come! Merry Christmas everyone!

Scenes of the Season

2010-12-20T12:39:00.007-06:00

Funny little double-jointed elf helping decorate the house

That pair of legs at the top of the ladder belong to my 75-year-old Grandpa. He built me a swing for Christmas and came prepared to hang it for me too!

Testing it out. Carly was still wondering where her blue baby swing went so we could put the new one up.

Will it hold???

We had round one of gift-giving with Greg's family. All the kids got very large stuffed animals. Carly, being very afraid of dogs, did her death-shake at the first glimpse of it, then realized it was soft and fuzzy and not going to eat her and tolerated it. She still doesn't allow it in her bed at night. Caleb, on the other hand, had his dog named -- Fluffly -- by within a few hours and has slept with - no, under - it every night since. Happy Time!

See, Caleb was already burying himself with Fluffly, and Carly was doing her best to hold it at arms length. Except it is longer than her arm's length! (She does like it, but was not sure at first)

Obligatory present-unwrapping photo:

Christmas can wear anyone out! I love this because of all the beautiful fabrics surrounding my beautiful baby girl. Two of my favorite things!

And just so you know,even though she's wearing the same outfit, these picture were taken on different days. Carly wears her Christmas dress at least twice a week, and to pretty much any function that results in photos being taken. We both love it that much!

And here's my Christmas card display this year. I posted a question on Facebook and got lots of great ideas for where I should display them. This was my favorite idea and worked perfectly for our house. And, because I'm nice, I cropped the mauve 80s pineapple wallpaper border out of the photo. No one should have to see that. :)

Family Pictures

2010-12-20T12:00:00.008-06:00

This month, we had family pictures taken for the first time since we've been a family of four! It's sad, really, that Carly's existence has never been photographed professionally. My friend Kathryn, who is not actually a professional but should be, took these photos as a fundraiser to send her husband on a trip to Uganda with Parental Care Ministries. I've gotten to hear about PCM several times, and it is a wonderful ministry that is based right here in my town.

I went into the session with low expectations for my kids. Caleb and I had talked a lot about taking pictures, and what he was going to wear, and how to smile and act good. It depends on the mood of the day whether he remembers that coaching. But Carly, being two, and being Carly, I expected her to do exactly what she did. Turn her head, frown, bite her lips, look away... However, Kathryn did an amazing job capturing her, even with those funny faces.

So, enjoy these great, fun pictures of my family. I didn't re-order or organize them after I uploaded them, so they aren't in any particular order. They are all just so good that I had a hard time picking just a few, so I didn't. I pretty much loaded all of them!

Little girls and their daddies.... melt my heart!

My Love

My boy, the model! These next few pics are doing double-duty, showing off some outfits I make and sell.

The Boys

Sweet girl

Grown up Boy

My other two loves

Not sure, but I love it!

Merry Christmas from The Family Rice!

Bright Blue Friday

2010-11-26T22:28:00.004-06:00

Forget Black Friday. When you're in the country, the lure of the shopping mall is small. Instead, we had crisp weather, bright blue skies, and a big red tractor. Friday Fun!

Today I learned how to drive a tractor. I'm always up for an adventure, and I'll admit, I was scared I would crash. Which is funny since we were in the middle of a field, ha!

Grandpa telling me what to do. I was standing on the clutch, because I'm too light to hold it down and sit, and he was standing right in front of the big tire. And he told me if I let go of the clutch it would run him over and "kill your old Grandpa." No pressure!!

"I'm SCAAAAAARED!!!!"

"Wait, you're leaving?! what do I do? Eeeks!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks!"

I did it! I think I drove about half a snail's pace, but only because he didn't tell me how to go faster. Or where the brakes were. But I didn't crash, and no one got injured. I'd call that a success!

Meanwhile, Melody perched, and looked very pretty doing it!

Caleb's turn. This is the reason we come to Grandma and Grandpa's house according to Caleb!

Daddy and his girl

Carly's first tractor ride. She's never wanted to go before today. In fact, last time we put her on the tractor, this happened. And it was just parked in the field.

Cracking a smile!

I love this one. So much.

Giving thanks in a big way

2010-11-26T22:06:00.004-06:00

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving celebration this year. We went west to Boyd, to my grandparents house, and gathered with aunts, uncles, and cousins for a Thanksgiving meal that of course included singing, picture-taking, and football-commentating, ahem, football-watching.

Caleb and I planned ahead and made the fruit salad the day before. He loved helping stir the pistachio pudding into the cool whip and watching it turn green.

Here are a few of the highlights from photo-overload-time. Seriously, there were *at least* five cameras snapping pictures all at once.

These are my cute and sweet Grandparents. One thing I love most about these two people is that after 54 years together, they still laugh. A lot. And flirt with each other, and giggle, and poke fun. Such role models of how a marriage should work. I think the subject of laughter in this picture was a slapped behind... I won't say who did the slapping.. *gasp*

This is my mama and all of her kids. The last time we'll all be together for a long time! Mom's about to start a missionary assignment in Africa for two years, and Melody and Naeole are moving to Hawaii in December.

Our little family.. it would've been a great picture.. if only Carly had smiled.

Here's an actual picture.. again, Carly wouldn't smile. She's two, you know.

These are all but three of the grandkids and great-grandkids of those two cute old people. 13 grandkids, 2 married-ins, and 2 great-grandkids in all!

Sweet times with my fun and huge family! 23 people in all for Thanksgiving dinner, and great memories to take home and treasure.

It's like she knew....

2010-11-21T21:11:00.003-06:00

... that I had devoted an entire blog post to her brother. In fact, that very night she proved that she will not be outdone. As the baby of the family, she craves the attention. Must be in the spotlight. Must return to center stage any way she can. Apparently her wit and charm didn't do the trick that day, so when all else fails, self-mutilation works.

3 am Thursday morning. Screaming from Carly's room. Greg ran in, I was about 10 paces behind. (It takes me longer to wake up and sprint across the house..) Baby standing in the middle of the floor, scream-crying, covered in blood -- mouth, cheeks, arms, hands. Shocking for all involved.

The poor child had fallen out of her bed and bit her bottom lip on the way down. Why she was that close to that edge of the bed, I don't know. She normally sleeps in the corner by the wall. What she was even doing awake, if she even was, is also a mystery. But I do know one thing. She has now raised the bar quite high as far as attention-getters go. Caleb better study up 'cause he's 'bout to get hisself showed flat up!

*Disclaimer: No children were actually injured due to attention-grabbing schemes. That was a joke. Just in case you have no sense of humor.

The heart of a child

2010-11-17T13:41:00.003-06:00

I have a lot of things I need to doing during this, my "free" time, while both kids nap. But today I'm blogging about my boy. Caleb has been growing up spiritually and emotionally a lot lately. Physically, he is now a "big kid," meaning I have to shop for clothes in the BOYS section. NOT in the Baby/Toddler Section. No more "T"s on the tags (3T, 4T, etc.). His baby fat cheeks are slimming down. His legs and thighs are skinny and muscular. And his brain is exploding in size and depth! (His feet are still huge and flat, poor kid. But God made us all special, didn't He? And Caleb has special-sized feet.)

Lately I've been answering -- or attempting my best guess -- at a lot of questions. Deep questions. Since we lost Tracy in January, he's become aware of death. That is still the hardest talk I've ever had. Trying to explain to an innocent child why we die and where we go and why we are sad but joyful at the same time. Since I stumbled my way through that conversation, it seems his little mind has been tirelessly pondering the unknown. His sense of time is developing. His sense of self is developing. And I truly believe his heart is turning toward Jesus.

Some of the recent questions and conversations we've had are centered on this. This very morning he was asking me, "How old will I be when I die?" I told him only God knows that, and we just live for Him everyday and wait. Then, "Why doesn't God tell us? I think He should!" I honestly didn't have an answer for that one.

