Happy Halloween!

The costumes have been put on and taken off. Doorbells were rung and fun was had. The buckets are were full and so are the tummies. Enjoy!

This Day in History

Four hundred and ninety one years ago today, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the doors of a church in Wittenberg, Germany to debate the doctrine and practice of indulgences by the Catholic Church. This act by Luther was the catalyst that began the Protestant Reformation which began as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church. Many were troubled by what they saw as false doctrines and misuse of power within the Church, particularly involving the teaching and sale of indulgences. In addition, the practice of simony (buying and selling church positions) and corruption within the ranks led to a much needed reformation.

Because of the bravery and conviction of men like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin the gospel was recovered and made available to the masses. The Five Solas sum up the core beliefs of the early reformers:

Sola Gratia (grace alone)
Sola Fide (faith alone)
Sola Scriptura (scripture alone)
Solus Christus (Christ alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be glory)

I am of the reformed faith. I believe in election and in the complete sovereignty of God. I believe that He works all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. I believe in the gospel. I believe.

Souptacular Crockpotalooza

One of my favorite things about the cooler weather is making hot soups and stews. I can't tell you how many times during the summer I crave a big pot of homemade vegetable soup or stew, but then squelch the idea with "It's too hot for soup".

Well, not anymore. It's time for gumbo, vegetable soup, beef stew, Irish stew, cheese soup, potato soup...well, the list goes on and on. I wanted to share my recipe for chicken and sausage gumbo because it's a crowd pleaser at my house, and because it's one of those meals that I grew up on. It makes an obscene amount of food so it will easily serve 8-10 people and it is awesome leftover.

A big thanks to Boomama for hosting this event, and for giving us all the opportunity to tuck away a few more cool weather recipes.

CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

1 large fryer, cut in pieces
2 large onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch green onion tops
10 oz okra, sliced
1 large can of tomatoes
Salt, pepper, cayenne
1 # sausage, sliced and fried
1/2 cup bacon grease
1/2 cup oil
1 c + flour
About 2 quarts of water

Make a dark roux with oil, bacon grease and flour. Add onions to stop roux from browning and stir until wilted. Salt and pepper chicken pieces and brown in oil. Sauté garlic, bell pepper, and celery in dripping. Add tomatoes, tomato juice, okra and water. Return chicken to pot and add roux. Season to taste. Cook for about an hour. Remove chicken from pot and add sausage and green onion tops. Cook for another 30 minutes. Debone chicken and add to gumbo after about 25 minutes of cooking. Serve over rice.

Click here for more tasty goodness.

Subscribe to Heart of Service

It has come to my attention that there are people who enjoy reading my blog, but are not interested in creating additional online accounts to subscribe to something like Bloglines, etc to keep up with my posts. I decided that I would put a Feedburner link on my sidebar to let people easily subscribe by email to receive notification when I post.

All you have to do is click on the link at the left and then input your email address. You will be sent an email so that you can confirm the subscription, and that's it! You will never receive spam, and an email is only sent when I create a new post.

It's That Time of Year

Oh yes it is. It's cold and flu season, my friends and I have the flu. As a result, the quantity of posts will be reduced over the next few days as I try to recover with the aid of Tamiflu and rest. I won't bore you with the details (yet) of my illness, but suffice it to say that I will be spending the majority of my time in a horizontal position with a copious supply of cold drinks and medicine at my fingertips.

You May Not Want to Hear This...

...but it's 62 days until Christmas. That's right.

8.8571426 weeks until Christmas. 1488

hours and counting.

To Everything There is a Season

My Aunt Gail sent this to me today by email. It's a beautiful reminder that there are so many different seasons in our lives, and each one is orchestrated by God for our good and His glory. Times of war and of peace. Times of joy and mourning. I hope this will be an encouragement to those of you in a difficult season, and a reminder of how quickly life changes to those of you in a season of joy.

No matter where you are, God is in control. He cares for each intimate detail of your life, and will never forsake or leave His children. So whatever season you are experiencing, thank Him for it.

Pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19

Fifty-four Dollars

That's what it cost me to fill the Tahoe with gas yesterday.

If I hadn't been in the middle of a large parking lot with work trucks full of men getting ready for the day, I might have done a little dance of gratitude and joy. But that's not how I roll, so I settled for a big grin and triumphant phone call to Trevor.

