Cancun Baby!

Okay, so I have been a horrible blogger lately. I have been hearing from the few of you who actually check my blog that it's time for a new post. So here it is-- our Cancun pictures from July! We went to Cancun with the Ridgells a little over a month ago for a short, but fabulous trip! Ava loved the beach, the sand, and the swimming pool. She got pretty confident with her floaties. Jamie, Joe Don and sweet Anna were great travelling companions.

We were both a little nervous about flying with the girls, but I packed a bag of goodies and a portable DVD player and Ava did great. Anna did so good too. We didn't hear a peep out of either of them on the plane. We love hanging out with old friends. We have a special relationship with the Ridgells because Chad and Jamie grew up together in Fort Worth and Joe Don and I grew up together in Abilene. Then Chad and Joe Don were roomates in college, and Jamie and I bonded on our summer abroad trip to Oxford. Jamie actually takes credit for setting Chad and me up! Needless to say we're friends all the around and had a great time with the Ridgells in Cancun! I love the beach.

Jesus diapered all the babies

After bath time, Ava, Chad and I usually sing a couple of songs, read or tell stories, and pray before bedtime. Here are a couple of my favorite Ava bed time stories:

As I was singing songs with Ava, I asked her, "What song do you want to sing now?" Ava's response was, "Jesus put diapers on babies." Not sure about this one, so I asked her to sing it. Ava started to sing, "Jesus loves the little babies, all the babies of the world, every color dark and light, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little babies of the world." This song I am familiar with. We sing "babies" instead of "children," and "every color dark and light" instead of "red, and yellow, black and white," but still I was confused about the diapers. Then she proceeded to verse two. "Jesus diapered all the babies, all the babies of the world. . . " Somewhere along the way, I had sung, "Jesus died for all the babies. . ." Ava has no frame of reference for the word "died," but she certainly knows a diaper, so in her mind, Jesus diapered all those babies. He must be one tired guy!

Last week, we were reading from Ava's picture Bible, and we were on the story of Abraham (which in her version is a very short poem about Abraham leaving his homeland to be father of all. It makes no mention of Sarah or Isaac.) Ava pointed to the picture of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac to the left and said, "Who's that?" I told her, "This is Abraham and his baby Isaac and this is Isaac's mommy." Her response was, "Sarah!" Stunned, I looked at Chad, who had a similar expression on his face. Neither of us could remember the last time we had read this particular story and pointed out and named Sarah. It was sweet to know that she is soaking in so much of God's word, and a little bit scary to think how much of everything else she is soaking in too! She copies everything we do and say!

Ava sees Jesus in everything! Any photo of a man with unfamiliar attire and some facial hair is Jesus to her. Recently she has seen Jesus in a drawing of Shakespeare, an American Indian carved into wood at a local museum, and a photo of a man from the middle east. I'm glad that she's got Jesus on her radar!

4th of July Fun!

This is Ava watching the fireworks at Nelson Park. She made this face almost the whole night. The lights and sounds surprised and excited her every time! I loved experiencing fireworks for the first time again through her eyes!

Watching fireworks with Daddy!

Loaded this picture before I saw it up close and realized

how rough I look in it with my eyes half shut. Don't know

how to delete one without losing them all. Oh well.

We spent the 4th of July weekend with the Thompson side of the family in Brownwood. We ate great food, played games, and hung out on the lake all weekend! In this picture, Ava fell asleep on the boat ride. You can barely see her under her life jacket.

Pretending to drive the boat!

Can you believe how blond she's getting?

Swinging with Great-Grandpa at the Lake. Ava stood by the door all weekend talking whoever walked by into taking her outside to either "Swing high,""Go see the lake," "See the dog," or "Go in the boat."

That's me and Ava tubing (very slowly) behind the boat. She said,

"Whee. I like it!" as soon as she realized we were moving.

Ava and me floating in the lake!