The things that he knows already astound me. He knows that Jesus is a man. He knows that Jesus is God. He knows that God is big. So big He can hold the world, and "a whole waterfall" in his hands. That concept in itself is enough to baffle most.

He knows that he sins. He knows it is wrong. (He doesn't know why he keeps doing it... do you? Me either.) He knows how to love others. He knows that it hurts Jesus when he hurts others.

Frequently, we talk about Heaven and Hell. I have told him that when a person chooses to love Jesus, and have Him in their heart, they get to go to Heaven. The alternative is Hell, which we've talked about in appropriate language for his age. We talk about who we KNOW will be there. Jesus, Tracy, I'm going, Daddy's going, etc., So of course, he says he is going to choose Jesus. (And I almost always hear Carly chime in that she is going to choose Jesus too!) We've talked about praying to ask Jesus to come in his heart, but he's not quite ready to do that yet.

These are sweet, sweet times I love getting to share with my boy as he grows into a man. My heart yearns for him to understand and grasp the things he's thinking about. I truly believe that the Lord puts these things in a child's mind at a young age, before their surroundings can spoil their perspectives. How wonderful that I've been given the opportunity to grow this child up in the ways of the Lord, and nurture what comes naturally to him. It is surely the greatest blessing and responsibility I've ever been given. Thank you, Lord!

Favorite Song

2010-11-05T16:30:00.005-06:00

Lately I've been "studying" the Christmas CD for our church's Christmas program. It's been playing in the car so I can listen to the parts and just get to know the music. It's a great lineup of music and I'm super excited to be a part of the music ministry at my church. There is one particular song, which is not a Christmas song, but is a huge bombastic finale song that serves as a proclamation of Who we sing about and all the names for God.. well, this song is Caleb and Carly's FAVORITE song in the world! Can't blame them, actually. It's a powerful song. And every time we get in the car they beg for me to skip to their favorite part of the song-- the end, of course. I LOVE to watch their reactions when the massive choir starts (basically) shouting out the names of God! Caleb literally starts jumping up and down as much as he can in his car seat and laughing and giggling. It touches my heart to see such a sweet and innocent outflow of joy. Just thinking about it makes my eyes water! I've gotten to where I can't look in the mirror while I drive because my eyes get so cloudy I can't see to drive! Carly grins the entire time too. She is such a funny girl-- wants to be just like big brother. The words of that part of the song are below:

Wonderful, Glorious!
Holy and righteous!

Victorious conqueror!
Triumphant and Mighty!
Healer, deliverer!
Shield and Defense!
Strong Tower and my Best Friend!

Omnipotent, Omnipresent Soon-Coming King!
Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything!

Holy, Holy, HOLY is your name!

Great words, huh? Now, listen to it put to music:

"Lord, You're Holy" sung by the Prestonwood Baptist Choir and Orchestra

(the kids' favorite part starts at 3:10ish)

Can you see why I get emotional at the fact that my four-year-old son goes crazy at this song?! It's IN.CRED.I.BLE!!!

And if you want to see it performed live by a choir and orchestra almost as big as this one, make plans to come to the Green Acres Baptist Church Christmas program this December 12th and 13th. I'll be trying my best to play my French Horn and not cry through this one. :)

Christmas Open House!

2010-10-30T09:45:00.002-06:00

(click picture to enlarge)

Looking for Christmas gifts? Birthdays coming up? Baby Showers? Just because? Come and visit us on this night for lots of crafty cuteness and get a jump on your Christmas shopping. I have some all-new dresses up to size 5 that I'll have for sale (Christmas ones too!) as well as "the usual" cute stuff! My friends will have a ton of cute stuff too! If nothing, come for the food and door prizes!

Drapes and the Melody

2010-10-20T21:58:00.010-06:00

I have this vintage pattern.. okay so maybe it isn't vintage.. It was printed in 1983. Which happens to be the year I was born. Anyway, this pattern is for a toddler dress, in very 80s fashion, which I happen to LOVE. What made me NEED to make this pattern is the model on the front of the package.

See? I call this dress the Melody, after my little sister, who looked exactly like this at that age...

SEE??

So, I've had this in my to-do pile for over a year, waiting for the perfect fabric to use. I finally got it. Back when I was a bow-making fool, I made a black and cream toile bow, because I love toile.

I had nothing that matched it, but I didn't let it stop me. Black and white goes with anything, right? Right. Well, now that my daughter is almost three, and has never worn it, it was time to order the toile fabric and MAKE a dress to match this bow. Backwards, I know. Anyway, here's my version of this dress:

I added some length to it, and did knots at the shoulders instead of buttons. My girl loves it! Actually, she just loves dresses, so it's pretty easy to please her.

Yes, toile. But when I received the fabric, it looked eerily like my shower curtain in the guest bathroom.

Eerie like an identical twin. Which made me think, "My child is wearing a shower curtain." Which made me think of my all-time favorite movie, The Sound of Music. Maria makes the children "playclothes" out of the old drapes that were taken down out of her room, much to the chagrin of the captain. The exact exchange from the movie:

Captain: Is it possible, or could I have just imagined? Have my children by any chance been climbing trees today?
Maria: Yes, Captain.
Captain: I see. And where, may I ask, did they get these, uhm, these...
Maria: Playclothes.
Captain: Oh, is that what you call them?
Maria: I made them, from the drapes that used to hang in my bedroom...They still had plenty of wear left. The children have been everywhere in them.
Captain: Do you mean to tell me that my children have been roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes?!
Maria: (affirming) Umm, hmm, and having a marvelous time.

So, in conclusion, the dress reminds me of my sister. And a shower curtain. And I love it.

*As a side note to all my sewing friends, the instructions for all three views of this pattern were printed on front and back on ONE page! Can you even imagine a pattern these days with instructions on only one page?? It was not for the novice pattern-reader, I'll tell you that much. It was very abbreviated, to say the least!

A Day Out with Thomas

2010-10-15T18:48:00.006-06:00

Today Mom-o and Papaw (Greg's parents) took Caleb to the Texas State Railroad in Rusk for a Day Out with Thomas. It was a surprise to Caleb, and by the look on his face in these pictures, he had a great time!

Sir Topham Hatt

Playing with the trains and tracks

One happy boy!

So cute!

Thanks for the fun day Pam and Jerry! Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Pink Fire Trucks

2010-10-15T15:23:00.003-06:00

The "Pink Heals" Fire Trucks came through Tyler last week, so we went downtown to check them out. There were three or four of them parked on the square, and the kids enjoyed climbing on them. Ever since Carly's little comment to the Tyler firefighters during our family visit, I'd been wanting to take her to see the pink ones!

Written all over the trucks are words of support and memory for breast cancer survivors and those fighting the disease. Pretty neat!

The trucks lasted for about 3 minutes, then they saw the fountain. And that's where we spent the rest of our time before it got too dark to see.

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-15T14:28:00.006-06:00

Last Friday we went to Pappy's Pumpkin Patch in Tyler. We met my Mops group and some other friends, and the kids had a fun time playing, riding the hayride, and riding on the barrel train. Carly was not in the mood for picture that day however. So pretty much every picture I got of her is either the side of her face, or of her refusing to smile.. ahhhhhh, the terrible twos, I remember this stage with Caleb too. It will pass. But this year, we will remember those serious faces.

The ONLY picture of her smiling.. which I only got because she didn't know I was taking it.

Somebody pick me!

Carly's face pretty much sums up her attitude that whole morning..

I already posted this one... but doesn't he just look like a rock star!? And a whole lot like his Uncle Cody!