Now if we could just see a fall in grocery prices...

"Toasting" Marshmallows

I thought that it would be a nice end to a great day if we let the kids toast some marshmallows last night. They helped me build the fire and then waited for it to burn down enough to have coals.


After a few attempts, Nathan was a pro, but Gracie had a decidedly unique method for getting her marshmallows just right.




Step one: Put marshmallow on clothes hanger.

Step two: Wave marshmallow over the fire for approximately .03 nanoseconds.

Step three: Blow on marshmallow to "cool".

Step four: Eat marshmallow.

I have to say that her technique has the advantage of cutting the toasting time by about 99.9%, so she got the lion's share of sugary goodness. After about the 4th time, I had to get the camera and get some video of the entire process. As expected, the video is remarkably short.

Dewberry Farm

The weather is cooling, the humidity is dropping and the leaves are changing. Well, maybe not the changing leaves part, but you get the picture. It's fall here in Southeast Texas and even though we won't see anything below 55 before December, we still like to pretend like the seasons are changing.

Our family celebrated autumn by going to Dewberry Farm today. It's a place near Brookshire that promised a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hayrides galore. I wish we could have donned our clothing as though it's October in Maine, but alas, it's Texas and so we dressed accordingly. You know...shorts and t-shirts. To be honest, this is often our Christmas morning attire as well. We always want colder weather, but there is something to be said about being able to play with those toys without getting frostbite.

Anyhoo, we went to the farm and had a great time. The tickets were pretty reasonable, but they nickel and dimed us to death once inside. The kids were having such a great time that we didn't mind, but I doubt we'll do it again next year. It was an hour and a half drive to get there, and we could have done many of the things closer to home.

First we went through the corn maze, which was a lot of fun. Trevor hid and jumped out at the kids, and then Nathan and Grace kept trying to "hide" and scare us. We saw the orange pumpkin patch peeking through the corn, so we made our way out there for a bit. The curiosity of children never ceases to amaze me. There were hundreds of beautiful, orange pumpkins at which to look, and my kids run straight for the first rotten one they see so they can poke sticks in the goopy mess and make disgusted noises.

We finally tore them away from that little side attraction, and were able to take a few pictures of them. I got very few pictures of them looking directly at the camera, because they were too busy having fun to stop for me.

Next, Gracie rode a bike on a racetrack, and Nathan shot the corn cannon. He got nine shots and was trying to hit several targets in the field. He hit the cowboy right in the head on his third shot, and almost hit a bucket that would have won us $25. We then went to the pavilion for a tasteless, overpriced lunch that we were forced to purchase because NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED. Hmmm....there was no "food" inside either. I had a charred, dry hamburger patty on an oversized, cold bun.

Good times.

We didn't let the lack of nourishment stop us though. Nathan decided to try his hand at the zip line, while I took Gracie to the playground. When she was tired of that, we found Trevor and Nathan and went to the haystack. I personally think this was the most enjoyable attraction at the farm. The kids loved it, and quickly went to work making holes in which to hide. Nathan made a friend, and they were trying to dig out a tunnel, while Gracie was happy taking flying leaps from the top.

Note: Hay gets inside clothing very easily, and it is very scratchy. I took Gracie to the bathroom right before we left, and her pants (and panties) were full of it! I didn't see it in her underwear, and as I tried to help her pull them up she started doing a funny little dance and squealing, "ooh, ooh, ooh!" I had to get her completely out of her clothes to rid them of all those pesky stalks. Thank goodness the bathrooms were clean!

All in all, it was a great day. The kids were exhausted and so were we, but it was worth it. Once we were home and it began to get dark, we started a fire in the fire pit outside and toasted marshmallows. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Update: After reading the comment that Farmer Dewberry left on this post, I felt as though I should clarify a few things. Firstly, my apologies to the owners of Dewberry Farm if what I said threw negative light on their establishment. His comment was kind and when I wrote the post it was strictly from the standpoint of a consumer. I never thought of what it might sound like to the person who owns and operates such a large place.

Secondly, although the things I said were true, there were so many positive things about the trip that I would not want to discourage anyone else who might be thinking of going. For instance, on most of the attractions that required additional payment, it was a one time fee for the entire day. They would mark the kid's armbands and allow them unlimited entry.