This is a cousins dog paddling contest. Jenny and Joe won with an impressive 1 hour and 20 minutes. I was out after a long and painstaking 12 minutes. I'm obviously not a swimmer. . .

P.S. Dad is safely back from Israel, and recovering from jet lag. He has great stories and cool souveniers-- I got a 4,000 year old pottery shard from the dig and a tooth dug up from an animal that was probably sacrificied around the same time! Thanks for your prayers for his safe return.

A different perspective

Usually my blog is pretty egocentric. I generlly post photos of our family and talk about things that are going on with me, Chad and Ava. I love this form of communication and being able to share with friends and family via the web. I still plan on posting photos of Ava and letting you in on our daily happenings. Today's post will be a little different though.

Lately, I've been thinking and praying alot about my role in the bigger picture. I think that it's so easy in America to allow things to become routine, comfortable, sheltered even. For some reason, Chad and I have both had a heart for Africa in recent months, but not just Africa-- Iraq, Isreal, nations living through war. I don't have any answers for war, but I think that being sheltered from it is not what we are called to do. I enjoy listening to Christian radio, but the "safe and fun" mantra seems to spill over into our Christian living. I don't think that Jesus called us to live "safe and fun" lives. He called us into the world. He called us to be salt and light. Jesus lived a dangerous and uncomfortable life. When I ask myself honestly, "What would Jesus do?" I am frightened by the answer because I'm not sure that my life is truly a reflection of his. I love him, that is certain. I attend church, bible studies, I serve in ministry. I love others in His name, but is that enough? I am still very comfortble. When I see children living in poverty in need of things I take for granted, I am haunted by the fact that this would not happen in America. And yet these children are loved by their parents and God just as much as I love Ava.

Africa:
A couple of months ago, Chad and I participated in a "Global Night Commute" to help raise awareness for the "invisible children" living in the Sudan. These children are being captured by the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) and forced to kill. We first saw a documentary about this in Fort Worth. It brought us both to tears, but we didn't know what to do. Right after we moved to Abilene, we attended a forum at Highland and met some young people who were on a national tour to raise awareness for the invisible children. Since then, we receive e-mail updates, and have been in prayer for these kids. The Global Night Commute consisted of people all over the U.S. who walked from their homes (or in our case, ACU) to a downtown area and literally spent the night in parking lots to raise awareness and publicity. Click here for a video clip about the Global Night Commute . I also have a link on my blog to the main invisible children website.

Israel:
If you know my family even a little bit, you probably know that my father marches to the beat of a different drummer. Right now he is in Israel on an archeological dig for a month. He found a group online and joined their team. They have been excavating an area in Maggedo; he is living in a Jewish Kabbutz (communal living area), and eating Kosher. I have always admired his spirit of adventure. He deliberately seeks out experiences that are not comfortable and familiar. For more on his travels, check out his blog at jkpierson.blogspot.com His experiences in Israel have gotten me paying more attention to international affairs in Israel and Palestine as well.

This is alot of type for a blog so I'll sum up. I want to be more consiously aware of global issues. I don't want to live too comfortably. I want to be intentional about the way I treat others, even others I don't know across the world. I appreciate and admire families like the Vaughns, who don't just talk about this, but act on it, and go to Africa to live like Jesus. Great is their reward. I am inspired by that kind of courage and I pray that God will help me to be more courageous and less comfortable in my faith.

Big fun in Fort Worth

Ava and I just got back from a six day trip to Fort Worth where we visited family and friends and attended Summer Spectacular. I can't believe it has already been six months since we moved. It was so good to reconnect with everyone. In our short stay we managed to squeeze in dinner with the Micks, Quanzes, and Walters, a birthday lunch with Aunt Teressa, a baby shower for Amy Carder, helping decorate for Summer Spectacular, a two night trip to Decatur for Ava, a play date with several friends at the Critz's house, a trip to the Roanoake pool with Emma and Julia, and Summer Spectacular! We had a great time. Here are a few pictures from the trip:


Emma was so sweet to Ava all week, and Ava loved playing with a big girl! In this picture, Emma catches some air!