The Best Day

2010-10-08T07:32:00.004-06:00

Yesterday started off as a normal Thursday at the Rice house. It even stayed normal until about 5:30. The kids and I played inside and outside enjoying the beautiful weather, I did a little laundry, we had lunch, the kids took naps while I worked in the office. Greg got home from work early, which is normal these days since the grass is slowing down and he doesn't have as much to do. Then around 4:30 I was about to head to Walmart to get a few groceries when Greg convinced me to wait til supper time and we'd all go and grab Subway for dinner while there. (That should have been my first clue-- the man hates to grocery shop!) So we went outside to play a while instead. Then around 5:30 when we were just about to load up and go (or so I thought) some friends of ours, Alan and Heather, drove up. I figured they were just dropping by - which has happened once before. Although, I really wanted to say, "Soooooo, why are y'all here?" I was a polite host a graciously welcomed them... wondering, but not saying anything. They convinced us (me) to go get some dinner with them so I ran in my room to change my clothes. THEN, my in-laws showed up and said, "Hey, y'all want to go eat dinner?" I laughed out loud at what a funny coincidence it was... I think I even said, "Wow! People are knocking down our door to take us to dinner tonight!" Yeah, I was born blonde. (And apparently, I was also born yeterday!) So we all loaded up, the kids in the in-laws car, and then I had a brilliant idea. I suggested that we go with our friends somewhere and let the grandparents take the kids somewhere else. I didn't think Greg heard me, but when we turned the wrong direction and left them behind I kinda started freaking out a little inside, wondering where we going. I thought, "Greg is not freaking out, so it must be okay...?" After a few minutes he told me that he had told his parents we were going somewhere else and it was okay. Then when we turned onto Hwy 64, I was realllllly confused, because there are no restaurants on Hwy 64.. There is nothing on Hwy 64! About halfway down I suddenly had an idea, and burst out with "HEY!!!" That's when I thought I had figured it out, but I still wasn't sure. But when Alan turned into the Oil Palace it was confirmed. CHRIS TOMLIN!!!!!!

It was also confirmed at that moment that I can be extremely gullible, my friends are really good actors, and my husband and in-laws are VERY sneaky!!!

My funny husband kept all this a secret from me, for no reason than just for fun! No occasion. But it was SO GREAT! The whole thing was just cool. I mean, seeing Chris Tomlin in concert was beyond amazing!! But not knowing I would get to until I got there -- even better!!!

I have the best friends and family on the planet!

That's not very good!

2010-10-04T20:00:00.002-06:00

This evening we were headed outside to enjoy the deliciously cool weather. It was just moments before Monday Night Football and while I was putting Carly's socks on with the TV in the background. Then Carly pops out with, "That man, with the hair.. he told a lie. That's not very good!" (Family members, she said this in the same tone that her Uncle Cody used on the old family video of him saying "Don't take a picture wif us! That's not gooood.") She was talking about a new Head and Shoulders commercial featuring Troy Polamalu's huge hair..

Here is the commercial she was watching:

Totally worth the watch! I am amazed that she picked up on this after just one watch, and I didn't even realize she was paying attention!

Trying Again

2010-09-29T21:30:00.004-06:00

Remember last summer when I got tested for gluten sensitivity and did all that research and diet modification only to find out I didn't need to? You can read about it here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Yeah........

So, I still follow a few blogs from that adventure in eating, and entered a giveaway for a book called, "The Gluten Effect: how "innocent" wheat is ruining your health." Surprise! I won a copy of the book! I thought, what the hey, I'll do a little reading about it. It's written by two doctors. Admittedly, they are both chiropractors - and I am NOT a believer in chiropractic medicine - but I didn't know that until after I received the book. I decided to read it anyway, since both of these people did go to medical school, and know vastly more than I do about the inner workings of the human body. What I found was a very convincing scientific explanation of what is happening in my gut. They claim that many many many common conditions can be improved or cured by eliminating gluten from the diet. Let me list a few that might interest you:

-Digestive problems
-Autism, ADD, ADHD
-Arthritis
-Diabetes
-Irritable Bowel Syndrome
-Thyroid disorders
-Osteoporosis
-Depression (really?! yes!)
-Obesity and weight gain
-Fibromyalgia
-Skin problems
-Memory loss

A long and spread out list, huh? At first my thought was, "Riiiiight. Blame it all on wheat." But then I started reading. And I was convinced, again. I knew I felt a little better last summer when I cut gluten out for two weeks. But the human mind forgets quickly. I've been slipping lately also with my diary intake, as in, I've been eating way too much of it, and crossing that tolerance threshold often. Last week I cut back on that, only having dairy in items that are cooked or highly processed. I know from dealing with dairy for years that I can handle it in those forms, but I don't feel better yet.

I've been chiding myself for weeks now to go off gluten again, ever since reading the book. But I questioned myself. "what about all the food in the pantry? Can't throw it out" "Gluten free food is expensive, and we live on a budget so tight you can see through it" "I'll start tomorrow, right after I eat this gloriously buttery yeast roll." Excuses, excuses.

I made the decision earlier this week to phase out the gluten again. I can't go cold turkey, mostly because my pantry and freezer are full of things that need to be eaten, and then replaced with a gluten free alternative. I've been avoiding eating gluten-y foods, but still cooking them for the others. I'm not going to make the family go gluten free (yet!! hahahahaaaaa evil laugh) although I wonder if Caleb's constipation issues would improve if he did.

Today I stopped by the local grocery store (if you can call Drug Emporium that) that carries gluten free products and picked up three different bread mixes and one pizza crust mix. My two favorite forms of gluten: bread and pizza dough (yes, also bread. I love bread, which is why this is so hard!). Tomorrow I'm going to bake at least two of those loaves of bread and compare them. I hope to get all three made, so I can do a proper taste test. I can't wait!

Also, in my quest to make my guts happier, I'm going to limit myself on (gulp) Dr. Pepper.

It'll be good. I can handle it. .................... raawwwwwrrrrrr .......................

If anyone is interested in reading the book, I'd be happy to lend it to you. Just shoot me an email or leave a comment on this post.

Creativity

2010-09-23T09:17:00.002-06:00

So, I'm sitting at the sewing machine, maniac-ing away at a buttonhole-- which, with my new machine is so easy that I'm basically just holding the fabric flat while the machine does all the work-- and my mind starts to wander. Happens pretty regularly. Here is the order of my thoughts. Where is the dog? I haven't heard or seen her in a while. She's probably laying on the rug by the garage door, her usual spot. There's the fridge, Ooooh, it looks so black and shiny and clear of all magnets, how pretty! Then, my mind goes inside the fridge, and I take a mental inventory.. two bottles of ketchup, two grape jellys, mustard, two jars of garlic, rice milk, pizza sauce... DR. PEPPER!!!!!! MUST DRINK A DR. PEPPER RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!!!!

And that, people, is when you know you have a problem.

crazy hair girl

2010-09-16T22:14:00.003-06:00

After Carly's bath earlier this week:

And then she stuck her finger in a socket! All caught on camera! I joke, I joke.

Assume Nothing

2010-09-16T21:38:00.003-06:00

One of the most memorable lessons I learned in college was not so much of a lesson, but an illustration. On one of the first days of class my business professor, who also happened to be the dean of the business college, wrote one word on the white board.

ASSUME.

He then drew two vertical lines down the middle of the word, separating it into three parts.

His explanation was simple. "When you assume, you make an ____ of __ and ___."

I can't even tell you how important this piece of simple advice is. The people we know, the people we think we know, the people we don't know. Making assumptions is a natural thing that our imaginations must do in times of idleness. We see things, people, situations, with only partial vision, without knowing the full story. So naturally, we assume to fill in the blanks in our minds. Not a good idea. It brings undue judgment, misunderstanding, broken relationships, embarrassment, and shame upon you and the person you assume about. So the next time you think you see something, you think you know something, how about just leave it alone?

Assume nothing.

*Of course, this absolutely does not apply to situations involving possible danger, abuse, etc. If you failed to do something proactive about that, you would need to check and see if there truly is a heart within your chest. Just sayin.