The atmosphere was one of good, clean fun and there was even a sign at the entrance to the farm warning visitors that no profanity would be tolerated. It was refreshing to see a place that caters to families. If the farm would like to make improvements to the service, I would recommend allowing patrons to bring in their own coolers, etc for lunch. They have lovely facilities for outdoor eating, and it would have been fun to pack a lunch and have a picnic.

So, if you are looking for a fun way to spend your weekend, check out Dewberry Farms.

Priorities

I had my annual evaluation at work today. It was good to hear that I am exceeding the standards established for my position, and that my supervisors count me as an asset to the department. There were some areas where I received some constructive criticism, and I gladly welcomed the comments because I want to grow in my profession and strive to be better.

But at one point during the interview, I found myself just nodding my head as though I was listening, but really having a completely different conversation in my head. My director was talking about long-term goals as they relate to my career path. She talked about visualizing what I want for myself in the future and giving myself a time frame for achieving those goals.


As she went on about my growth and the possible necessity of changing physical locations to advance my career, I just sat there and thought, "You know nothing about me." So I nodded politely at all the right places, and threw in a few "I understand" and "Of course" for good measure, but my mind was drawn to what I really want.


It's quite simple. To raise my children and take care of my husband. Working outside the home is a reality for me. I do it well, and I take joy in my profession but it is not my life. I don't care if I never get another raise or promotion if it means that I can spend time with my family. The whole reason I changed job locations 6 years ago was for the shorter commute and ease of taking time off when it was needed.

I have no aspirations to be in management, which is the next step for me. If that job fell in my lap at my current location, I would gladly accept the responsibility and pay raise, but it's not something I seek. I don't plan my life around what I want out of my career. I plan my career around my family, and do my best to be spiritually discerning with respect to what God has planned for me.

So as she was speaking, I just laughed at little on the inside (she is my boss after all) at her supposition that I would change jobs, thus putting me further from my family all for the sake of advancing my career. It's just not for me. That doesn't mean it's not right for others, but I feel like I'm just marking time during the day until I can get home. I do my best to glorify God with my work ethic and dedication to my patients, but I'm always looking ahead to my homecoming each night.

130th Anniversary Picnic

Our church has an annual picnic, and this year we also celebrated our 130th anniversary. There were several moonwalks, a rock climbing wall, horseback riding, a hayride and lots of other activities for kids of all ages. I manned the cotton candy machine for about an hour while Trevor made snow cones.

When they started setting up the rock wall, the line formed immediately. Nathan was near the front, and he was really excited. Gracie ran over to him, and moments later came running back across the lawn, sobbing. I had been talking to someone, and wasn't watching her every move, so I thought she might be hurt. I grabbed her up and between hitched breaths and hiccuping sobs discovered that Nathan told her she couldn't climb the wall.

I figured that she was too small to do it, so we walked back over to find out if she would be able to take a turn. Our friend Curtis was one of the men supervising the wall, and he told me that she would be okay, as long as I stayed under her and within reach. She got in line and we waited. When she was up, they cinched the harness to its smallest size and she was ready to go.

People, I started to rethink the whole people-came-from-monkeys line of thought. Seriously. For all of her klutziness, she was like a spider monkey on that wall! She had a blast, and before I knew it, she was out of my reach, so Curtis got harnessed in and stayed close to her. She climbed about 2/3 of the way up before she lost her balance and came down. All of the adults on the ground were amazed at how brave and fearless she was. I was so proud of my baby girl...she was incredible!

After the rock wall, the kids did some horseback riding, then some moonwalk jumping, then went on a hayride. Between each event, there was much cotton candy eating and snow cone slurping. You know...the stuff dreams are made of when you are 4 and 7! A limitless supply of refined sugar and lots of open space to run it off.

We didn't stay for the potluck, because Grace had not had a nap, and it was starting to show. We said our goodbyes and headed home. It was a wonderful afternoon!

Blanket Statement

So here's the deal. I have 120 posts on my Google Reader to read, and the higher that number gets, the less likely I am to read all the posts. For the most part, the blogs I have registered on my Reader are the ones that belong to people who comment on my blog and that I comment on theirs. There are a few on there that I just enjoy reading, and very seldom post comments, but for the most part I try to let people know that I was there with a comment or two.

Hence this post. The longer that list gets, the more daunting the task seems. Not because of the reading, but because of the pressure I put on myself to comment. Formulating something interesting to say without copying what others have already posted. Wanting to be witty and funny without seeming sarcastic and cynical. Uplifting and encouraging without being trite.