The girls had fun at the pool! Ava finally got brave enough to ride the slide!

Ava pats a bunny at Summer Spectacular!

Karaline, Ava, Aunt Teressa & Melissa at Summer Spectacular. Ava spotted Teressa on the stage & was very excited!

Play date: Jack Pinson, John Critz, Abby Railsback, Jack & Hayley Willbanks, Emma Russell, Garrett Walton & Ava.

Ava and Hayley love each other! I told Ava to give Hayley a hug and they held this pose for about a minute. It was so cute!

Attack of the Ducks

Ava and I enjoyed an interesting morning at the park today. It has been so hot in the afternoons that I decided to take her outside a little earlier today. I packed tortillas and we headed to Nelson park to feed the ducks. We did this a few weeks ago, and she's been saying,"Feed the ducks" ever since. I had imagined that we would throw some bread to a few ducks, walk around the pond area, and enjoy a serene morning with the God's creations. I was wrong. I don't think the pictures adequately reflect the number of ducks and geese that were gathered this morning. When we arrived at the duck pond, I took Ava out of the car with one tortilla and we started throwing small torn pieces to the nearest ducks. Every duck in the area started waddling, swimming and flapping toward us. By the time we had given out our first tortilla, there was a swarm of about 100 ducks encircling, some even snapping at us as they quacked. At first this was funny; then it started to freak Ava (and me) out. The ducks didn't concern me, but the geese were pretty agressive. I picked Ava up and started to slowly back away, but the geese did not back down. Those crazy animals chased us back to the car, honking loudly. And yes, I ran! I am sure this was a hilarious sight, but I felt had no choice. Chad was bitten by a duck as a child and I was not going to stick around to let history repeat itself. I headed back to the car for more tortillas and the security of a quick getaway (just in case.) I let Ava in the car as I gathered more bread, and when I looked up, there were ducks and geese completely surrounding our car. The quacking was getting louder and louder at this point, and Ava started saying, "Uh-oh, mommy." We stuck around a little longer and handed out the rest of our tortillas before we headed over to the park to swing. We honked the horn several times loudly to no avail. These ducks were not afraid of cars, horns or people. I finally had to put the car in reverse and drive out backwards to get out of there without hitting a duck! These photos were taken prior to the attack of the geese, after which I would not let Ava down. But you can still get an idea of how many ducks were out. I wish I had a panoramic camera because they were completely surrounding us!

Happy Birthday to Chad!

Chad got a digital camera for his birthday! I'll finally be able to share some pictures of our family. Those of you from out of town are most interested in Ava, so most will be of her, but at least you won't have to click over to Kate's blog to see photos of my child now. I'm still trying to figure out if the camera can take a photo without a two second delay. That's why Ava is not looking at the camera in any of these photos. By the time the picture takes, she's on to something else. Most of the pictures are just around the house. One was taken at an ACU baseball game where Ava was sporting a cute little wildcats cheerleading outfit in support of Uncle Stover. Another is of Ava hanging out of her crib. I think it might be time for a big girl bed! Hope I can figure out how to upload everything. Enjoy!

Sisters

Kate and Brandon moved in a block away from us last weekend. It was a busy couple of days. (See Kate's blog for all the details related to the move!) I am so excited to have them even closer, though nothing in Abilene is far. It will be fun to put Ava in the wagon and walk over to Kate's to visit. I was telling some girls at a Bunko party that my sister had moved in around the corner, and several commented on how they could never live that close to their sisters. I've heard comments like this before, and I can honestly say that I cannot relate. Kate has become one of my very best friends, and there is something about knowing each other's history so intimately and loving each other anyway that makes sisterhood a tight bond. Kate is laid back when I am wound up. She's witty when I'm lame. She's giving when I am selfish. She is faithful when I doubt. And she's a great person to have around the corner. Couldn't ask for a better neighbor, sister and aunt for Ava!

