Good News

I have super good news to share! Sarah (Sayrah) is coming back with us after Christmas! Sarah and I had the most depressing phone conversation Sunday night when we realized we wouldn't see each other much over Christmas (we're used to seeing each other a lot), but then, later, we found a way for her to come back with us, stay 4 days, and fly back on Wednesday, January 4th! Whoo-hoo! And Matt will be home that Monday which will mean even more craziness and fun.

Let me share what happened the previous Sunday which was so much fun in the true quaintness of Christmas. Rachael and Sara Cox were coming over for a drop-in visit. We didn't hear them at first b/c instead of knocking they were singing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Maybe that's some sort of strange, 'out in the sticks' kind of tradition they brought here from South Carolina. We traditionally hear carollers singing of Shepherds, Angels, or Joy, but they were singing of something that sounded like it happened in the backwoods of S.Carolina, not in the little town of Bethlehem! :) (Addendum: For those of you who know how much we miss Barbara and Nancy, you will be encouraged to know that Rachael and Sara are sisters and the same ages as Barbara and Nancy who have helped us decorate for the past 3 years and we were really missing them that day and then Rachael and Sara stopped by. I think that is a nice blessing from the Lord.)

We shan't complain of the homemade sugar cookies they brought. Yummy and Funny (Funny when Sara pointed out that they made a 'Simon' cookie complete with reddish hair and then she apologized because the baking made him fatter.)

They stayed for a complete meal of icecream (with cheerios, Sara?), popcorn, and pringles. We never have real meals on Sunday nights. It's usually cereal.

OH, and then they helped with our Christmas decorations. We had been delaying the inevitable lighting of the tree. Rachael helped Matt with the lights. Sara hung our stockings on the mantle! (Yay, we have a fireplace!) and I don't know what I did. I think I just unwrapped a bunch of Christmas knick knacks that I decided to rebox for whenever I actually like that kind of stuff. I did keep the nativity scene and a few candles out, though.

Well, the tree looked really pretty with just the white lights and Rachael tried to talk us into not putting up ornaments. Sara was totally opposed to the idea. I think Matt was leaning more towards the no ornaments (just because it's easier.) So was I. But two things swayed us to later put up ornaments (Sorry, Rachael)
(1) The tree with just lights is only pretty at night. In the daytime it looks kind of lame. But it's really pretty at night. But not in the day. Pretty at night. Lame in the day.
(2) Sara put just one ornament on the tree before they left to remind us of oranament beauty. It worked.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME! OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS IN TEXAS IS THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE KELLY AND COREY AND MY GRANDPARENTS WILL ALREADY BE HERE FOR SCOTT'S COLLEGE GRADUATION AND BECAUSE KELLY AND COREY ARE STOPPING BY WITH THEIR UHAUL AS THEY ARE IN ROUTE TO MOVING FROM JACKSON MS TO CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS. YAY. AND WE GET TO BUY FOR LITTLE ALEX THIS YEAR!

Explanation

This is to explain why there haven't been any new pix. It's really sort of sad, our lack of digital preservation. I think it's because we were having trouble using the computer programs (Picasa and Hello) with our new operating sysem, Linux.

I think Matt figured out a way around that. But now our digital camera is acting goofy.

We also need to get out our video camera. We've missed too much of the last few months.

Just a thought: The benefit of losing one ear would be that you would have a use for all of the solo earrings you have. (I always seem to lose earring matches.)

I'm Not Crazy

This Friday was all night prayer. We left early because my stomach was hurting from something I ate. We got home right around 2 a.m.

Anyway, around 4 in the morning, I woke up and heard this noise. It sounded like someone had run into our house. I woke Matt up and told him. He thinks I'm crazy. Then I downsize the story and convince him to check the hall bath. Maybe the shower curtain fell. Nope. We go back to sleep.

The next morning I keep walking around the house and trying to find what fell. Matt still thinks I'm crazy. I check the garage. Still crazy. Mid morning I happen to check the backyard. Still crazy.

At almost noon I was making a cup of tea and said aloud, "I"m going to look at the front yard and see if I can tell what happened." NOT CRAZY.

As I looked out the kitchen window, I saw half of our pastoral fence was teken out and part of a crepe myrte. I tell Matt "Aha. Something happened to our fence." He unconvincingly goes outside and humbly acknowledges that in fact, I am not crazy, someone almost ran into our house. They did run into our yard.

