little gifts

Got back yesterday from Orlando, and let me tell ya girls, it's definitely a trip worth taking without the pumpkins (at least once in your life!). I have to admit that everything there was a constant reminder of my girlies, but one of the gals who went is a seasoned DisneyWorld visitor, so I learned all the secrets for a great trip with the fam, and can't wait to take them some day.

A few notes on the trip:

1) I LOVE time with girl friends. It helps me to be SUCH a better wife and momma. So, for those of you who have gone too long without a night out with your girl friends, get to it!

2) I LOVE roller coasters. Seriously. Absolutely. If you go to Disney, take along someone who can watch the kiddos while you go ride coasters with your honey. So fun.

3) I LOVE the little gifts the Lord gives us. Silly stuff. Seems inconsequential, but He knows that it delights our souls, and gives it to us because He loves us so much. One example: My sweet friend Stacey had wanted all day to ride the Dumbo ride. Coaster girl (me) had (in my mind) wondered all day: "WHY? There are coasters. Why ride Dumbo?" But she was determined. When we had 20 minutes to kill before the fireworks show began, it was obviously time to ride Dumbo. So we were soaring on Dumbo when the fireworks started, and I was so stinkin' close to Tinkerbell I could've grabbed her foot as she flew by. Honestly! It was amazing. Maybe it's just the little kid in me, but that was a delight. A little gift from the Father to me, that I didn't even know I wanted.

One last thing - I wish I had that pic I mentioned in front of Cinderella's castle, but stubborn me didn't want to mess with a camera. BIG mistake! I missed lots of great picture opportunities, the biggest of all being a pic of all us girls together at Disney. Pooh!

princess fever

If you have little girls in your house, like I have in mine, your home has probably already been bitten by the princess bug, invited or not. Princesses are BIG favorites in our home, and if you could listen in during storytime or dress up, chances are you'd hear about Cinderella, or Belle, or Ariel, among others. One of Miss K's favorite new pretend games is to dress up as Cinderella, while I get to be the stepmother, and daddy is the prince. I usually am required to bark out orders while Cinderella pines away for the ball, and she eventually winds up dancing with her daddy by the time the story ends. One thing I like about most of the princess stories is that, while the princesses sometimes make bad choices (think Ariel), they're typically pretty good gals. One thing I don't like about the whole princess motif is the idea that somehow our little princesses are, because of their "princess status," allowed to behave like beasts.

I've figured out lately that I tend to pick up the princess attitude (the beastly side) all too often in regard to everyday life: "I deserve better/more/nicer, etc...". Somehow I think that I'm exempt from the trials & tribulations of everyday life just because I'm me, because I'm somehow different, somehow more special. You know, a princess. Only problem is that I'm NOT a princess. I know that on some level I am, since I'm a daughter of the King, but that's an entirely different subject. I'm just talking about everyday practicality here. There's no fairy godmother, or cute talking animal that's going to solve all my problems for me. I know that I've got my handsome prince, but he's not about to carry me off to some awesome castle for a princess-style "happily ever after." These are days that I just have to keep plodding through at times, as an entirely different (and definitely un-princessey) theme song runs through my mind: "Y'all gonna make me lose my mind up in here..."

So there's my thought for today. Gotta let the princess fever go on its way, and be thankful for the abundant provision plopped in my lap by the Father. Although, I do actually get to play princess for a few days this week: some girlfriends and I are going to Orlando for a few days of getaway, and I think we're actually going to go visit Disney. Maybe I'll get a picture in front of the castle. ;o)

creamy chicken enchilada recipe?

OK girls - I'm wanting to make those yummy creamy chicken enchiladas that we've had when we've all gotten together before (I think they're a junior league recipe?). The last time I remember having them was at Mike & Lindsey's place in McKinney, I think when Barry & Jessica were in town, and I think that Rebekah or Susan made them... SO, I emailed Bek for the recipe, but I have no patience, so if anyone has the recipe, PLEASE post it.

pray for virginia tech

What can you really say about this? ugh...

I just found out (from Sandi's blog) that a former DTS classmate of mine, Jennifer Kincaid, is working at Virginia Tech. I also found this article that says she's working with her church, Northstar Church, as a director of women's ministries. I'm not sure of her "official" duties on the campus, but I know she must touch so many students' lives every day. Please be sure to pray for her, for her church, and for other churches in the area as they minister in these difficult days.

jellybeans in the bathtub

Yesterday we had some rip-roarin' storms come through the DFW area, and at one point, good ol' Forney was under a tornado warning, complete with yellow spinny circles on the radar thing on good ol' channel 8 (my favorite weather people in the metroplex), and tornado sirens going off here in town. When we knew the bad weather was headed our way, we got the the backyard all ready for the high winds; once we heard the sirens, it was off to the bathtub for us all, dogs included. I had no idea how I was going to amuse two toddlers and two crazy dogs for the time we'd spend in the bathroom, but at the last second I remembered the Easter candy: "Let's go sit in the bathtub and eat some jellybeans, pumpkins!" Even Dixie & Cappy (the dogs) got jellybeans, which kept them from getting too nervous at the sounds of the sirens. A handy tip: a crib mattress is actually a very good size for covering the bathtub. I was thinking we'd pull one of the big mattresses in, but then handy-dandy honey grabbed the crib mattress. Good thinkin', honey!

