To grandmother's house we go...

The boys had fun visiting Grandmother. Here they are playing in her birdbath & washing her glass door.

Peekaboo

Nolan's Sunday School class playing peekaboo/hide-n-seek. Nolan is in the back on the right...We were his teachers today. The kids were great!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

car wash for peace

IT'S JIMMY FALLON EVERYBODY!
We saw him last night on Leno. I loved the song - it's been stuck in my head ever since AND it's for a good cause - OUR TROOPS!
Jimmy is donating his portion of the proceeds to Fisher House – a charity that supports America’s military by providing “a home away from home” that enables family members to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease, or injury.
Preview the song at www.myspace.com/jimmyfallon
For more information check out http://www.fisherhouse.org/

Renegades fans are born

Tonight we saw our first game of AF2 (arena football). We watched the Lubbock Renegades. It was fun. I am sure we'll go again!

SUV

We just ordered a 2007 Jeep Patriot. I am excited. It's the first time I have ever had a new vehicle. I will post pics once it is delivered here. It should be here Monday.

friends, functions, finds

I love Rebecca! We went shopping and out for drinks. She is so awesome. I am lucky to get to work with her, too! (She's the tall, foxy, brunette with sunglasses on the right in the March of Dimes Walk pic.)
I found a few fun things. I will likely wear one of the dresses I bought to my cousin Josh's wedding (in June in Waco). And the other dress to one of our 10 year high school reunion functions. John's reunion is in June & mine is in July. Yeehaw!

Current read

"Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity" by Eugene H. Peterson

It was one of John's textbooks in college for his Youth & Family Counseling degree. And I have committed myself to reading all the books we have in our house.
Believe it or not, it is a fascinating book. I have no desire to be a pastor, but the history and principles in it are applicable to the life and career of any believer.

Here are some of my highlighted excerpts:
"Yes, but how? Terrific ideas! Excellent thinking! Superb insights! Great goals! Yes, but how? How do I go about it? What are the actual means?...None of us can mature into excellence without a lifelong persistence of trained attentiveness to God."
"[Go] to our faith ancestors, the Hebrews. The Hebrews were not so much interested in understanding the human condition as they were in responding to the divine reality. Their supreme effort was to hear God's word, not to tell stories about gods. Their characteristic speech was prayer...Their purpose was not to understand what was going on in the human race but to be a part of what was going on with God...The Hebrews had a prayer for every occasion...Prayer means that we experience the world first not as a problem to be solved but as a reality in which God is acting."
"The Psalms were the prayer book of Israel; they were the prayer book of Jesus; they are the prayer book of the church."
"We need a strategy that takes into account the daily dilemma of living between two sets of demands that seem to cancel each other out, a strategy that accepts both sets without favoring one over the other. The first set of demands is that we respond with compassionate attentiveness to the demands of the people around us, demands that refuse to stay within the confines of regular hours and always exceed our capacity to meet them all...The second set of demands is that we respond with reverent prayer to the demand of God for our attention, to listen to him, to take him seriously in the actual circumstances of this calendar day...and not bluff our way through...This is a kind of attentiveness that can be entered into slowly and deliberately...God must be deeply pondered, lovingly believed...It means entering realms of spirit where wonder and adoration have space to develop, where play and delight have time to flourish."

mother's day

I am getting excited about Mother's Day this year...Not because it's a day to celebrate me, not because I plan on getting great gifts, but because we are having a family get-together. And that is all I wanted!
Both my grandmothers, my mom, and Amy will be there to celebrate the day! I am so excited! So blessed!

PS - My sis-in-law, Amy, is the freakin cutest prego I have ever seen!

Stamp Out Hunger

Food Drive this Saturday, May 12th!
It's so easy to participate. Just put non-perishable food items in a bag or box near your mailbox. Your mail carrier will deliver it to your local food bank for distribution to those who need it.
America is a country of blessings and abundance...but there are many here who are in need.
It's a great opportunity to give back. To paraphrase Mother Teresa - We cannot do great things, but we can do small things with love.
I plan on using this as another way to teach my children through actions and words what love is. Love is providing water to one who is thirsty, food to one who is hungry...

PRAISES!

Today I am so overwhelmed by the abundant love and blessings my God gives. He loves. He listens. He accepts. He invests in me - me, little me - and little you, too.
It's amazing, awesome, almost unbelievable! Praise him! Thank you, God. I love you so!

B-b-fox

The boys got boxing gloves for Christmas. Nolan was looking for his yesterday. Our conversation follows...
"Mommy, I want to fox."
"You want to box?"
"I want to fox! Where are my gloves?"
"B-b-box"
"B-b-fox"
unstoppable laughter...

National Nurses Week

This week is National Nurses Week.
So go & hug a nurse!

March of Dimes Walk

With my co-workers

















Me and Jaime!

Bday Party at Chuck E Cheese

Ethan's friend, Tage, turned 4! Here are the boys celebrating...

sprinkler prep

Nolan prepares for a dash through the sprinkler...

I have to brag

John has received only 100s in his graduate class so far! He's funny, sweet, hot & smart! I have it all!