We live on a hill, so we think they lost control of their car. Going to fast. Prob'ly had been drinking. PTL the driver wasn't hurt b/c he (why do I assume it's a male?) came less than a foot from having the drivers side run into a really big tree.

No big deal. No real damage. We had the police come over just to put it on record so that it might help support a plea for a speed bump on our street that I plan to seek sometime after the New Year.

BLACK FRIDAY

Matt and I actually did the 5:00 in the morning thing the day after Thanksgiving. How, you might ask, did I talk Matt into this shopping mania? Simple: our destination was Circuit City and our mission was a computer monitor. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Whoo-hoo! We saved $250 on a much needed monitor. The particular SONY was sold out when we arrived at 5:20, so we resigned ourselves to the no name monitor with a comparable price but less features and quality. We purchased it and were actually walking out the door when (PTL!) I spotted one next to an unrelated display. I tapped the only person standing nearby and asked if it was his. It wasn't, so we took it to the Customer Service desk and exchanged the one we had bought minutes ago for the one for which we had woken up at 5:00. An extra bonus, was at the Customer Service Desk, we didn't have to wait in line. (The normal lines were not so normal in the fact that they prob'ly had 50+ people in each line.)

I'm not taking either blessing for granted.

Long Enough for the Dedicated Blogger or Bored Individual

I'll be surprised if anyone actually reads these long and consecutive posts.

We're becoming more and more unpacked everyday. So much has happened in the less than a month that we have technically owned this home.

We have been the recepients of so much undeserved help and grace. You wouldn't believe how much time my dad has given to driving up here and helping us. I haven't even heard him complain about the time or inconvenience. I know it must have been hard to be away from home so many evenings. My dad took out part of our kitchen wall, to give the dining/kitchen more of an open look and so that I can be in the kitchen piddling and still see Simon eating. He preserved the ventahood by taking it out, cutting out the top, resanding it, painting it, putting it back up and making it look new again. We asked for his help just in setting up a temporary desk in the kitchen's built-in, and he surprises us with putting up something that is not temporary and will look like a built-in, especially once we paint it. With the help of George from church, they rewired the stove and moved an electrical outlet. They also came over one Friday and set up shop for a laminate workshop. What I mean is that some wonderful volunteers and friends at GFA planned to come over one Friday to help us lay flooring. Dad came over earlier and got things ready so that things would be ready for the flooring. Dad and George also began laying flooring in the den and stayed until after 10:00 that night finishing it. This really means a lot to me because my dad has bad knees and laying flooring is hard on him. He also worked for hours to cut the brick at the base of the hearth so the laminate could go under it.

Our GFA crew came after 5 and was able to lay the flooring in the hall and our bedroom. So, what could have taken literally weeks, took one day. PTL! (Praise the Lord for those who are out of the loop of abbreviations...)

Grace on top of grace was that our GFA community not only brought help but dinner that night for everyone working. A couple at GFA let us borrow their moving truck which is what we used to move. A group of 20ish people came over one day after work to unload it. So, what could have taken hours, took less than an hour. Ramble: That particular day the outside trashcan was overflowing with household trash of the previous owners that hadn't been taken to the curb. Matt noticed at one point that it was no longer overflowing. He wondered aloud about it, and Paula C. spoke up that she had taken some of the trash and put it in her trunk. True service, I think, it illustrated in this act. It is very undesirable to put someone's trash in your trunk. The bed of a truck wouldn't be as bad, but actually inside your car. It was very thankless b/c she did it silently without being asked and only telling b/c Matt was wondering. Matt says he thinks others had taken some trash, too. Anyway, that meant a lot to me even though it might sound odd or minute.
Matt was here about a week or so by himself--working on painting and pulling up carpet. GFA families brought him dinner each night. Some people came over to help pull out carpet. Jeff C. came to help pull the carpet to the curb and to bring dinner I think. On two Saturdays, Dave J., came over to help Matt with painting preparations and such. J.D. came over to help paint two nights. The first night we were all here (even Simon), The Christofferson family brought us a casserole and salad which was so thoughtful b/c it was prob'ly going to be cherry cokes and sunchips again for Matt and I. I was going to resort to jarred babyfood for Simon, so the homemade meal actually made our first night more like being at home and not being in a workshop. There's been at least one evening where Matt had to call on some of the single guys to help us move in some heavy furniture.
My mom has helped so much by watching Simon so I could come up to Carrollton and help Matt when Matt was here solo. She also kept him one Saturday and Lisa was able to spend most of the day helping me organize, plan, and buy some necessities.
Our next wave of help came when Matt's mom from Georgia came last Wednesday. Sandy has been a super help cleaning and helping watch Simon so I could unpack. She cleaned windows and mopped floors (sometimes on her hands and knees and even behind the refrigerator and under the stove.) She also cleaned the bathrooms on a level much deeper than I had done. Like mother, like son, because Matt is also known to clean behind the refrigerator. Sandy washed every dish and what not that was unpacked. We also were treated to homemade chocolate pies, turkey, mashed potatoes, turnip greens where actual turnips were added, green beans that were actually strung, homemade blueberry cobbler, and other yummy things. Ollie came in and was a major help in babysitting and playing with Simon. Ollie raked the yard and washed our van.
The more I write, the more I am feeling really thankful and blessed and indebted to so many people.
I better quit while I can still say I am not including everything and that way I don't actually leave any acts of service out because I am purposefully recording the events incompletely.