Sometimes it's easy, and sometimes it's hard. But I never know when I go to any of my favorite blogs what topics will be broached until I get there. So when I see 120 posts to be read, it's no surprise that I get a little stressed. So I am issuing a blanket statement, and you know who you are.

I have read your last several posts and I have enjoyed reading them. I will be back to read any subsequent posts. I am just excusing myself from commenting (for the most part) until I can get a handle on all the back reading.

That is all. (Except that I love all of you guys dearly!)

Rushing Through the Days

When Trevor is gone, it seems that I rush through my days from one thing to the next.

"Each thing I do I rush through so I can do something else. In such a way do the days pass -a blend of stock car racing and the never ending building of a Gothic cathedral. Through the windows of my speeding car, I see all that I love falling away: books unread, jokes untold, landscapes unvisited."
Stephen Dobyns

The never ending list of things that I can't quite get done. The curtains I promised a friend weeks ago that I would finish. The scrapbook in the closet, sitting in mute reproach. The stack of books that I am dying to read. The layer of dust on the mantle that is just screaming to be wiped away.

Sometimes I find no real joy in the things that I do accomplish, because the list is still there. I'm rushing to finish one thing just to start something else.

Strangely enough, life seems to slow down when he's gone in spite of all the rushing. At the end of the day, I take those few minutes of quiet solitude when the kids are finally asleep and the dishes done, to just sit for a moment or two. I admire the fall decorations on the mantle. I chuckle at the sight of our cat sleeping in contorted positions by the hearth. I breath a sigh of relief that one more day is over and that I have a brief respite from the chaos.

Then it's over and I make lunches for tomorrow, straighten the house before bed, and put one more X on the calendar to indicate that we are one day closer to his return. I live for that big red X. It reminds me of the one person who loves me no matter what. It reminds me of how cherished I am and how much I love him in return. It reminds me of the reason why I have two beautiful children sleeping down the hall, innocently oblivious to my stress and turmoil.

He'll be home tomorrow, and we will be complete.

Jet Airliner Don't Carry Him Too Far Away

Trevor leaves for Russia tonight. He was supposed to leave last Sunday, but all of the craziness with the hurricane postponed the trip. He doesn't appear to be as apprehensive about traveling this time, as opposed to his China trips. To begin with, the flight is only 11 hours long and Russia is only 9 hours ahead of us which will make for an easier adjustment to his internal clock. Secondly, he's never been to Russia, so there is the excitement of going to a new place. I wish I could go with him. I would love to go to Moscow and see Red Square.

The weather is already cold there, so he is packing up his warmest clothing (which is dismal, considering where we live!). If he continues to travel regularly to Russia, he will have to invest in much warmer clothing. They've already seen some freezing weather, and it's only September. I can't imagine what it's going to be like in January. We're coastal Southerners, and when it gets below about 40 degrees, we stay inside with a roaring fire. We would never be able to live in Minnesota!


The kids and I will take him to the airport later this afternoon, and then we'll probably park out by the runways and watch the planes take off and land. He'll be away eleven days, and only be gone for one weekend, so the time will go much faster than for the China trips. He doesn't have to allow so much time on either end of the workweek for jet lag and travel.

So, we're spending the day together as a family, drinking in the time and savoring each sip. All to soon, it will be time to leave for the airport, but the sooner he goes, the sooner he comes home!

The Changing of a Heart

I'm sitting out on my porch this morning, sipping my cream and sugar filled coffee, as I gently swing and enjoy the tangy smell of burning leaves in the air. It's 65, and mornings this cool don't usually come until a little later in the fall for us, so I decided to enjoy it while it's here. I'm fairly certain that the humidity and temperature will rise again before we settle into our autumn averages.

Just like the change in weather, an amazing change has come over Nathan in recent weeks. He is actively putting others before himself. He told me just the other day that he was going to try and go all day without sinning, which led to a great conversation about the whole point of Christ's death. With each passing day, question and discussion I feel that he is being pulled closer and closer to God. I think that his behavior, his curiosity and his change in heart are all indicators that he desires a relationship with Christ.