Choc-et?

I have been a bad blogger lately. We've been pretty busy since we moved into our new house and I started a new job. I've been unpacking, decorating, and getting organized so blogging has been low on my priority list, but I think I've finally gotten enough home projects done that I can stop for a while, and I'm starting to settle in to my new job at Highland as the Nursery Coordinator. The job opened up at just the right time, and is a perfect fit for me as a mom since I can drop Ava off at YCW and then work right there at the church (which is half a mile from my house.) I'm loving not having to fight traffic and being able to run up to the church for an hour here and there to work on things.
On to the story that my title refers to. . .
This afternoon, Ava who is almost 19 months now and surprising us with new words everyday, was playing in her playroom as I unpacked groceries in the kitchen. I had gotten some Easter candy for her class at school, and very discretely helped myself to one of the chocolates. She was in the other room and I thought I had gotten away with it. A couple of minutes later, Ava came in the room and I picked her up. She leaned in and smelled my breath, and said, "Choc-et?" She caught me! I thought it was so cute that I had to give her a little piece. She's a girl after my own heart. Chocolate is my weakness, and it seems to be Ava's too!

Home again, Home again, Jiggety Jog. . .

I have no idea what that saying means, but I can say that I am so thankful to be home again, home again! We have been in our house now for about a week and I'm exhausted, but happy. It is good to have my own bed and a place for my shoes. Ava is adjusting well to her new room (which looks very much like her old room.) She must have felt at home right away because she started sleeping better on our first night in the house. She still wakes up once usually, but it is much better than the three times a night she was waking up at my parent's house. I am recovering from shingles and am so thankful that it doesn't appear to be as severe a case as some! We are still unpacking and have a few things to paint, sew and organize, but I am starting to feel like this house is ours. We are so thankful for it-- it's a great little house! I'm looking forward to seeing friends this weekend at Sing Song. I miss so many of my friends, but we are really liking Abilene. The pace is so easy and laid back. Last night after a fundraiser event at Highland, we had some friends over. It was 8:00 on a Sunday night and we decided to order pizza and watch Grey's Anatomy at our house. I love that. We could never have been that spontaneous in Fort Worth! People live too far away. We are getting to rekindle some old friendships and make new ones as well. Our impromptu dinner party last night consisted of Kevin and Sarah Campbell, Zach and Kara Sheets, and Kate and Brandon. It was a really fun group. I don't have much time to write today. Ava is down and I have some unpacking to do during her nap. I just wanted to check in say that it's good to be home!

Ava's Ramblings

Ava has been talking a lot lately. I understand about half of what she says, but she's so expressive and confident that I always agree and nod even when I have no idea what she's trying to communicate. She has handled this transition really well considering that during the last 6 weeks we have been in three different houses, started her at a new church and school in a new town, and about half of her toys are packed away. She has been clingy and had trouble sleeping, but during the day, she is cheerful and talkative.

My favorite sayings lately are
Bye, She you! - Bye, See you.
Mama, yar you? - Mama, Where are you?
E it is. - There it is.
Oof - Oops. (Says this if she drops something)
Hi, Papa - Ava and Papa (my dad) will go back and forth saying, "Hi Papa," "Hi Ava," " Hi Papa," "Hi Ava," until one of them gives up. This can go thirty or forty times. Usually my dad gives up. She's a persistent little thing!

Ava has also learned two new words, which I'm not as excited about, "No", and "Mine." These are used frequently when she is trying to get to her favorite grown up toys: keys, the remote control, cell phones, and wallets. She is inquistive and into everything. This is such a fun age. I love to watch her learn!

Abilene, Abilene, prettiest town I've ever seen?