More Rambling

Here is the bonus rambling I promised.

When I went to the Carrollton Library last week I was so excited at all of the possibilites. I was fond of our little South Garland Branch, even a little touched when the librarian seemed like she would genuinely miss seeing Simon and I, but....
the Carrollton library (the one on Keller Springs) is a world of difference. The South Garland Branch was in an old abandoned Food Lion Grocery store. Here are some of the new ammenities we will enjoy: a parking garage, an attached coffee/tea shop, walking paths/lake outside, nice librarians who looked in the back for a particular book for me without me even asking, actually letting you walk around with the coffee (I think), a place for parking your bike or skateboard, should I ever take up skateboarding which is past my imagination's limits...

Thanksgiving Update

I haven't sat in front of a computer in awhile, but now that we the computer set up and dsl working, I should be able to enjoy the privilege once again.

I just finished listening to Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon on audio cd. I love the Mitford Series. I was so excited a few weeks ago to see the last novel come out. I was at the airport in St.Louis. I resisted the urge to buy the hardcover edition, knowing my grandfather in Cartersville would be buying it and knowing he wouldn't mind me borrowing it. He must have read it super fast, because word has it that it is already in the mail. Last week I checked out Shepherds Abiding, a novella with the same characters as the Mitford series. I needed something to keep me company while I unpacked and organized our bedroom closet.

I am a huge fan of audio books. They kept me company during Simon's first months when it was really hard to sit and hold a book and feed him at the same time. It's still hard, but for different reasons. Now, it's hard because there is always something to pick up, wash, cook, heat up, or throw out. But, I'm enjoying the sitting down that the actual paper book I'm getting in the mail will require. I'm already anticipating stealing moments to read.

Simon is becoming less like a baby every day and more like a toddler. Lots of fun. His uncle Ollie just left for the airport. He's been here a week and is a huge fan of his favorite (and only) nephew. We're thinking about going to IKEA this afternoon with Matt's parents. I have a couple of returns to make and am in desperate need to make some decisions for curtains in our home. Really, it's a good thing we have nothing to hide because two of our front windows are completely open. Which means, if anyone is looking, that they can see that we still need to buy a light for our dining room which has wires hanging down from the ceiling.

I'm going to end this post just so it doesn't look too long. I have more rambling to offer.

Happy Birthday Scott

Yep, Today is Scott's 23rd birthday.

I'm trying to reach him on his cell phone so we can confirm dinner plans. I can tell he's on the other line by the way it rings. His phone is always ringing, so he uses it a lot, but it seems like he never actually calls anyone. Oh well, I'd hate to see that cell phone bill. Maybe I should offer to pay one month's bill for his birthday gift. Oh, I already bought him something. Okay, regardless, I'll call him right back, and if he answers by the third ring, I'll pay the bill. Okay, it rang more than 5 times, so that offer is off the table, little bro.

Someone's at the door. Hold on.

It was Scott, on the cell phone. I am not making this up. He continued to talk as I wished him Happy Birthday. I told him he just missed out on a golden opportunity. He is still talking and trying to open his bedroom door with his hands full of stuff and still talking.

Gotta publish. He's trying to read over my shoulder now.

Update

Last weekend we 'moved in' to my parents home.

Today we closed on our home here, but we get tomorrow to load up the truck.

Matt will be 'moving out' this weekend to our new home that we hope to close on tomorrow at high noon. He'll only be 5-10 minutes from GFA, and he will be able to go home at night and do some work like painting, etc.