Me, as a bullet list

2010-09-13T20:34:00.004-06:00

Edit: I have read, re-read, and re-read this post before I decided to publish it. Please know that I mean to cause no offense, hurt feelings, to "type between the lines" or convey any hidden messages in my words. It's me being honest and open. It's just me. And as you will soon find out, I'm uncomfortable with it. This was very hard for me to share, but I really felt I needed to. Couldn't tell you why.

I'm so proud that my blog has 16 followers. All of them I know personally, but all are from a different stage in my life. Some I haven't seen in years, some I just saw tonight. Some I know from college, some from childhood, some from church in another town, and others are in my daily social circle. And as different as all of those 16 (and I know there are more who read), people are, they all know different things about me, see different sides of me, have different memories of me, and think they know me. But I started thinking today, no one person in this world truly knows me. Many may think they do, and many know parts of me, and some may not know anything except what I publish here. So in honor of my followers, readers, friends, and acquaintances, here is a bullet list for you.

~ I was born in Tyler, grew up here, left here for college, married a boy from here, and said I would never come back. Then I had kids, and everything changed. Most of my family lives here, which translates to grandparents, which translates to HELP, and free babysitting. I am blessed.

~ I went to Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, AR. I went there for one year, and then got married. We moved to Austin, TX after that and I finished school at Concordia University. But I still have fond memories of that tiny little campus in the middle of a field surrounded by Arkansans who thought we were crazy for going to school so far from home.

~When I finished school in Austin, we couldn't wait to get out of that city. It is home for some people, and it isn't for some people. It wasn't for us. We moved to Fort Worth, TX, close to my mom and extended family. Both of our kids were born there, and we had a good three-ish years there. But home was still calling us, and it wasn't there either.

~ I have partial high school amnesia. Or maybe it could be called selective memory. High school was bad for me. I went to a great school and had great friends, and great activities going on, but it was hard. My family fell apart during those years and I learned the hard way how to cope with tragedy and anger. It's more than any child should have to bear, and sometimes I feel cheated out of my childhood. My siblings and I grew up too quickly and still carry the baggage from those years. I don't say this make anyone feel guilty, or to place blame. It's just part of who I am.

~ My husband is the complete polar opposite from me. Except when he is exactly like me. The necessary qualities I lack, he possesses. And what he needs, I have. There are qualities we both don't have, and there are things we both have. It's an amazing relationship with so many intricacies that no human matchmaker could ever find. And for that, I praise God. And I also thank God in advance for preparing spouses for my children in the same way. I may grumble and complain sometimes, (yes, I do that) but there is no one who completes my soul and heart like my beloved.

~ Believe it or not, I am not a very emotional person. In some ways, I can be, but mostly I have a hard time connecting with people on a level where I can share emotions. In fact, situations that call for appropriate amounts of emotion (the women know what I mean here!) make me extremely uncomfortable. I do okay in small groups with close-knit friends and prayer warriors, but in larger groups I get nervous, and almost always say something stupid, strange, or otherwise awkward. I deflect emotion by inserting humor. I'm learning to deal with this, and this process has been painful.

~ Things that make me cry are: music, happy memories that I wish I could relive, feeling judged or misunderstood. I take myself a little too seriously, and when someone tells me or insinuates that I am not good enough, it upsets me deeply. Then it just makes me angry.

~ I absolutely detest drama. I don't understand it. It's pointless and exhausting. Women are notoriously bad about this, and it makes me ashamed to be a woman sometimes. With drama comes conflict. Conflict makes me physically ill. So naturally, I avoid it.

~ I think people get a wrong impression that I am organized, put-together, and good at time management. In reality, I am a terrible housekeeper, a huge time-waster, and not very good at paying bills on time, answering phone calls or emails, or remembering to attend events that I signed up for. And since I can't work on every aspect of my life at once, I am working on the housekeeping thing. That's enough for my little brain to handle.

~ I have a very deep spiritual relationship. So deep that I can't even put it into words. I think thoughts that make so much sense to my soul, but my mouth cannot put words to them. It's like Jesus and I have our own language-- the unspoken language of understanding. And I'm realizing that as I get older and my relationship grows, it gets even deeper and even harder to explain. Which is, perhaps, God's way of keeping my heart his own. I can't share those thoughts with anyone else, so I treasure those things. Hide them in my heart. Commune with Him in the secret, quiet place that is my soul. Strange to some, maybe. But I think I know what it means to hide his word in my heart (Psalm 119:11). His word is alive, and he IS the word, so therefore, he is IN my heart. (John 1:1-2) I'm not saying that I feel like I have "arrived" spiritually. I haven't, and never will. I'm saying I know Jesus, and he dwells within my being. It is the greatest gift I've ever been given.

Hmmm. I can't really top that last one. I'm a complex person, just like you, and everyone else. I have sides, I have layers, I have a shell. I'm a paradox. I'm predictable. I'm deep. I'm stoic. I have feelings. I hide them. I'm confident. I'm insecure. I'm unpredictable. I'm of the line of Adam. A sinner, a miserable sinner. Thank you Lord for Jesus, and his redemptive sacrifice. Otherwise, I'd have no chance.

Feelbetters, Fru Fru, and Fire Trucks

2010-09-11T19:28:00.005-06:00

You expect for your teenager to ignore you. You expect to repeat yourself when telling an adolescent boy to put his dirty clothes up for the fourth time. But when your four-year-old suddenly stops responding to you when you say his name twice, you know something ain't right.

Caleb has been struggling with allergies (haven't we all!) the last few weeks, off and on, and we've been good about giving him his Singulair, but about Wednesday of last week I noticed he wasn't hearing me when I said his name. I would say it three times and then raise my voice before he would look up from whatever he was doing. I would have been more worried except I could hear the stuffiness in his voice so I thought his ears had to be all clogged up. He's had allergies before, and sinus infections, but never had it affected his hearing. Of course, a mom's worriful mind always goes there, but in the end, poor lil dude has both ears slightly infected, and LOTS of fluid behind his ears, thus causing "Eustachian tube disruption." I just love how our pediatrician address the child and tells him big words like that. Hilarious! So in addition to his nightly chewable pill, he now gets a special nose spray with an exercise in plugging his nostrils and blowing gently to try to pop his ears open, and some antibios.

On the same day, Greg woke up with a sinus/allergy attack and has two prescriptions he's taking too. So our kitchen counter is a regular pharmacy these days!

In other news, I've been a busy sewing maniac these days and knocking out my to-do list. Last Thursday I delivered three new outfits to Sparkles, to add to a few that were already there at the store, and can you believe that all three were gone that day! Jessica texted me to tell me to keep 'em coming, so I whipped up two more and took them over today. I've got three more cut out and ready to put together. I enjoy working with Jessica at Sparkles so much!

Today we took the kids to a fire station in Tyler. It was an impromptu visit-- We weren't even sure they would let us in. Greg knocked on the door and three fire fighters came to the door (pretty quickly, since the sign on the door reads, "knock for information or emergencies") and he asked if we could show our kids the fire truck. They were enthusiastic about their "Yes!" So we went in the big garage and walked around the ladder truck and the guys showed us all the hoses and axes and ladders, and then they opened it up and let the kids climb in the seats and see the inside. They even turned on the lights (and the siren accidentally -- loud!). Caleb did NOT want to leave. I was so excited that they were so nice and accommodating for us, just a little family out for a Saturday morning of fun. I asked if they take appointments for groups, and they told us of course! So, I'll be suggesting this to my MOPS group this week, for sure!

It was a fitting outing, considering today's date.

Funny face

Happy kid in the driver seat!

It's a really big truck!

Kids driving the truck

Carly got in the truck first, surprised? No.

Funniest thing of the day: While the kids were climbing around in the truck, I asked Caleb, "Do you want to be a firefighter when you grow up so you can drive this big truck?" He answered yes, and then Carly inserted her idea, "I want to drive a pink one!" The two guys thought that was hilarious!

