Today on the Nature Channel

Simon--straight from a safari!

Simon and I are about to head out to the grocery store; we're out of two staples--bananas and milk. Friday is my grocery shopping day, but I'll make an exception this once. I'm trying out a new housekeeping schedule that is really working well for Simon and I. Laundry only on Wed. and Saturday. I used to feel like I was behind on laundry, if there were ever clothes in the hamper. Restricting it to two days cuts back on useless washing and unnecessary guilt!

Simon has his own broom and dustpan; I'll have to take a pix of that someday!

From the safari to the grocery store..."Oh, the places I'll go," Simon says!

Our Life

Here is some pix background: We took Simon for his first bike ride of the season last Friday. Last year, when he received the trailer for his birthday, he seemed to more than tolerate it but less than be enthralled with it. He even was small enough that he would sleep during a ride! Well, on Friday, I wondered what his older reaction would be. His facial expressions remained wide-eyed and emotionless, but later he let us know how he felt about it when he saw the trailer in the garage, sat in it, and said his first sentence: "Let's go!"

Flower pix is just included to show God's handiwork! "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it!" (Psalms)

Matt and Simon...is this what they call 'co-reading?' Matt and I were 3:30 a.m. troopers again last night with another sick night and EARLY morning bath for the little dude.

Myself in the red hat: On Good Friday, we helped out Mom and Dad in the yard. Scott and Steven Cobb and Matt helped Dad dig post holes with the help of equipment (auger?) from Home Depot Tool Rental. Mom and I weeded and weeded and weeded. This is mom's crazy red hat with a purple ribbon that I think you are supposed to wait until 50 to wear but I needed the extra sun protection!

A Look Back

Here are some pix back from when Sarah was here a couple of weeks ago.

Simon has some jelly (from IKEA of all places) on his chin--you can see it in the pix with Sarah, especially.

Sarah is an IKEA junkie now.

Wednesday is 'park' day for the McDaniel family where we just have sandwiches or something really easy (crackers and cheese) so that we have optimum time for playing outside. Tonight we went for a walk and then let Simon play in the backyard while I read some funny parts of a book I'm reading aloud to Matt.

Last Thursday we GRADUATED from New Staff Training at Gospel for Asia. Whoo-hoo! It's such a blessing to know you are where the Lord wants you to be!

Now for some sad news--We didn't take any digital pix of Simon on Easter. I"ll try and recreate the outfit sometime and take a pix. But I won't pretend it's an Easter pix (Mom!).

Okay side story: We have easter pix one year of us three kids, Kelly and I in dresses and Easter hats and I think Scott is wearing a little clip on tie with a 'suit.' THE PIX WEREN'T TAKEN ON EASTER! Mom said she was too stressed that morning so she 'recreated' in later. Seriously, we are even holding Easter baskets in the pix, I think.

My Harvest and Feast

Celebrate with me the creation, survival, and then dietary death of my first fruit of the garden labors--a strawberry! Before there was just a plant. Then a strawberry! MIRACULOUS! Then I ate it very slowly with the help of a fork and knife!

I just watered the vegetable and flowers outside. We're blessed with a shady backyard, maybe too shady for much vegetation, but we will see! The squash and cucumber plants have pretty yellow blooms on them this morning, and I saw some type of budding on one of the tomato plants!

Matt transplanted some bamboo from a friend's backyard, though it doesn't look like it will take; he plans on trying again in the fall which is the best time to plant bamboo.

Yesterday, it was a week since we had to say goodbye to Sarah and a week till we get to say hello to Matt's mom, coming in for a visit! Sarah, you'll be happy to know that the plants are all still living! Thanks for your artist's rendition of our garden landscaping; it is coming in handy!

Easter is one of my most favorite times of the year! We really deserve death, but because of what Christ did for us, we are able to have new life in Him and to daily live the abundant life, free from the bondage of sin and law!