There is a lot of minor work that we plan to do before the family and furniture move in --painting, pulling up carpet and replacing it with ? (we're leaning towards laminate flooring again.)

It will be another 2-3 weeks of hard work. I feel bad for Matt because his back is hurting again. I think it was the packing that we did last week. Once we get the walls painted and flooring down, Simon and I will officially move in. It will be in stages, but we're almost there.

I guess the next couple of weekends or so will be 'extreme home makeover' for us. Anyone reading is officially invited to join the work crew. Come on, be a volunteer :) I think it will take a community to get us officially relocated!

The Good Life

Cutey.

Simon is living the good life.

Sorry that we don't have internet access right now. We are waiting until we move to fix our computer situation.

Here is a family update.
Hope to close on our home a week from today, October 21st!
If that goes well, we hope to close on a property in Carrollton the following MOnday, Oct. 24th.

Pending tomorrow's home inspection in Carrollton,

I guess I should be stressed. We need to be packed and moved a week from today. (We haven't started yet.) My toothache is still there. Woke up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep b/c of the pain. I need to have extensive work done next week on my mouth, yes the week I should be packing. But, PTL the dental work, done in St.Louis by a GFA donor, will be free! And on the plane I'll be able to read and think and pray and not move much. I also finally decided on a home insurance quote and a new auto quote. Preferred Guardian is awesome (I hope) because they are going to save us $400 /year plus give us a much better than our current policy. Our home insurance will be the same as our current one which is great cause we expected an increase. The Lord is good. And, to respond to the first sentence in this paragraph, I am surprisingly not stresesd. Maybe crazy. Expecting some LATE nights next week, but that's okay.

I am a little sad that I just saw a new home on the market that is in the same neighborhood as the Cox Family, Tysons, and Walkers, I think. Bummer. (Kingspoint...I think it's in the neighbohood?...) Oh well, if the home inspection goes well tomorrow, then it's just another open door confirming the house we have a contract with. PLUS we are right across the street from a great place to sled on icy snow slush that we may get once in a good year. And, as Rachel pointed out, you have to get outside before 9:00 a.m. or it may melt.

Simon Says Hi

Hi

Simon saw his picture on his Uncle Scott's computer and he kept saying "Hi" and waving to himself. It was so cute!

Well, the reason I'm blogging less and less is because we cancelled our internet, thinking we could get dsl. We were very surprised to discover that dsl is not in our area. I will not say anything about SBC because someone I know and love works for them. (right, Ashley?)

We would remedy our situation with dial-up, but Matt recently installed a new operating system on our compuer--Linux and our current modem is only Windows compatible. And then we will have the issue if picasa and hello are Linux friendly.

BUT we are waiting until we MOVE! Whoo-hoo! Last Friday, our realtor came over with an offer that we accepted! So our home is under contract, but of course, we are still in the 'option phase' where anything can happen with inspections, appraisals, and the buyer's loan. He wants to close OCTOBER 21st!

Ow, I have a toothache.

So, please pray for everything to go smoothly with an Oct. 21st closing. Then we'll see where God puts us.

Keep praying for Nancy and Josh. Nancy called on Saturday, relieving my immediate fears for her safety. She said they were in California, but in a nice way, she wouldn't give me the address b/c she knew I would have to tell the authorities. Somehow someone sent them money for bus tickets to CA. I didn't know teenagers could just get on a bus without ID or anything. That's crazy in and of itself.

Well, my immediate fears were relieved. But now I am wondering what next for Nancy? She can't finish her last year of school, I'm assuming, without being legally emancipated. What about her heart medicine-will she be able to go to a doctor? Is she safe? She mentioned Sat. that it's a little hard b/c she has ONE SET OF CLOTHES! Can't imagine that. Josh said it's legal for kids to work in CA at the age of 14, but it would be nice if he had the chance to finish his education, too. At least a high school diploma. And is he safe, really?

These are all just worries stemming from a limited worldly standpoint. Thankfully, God is bigger than my worries and His plan is above my understanding. I'm trusting, believing, and praying in faith for God's promises in scriptures to be fulfilled.

Tuesday Night Prayer

Well, here's a computer I can blog on for a second before I drive home.

Nancy (see previous blogs, Feb: "Sunshine and Rain at Once...) called me on Sunday afternoon, feeling sad and disheartened...I was able to encourage her in the Lord and remind her that the Lord has a plan for her. She hasn't sounded this sad in a long time, if ever. Nancy's been on my mind so much lately, even last week, I would wake up in the middle of the night and Matt and I would pray for her.