We have discussed salvation many times in the course of our conversations, and he understands the concept. He knows the steps and the reasons behind our need for being saved. Seeing his interest in all things eternal blesses me beyond measure, because I know that he is being prayed over by myself and my family for early salvation. It is one of my deepest desires, but I also know that if it's not real, it's pointless. I want to be sure he's equipped with the knowledge he needs so that his decision is not a wholly emotional one.

I covet your prayers in this area, my friends. I ask you to pray that I will be ready with the right words when he comes to me with questions, and that he will be receptive to the calling of Christ and respond in a genuine, life-changing way. I never knew that salvation could be so scary. I've taught the gospel in classes and Sunday School rooms for a long time. I have shared the plan of salvation with many people over the course of my life, but it seems so much more important this time. Others that I might have touched were put in my path for a reason, and I was used by God to show them exactly what He intended, and I praise Him for that.

But my children? They were given to me. Given to me to nurture, protect, discipline and love. Given to me with the expectation and command that I would raise them according to the gospel and show those very same tenets by example. It's scary, and I want to do it right. So here's my question for everyone, no matter which season you are in with your kids. How did you know your child was ready to make a decision? If you have children who have not, how are you preparing them?

Thank You

Indiana. Florida. Illinois. Virginia. Georgia. Michigan.

The six guys sitting behind us tonight at Chili's were from Arkansas. They were several of thousands from all over the country who had come to our aid in the wake of Ike. Seeing the long convoys of trucks snaking their way down our highways and back roads was like spotting an oasis in the desert. When I passed them working on the downed power lines, getting our electricity humming one grid at a time, I gave them a wave and a smile.

I realize that these men are getting paid good money to be here, but the fact remains that they are often sleeping in their trucks and working long, hot hours to get our lives back to normal. I am grateful to these men (and the few women I've seen!) for providing this service. I am grateful that they left their families and joined forces with their peers, so that we could get on with our lives.

That is the reason Trevor bought that table of men from Arkansas a round of drinks and thanked them for their help. Thanks, guys. Texas thanks you.

I'm Still Here

I'm still alive and kicking, but things have been a bit crazy around here post-Ike. We were fortunate enough to have our power restored on Tuesday afternoon, just 4 days after the hurricane hit. I praised God every morning for the cool weather and comfortable days following the storm. After Rita, it was sweltering hot and it made working in the yard a bit hellish. This time, we had plenty of cool breezes and cool evenings to take the edge off.

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing what a small town I live in. The powers that be still use a siren to let the town know when there is a tornado, fire, wreck or (in case you don't own a clock) when it's noon. I recorded the siren going off the night that Ike hit, and it struck terror in my heart when I heard it because when the weather is bad, it usually means tornado. (We actually had one touch down in the woods behind our house later that night) In this case, there was a fire, because soon thereafter we saw fire trucks racing by our road.

I also included a little video of the tail end of the storm. The winds had died down a bit by the time it was light enough for me to take any video footage, but it was still whipping the trees around a good bit.

So, I haven't disappeared, but I have been busy. As soon as I get a few minutes to gather my thoughts, I'll post again. Your prayers were much appreciated and I ask that each of you continue to pray for those who are still without power and for those who have lost everything.

(BTW...does anyone know why my videos always appear TWICE when I post?? It's really annoying.)

And We Thought We Had a Mess to Clean Up!

Trevor's parents came over today for lunch. His mom called to say that they were tired and could really use a hot meal. Since we are the only ones in the family with a gas stove, we were happy to oblige. We grilled chicken, made mashed potatoes, beans and served leftover jambalaya on the side. When they got here, we were almost ready to eat.

His mom got a phone call from his aunt, and went outside to take it. The next thing I knew, they had left without eating or saying goodbye. Trevor said that his mom and dad had been borrowing his uncle's generator (theirs had broken), and that his uncle wanted it back now that they had returned to town. He said his mom was upset, and that his dad seemed really stressed.

I suggested that we bring the food out to their house, along with an ice chest full of ice and water for them. We got the kids ready, loaded the 4 wheeler onto the trailer and headed out. We live right in the middle of town, but they live out in the boonies. We had to forge several small streams to get out to where they live, and we were a bit awestruck by all the destruction from Ike.

His parents live on a 1 acre lot that is filled with trees. It is a beautiful piece of land, and they work hard to keep it looking nice. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of their yard as we pulled into their driveway. The only reason we could get into the driveway was because they had spent all of Saturday afternoon clearing it of trees so they could get out.