Well, this post has been a long time coming, but things have finally slowed down enough to write. Chad, Ava and I are officially Abilene residents although we're still living with my parents at the moment. We have a house that we'll close on tomorrow and move in to at the end of the month. I am so excited! I think I've decorated every room in my head at least 3 times. Of course most of my ideas will have to wait due to budget constraints so I'll just have to go one room at a time. We've had a very busy holiday season. I think that the last time I blogged was early December.

Most of December was a blur of boxes, good-byes, Christmas shopping, and illness. We packed our entire house to be put in storage except what we need for a month, which for Chad and me was a suitcase of clothes and some toiletries. For Ava, that consisted of an entire carload full of toys, baby gear, pack-n-play, clothes, diapers, etc. During all of the packing, all three of us got sick at overlapping intervals. I have a newfound sympathy for babies with ear infections. I got my first one and that is some serious pain! During December, we also had to say our good-byes to many friends and family. Our closest friends from church threw us a going away party, which was so fun! Being all together made me realize what a blessing it has been to have such an amazing core group of friends who we have shared so much with. I felt an overwhelming sadness at what we were leaving. But, I still believe that God is in control and I rest in the peace of His plan. My coworkers at RHCC also threw me a good-bye luncheon. I cannot express how hard it was to say so many tearful good-byes throughout the month of December. I love so many people there, and moving away was more difficult than I even imagined it would be. After all of the chaos leading up to the move, we finally did get our belongings loaded up and sent on to Abilene. Chad, Ava and I stayed with the Micks for the rest of the week while Chad worked the last few days before Christmas break. Ava fell in love with their dog, Murphy (who I almost lost, but that's another story.)

Christmas in Brownwood with my mom's family was a refreshing change of pace. I caught up on some much needed sleep and finally got over the ear infection. Ava loved being the center of attention! When we all get together, there are about 30 people, and we all stay in one house for the entire weekend so there was no shortage of help with Ava. Chad made the comment that we needed a baton or bracelet of some kind that you could pass off so we would know who was in charge of her at any given time. There were a few times when I knew she was in a group of people outside, but I wasn't sure if any one person was watching her. We thought we should come up with some kind of "tag you're it" way of making sure that she was being supervised. I guess I'm still a new parent of a first baby and sometimes overly cautious. We've had a lot of babies raised in that family, and we haven't lost one yet, so I guess I shouldn't have worried. I definately enjoyed all of the food, games, conversations, and a groovy seventies Anniversary party we had for my parents' 30th! Much fun!

From there, we headed back to Fort Worth for Chad's last four days of work at Metroplex and Christmas with his family. We had a great time opening presents with the Walters, Micks, and Quanzes. Ava loved her new toys! She bopped her head to the rhythm of a new keyboard while sitting in a wagon loaded down with fun toys! She loves her cousins and enjoyed playing with each of them! I spent most of the week spending time with friends since I didn't have to work. Ava got to hang out with Hayley, Bella and Emma (three of her closest little friends) and I got to visit with their moms (three of my closest friends.) On Friday, we had dinner with the family, said a heart wrenching tearful good-bye and headed on to Abilene.

We enjoyed bringing in the New Year with the Ridgells (here visiting family) and the Reeses! Chad and I hung out for a few days in Abilene and then headed to Sante Fe since he didn't have to start at his new job until the 9th! We enjoyed beautiful weather, interesting people and sights, lots of art museums and galleries and tasty food. We had a relaxing couple of days while Ava spent time in Decatur with Grandma Ruby and G-Sir. By Saturday, we were ready to see our baby girl, so we got up at 5:00 AM and headed back.