Then, later on Sunday, she calls in the middle of the night, saying that she and one of her cousins were going to run away and could I pick them up...but then she had to hang up the phone and literally run. I can't imagine running and jumping fences and even feeling like I had to run.

And, so she is gone from our sight for now. And that makes me really sad because she is like family to me. Really. And I'm sad not knowing if I'll see or hear from her again. She's 17, so I don't think she's considered a runaway. Or maybe we should say runto instead of runaway.

You know, the Lord can take what seems hopeless and turn it into something beautiful. Joseph said to his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."

Please pray that the Lord would have his hand upon Nancy and her cousin Josh as they runto. Yay, I coined a new word. I believe that the Lord has set Nancy apart. Even in her brokenness Sunday, she asks me about the Bridge of Hope children with Gospel for Asia and how that was going. She said she's been praying for them.

Pray however the Lord leads you for Nancy, Josh, and their family. I'm believing in faith to hear great things about how the Lord has met their needs.

Read Psalm 116. It's Nancy's favorite.

Yay!

Yay. I can't wait to check out Lynn's xanga. She's in medical school and if my math is right, will probably be graduating this year from Southwestern Medical and then on to residency. We lost our good friends Lynsay and Craig to a residency in surgery in Connecticut a couple of years ago.

We have had our mail held for a couple of weeks, but we got so much mail this past Friday. (Cute card, Lynn! Simon Says, "Thank You")

Ha ha. Simon says...Get it?

Tall Decaf Non-Fat Iced Double Latte With Whip

We were so delirious last night, around 3:00 in the morning. Matt was saying that ordering at Starbucks was kind of like speaking in tongues. I guess the baristas are the interpreters. We so should have roused everyone for an exciting game of DISEASE!

Well, either I have learned how to finally make my own tasty latte or the coffee pot here is just better, because my daily latte is so good in the morning. At home, it's kind of weak. The only thing I have changed is that they use paper filters whereas we use the washable kind. Also, I left our more expensive has to be ground coffee at home and bought a canister of EXTRA DARK Folgers in the red cylinder thing. How funny if the secret to better coffee is a cheaper brand because that would be the coolest.

It would be like this summer when my Grandma said the dishwasher salesman said that the reason why a lot of people's dishes are spotty is because they use TOO MUCH detergent, filling in both the slider container and the open one in the dishwasher. He said we really only need to fill the one that closes; too much detergent makes the dishes spotty. I love finding out that less is really needed. OH wait, I just remembered that I am using Borden 1% milk instead of our usually generic skim (b/c Borden was on sale.) Hmmm....there are just too many variables. I'll experiment when I get home to determine the secret to perfect java.

We're going to hop on our bikes, when I finish this yummy coffee, and drive around some neighborhoods in Carrollton to get a feel for the area. This morning I had a nice surprise: a letter from my dear friend Dana was nestled between all of the boring mail that my parents brought us when they picked up Simon. Matt is on the phone chatting with M.Epperson. That's a fun last name: Epperson.

A Non-Pix Update

Well, we're housesitting for a GFA family for 2 weeks. It's been so nice, this last week, to be only 5 minutes or so from the office.

We had the chance to have dinner Wed. evening with a family here, and we are looking forward to sharing a meal next Monday and Wednesday with a couple of other familes. We normally aren't able to fellowship as much with our GFA family, so this has been nice. I am slowly feeling more connected and plugged in. Not that that matters.

Please pray that we'll be able to move soon!
Keep faith for us as mine sometimes falters.

Tonight is all night prayer at GFA which is also a nice time of fellowship. It's kind of like a lock-in with adults! Well, children and teens too, though as the night wears on, you'll start to see children one by one lying on the floor with their pillow and blanket. We just pray around them. Seriously, last month, I almost stepped on a child.

White Rock Bike Ride

Bike Ride

Last Saturday...notice the cute little bike helmet with clouds that matches the bike trailer! Sorry the exposure is off...technical difficulties.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

Skipper

It looks like Simon is saying, "Can I help you, ma'am?"

This is a boat that our good friends the Taylors gave Simon for his birthday. They gave it to him when we saw them this summer in Tennessee. Simon LOVES the boat--on land or on water!

SIDEBAR:
Have you ever read Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place? In it she shares how God miraculously never let her bottle of medicine run empty until she did not need it anymore. And then there's the story of the widow's oil in the Bible.