I saw with sudden clarity why his mom was so upset. First the stress of the hurricane (every crack in the dark sends new rushes of adrenaline), then the devastation of the yard, and then the fact that they were without a generator. We reassured them that we would help them get the yard cleaned up and that everything was going to be fine. Trevor took a look at their generator and pronounced it dead. There was some sort of faulty part that would require me to know what I'm talking about to describe it, but suffice it to say that a call will be placed to the company.

I called my mom and dad (who just recently got power back on from Gustav) and asked if my dad would meet us halfway in Jennings, LA with his generator. He agreed immediately and not only brought his, but my grandmother's as well. Did I mention he brought 47 gallons of gas too? He did, and it was a good thing because there is no gas to be had here. So Trevor met him in Louisiana to get the generators, and we were at least able to help with that problem.

So, tomorrow we'll be heading out to their place again to try and help clear out some of the debris. We have been blessed with (atypical) weather this week, for which we are eternally grateful. After Rita, it was boiling hot in the 90's, but it's been in the mid 80's and lows in the 60's. It's even supposed to dip into the 50's tomorrow night.

Here are a few pictures of their property. The photographs don't really do it justice...it's amazing the amount of wood that is on the ground. On a positive note, we'll have plenty of free firewood this winter!!

Ike: A Retrospective

Well, the storm is over and the cleanup is just beginning. We were so fortunate to make it through the hurricane safely and without incident. The minor damage we sustained on our property is easily fixed, and doesn't even compare with the devastation experienced by the residents of Galveston and nearby coastal communities.

The eye of the hurricane passed right over us around 5 am, and it was such an eerie sound...the sound of nothing. No wind, no trees cracking, no chimney creaking. Just nothing. I went outside to try and assess the damage with a flashlight, and spoke for a few minutes to my neighbor. As I drank in the blessed silence in huge, refreshing gulps, I was reminded of Psalm 46:10:

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

In this complete and relative stillness, after the lashing of the wind and frightening sounds in the dark, it was refreshing to be still. It was a time of renewal and thanksgiving. It gave me enough respite that I was ready for the crash of the winds when they came again. It was a great object lesson for me.

The generator is up and running, keeping us cool and comfortable until power can be restored. We continue to clean, rebuild and be thankful that we did not greet this morning to complete destruction. We thank God.

The View From My Front Door

Posted with LifeCast

Hit The Road Ike!

I don't want to use up the battery on my phone, so I'll make this brief. We weathered the storm just fine. We had a fence down, and more debris than I care to mention, but nothing that can't be replaced or fixed. My inlaws lost about half of their trees, but none hit their house.

We have a great deal of cleaning to do, but we are safe. Thanks for all of the prayers lifted on my behalf, and I ask that you continue to pray for all of the people dealing with the aftermath in the coming days.

As soon as I can, I'll post some pictures.

Posted with LifeCast

We're Ready

• 8 bags of ice in the deep freeze....check.
• 80 bottles of cold water...check.
• extra bread and milk...check.
• 2 jars of peanut butter and jelly...check.
• telephone that does not rely on electricity to work...check.
• every single item in our yard stored in the shed...check.
• generator and 20 gallons of gas...check.
• chainsaw and 4-wheeler for post-Ike cleanup...check.
• window unit air conditioner...check.
• all clothing washed, dried and put away...check.
• beds freshly made...check.
• floor vacuumed...check.
• trees trimmed of all dead branches and overhang...check.

I guess we're ready for Ike! Ready for it to be over.....

But At Least Our Priorities Are In Order

There has been much speculation over the last few days about the path Ike will take. Will it continue west-northwest, or will it jog north and become more of a threat for the area in which I live? Like most people who live within striking distance, I have followed Ike's progress with something akin to obsession. I eagerly read the updates from NOAA, and then go to our local website to see what it has to say.

I was reading an article a few minutes ago about the storm, and was relieved to see that we Texans have our priorities firmly in the right place. That's right. I'm talking about High! School! Football!

Any town within 100 miles of the coast has rescheduled the Friday! Football! Game! to Thursday evening. Hurricane notwithstanding, it is vitally important to us that we have continuity and watching our boys play will insure that we have it. Sure, sure...homes might be damaged or destroyed, some will be without power for an extended period of time and people will be displaced but we will know who won the district games and our stats won't be disrupted.