Once in Abilene, we finally unpacked at my parents' house where we'll be for the next 3 weeks until we can move in to our house. Chad started work this week, Ava started at Young Children's World at Highland where she'll go twice a week, and I am still praying for direction with my job options. I'll keep you posted. This week, I have been "reaquainting" myself with Abilene. It is familiar and new to me at the same time. I have enjoyed spending time with Kate who I have seen every day, and have been working on getting into a new routine of working out at Hendrick Health Club. Chad has come home for lunch several times and I can already feel myself settling in to a slower pace. It feels good. I have felt homesick from time to time, but I'm not really sure where my home is right now. I think I'm just ready to be settled after so much transition in the past few months, but I am enjoying time with my family, having extra help with Ava, as well as some great home cooked meals from mom. Ava is having fun with her Papa and Sasi! She has replaced her infatuation with saying, "Hi Dotee!" to saying "Hi Ba ba" (Papa) even when he's not home! She's a funny little thing.

We appreciate all of your love, support and prayers! I year ago I would never have imagined that we would be here, so I am looking forward to seeing what awaits us in 2006!

Quick thoughts

I don't have time for much today, but I just wanted to write quickly!
The packing is coming along. I think we'll get it all done by the 21st, which is when our stuff is headed to Abilene. We'll stay here and clean the empty house, pass off the keys to the new owner and then go on to Brownwood on the 23rd. We're looking forward to seeing everyone! I have been going over names with Ava, which of she of course won't remember. Most of them sound the same when she repeats them, but she's trying.
We had to bring Dotty in this week because we had a freeze here. She's in her carrier in the kitchen. Ava has been sneaking her small toys which she slips through the cage, and then comes and tells on herself, by saying, "Uh oh," and leading me to Dotty. I also caught her sticking her juice cup through the cage and trying to share some with Dotty. As she did this, she said, "Mmmmm." What a funny age! She cracks me up all the time!
I had to start taking down her room and she definitely knows something strange is going on. She has been "helping me" pack boxes and seems a little restless, roaming around the house like she's trying to figure out where all our stuff went.
I am ready to be a little more settled for her sake. She has also been having trouble sleeping lately, waking up to cry in the middle of the night at about 2:00 for no reason. I think she might be teething. It usually lasts for 30 minutes to an hour and I am worried about how this is going to affect everyone in Brownwood! Maybe she'll play so hard that she'll be worn out! My fear is that she'll play so hard that she'll be wound up. . . Either way, it should be interesting.
Speaking of wound up, Ava just woke up. She is yelling from her room, "Hi!" so I better go now and get her. Merry Christmas, and see you soon!

"Pick it up, Pack it in, Let me begin..."

Ava's down for a nap so I need to get busy packing, but I'm taking a just a minute to collect my thoughts and feelings about the move. I know I keep writing about this, but it's what we're doing right now so it's on my mind. The problem is that I don't do well with transition. Every major transition in my life, even ones I was incredibly excited about, caused me stress. I don't really worry, but I do have trouble eating and sleeping.

I like to be settled, especially at home. I guess that's one reason I love to decorate so much. I love to create a "nest" that feels like home. The timing of this move is particularly stressful because my home is filling up with boxes and piles and looks a mess in a season when I'm usually hanging garland, decorating the tree and making it feel "homier" than ever! I love the warm glow of Christmas lights in the evening with Christmas music and the smell of spiced apple candles. That is home to me. I'm getting teary just writing about it. (I am such a sentimental dork!) However, I have decided not to put up a tree this year since we are closing on the house on Thursday of this week, and will be out by December 21st. That's only 3 weeks away! I have SO much packing to do that I just can't see taking the time to put up a tree only to take it down in a couple of weeks, especially with a one year old-- every spare second has to be spent being productive or we will not be ready!

We're going to be staying with family until we move in to the house in Abilene on February 1st. Chad knows that once we're in the new house, I will probably be working around the clock to unpack and get settled. I don't mean to be so obsessive compulsive; I just can't sleep soundly until I feel I'm home.

I feel strongly that God has been guiding us in this direction, and I feel completely at peace about the decision. We have received one confirmation after another, so we trust that God will bless this move. Still, with each box I pack, I feel my heart growing heavier. It makes everything more real. The truth is that I really can't even talk to my closest friends about moving. I can talk about it on a surface level, but I haven't really talked about how sad I am to leave friends. Why are moves so emotional? I can't even write about it without getting an enormous lump in my throat.