Well, you've heard all of those stories and they may seem so remote. But we have Sam's Brand Plastic Wrap (Saran Wrap.) I promise we have been using the same box/roll since we were MARRIED over 5 years ago! (I am not necessarily contributing this in all seriousness as a supernatural work of the Lord. I also buy different fun boxes with different colors from now and then and so there could be a logical explanation.)
BUT WHO KNOWS????

My friend Lisa thinks the Lord blesses them through appliances that just never give out. I can't claim that one since our over the range microwave went out in July! Now, that was a lesson in patience. What better appliance to take from someone less skilled in patience?

Does anyone else have a widow's oil or saran wrap blessing?

Revolution in World Missions Flashback

This pix reminds me of the cover of Revolution in World Missions.

When we were at Edisto Island this summer, there was a new bookstore/coffee house that had a box of New Testaments by the door for free. A sweet Christian couple owns the place, and this is their first season to have it open. They probably opened it up after retirement.

I had the opportunity to give a copy of Revolution in World Missions to the lady/owner who was making my cup of java. I told her a little bit about it, and she told me how her Sunday School class was sponsoring a missionary in Haiti. I suggested she might read the book and consider putting out a box of these 'free books', too. She said she would pass the book along to her husband, because 'he was the one who ordered the bibles and put them out there.' She was really nice about it, and I never had the opportunity to follow up with her husband because I never saw him there.

(I do know that he exists, though, because my cousin Sarah took Simon there once for an afternoon visit. While she was reading on the porch, the man/owner brought out a toy for Simon as a gift. It was a little blue beanie baby. Sarah thinks he felt sorry for her, thinking she was a teenage mom, but she was too embarassed to explain that Simon wasn't hers.)

So, let's pray that the wife did pass the book along to her husband, and that he would be willing to pass these books along, too. I'm sure that many believers visit the store, and they probably have a little bit more time on their hands for reading since they would be on 'vacation.'

Who knows, maybe the little island store could be instrumental in the Great Commission.

Hey, I'm just wondering...I know we've been passing out a lot of copies of Revolution in World Missions, and I know a bunch of our teens got a copy at Acquire the Fire...So, I'm wondering if any of ya'll have read it and what are your thoughts???

If you're wondering what I'm blogging about, you can click on a link on my blog for a free book and all of your questions will be answered!

The Rescue

The Rescue

Simon's boat capsized, and it was so eerie to see him floating and sinking for a second. But not really scary because Matt was right there and grabbed Simon right up.

This is the second after the rescue. I was out of the pool with the camera in my hand, because I was videotaping. (Not the accident, but just before, I was taping the calm boat ride.

Fun in the Sun

CUTEY PATOOTIE!

Simon had his one year well baby checkup last Monday. Yesterday, he began running a fever from all of the shots. (It can take a week to ten days for the ramifications of the shots to set in.)

He is in typical good spirits, so it can't be that bad.

Okay, his height is in the 90 percentile; his weight is in the 60th percentile. That's about all I remember from the visit. Oh, we started him on whole milk. It's so wonderful to pass by the $16 cans of formula at Target!

Maybe we'll go on a family bike ride tomorrow and I'll take a pix of him in his blue bike trailer! We fitted him for a bike helmet yesterday at the bike shop. (I am the classic rule follower. I even avoided the helmets at Target and WalMart like his doctor recommended. Surprisingly, the helmet at the bike shop was only $1 more than the ones at Target.)

The Stretching of the Coat

From left to right: Ashley, Bethany, Amy

Anger Doesn't Become

The Battle of the Banners

Pictured here is the jaded Matt P. He thought he would be the only one bringing a banner to baby Simon's party. (His handiwork, with the extra embellishments of sister Ashley, is located in the top right quadrant.)

Shay, the only person I know who brings her own birthday banner to every birthday party, brought her Pottery Barn Kids Banner.

An undercurrent of celebration rivalry emerged.

Only at Papa Ken's House

Is this normal?

Only my dad would use industrial clamps at a toddler's feeding station.

Blah and Blog

Hilltoppers

I feel really awkward when I haven't blogged in awhile. Kind of like the awkwardness of when you've waited to long to return a phone call. And you secretly hope that when you call that person that you'll get a voicemail, answering machine, or best yet, it just rings (but you know they have caller-id and so you're off the hook) Ha ha. Off the hook.

Interesting info:
Whoo-hoo our home showed twice this week so far! That's an answer to prayer because I prayed that the Lord would just bring someone to see it, to give me hope! It's been officially on the MLS for almost two weeks now.