New Background

2010-09-07T19:56:00.003-06:00

So how do you like the new layout? I am such a perfectionist, and when I get an idea in my mind I can't leave it along until I get it right. Unfortunately, I don't have photoshop or much knowledge about html and such so it takes me forever and still doesn't quite live up to my own expectations. I wanted to explain a little about the header, and the title of our family blog.

The header photo is of the humongous oak tree in our back yard. I've posted pictures of it here before. I love that tree, and especially the view I get to see out my back door. It's breathtaking when I stop and look. I love nature, and seeing the beauty and power in that one piece of nature touches me. So, that's the picture.

Next, the title. Why do I switch the words family and Rice? It's because of one of my most favorite movies ever, The Sound of Music. In the scene toward the end when the von Trapp family is making their stealthy getaway, the announcer (and friend of the family) calls their names as the winners of the concert. When they don't come, he calls their name differently, saying, "The Family von Trapp!" I don't know why, but I love the way that sounds. So proper and old fashioned. So, that's the title. Not that I am particularly old-fashioned, and I'm rarely proper.. but I try.

Now, the words at the bottom. These are song lyrics by Tenth Avenue North, from the song "Strong Enough to Save." The words just grab me. He'll break open the sky to save those who cry out His name. That makes me think of a lover ripping through a barrier to run full-speed toward his beloved when she calls out his name for help. That's love, people. The One the wind and waves obey is strong enough to save you. So don't be afraid to call on the name of the Lord! Not only is he strong enough, he is willing.

So, anyway, there's my explanation of the new blog. Not that I needed to explain, but I thought it might be nice to give all 16 of my readers a small glimpse into my heart and mind.

Carly's Bed

2010-09-05T21:13:00.003-06:00

I finished Carly's bedding over the weekend. For more pictures and details, click here.

I know it's not terribly girly or fru-fru, and I'm working on that. I've got lots of ideas for throw pillows and room decorations to make it more little-girl friendly. But the idea behind it is to grow with her, like until she leaves for college. I'm pleased with the outcome, especially with how relatively easy it was to make. Now, I've got to get back to my paying to-do list!

Painting the Bathroom and Entryway -- a waytoolong project

2010-08-25T20:51:00.007-06:00

We have had plans for the outdated wallpaper in our house since before it was our house. It was not a priority, and that's why it's been two years. But this summer I got the redecorating itch. My Tracy said once, "you kids really like to paint huh?" He was right, I guess. It's not so much the work I like but the finished product. And I was really tired of the mauve seashells in my bathroom. REALLY tired.

The entry wallpaper wasn't TOO awful....

...until I accidentally (on purpose) hung our Christmas cards on it with double-sided tape.

So, first step: what's the best way to remove the wallpaper? Don't. Paint over it with oil-based primer. Stink! That was an all-day project that involved ridding the house of children. I think that was around May.

Here's a tidbit of information for you to file away. Oil-based paint does not come off of human skin. Or ceramic tile. Or solid-surface countertops. Still looking for a solution to the last two, but thankfully the human body regenerates skin in a timely fashion, so the paint wore off my hands (and a few places on my legs and ankles) in about 5 days. I'm not even kidding.

Step Two: determine if it's possible to just paint over the primed wallpaper without showing the imperfections in the wall or paper. It wasn't.

Step Three: Retexture the walls. No small feat. But with lots of painting professionals and experienced DIY-ers in my circle of acquaintance, I gathered the knowledge and tools necessary. For free, thanks to two generous neighbors! This was mid-July..

I do realize that this is a picture of a blank white wall. Hopefully you can see the texture in the photo.

The kids thought it was funny that mommy was standing on the countertop.

And finally, step 4: Paint! We went with "Willow Tree", a grayish green that goes well in both spaces.

In one small stroke of insanity, we let the kids paint for a few minutes. They had fun, and didn't make too big a mess. Carly did NOT like getting paint on her hands, just like her mama!

The finished Entryway:

And, the Bathroom!

The countertops, cabinets, and fixtures will eventually change as well, if we stay in this house long enough.

I tried to get a good picture of the view from the master bedroom, since it's all open. It's hard to get the lighting right to take a picture of an open doorway! But here it is:

I still need to rehang the art and frames on the walls, but you can see the difference a little work (ok, it was a LOT of work) makes! We just finished this last Saturday, the 21st of August.

Big Girl, the final phase

2010-08-24T20:29:00.002-06:00

It's completely official now -- we have no more babies in this house! I already posted about Carly being potty trained (so awesome!) and now we've made the transition into the full size bed and out of the crib. After our Austin trip we did a countdown of nights until the "crib fairy" was going to come and take Carly's crib away to another baby who needs it. I kinda stuck my foot in my mouth with that one, because she wanted to see a real fairy! I backpeddled my way through a story comparing the crib fairy to Santa Claus -- she only comes after you are fast asleep. Daddy took the crib apart and out to the garage and the crib fairy came that night and took it away (to the attic).

When Caleb made the transition at 18 months, it. was. torture. Getting up 873 times a night, waking up at 4:30 am for the day, turning on the TV at 2:00am.. it was out of control! I was also about 5ish months pregnant with Carly, so that made getting up in the night even more fun. So we expected the absolute worst this time around, since Carly is our "spirited" child. (That role is fast diminishing with the emergence of her brother's horrendous state of four-year-old-ness. I'm just saying. It's the worst. stage. ever.)

First night, Carly was a little freaked out. For about a month the bed has been set up in her room next to the crib. We figured with her being as independent as she is, she would quickly shoose the big bed. Wrong. The first afternoon nap lasted 7 seconds and she asked to get back in the crib. I didn't push her, and put her in the crib. She never chose the big bed after that, until the crib fairy came. That first night she looked around in bewilderment and snuggled into the far corner of the bed and laid face-down on a pillow and didn't move. At all. I think she was scared outta her shell but wouldn't say anything. Think about being 3 feet tall in a wide open space for the first time. She slept the whole night through and woke up happy and triumphant the next morning. We haven't had any problems at all with her getting out of bed or playing. She knows the rule. DO NOT get out of bed unless you need to pee or poop. That's it. So far she's followed it too, and gotten out of bed a couple of times to go potty. Such a big girl!

And, after the 2 am TV watching incident a couple of years back, we've evolved as parents enough to know that's what spring-mounted baby gates are for! Duh!

The Driskill Hotel, Austin

2010-08-17T19:55:00.007-06:00

Since we were in Austin for Melody's wedding last weekend, Greg and I decided to splurge and go on "vacation" by ourselves. We haven't been on an official vacation since well before we had kids, and it was high time! We booked a night at the Driskill Hotel downtown and shopped til we dropped. Fun!

We ate at Freebirds, (yum!) shopped at the Round Rock outlets (scored some sweet deals!), Tyler's (because it's cooler than Racket and Jog), Garden Ridge (disappointment!!!!!), and World Market (for wine and other fancies), and ate at FuddRuckers. Those places were all on my list for being "only in Austin" things, or "because Tyler doesn't have it" things. I am totally satisfied with our trip and don't feel like we missed anything. We even swung by the new Concordia University campus, and saw the remnants on the old campus. Sniff, sniff.. the place where I spent a huge chunk of my time from 2002-2005 is completely gone! Like, it's a huge hole in the ground now. The new campus is pretty, but it holds no meaning to me. I'll always remember those stinking old buildings and driving past the panhandlers in search of a parking spot.

Here are some pics from our hotel:

The staircase on the main floor

The floor

The ceiling

The mezzanine level

Looks ancient, but is sturdy and soundly built

Historic Painting of the hotel back in the day

The walls were covered in these ornately framed paintings, I think t his one is neat because it was near the cattle baron's suite and looks like a big gathering of the cattle barons.

Acting silly on the furniture. There were lots of fancy little sitting areas in every corner.

The details in the hotel amazed me! Look at how neat the flooring is!

There were also a ton of random bookshelves around the place. This one is in the tiny elevator lobby at the end of the 12th floor.