Nothing came of all the sirens & noise, at least not here in Forney. After about fifteen minutes, when the sirens were off, I went and checked channel 8, and it looked safe for us all to come out of our safehouse, er...bathtub. That's when honey said, "Hey, we can't get out until we have a picture!" So, here's our first official tornado drill picture:

I was reading some Job yesterday, and couldn't help but be reminded by the storms of the Lord's questions to Job toward the end of the book: Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of water will cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go and say to you, "Here we are"? Job 38: 34-35. Job's obvious unspoken answer (and ours as well) is a very quiet & humble "No, sir." Incredible that He who has lightening answer to Him knows all about me and my little family sitting and eating jellybeans in the bathtub.

ma: a review

In honor of MA's surgery tomorrow in the early am, I thought a slideshow of some of my faves of her would be in order...

Tales from the Crib

I'm crazy distracted this week because we found out yesterday that MA has to have tubes put in her ears on Friday. Excited because we hope this will help her chronic ear infections & general sickness, but nervous because, well, ya know, the whole surgery aspect of it...

So I'm just going to post a few funny things I've heard/experienced at the gym since I started working there a few weeks ago (I'm in the nursery, and when no kiddos are in there, the TV is controlled by my co-workers). Keep in mind that most of my co-workers are teenagers, and it's been ever-so long since I've worked with the good ol' teen set...

1 - As we were watching American Idol a few weeks ago, one of the contestants sang his sorry version of "Every Breath You Take." Josh commented, "Doesn't some old dude sing that?"

2 - Kelly was flipping through the stations, and stopped for a second on a channel. "Hey, that's Karate Kid!" I said with excitement. "I had his poster on my wall in jr. high!" She watched for about 30 seconds (it was during a training session in Mr. Miyagi's backyard), wrinkled her nose, and kept channel surfing.

3 - Kelly was (again) flipping. She stopped on Airplane. "My mom loves this movie," she said. Another 30 seconds, another wrinkled nose, and more channel surfing.

4 - Josh & Kelly were watching an A&E biography on Michael Jackson. They were showing scenes from his childhood. Josh said, "Hey, he used to be black! What happened?" Don't we all wish we knew, Josh...

back in the saddle again...

So it's official. We are now members of Community Life church here in town, which happens to be a southern baptist church. Which is funny, because honey is about as far removed from southern as one can be, and I don't think he's ever been a baptist...although he was dunked, so in some sense, I guess he is a good ol' baptist boy at heart. Me, I'm southern baptist from way back, so it's a return of the prodigal, in some strange sense.

My original plan was to fuss about how stand-offish and cliquish southern baptists "typically" are, but then the Lord went and taught me a lesson, so... I was having a hard time with our "community group," also known as small groups in some circles, called "cg's" by our church. I just felt like we were on the outside, not really accepted or even wanted in this group that's somehow supposed to fulfill the sense of community which we can't actually get it at church, cause church is too big. So, I was just feeling like an outsider....again....in a southern baptist church....which made me really fussy because I feel like I've already been through this way too many times. But we're committed to the church, for lots of reasons (one of which is their take on evangelism), and I had decided that I was going to just suck it up, and play nice, because we'd eventually find some folks that we click with.

But then last night at cg, one of the girls opens WAY up, and tells us about the SUPER hard time she and her hubby are having right now, which TOTALLY explains their stand-offishness.... And another girl goes into some difficult times she's been through lately. And it hits me like a ton of bricks: "Oh yeah...they're broken, just like me." They don't have it all together. They aren't being ugly. They're just hurting, bleeding all over the place emotionally. And yet selfish, small-minded me takes it personally.

Sheesh....when will I learn? Makes me think that maybe, just maybe, it's not about southern baptists' die-hard habits...it's about my unwillingness to extend grace and just plain old "time to warm up" to people who need it, just like I do. These lessons are good for me. Help me get outside my head, and remember that it's just not all about me...I'm afraid I forget that way too often. I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

A few recommendations

Over the last couple of weeks, we've watched a few really good movies, all with the lovely Emma Thompson as a common denominator. So today I really think that she might be my favorite actress. I have yet to see her portray someone that hasn't won me over: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Elinor in Sense & Sensibility, Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter movies; and as of late, Karen Eiffel in Stranger Than Fiction, and Nanny McPhee in the same-named movie. So, if you haven't seen any Emma Thompson lately, get to it!

I'd post a few pics here and links and whatnot, but I'm tired, so I'm going to bed instead.