My Little Heartbreaker

Watch out girls!

No Mullets, Please

No Mullets Allowed

This mid-haircut picture fools the viewer into believing that we allowed Simon to have a mullet. By no means! This boy is mullet-free!

In my relatively small world, I am planning a random act of kindness, Simon's birthday, and Simon's one year pictures!
I am thinking of having him pose in a swimsuit (He is getting a new Old Navy Swimsuit for his birthday; he outgrew his other one this summer!) and having him pose in some extra lovable pajamas with his special green blanket and lamb.

I always forget the personal 'props' when it's picture time, so they always use their stash of sentimental look alikes. Not this time; I will be the prepared mommy with all the right materials!

It's my Birthday, and I'll cry if I want to!

First Haircut

Well, first haircut, and NO tears or fussiness. Whoo-hoo!
Of course the cool race car and veggie tales movie helped!
(Way to go, Cool Cuts for Kids!)

Simon LOVES wheels and tires; it's his little obsession.

So, do I officially have a toddler on my hands now?
(I'm not sure what age is considered toddler...)

Georgians

Cousin SAYRAH

A little known fact, Matt, Sarah, and I were all born at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia. 1976, 1988, and 1979, respectively. Sarah and I are cousins. Matt just married into the coolness.

Sarah has brown hair now. (Why would anyone color their hair brown???) SAYRAH! Just kidding. It's not brown, it's chestnut. (How cosmetologically correct.) Sarah's one of my few chat anytime over the phone people regardless and that is her best attribute. That and that she is mailing me some sort of something this week! I LOVE MAIL!

Is it just a coincidence that male and lame use the same letters???

I need to add links to everyone's xangas. Sarah's is: www.xanga.com/s_kelly.... If you have a xanga (Katie, Jamie, etc...) please leave a comment with your info so I can link it and stay intouch. I guess we might include the lame 'my space' users, too.

Update

Saturday

Saturday was a full day! Gospel for Asia work in the early morning, Matt getting a new tire for Camry in the mid-morning, going to Carrollton to look at houses all afternoon, worship practice at church, and more GFA and home searches that night.

Please pray that our home sells fast and that we have a quick transition to Carrollton. And pray for patience and faith in the inbetween time.

Simon was such a trooper on Saturday. We were in the van for over 4 hours with no break, and nary a whimper from him. The strap on his car seat keeps him occupied. Really.

Poor Simon, he's been on a BRAT diet for a week: bananas, rice cereal, applesauce, and toast.

Life Lessons

Priority

I love that goofy guy.

5 years of marriage, 2 ish years of dating. Seems like the latest statistic I heard on the divorce rate was that 50% of marriages end in divorce--HALF of all marriages. I was really sad a couple of years ago when two of our really good friends (couple friends good for double dating) got a divorce. This was a couple that seemed to be so happy, and they could make you laugh and laugh and laugh. And they went to church and he played the guitar and .... Well, too close to home.

Tonight Matt was hanging out with a friend of his that is about to be going thru a divorce.

So, of course, this makes me think. I think people in marriages have to be on the offensive, expecting attacks and heading them off beforehand.

I've been changing a lot in my mind. Really realizing that my family is my number one priority. Even if it's a little family of three. I heard once that whatever job you have, someone else could do the same job, probably better. But you are the only one who can be the wife or mother or husband or father that you are designed to be.

So, as I continue my struggle to live for the audience of One (this is really hard for me because I used to live for approval), I am realizing that it is okay to change priorities and to make sacrifices for the sake of cultivating a healthy family.

So, while other relationships and committments will occur as I try and live how Christ would, I will not feel guilty for choosing family over busyness or business or both!

Cartersville Family

The Fam

My Grandma, Papa, my cousin Mason (one of Sarah's brothers), me, my mom, my son. Oh, that was fun to write "son."

My grandparents are wonderful. You should meet them. Who? Anyone. And they would probably invite you to stay for a meal and the night. A nonprofit bed and breakfast.

Dayleah and Simon

Cutie Patooties

We had fun with our beach buddies and friends in Christ--Jimmy, Julia, Auburn, and Dayleah. Dayleah is just a month older than Simon. They are really good friends. Probably best friends. They'll probably keep in touch and one day go steady.

Simon and Dayleah 

Mount Pisgah, North Carolina

Beautiful view. I kept thinking of how great our God is when we were up there.

Sorry Simon's face isn't visible.