And even the rooms had neat details. I love how the molding on the ceiling creates a visual effect of an even higher ceiling, and they painted it orange! Who would ever think?

And here's us at the wedding, glam huh!

Melody's Wedding

2010-08-17T19:08:00.005-06:00

Why you should replace the fridge filter more than once ever.

2010-08-17T18:29:00.003-06:00

Because it can make a huge mess! And be very expensive! And make you look like a fool to the 8 plumbers you call to repair a hot water heater that isn't broken!

Apparently, changing the water and ice filter on the refrigerator isn't so much of a suggestion as much as it is completely and utterly necessary. Greg found a puddle around the water heater in the garage early Saturday morning, and assumed it was leaking. After some investigation and making the connection with some recent musty smells, we discovered the carpet under our dresser in the master bedroom was soaked, which is just on the other side of the wall from the water heater. The tile grout in our two pantry areas was also wet-looking. So we called around to several plumbers, trying to find someone who was 1) working on Saturday and 2) wouldn't cost three arms and two legs. We ultimately decided to buy our own heater and get the hourly plumber out to install it for maximum money savings. His first available was Monday morning, so we unplugged it and turned the water off to it and attempted to drain the water out. That evening we noticed MORE water by the back door, and figured the water heater was still leaking somehow. We traced the water to the fridge. Greg pulled it out from the wall and discovered a huge puddle under it! STILL thinking it was from the water heater, but wanting to be safe, we unhooked the water line from the fridge and mopped up the water. By that time it was time to get packed and ready to leave for Austin early the next morning. No time to mess with it anymore.

Skip forward to Monday, the heater gets installed while we are living it up in Austin, and we come back home to dry floors and hot water. Yay! So Greg reconnected the water line to the fridge. Couple of hours later there was more water. HUGE puddle under the fridge, and wet carpet in the bedroom again. Just great!!!!!! This time the investigation showed us the filter was leaking when attached, and when he unscrewed it, the water stopped. Awesome. The filter was apparently clogged and full and spewing water onto the floor. So, today I picked up a new filter for $40ish and we have a brand new hot water heater that was totally unnecessary. I'm going to tell myself we preformed preventative maintenance on the water heater to keep myself from having a money meltdown. Argh!

p.s. In regards to preschool (see previous post), we've decided not to send him. One more year with my boy getting to be a little boy at home with his mama is the right decision for our family. Thanks for the comments on here and on Facebook. I respect each and every one of you and am thankful for wonderful friends!

To go or not to go?

2010-08-03T13:07:00.002-06:00

That's a lot of Os!

We might have the opportunity to send Caleb to pre-k in the fall. I just found this out last week, and now my universe has been altered. I had it in mind that Caleb would be at home one more year before starting Kindergarten, since we really can't afford preschool. But this opportunity has come up, and it's very hard to say no. My only hangup is that it's 8-3 every day. For my boy that still takes a 2 hour nap every day, 8-3 is going to be hard for us. I'm sure they will get a rest time, (they better, if they know what's good for them!) But that is not 2 hours in bed at home = not top-quality rest.

I am torn. Send him or not? I still have to apply and be approved, but I think the mama in me is the only one here that isn't ready. I'm sure he would do fine, and probably excel beyond my expectations. But he's my baby!!! When did this growing up business happen!?

Grandpa's 75th Birthday party

2010-08-02T11:45:00.001-06:00

When my mom's side of the family gets together, it's always a huge occasion, simply because there a LOT of people. My mom has 3 siblings, all of which have at least three kids. I am one of 13 first cousins and most of us live within a 2 hour drive to Grandma's house. Last weekend we got together to help celebrate my Grandpa's 75th birthday. It was definitely a full house! There were my 2 grandparents, my mom, two aunts, two uncles, my brother, 6 cousins, one cousin's boyfriend, one cousin's best friend, my great-aunt and -uncle, one family friend, my little family of 4, one dog, and one cat. That's 23 humans and 2 animals.

Since Caleb seldom sees paper plates at home, he had no idea what to do with it! I joke, I joke...

Grandpa always has time for a tractor ride.

Driving the little tractor out to the barn to get on board the big tractor

It took quite some time in the kitchen to get food ready for all those people! I helped a little.. I made the brownies.

Carly entertained herself with some games. Grandma was fascinated that a 2-year old was playing games on my phone.. and that she was so quiet while she was playing!

Then we had a bit of swimming. It took Caleb two days and one semi-traumatic experiece where Greg grabbed him off the steps and the dropped him in the shallow end for Caleb to realize that he could touch the bottom. Then he walked around for hours! He only slipped and dunked himself once, and that was the end of swimming for him. Silly kid!

Carly never left the steps. I remember spending hours on the steps when I was a kid at Grandma's. They built this pool the year I was born, so I have LOTS of memories here!

After dinner we had dessert...

... and singing. That was Grandpa's request -- to have Grandma play the piano and they had a list! Mom said she heard them downstairs late at night giggling at the piano all week long planning this music list! It was a very sweet time with lots of old favorites, and lot of tears. Yes, we are a family of crying singers..

Singing "Unworthy" together... beautiful!!

Three of the four siblings singing together with mom on piano

My bro on the guitar

Carly and her Unca Dodo

I just love this:

Singing "Pick up the shovel, and dig another well."

Cody again

Related much?

A bunch of the teenagers (my cousins and assorted others) in attendance

It was WAY past bedtime at this point, but Carly was hanging on in my uncle Steve's lap.

Cody and me

And I had to put this one in... I asked them to smile and this is what I got. Steve's face makes me laugh out loud every time! What a goofy uncle!! And this is typical Greg too. Never serious!

Love

2010-07-29T15:46:00.000-06:00

One Good Reason

2010-07-14T14:29:00.002-06:00

This 20 second video shows one good reason why Carly doesn't want to move out of her crib. Can't say I blame her much! Looks like fun to me!

Our Monday Project

2010-07-13T10:58:00.003-06:00

So...... Carly is potty trained. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I was commenting to some friends yesterday, this should not have been so easy! I mean, in a matter of days, SHE decided she wanted to use the potty, wear big-girl panties, and never look back. Once SHE decided that, it only took two accidents, and she knows now. We are on day five (at least) with zero accidents. Praise the Lord! This is vastly, immensely, polar-oppositely different than my first (and still somewhat ongoing) experience with teach Caleb the potty. We have even gone so far as going to the church nursery in panties, and taking naps in panties. I know she will probably regress, and have off days, but so far so good. And I have to say, I think I deserve this just a little.. can I get an amen?

Anyway, since she is a big girl now, it was high time to start the transition out of the crib and into the big girl bed. Over the weekend we bought some new mattresses, play switcheroo with Caleb's and Carly's, and set up a brand new queen size bed in Caleb's room (after a little bit of creativity with a very large drill bit) and moved Caleb's full-size mattresses into Carly's room. However, taking cues from her assertiveness with the potty training, when she said she didn't want to sleep in the big bed yet, we let her stay in the crib for now. So we have a crib and a full size bed, and all the furniture that goes with it in her room right now..

Disregard the pile of foam mats.. that was Caleb's idea for a "step" to help her get on her bed.. they are now back in his room acting as his step.

And since Caleb's bed got bigger, and Carly's got girlier, I needed to take inventory of our linen closet. That led to a total cleanout and purge. Sadly, I didn't take any picture of the before.. but I'll just tell you, it was badly in need of a makeover. Like puking pillowcases when the door opened bad. And here's the finished project. Now what to do with the pile of linens I took out? Currently they are in a pile in the living room. It makes for a nice TV-watching pallet for the children.

I had one with out the cheesy kid in it, but this one is too cute!