Texas High School Football.

It's a beautiful thing.

(Just for the record, I love me some High School football.)

New Application For My iPhone

I was browsing all the new applications for my phone, and found one that allows me to conveniently blog from my phone.

Yes, what I've been needing is a way to blog MORE! Trevor will be so excited.

It also has a feature that lets me add a link so that anyone who cares can see where I was when I was writing the post. I did a test post, and it was eerily accurate. As in a google map with a little pushpin where my house is located.

I promptly deleted that post in the spirit of protecting myself from crazy internet predators. I'll save that feature for when I'm traveling. This would have been a cool feature to have a few weekends ago in San Antonio!


Posted with LifeCast

First Day of Preschool

Today was Gracie's first day of preschool. I went in to work late so I could take her to school, and the entire experience was a little bit surreal. It didn't seem possible that my baby was ready for a classroom. I was so proud of Nathan when he started...I was excited about that first milestone. But with Grace, I just want to hang on to her and keep her small. As I snapped pictures of her wearing that pink backpack that is bigger than she is, I couldn't help but feel like I was having an out of body experience.

This was someone else's baby traipsing along the parking lot, turning around every few seconds to make sure that I was still coming. Surely this was not my daughter greeting her friends from church and hugging her teacher as she went in the door. This little girl was not a baby anymore...she was a child who has shed all the remnants of babyhood for the strong, straight limbs of childhood.

The first day of preschool. The first milestone of many, and I pray that she reaches each one with as much wonder and excitement as she met this one.

That's My Name!!

Since promotion Sunday at church, Gracie is officially too old to stay in the nursery during church. She is old enough to attend children's church, but she gets a little overwhelmed with all of the older kids, even though Nathan is there with her.

Yesterday, when it was time to send the kids out of the sanctuary to children's church, we asked her if she wanted to go with Nathan. She told us she wanted to stay with us, but when I told her that her friend Nate was going, she changed her mind. She went running down the hall, and I followed at a distance to make sure she was okay.

I peeked in and saw her sitting next to her brother and she looked just fine, so I went back to church. About 3/4 of the way through the sermon, Gracie comes tip-toeing up the center aisle looking for us. (We learned later that she made the entire congregation behind us stifle their laughs because she was "sneaking" up the aisle with great big, exaggerated steps) We got her settled with a coloring book and turned our attention back to the pastor.

It just so happened that our pastor did a great deal of talking about grace of the God variety. He had the music minister come up and lead us in singing Amazing Grace. It was all I could do not to laugh every time Grace heard her name. She would loudly whisper, "That's my name!" Thankfully, the music was loud enough that no one else could hear her.

I think I need to speak to our pastor about eliminating any talk about grace until ours is old enough to understand that he is not talking about her! No? Yeah, I guess the gospel is meaningless without grace. That won't work. We'll have to think of an alternate plan.

It's a Sickness Really

I have spent the better portion of my Saturday scrubbing sinks, washing clothes and dusting every nook and cranny in my house. What sparked the sudden industry? Why, there's a hurricane brewing in the Gulf, of course!

When bad weather looms on the horizon, I have an almost manic need to clean and organize my house. I make sure that every stitch of clothing we own is clean and neatly folded or hung in the closet. I steam clean the deck furniture cushions. I go through all of the clothes that have been laying on my closet floor for the last nine three months, and hang them neatly. I clean my window sills and baseboards.

I obsess over the yard, wanting to be sure it gets mowed and trimmed before the storm comes. I even water the plants, knowing all the while that we are going to get more rain than we can use in just a few days.

I take photos of all the rooms to document our stuff for insurance purposes, and make sure that everything is in it's place. I update the portable, red file box with current immunization records, insurance and account information in case we need to leave quickly.

I will do this up until the moment that I am sure that the hurricane will not be close enough to cause any damage. But if it were, you can be sure that no matter the possible damage inflicted on my home, it was clean to begin with. I'm not sure why this is so important to me. Maybe it's just another symptom of my control freakishness. I guess I figure that if everything is clean ahead of time, then there will be less mess to clean up later.

Yeah. I know.

Sigh.

As it stands now, it doesn't look as though Hurricane Gustav is going to cause more trouble than some fallen branches and some heavy rain, but experience has taught me that you can never truly predict where a hurricane is going to make landfall. We have a pretty good idea, but sometimes they make crazy turns and and jumps so we're keeping an eye on the NOAA website.