Matt and I joke that Simon is trying to start a new Easter tradition of his own! Let's just say that he was up at 3:30 Easter morning and was quite sick. He got to get his 3rd bath of the day at 3:35 a.m. It was definitely the sickest he has been in the 2nd year of his life. Last year, he started the tradition by also being sick on Easter 'Eve'--the sickest night of his first year of life. (Bronchialitis) I had to hold him most of the night to help him breathe/sleep. Thanks for the sweet tradition Simon, that definitely makes the bond stronger as a family!

The bonds created in a sleep-deprived night are some of the strongest bonds ever!

The Men In My Life

I think these pictures are adorable!

Matt enjoys working in the yard; he is a hard worker. Really that would be an understatement. Last week he trimmed hedges and did lots of miscellaneous chores outside. Now that we have a lawnmower (on loan from Kelly and Corey), Matt was able to cut the grass! He also 'uncovered' a 'new to us' patio that was covered in mulch...?

Sarah and I have tilled the side 'garden,' and we plan to buy some high grade soil tomorrow to mix in with our old soil. We plan on planting tomatoes, bell peppers, and squash.
Yummy. What a harvest that might be! Matt and I have always been gone for a big chunk of the summer, so I am enjoying the chance to try my luck with a summer garden.

I made homemade bread for Sarah. It would go well with her 'Anti-Atkins' t-shirt.
I made the salsa again, so I guess it is part of my limited kitchen repertoire.

The laundry is calling my name, and I think I'll answer...

Mama Duck

"A Real Life Quack"

Simon calls ducks, 'Quacks.'
Isn't that cute?

Well, I know this duck doesn't think we're 'cute.'
Read the next post and you'll understand.

Simon Explores

About the pix: Last Thursday I found Simon in his room with only his head sticking out of his little side table. I had to run and get the camera. These are a few of the impromptu shots.

Here is an update.
Sarah is here.

Acquire the Fire was motivational.
Highlights:
RENEW YOUR MIND
HATE THE LIE
BATTLECRY.COM
THE WAR IS ON

12 girls stayed here Friday night. Fun. I like being around people for extended times in a relaxed environment.
The weather is gorgeous.
Sarah and I gardened today. Tilling and such.


Matt, Simon, Sarah, and I had a picnic for dinner.
Frisbee golf afterwards.
Sarah hit a frisbee that landed right next to a duck on her eggs.
Matt had to get the frisbee because it was kind of a scary predicament.
I tried to find my cellphone to call Ashley P.'s mom.
Realized we probably lost it on the 'frisbee golf course' outside.
Matt had to ride around on his bike after 9:00 in the dark on the greenbelt while I called my phone repeatedly.
Found the phone.
Right next to the mother duck.
She must be really annoyed with us.

Just One More

This was on Sunday while we were enjoying the nice weather (though the wind was strong enough to knock you down)! I heard it was going to rain all week, so I have been taking Simon outside every chance we get, expecting in advance for us to have cabin fever. But, it's still dry and it's Tuesday night...where is the rain?

I guess the rain clouds are waiting for our GFA picnic on Thursday! Oh, so much to look forward to on Thursday. GFA picnic. We're signed up to bring chips and SALSA. Hot, I think, so I'll have to use both jalapenos (see previous post.)

Also, on Thursday, I hear that SARAH is flying in! I'm not sure when exactly (hint, hint) but hopefully she'll let us know soon. 10 days of sharing our everyday life with Sarah. I am so glad she is coming. I really have been needing some extra help around here...cleaning, cooking, ironing, folding, dusting, vacuuming, shoveling, raking, gardening, etc. :) :) :)

And Friday-Saturday is Acquire the Fire and we have 10 girls staying here Friday night.

Um, Friday is Nancy's birthday, so I know I'll be a little sad, but mostly just prayerful for her.

I asked Matt if is was okay if some girls came over next Thursday to watch the new Pride and Prejudice and he said, "What is it with girls and Pride and Prejudice? That's all I hear. Pride and Prejudice. Have you seen the new Pride and Prejudice? Do you want to play the Pride and Prejudice board game?" I wonder if he is being funny about the board game or if it is something I should ask for for Mother's Day........