My Project Manager:

Summertime

2010-07-13T10:36:00.004-06:00

More pictures of my sweet kiddos and the great outdoors... but before you start thinking I'm the kind of mom that spends all day outside learning about bugs and plants and such, don't be fooled. I take pictures outside for two reasons: 1) My house is usually too cluttered with toys and laundry and I don't want anyone to see that and 2) My camera takes really great pictures in natural light.. plus we have a great backyard. We just go outside for a few minutes to take the pictures, then we come back inside to the A/C.

My favorite big oak tree.. just love how the branches look like veins.

Our Mammoth sunflowers!

I love Carly's face in this.. indignant!

Carly's First Haircut

2010-07-13T10:22:00.003-06:00

In her first two and a half years of life, Carly hasn't really grown much in the hair department. My thought was, why would I cut what she DOES have? I want it to grow! But, after seeing a couple of my friends' little girls with the same type hair and cute cuts, I decided to let go of the rat tail-mullet, and even it out. AND I took before and after pictures!

Before:

After:

That's all I cut off, but what a difference! It was nearly three inches in the middle.

Then we decided to really girl it up and paint toenails:

Come On

2010-07-13T10:19:00.002-06:00

I made a post about this before but deleted it. But come on!! I have gotten numerous comments in languages I can't understand in the last few weeks. Stop already! I don't speak or read Chinese so don't comment on my blog in any language but English! And if I can't understand it, why in the world would I publish them? Really, that's enough. So stop.

I can't do this!

2010-06-24T22:24:00.002-06:00

Today at Caleb's swimming lessons I had a moment I am not proud of. It seems like lately all I do is discipline the kids, and we never have any fun. Maybe it's the ages and stages, or maybe it's me losing my mind! There are days when I feel like all I did was yell at children all day, and that makes me sad. I'm not looking for sympathy though, because I don't think it's okay. Anyway, back to today.

If anyone knows me at all, you know that Caleb and has issues with the potty. It has been a struggle for over a year. The child is 4 years old, and is just very hesitant (wow.... that's a nice way of putting it) to use the potty for #2. It's enough to make me crazy. And angry at times. Like today. He has been holding it for at least 5 days, as is the norm with him, no matter how much we talk about going, make him sit at least once a day, pump him full of fruit, etc. I admit, I'm not great at staying consistent, but for crying out loud! We've been working on this forEVER!! Today he had held it to the max, and the breaking point just happened to be right in the middle of his swimming lesson, so I had to jump up and rush him into the bathroom, where he proceeded to NOT USE THE BATHROOM. I started out being helpful and encouraging, and ten minutes later when he was still screaming in my face and refusing to go I absolutely lost it, right there in the stall with him. It just makes no sense to me. He couldn't swim anymore because he HAD to go SO bad, and then he wouldn't go. Huh?? See my problem? I just. don't. get. it. Just go! JUST. GO. JUST GO!!!!!!!!!

He didn't go. We left early and came home. And would'n'cha know it, he went. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Argh.

On our way home I started thinking.. Why was I so angry with him? Because he embarrassed me in front of the instructor and other parents? Because I'm paying money for him to be in this lesson and I want him swimming and not spending time on the toilet? Because he won't poop on my command? All of the above... but how selfish is that? I realized, as I have been more lately, how selfish I am. I, me, my. And that realization makes me realize how much I'm NOT relying on God to help me. Like one of my favorite "mom songs" by Plumb says, "I can't do this!" Not on my own. I have GOT to rely on God to guide me in my attitude and speech, especially with my kiddos. That is my job! I want to raise babies that love God and love others, and acting like a tantrum-throwing child myself is not going to do the trick.

So, I'll file that in the "what not to do in parenting" drawer, and work on loving Jesus more myself, and it will naturally reflect in my attitudes toward my kids.

Swimming Lessons!

2010-06-13T13:06:00.002-06:00

Last week was CRAZY here. I really do enjoy being a stay-at-home-mom, mostly the part about staying at home. I am a homebody, and getting out and about with two small children is completely exhausting for me, so I try to keep it simple around here. It also tends to save money, like a talked about in a previous post. So when I say last week was crazy, it means I had to be somewhere all five days of the week. Last week I had to be a true soccer mom, toting children around town to multiple activities every day. We all had VBS, where I taught a class of just-finished-Kindergarteners. Then we went directly to Caleb's swimming lessons, home for naps, and then back to town for Carly's swim lessons. We all three ate breakfast and lunch in the car every day. (Not thrilled about that at ALL.) Doing all that every day wore me slap out! The best part about it was mid-week when it rained out both swim lessons, so I felt like we got a break.

Caleb's first experience with swim lessons were really sad. He has never been a huge fan of large bodies of water, by which I mean pools larger than the bathtub since he's never seen the ocean, but he put on a brave face and we talked about the lessons for weeks beforehand. When the big day arrived he even acted brave up until the point where I started to leave... then I heard his instructor whistle to get my attention, I turned and saw Caleb sprinting toward me. He latched his whole body onto my leg and begged me not to leave. Screaming, crying, panicking. He took my shirt in his fist and twisted so hard that I thought I was going to have to take my shirt off to get him off me. It took the instructor pulling on him and me prying his fingers off me to get him away.. let me tell you, a 4-year-old boy in panic mode is VERY STRONG! But we finally got him in the water and I basically ran out of there. By the time I came to pick him up from the 50-minute lesson he was calm and participating and SMILING! Praise the Lord!! Those were the longest 50 minutes for me!! This was Tuesday. By Friday, after three lessons, he is having a great time swimming with Ms. Linda and she tells me if he would put his face in the water, he could swim. He does everything physically right, but won't put his face in the water. I vaguely remember hearing that a lot as a kid.. am I right, mom? Now, he hasn't been in a big pool without Ms. Linda so I'm anxious to see if he'll still be so brave when that time comes, but what an improvement! We have five more sessions with her and I can't wait to see how he improves.

Carly's lessons are quite different. Her age is one thing, but she is also seeing a different instructor. She is a no-nonsense, you-WILL-do-what-I-say kind of lady. (I LOVE her!) Carly is not a fan of having water in her face either (they are both SO much like me) and so she cries the entire 30 minutes. Ms. Debby gives her no choice. She stands about 6 feet away from the side of the pool, gives Carly a little push-off and Carly swims to the side. Under water. By herself. With no floaties. Or so I've heard, because I can't watch, so I stand in the garage and listen. As soon as she comes up to the side the screaming starts again. She hates every minute of it, but she is swimming. She has only had two lessons, so far, and we are going back in a few weeks for two more (with Caleb this time) so I'm hoping a little peer pressure will have them both swimming underwater.

Both of their teachers are excellent, but different. I haven't decided who I like more. I like both of them a LOT. Swim Lessons are fun!!

The Back

2010-06-04T15:16:00.004-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love our backyard?? I'm sure I have, but in case I haven't...

I LOVE our backyard. When we were looking at this house, after I walked the back yard, I said out loud, "I love it. I want it!"

We have flowers blooming in all seasons-- even winter, thanks to the camellias. These are some I snapped just today.

Our first sunflower from the seeds the kids and I planted:

Rose:

Gerber Daisies:

And we have a garden. I have been trying my hand at gardening this summer and last. It's definitely a learning curve, and I'll admit my track record isn't very good, but it's fun to watch things grow!

Here are the squash plants I started from seeds, in a photo collage: (You can click to enlarge the collages.)

And here is the sweet basil I started in a little pot, also in a photo collage:

We are also growing tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, and I'm hoping for a watermelon seed to sprout soon. I already killed one watermelon plant, and a whole bunch of spinach plants, some cilantro seedlings, and a couple other herbs. I am trying though!

Here are the sunflowers. Just for measurements, when I took the picture today, the tallest one was up to my waist. These are called Mammoth sunflowers, and are supposed to get up to 12 feet high.. I can't wait!!

We also have blueberries! Bluuuuuuuuuberries!!!!!!! I love blueberries, and they should be ripe enough to pick in a two or three weeks, maybe sooner!