It's almost time for Simon's 1st BIRTHDAY! I don't know what to do for a party. He really hasn't made many local friends his age. He needs to join a club or something. Maybe I can sign him up for a sports team and then commit to practices and games FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!

The Beginning and The End

Floral Backdrop in Cartersville

I'm so glad to be home! I was also content in our absence.

No comparison, but Paul writes in Philippians that he has learned the secret to having joy in all things, whether he has nothing or much, whether in suffering or not, he learned that he could do all things through Christ who gave him strength.

I love the Lord! He is so good to us. In good times and seemingly bad times, there is no one like our God! That sounds like a David Crowder song!

If you've read this far, please say a prayer for Matt's back.
Too much skateboarding and snowboarding back in the day.

Bloggers Unite

I feel so distant from my blogger friends. I am at a pseudo cyber-cafe in the marshes of eastern Carolina. Just finish sending an e-mail to Tami at church with the article for the CONTACT. Nothing like the thrill of the last minute.

It's raining. I'm stranded. But being stranded in a place with books, internet, and coffee is a blessing.

Hey, I miss everyone! Pray for us! Please!

Living It Up

This is my first pictureless post in awhile. I'm living it up here in Cartersville at the Q.I. I am by myself in the "Business Center" which is a little closet with a computer. But, hey, there is high-speed internet access and that is a blessing!

Papa's Surprise 70th birthday party was fun! He didn't expect a thing. Mom said the secret to a great surprise party is to have it 2 months after the birthday. (Papa's birthday was April 28th!)

We left Sunday after church for Ringgold, Jawjuh. We had planned on trekking in one day, but then we decided to stay for church and hear the kids share their testimonies and to see Scotty BAPTISED! New Creations are exciting.

Good news--We were able to stay with the Humbles in Brinkley! We had two missionary meeting last week and one impromptu one tonight.

WEll, I must go. Matt and I are going to live it up here in Cartersville, Jawjuh. The nightlife here is something to blog about for sure.

Posers

Another Posed Pix

I think Matt looks really handsome in this pix.

We heard back from our graphic design artist at 'Missionarycards.com' and, unfortunately, none of our pix will work. Something about pixels... so, Matt has to reprogram our digital camera. So, the next time that we are together and presentable, we shall pose again.

I have many goals this week since Matt and Sarah have left me. One is to organize Simon's things for our June outings. I realize this sounds boring.

I was invited out to Shay and Kezia's new apartment to give decorating ideas. Yay! Also, Lisa said she was going to Gospel for Asia with me on Tuesday night. Also, I'm thinking about 'moving in' with my parents for some help with Simon, as well as people to ride bikes with or to see a movie! And Wed. or Thurs. I plan to go to Hilltop for a day and to stay in a hotel that night. So, really, my abandonment is limited and with a light in sight.

Daddy

Daddy and The Boy

I am so excited--I think Simon might have said 'momma' this afternoon when I gave him a bottle. But no one was here to verify. Very gray area. Like crawling. So it is not official.

And, if he didn't, would it be his first word? Because he has made monosyllabic sounds that resemble 'Hi' and has even uttered the syllable at appropriate times. Also, he has made a strand of syllables sounding like dadadadadadadada before.

Give Me Five, Please

Give Me Five Please

Well, I'll have lots more than 5 minutes to myself this week! I'm going to miss Matt this week. It's so sad that this might be his last year at Hilltop. Being a teacher has great benefits--June, July, and some of August.

I'm hoping my mom and I can take a day trip one day up to Hilltop Camp-- to see our wonderful campers (15!) And, I'll admit, to show off Simon. The year went by fast since the last Hilltop. I remember being SO pregnant then.

I'm glad SAYRAH got to come, even though I just saw her last night. And I think she's ditching us after camp for Brinkley. That's okay, we have her dvds, and that is enough.

Moving

Moving

The crawling champion is on the move! Simon turned 10 months yesterday! Yesterday was a full day. Matt drove around town collecting last minute camp applications, collecting an all church check for camp, and turning in forms. All this so that our campers could get a free t-shirt! Yay! (Otherwise, he could have turned them in Sunday, but no free t-shirt.)

Sarah flew in yesterday just to turn in her forms for the free t-shirt. I think she'll go to camp, too. I am so thankful for NO traffic on the way to get her--only 35 minutes--record trip for me to DFW!

I embarrassed her by calling her back-twice-on the DFW payphone that she called me on. Let's all pray that Sarah gets a better cell phone battery or remembers to charge her handicapped battery!