Ava's waking. . . packing will have to wait-- nothing accomplished but glad I could put some thoughts down. It's theraputic.

Give Thanks

I am thankful every day for my Ava. She adds joy and color to my life!
These are pictures from a Thanksgiving party we went to with some church friends. The kids dressed as pilgrims and indians. They were so cute!

This Old House

Well, it's official! We have a contract on our house and a close date for December 1st. The buyer is going to let us lease from her through the month of December so we don't have to move out for the holidays. What a gift, especially with a one year old! The house on Grand is also still looking good. We have filed to take the contingency off of the contract, and our close date will be January 31st. This means we'll have to live with my parents for about a month before we move in, but we're just thankful that we didn't end up losing the deal altogether.

God has been so faithful to work out all the details of this move. From the moment we started praying about this decision, things have fallen into place, and doors have flown open. While I am sad (very sad actually) to leave friends here, I feel confident that God directed us, and He is in control.

Lately, I have been having such bittersweet feelings as I start think about packing up this house, and making preparations to leave my job at church. There are so many wonderful people here that I cannot imagine my daily life without, and yet, I have faith that God will continue to bless these relationships while providing new ones in Abilene.

One more quick note-- Interestingly, after all of this prayer about the move and confirmation with our house selling, and jobs falling into place, Chad was offered a job today that would allow him to make considerably more money than we'll be making in Abilene. We could pay off grad school and cars. I could quit working. We could go on a vacation! Why now? Why was this option thrown into the mix? (I am so thankful for my wise, unselfish husband who was quickly able to say, "Not interested. This is not part of God's plan for us right now.") I guess I tend to be more selfish in nature because I had to evaluate things before I was able to come to that conclusion.

As I was thinking, I was reminded of a verse that I read on the same night we showed our house to the person who is now buying it. It's from Luke, the Parable of the Sower, a story I've heard countless times. But as I reread this scripture, one verse stood out to me: The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14 I had always remembered the seed that fell on the path and rejected God, and the seed that fell on the rock which turned away from God in a time of testing. But this seed in verse 14 grew distracted by worry, money and the comforts of life and simply failed to grow! This caught me because these are my struggles-- worry, money, the comforts of life!

I realized that I don't want to get distracted by the possibility of more money and miss what God has in store for us when we follow his leading. I don't want to be that seed! But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15
My prayer is that we, as a family, produce a crop in Abilene and wherever else the Lord might lead us. . .

The Classics

I was thinking that I need to go back and read some of the classics that I have not yet read. And that got me to thinking about writers and reading and what makes a book "classic." So I am asking for your opinion on this one. How long does a book have to be in print to be considered a classic and what makes a book a classic-- author, literary style, cultural relevance? Who decides? There may be a legitimate answer to that question, and if there is, please let me know. I'm just interested in hearing what you have to say and expanding my list of books to read, so please weigh in on this one and give me your personal list of classics, and or favorites.

The following is a list of 5 books I enjoyed: books that struck a cord at some important season in my life, made me think, made me laugh, or made me grow:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
4. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
5. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

I'm looking for a new good read. Any suggestions?

My girl

This is my Ava Grace, at one year old. What a gift! I adore her. . .


Here are some of Ava's latest interests:
She loves her dog, Dottie. Her favorite saying is, "Hi Dot Tee!" Every morning Ava stands by the back door, saying "Woof" until I take her outside to see the dog. Dottie showed up on Ava's one year birthday so we had to keep her.

She likes to sing The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round, Jesus Loves Me, If You're Happy and You Know It, and her old favorite, The Itsy Bitsy Spider. All of her favorites involve hand motions! She's pretty good at them. I love to watch her sing along with her hands even though her vocabulary is not big enough to sing along out loud. . . yet!