These are just a few of the many reasons I love our yard. I didn't even mention the huge oak trees, the swing set, the little swimming pool (a temporary summer staple), and the view.

MOTHER??

2010-06-04T12:28:00.006-06:00

Today at lunch, Carly asked me something and ended with the word "Mama." Caleb butted in, telling her matter-of-factly, "She's not Mama, she's Mommy."

To head off the arguing I knew would soon ensue, I set the record straight. I said, "I am Mama, or Mommy, or whatever you want to call me. I'm your Mother."

Short silence, followed by Carly asking Caleb, "She's our Mudder?!" The tone of her voice implied What!? We have a Mother TOO? Cool!

Sigh... Kids are the best entertainment money can buy! Just one large down payment at the beginning, a little more here and there for the next 18 or more years, and you have live-in entertainment, and memories to last a lifetime.

Frugal Girl

2010-06-01T10:23:00.001-06:00

The other night a friend on Facebook asked an open-ended question about saving money. I immediately sat up a little straighter and rattled off 7 or 8 things for her to do. Then I thought, "Wow, that came so naturally!" And then I thought of two more things, so I commented again. Thinking led to more thinking, and I realized that I really am a very frugal person. It has been a process of growing up, becoming more domestic (I kindof hate that word), and being more faithful with the money God has given us to use.

If you ask my parents, they would tell you I have always been a "saver". I do have my moments of weakness, where I buy something that's not on sale, or something I don't really need, but really want. Dave Ramsey says that in every marriage there is a "nerd" (the saver) and a "free spirit" (the spender). If you can imagine the insanity..... I am the free spirit in my marriage. Actually, I call myself the free-spirit-with-nerd-tendencies. Greg is definitely the nerd-with-free-spirit-tendencies.

In honor of our joint nerdiness, I compiled a list of the things I do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis that save money. I hope I give you an idea or two, and I would LOVE anyone who reads to leave a comment about things you do to save money.

*Make a budget and STICK TO IT. EVERY SINGLE DAY. (mint.com is a good starter and they have an iPhone app)

*Coupons + sales (couponmom.com)

*Set the AC on 79-80 during the day

*Make your own laundry detergent and cleaning supplies (just google that, there are hundreds of recipes)

*Line dry clothes as much as possible

*NEVER pay full price for ANYTHING

*Trade for services whenever possible

*Meal planning - only buying the groceries you need for the week (see exception next)

*Stockpiling groceries when they are on rockbottom sale. Buy 1 get 2 free meats? Yes, thank you!

*Don't eat out. (Unless it's a special occasion, it's free, or you have a gift card!)

*Make sure utilities are at the lowest rate, and threaten to cancel unless they lower it. (One phone call got our cable/internet bill lowered by $21 a month-- just ask for the retention department..)

*Stay home as much as possible, and make your trips to town worthwhile -- combine errands all on one day, in as efficient a route as possible

*Don't use paper plates, paper napkins, or paper towels. It's cheaper to do laundry and dishes, I promise. (Lest you call me a hypocrite, I will 'fess up that we do use paper napkins and occasionally paper towels, but have cut WAY back. We haven't bought paper plates in ages. I do all my cleaning with cheap white washcloths)

*Drink more water, and I don't mean bottled. That defeats the purpose of not having to buy cokes, etc.

*Be creative and resourceful. Think of ways to get what you need without paying for it. Can you trade someone for it? Can you make it yourself? Do you already have it but just can't find it? (Go look for it!!)

*Cook from scratch or semi-scratch as much as possible. Convenience foods were a brilliant marketing scheme, since most of it can be easily recreated with a freezer and/or a plastic baggie. 100 calorie packs? Buy the big box, count out a 100 calorie serving, put it in a plastic bag. 100 calorie pack. Frozen meals? Buy the ingredients, cook them ahead of time (double or triple the batch for "family size") and freeze it. Frozen "convenience" meal.

These are some of my favorites... what are yours?

Boogers

2010-05-29T07:58:00.003-06:00

Caleb: Mommy, I have two big boogers in my nose.

Me: Okay, go get a kleenex and blow them out.

Caleb: No, I think I need you to pick them out!

And that, folks, is where I draw the line. I believe that picking the boogers of a four-year-old is beyond the scope of my job description. Can I get an Amen?

4 year old faces

2010-05-16T21:58:00.003-06:00

I found some more pictures of my handsome boy being awesome. Love this kid to itty bitty pieces!!

Oh Yeah Azaleas

2010-05-16T21:50:00.003-06:00

The azaleas came in late this year. I'm going to blame it on the SNOW we had in MARCH... not normal. I'm so glad we have seasoned azalea bushes in our yard. We have never had to trim, fertilize or pay any attention whatsoever to these guys. We have killed some and trimmed some in other places in the yard, but this line seems to love the simple life and they bloomed great for us this year! I'm so glad I snapped pictures of them when I did, because those darn things only last a week or so! Maybe two. Boo.

Ridiculous

2010-05-16T21:30:00.003-06:00

The lack of pictures on my blog is ridiculous lately!! So sorry. I don't really even HAVE any to post since Easter, is that sad? I did find a few cool ones from a trip to Dallas from back in February that I never posted. I know that's way back there, but they will have to do! We went for the day to celebrate our niece's birthday at the American Girl store. Oh. My. Word. That store is..... whoa. I didn't get any pictures of it, but just imagine a two (or three?) story department store filled with dolls, their clothes, their accessories, and all the other paraphernalia and gear. I'm telling you, it's got to be a billion-dollar business, that store. There is a bistro where you can eat brunch with your doll, and a hair salon where you can have her hair did. It's breath-taking. Really. Janell decided to spend a few hours there for her birthday, so we joined them for a stroll through the megalopolis of dolls and then went to their hotel to have some cupcakes from Sprinkles. Yum!

At the hotel were two of the most amazing Royal swans. They were the pets of the hotel, and the employees treat them as honored guests. They were so neat! The kids were enjoying watching them swim and wag their tailfeathers and then a super nice employee brought a basket of Romaine lettuce so the kids could give the birds a snack. Carly and Caleb just laughed and laughed! It was superfuntimes!

Fighting over the food like an old married couple

Look at Carly's face... tickled to death!

Stars

2010-05-11T21:33:00.006-06:00

Maybe I’ve been the problem.  Maybe I’m the one to blame.  But even
when I blame myself, the outcome feels the same.  I’ve been thinking
maybe I’ve been partly cloudy.  Maybe I’m the chance of rain.
And maybe I’m overcast.  But when I look at the stars, I see someone
else.  When I look at the stars, I feel like myself.

Sounds poetic, eh?  That's because it is.  It's a song by Switchfoot that
grabbed me tonight as I drove home from a wonderful dinner party
with my Mops table.  I've been grumpy the last week for lots of
reasons, none of them any good.  I realized it was happening,
so I concentrated hard on conversing with God throughout my
days and making sure to dismiss negative thoughts as evil and
unhelpful.  I concentrated on the Psalms, which is where I'm at in my
one-year read-through of the Bible.  How awesome is God's timing
to put David's songs of praise and worship to the Lord in this time
in my life when I need it.  It's been a small change of seasons for
me, and it's been great to "come out of it" feeling refreshed and
renewed.  

Tonight these song lyrics went straight through my heart with
conviction of my poor attitude this last week.  It's a little
perspective thing to realize that, yes, my life might be giving me a run
for it lately, but if I would just look up and see God's creation, I might
change my perspective a bit  and see someone else.  I can realize
that the God of the Universe who made the vast heavens and
more than any human eye could ever see, also made me, cares about
me, and  loves me despite how disappointing I must be to Him. 
However, I also know that when He looks at me, tiny little
oh-so-miserable me, He sees perfection, because He sees Jesus' blood
covering my imperfections.  It's a great feeling.

That might not be what Jonathan Foreman was thinking about when
he wrote the song, but it's what I thought about tonight.