I wonder if I can convince Trevor to go cut some branches out of the pecan trees in the backyard before Tuesday?

Siesta Fiesta Extravaganza!

Well, it's been almost a week post Siesta Fiesta, and I'm finally getting around to writing about the experience. And let me tell you...it was an experience. From being picked up at the airport by my roomie Linda, to the final goodbye as she dropped me off it was a great weekend.

My flight was delayed because of bad weather, so by the time Linda and I picked up our armbands, checked into the hotel and grabbed a bite to eat we were a bit late for the conference Friday night. We didn't mind because it meant that we had a chance to yell visit during dinner, as the Mariachi band firmly planted itself two tables down from us.

When we arrived at the conference, the praise and worship time was almost over as we found our seats in the Siesta section. The tempo had slowed, and women all around me were raising their hands in worship and adoration to the Lord of hosts. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I don't remember what we were singing, but the music stopped and it was just the sound of 10,000 separate voices blended into one, praising the Almighty.

The Spirit fell on us like a blanket...warm, almost tangible. I just closed my eyes as they filled with tears of joy and adoration and basked in the moment of preparation for receiving the Word. I am witness to the fact that Beth Moore preached some Truth Friday and Saturday.

Truth, people.

She spoke of our inheritance in and with Christ. She spoke of sonship and of boundaries that we have to protect. She spoke truth. As I was planning for this trip, I am a little ashamed to say that I had not given the conference a second thought. I had been so focused on the blogging aspect of the trip, and meeting so many people in person that I completely lost focus of the real reason we were all meeting to begin with. But it didn't take long for Beth to bring everything into sharp focus, and as I explored the Word with her I became excited about what I was learning, and everything else took a backseat to the Truth I was absorbing.

After the conference was over Saturday, all of the bloggers stayed behind for a photo session and a Q&A with Beth and her daughters. I was in the red group and here is a picture of us with Beth, Travis Cottrell and Kelly Minter.

After the Q&A, Linda and I went in search of some lunch. We knew we didn't have time before the PJ party to walk down to the Riverwalk, brave the long waits for a table, eat and then get back in time to rest, so we did the next best thing.

We found an IHOP.

Good old IHOP. I can always depend on you! We ate and visited, rehashing the conference and sharing stories with one another. It was such a sweet time of fellowship Linda, and it was the first time we had really just sat down and relaxed. We took our time, and then drove back to the Marriott to rest a bit and get changed into our evening attire. (Trevor asked me when I got home if I really, actually wore pajamas to a party with other grown women.)

Yes. Yes, I did. And it was marvelous! We had such a great time although I only knew a few people from the blogging world. Of course I knew Linda (Mocha With Linda) and Lisa (The Preacher's Wife), and I love to read Sophie's blog (BooMama), but beyond that I was in a room with a bunch of strangers. But the funny thing was that none of us felt like strangers. I am not a social butterfly. I prefer to watch the room and the action moving around me, but this time I felt like I was hanging out with friends.

We were some of the first to arrive, and so we picked a table and sat down with our pizza and cookies. Pretty soon, our table filled with the most wonderful girls you'd ever want to meet. Jill (Busy Girls) and Lori (Whatever) were from Florida, and Rachel (Three Boys and Me) was from Missouri. I had never laid eyes on any of these women, but there we were laughing and trading stories like we had been friends for years! The pictures of the kids were brought out for show and tell, and we spoke of home and family and the things that matter most to us.

There were testimonies that made me realize how blessed my life has been, and there were many moments of laughter (I'm remembering in particular a story that Brittney at Lopsided Halo told us. Her mother was convinced that we were a bunch of internet predators that were waiting in San Antonio to trap her!) and shared kinship as the evening wore on. I met Bethany (Beyond This Moment), a sweet girl from Oregon, and so many other ladies that it hurts my brain a little to try to recall all their names and blogs! Good times.

All this to say that I have not had such a refreshing time of fellowship and renewal in a long time. Since last weekend, I've added many new blogs to my Google Reader, and anxiously wait for new posts to appear so I can get to know my new friends better. So the next time the Siestas get together, you can count me in!!

This was the view from our room.

Me and my roomie!

Linda, Lisa and me.

Lori and Rachel

Jill (what a sweetheart!)

Sophie (aka BooMama) and me.