Life Is Good

I made salsa this week! My first attempt. Better than store-bought, though it couldn't be as tasty as those who grill their own tomatoes and such. It is my compromise. I got the recipe from Larna Humble; the Humbles are family friends of ours that we have been able to know over the years as they have done the music at HILLTOP camp. They've also been kind enough to be our cross-county 'bed and breakfast' on several occasions. We stayed with them recently and I left with some good recipes and some fun hospitality tips.
Yum, this is called "Larna's Salsa"

1 bunch green onions, cut up coarsely
1/8 to 1/4 purple onion, sliced in thick pieces
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes (use fresh in summer)
1 (10 oz) can Rotel (Mexican w/cilantro & lime juice)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 to 1 teaspoon cumin (she prefers 3/4 tsp.)
1 teaspoon cilantro, dried or 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder (she prefers fresh)
1 1/2 to 2 jalapeno peppers, fresh, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (no substitutes)

Mix all ingredients together, in a food processor, with onions, garlic, and peppers on the bottom and add Rotel last. Pulse for 30 seconds, or until desired consistency.

The Trip Begins

PTL for our minivan! It really was an answer to prayer! You can ask us how sometime, if you want! Our van is packed full--lots of Simon stuff, lots of support trip stuff. To the right you can see the ultimate missionary baggage: a display table.

One night we were driving and I was talking to Kellie H. on the phone. Matt pulled over to reposition our display table, as it kept moving around. I told Kellie that Matt was repositioning a table. She said, "Oh, your display table!" I didn't even know it was called a display table until then! I think I played it off, like I knew. Ah, but now she reads this and I am exposed for the new missionary that I am! In all seriousness, Kellie said those two words 'display table' with such familiarity and normalcy that it was memorable as such.

This is the 1st of 10 blog posts from our trip. You are FOREWARNED, yet ENCOURAGED to read on.

Former Homestead

Out by the marina where we used to live. We stopped by on our way out of town on 30. Matt is sporting some sunglasses we found in our van. If they're yours, let us know and we'll return them!

We had an adventure before we left. Well, with last month's hot water heater 'exploding' experience, we decided to turn off our water before we left town. Heads up, this is always a good idea. My grandparents in SC had their downstairs partially flooded once when they were gone for a few days to the beach. Some waterhose on the washing machine malfunctioned. Matt's parents had a similar experience with a hot water heater once that left behind some damage. We were blessed in that I was home, but still a lot of damage can happen in 20 minutes. We had 2 inches in the garage and 1 inch in our front room. It was funny (in retrospect) to see Matt pulling up at the front of our hose and kind of panicking when he saw water coming out our front door. He kept running around saying, 'where do you turn the water off?'

So, learn from us, turn off your water before you leave for vacation and know how to turn off the water supply to your house. (Matt ended up turning off the supply to the hot water heater. We now know that we would have to turn off the water in front of our house by the street. But you need a special 'key' and something like a wrench to turn it with. We now have a key/turner all in one from Home Depot. LEARN FROM US!

Oh, our adventure included Matt getting REALLY dirty from turning off the water when we were leaving. He had to go back and turn on the water so he could clean up. And then turn it off again.

Oh, the plumber told us to always turn off the breaker to the hot water heater BEFORE you turn off the water supply. Otherwise, you might have your hot water heater heating when there is no water in it and that is REALLY a bad idea for some reason or another!

Simon Sleeps Across Arkansas

When I look at this pix, I can't help put want to go and wake Simon up from his nap so I can hold him!

Yesterday, about 15 min. before we needed to leave for church, I heard Simon screaming in the kitchen where he was eating breakfast with his daddy. He had fallen out of a chair and the chair had fallen on his big toe. (What is it with Simon and toe injuries?) I won't include too many details for those who are squemish, but it was really hard to see Simon in so much pain. That would hurt an adult, much worse a child. We had lots of bleeding and we still don't know if he'll keep the nail. We didn't make it to church. I held Simon as Matt used an ice pack to help with the swelling. Our gauze came in handy once again. Simon can't wear shoes because it would hurt his toe. Maybe tomorrow we'll try shoes. I don't know if they'll fit with all that gauze we're using.