Ava is also in a grape phase. She eats them morning, noon, and night. I don't know how to get her off grapes. I guess there are worse things for her to be addicted to, like Cheetos or Pizza. I try not to offer grapes at all meals, but she goes to fridge and fusses and points until I open it; then she taps on the drawer with the grapes. Smart girl really. She knows what she wants and she has figured out how to tell me. I have taught her the sign for please, but she only uses it when I tell her to. I guess "Ugghhh" and pointing is just as effective.

These are just a few of the fun things Ava is into these days. It's always changing, always exciting, and always a joy! Like I said, I adore her! Just look in those eyes. Melt my heart.
(Photo by Kristin Morales-- see site under More Blogs!)

3 Goals

One of the reasons we are looking forward to our move to Abilene is time! We want to simplify! It's not just about having more time, but using the time we have been given wisely. I know that relocating isn't going to suddenly take the issue of busyness away, but I do hope that it will allow us to spend more time together as family, and have more time to develop things in ourselves that we have no time for with our current schedules. I know that Chad wants to be able to run more and spend more quality time with us at home. With little to no paperwork to bring home, and a 5 minute commute, I think he'll be able to accomplish those things. My three goals are all somewhat selfish in nature, but I really think that if I spend just a little bit of time bettering myself, I will be a better mom, wife and friend.

First, I want to allow myself time for reading and writing. This sounds basic, but let me clarify: these will be books that I want to read for fun at my own pace because they interest me, not because I am in a study and am expected to read a certain number of chapters a week. And I want to write. I am actually working on this one now. Even if writing is in blog form, I want to be able to express my thoughts even if no one reads them. It helps me to get them out there.

Second, I want to work out at least 3 days a week. I think I will be able to do this at the Hendrick work out center, and I am looking forward to it! Hopefully, I can find a class that I'll enjoy and a work out partner who will call me and kick me in the hiney if I try to skip! (Kate might be good at this.)

And third, I want to audit an Art class. Creating has always been an emotional and stress outlet for me; I have not done anything truly artistic in some time. (I take that back, I have painted canvases, but these again are for other people based on what they want, and add to my list of things I need to get done.) I fear that I am losing the creative person that I once was. I actually don't even think I am all that talented an artist, but it's something I do for me, as a release and to better myself.

These are my three goals. I just thought I would put them out there so if anyone reads this, they can hold me to them! I hate setting New Year's Resolutions because I beat myself up with guilt about 3 months in, when I start breaking them. So I don't want these goals to be yet another thing that hangs over my head causing me to feel guilty because I'm not getting it all done. Rather, I am hoping to look at them as things I'll be proud if I accomplish, even for a time.

The Move

Okay, so I told everyone that I am not a blogger because I don't have time, but I decided that when I move to Abilene (in January), this will be a great way to keep up with friends. But I want to take the pressure off of myself and go ahead and say that I will not be worrying about my writing style or trying to say anything profound. Just ramblings mainly. . .

So here are today's ramblings. I've been feeling anxious, or maybe nervous, about all of the changes that will be taking place in the next few months. We put our house on the market, which is a difficult thing to do since we put so much of ourselves into this little place. I don't know why I get so sentimental about stuff, but I do. This is the house I brought my baby home to, and this is the house that my entire family (and some sweet friends) slaved over so we could move in on time. My dad, sister, and brother-in-law built the fence out back. I painted several rooms in the house. My father-in-law and husband built the deck and balcony, and my mom and mother-in-law helped paint the exterior. Chad and I stayed up until midnight several nights to refinish the floors. And just about everyone I know helped with our front door! All of this to say, it will not be easy to leave. I have been wondering why we haven't had an offer yet! Chad keeps reminding me that it's only been on the market 5 days! I guess the beauty in this house to me is that is more than that, it's been our home, and I will be sad to leave my first "home sweet home" of my very own.