We wanted to go to church and see Baby Alex dedicated! We have been able to visit with Kelly, Corey, Alex, and with our grandparents from Cartersville this weekend. It is so nice to have family gatherings.

We went by the pharmacy yesterday to get neosporin. The pharmacist showed us a new product: Neosporin with Pain Reliever (numbing) agent! Awesome. Perfect for this particular need.

Informal College Reunion

College friends. The one you don't recognize (if you are old school Bryan College) is with Melissa. Thumbs up, for him, as he has good taste in company (Melissa and Simon, his playmate!) It was SO NICE to chat, visit, and see everyone! We were also able to share about the ministry that we are involved with at Gospel for Asia and that is so much a part of who we are now.

I think we need to plan a reunion each time we get to go to Ringgold! Not pictured is David R. and Alan W. Evan came after everyone had left. But we had a good visit with him til about midnight when he drove home. The next day, he drove up to Cartersville and we got to see him again! There is a pix of Evan (who looks like Andrew N. now) and Simon.

Seeing everyone made me miss those I couldn't see (Kellie, Nikki, Maza...)

Park

You are now reading the 5th of 10 blog posts from our trip.

Matt's mom, Sandy, was telling me about a friend of her's who has a son who is really into Tommy Trains. The child is approximately 3 years old. Apparently, he recently got some sort of Tommy Train set for a gift and literally threw up in excitement when he saw it. He also couldn't sleep that night for fear it wouldn't be there when he woke up.

Well, Simon doesn't know about Tommy Trains yet. But he was SO EXCITED a couple of days ago when I opened a big, multipack of toilet paper for him to put on the closet shelf. I had saved this 'chore' for him, knowing he likes to put each roll on a shelf. Also, we're trying to make 'helping' a normal part of life so that when he is old enough to really help he hopefully won't be too surprised! Well, I made a good choice, because he just shrieked with excitement, clapped his hands, and pranced around on his little feet. I hope he gets this excited about taking out the garbage when he's big enough!

We had a fire the other night--one of those duraflame logs. Very domestic, I know. Simon kept bringing Matt dead leaves from our ivy plant to add to the fire. It was funny watching both of 'my boys' just kneeling at the fire and staring. Matt kept sending Simon on errands to pick up those leaves. Then, after Simon went to bed, Matt was looking for more stuff to burn. I had a magazine out for recycling. Yep, you guessed it. Burned to a crisp. Then, our large stack of things to be shredded suddenly became fuel to heat our home. I was a little worried, because our family photo albums are kept right next to the fireplace. Luckily, Matt didn't resort to using those as fuel!

Detour Ahead

We made a slight detour as we drove 'home' to Ringgold one afternoon.

We actually took the advice of SO MANY roadside signs beckoning us to SEE RUBY FALLS. Well, we didn't have time nor the desire to see it, but we wanted to have our pix made right outside it. Yes, this place does exist; it's not a Southern legend. I've never been there; I think Matt has. Everyone says its not worth the money, that it's just a cave with 'waterfalls' on which they shine a red flourescent light. I don't know if that's true.

Pix on the Left: Yes, the Basket Queen outside a Basket Shed--my true castle. I am a basket case.

Pix on the Right: Matt and Amy prove that Ruby Falls does exist. I am married to the best man on earth! Hopefully, others married feel the same way (not about Matt...but you get my point.)

Display Table Active

This is taken Sunday evening during the last event of Woodland Park's Mission's Conference. The speakers were Rob and Barbara Cline with HCJB radio. We had the chance throughout the weekend to get to know other missionaries--both foreign and stateside.
Our support trip was a blessing in many ways. Thanks to everyone who gets our newsletter and was praying for us.
That morning in Sunday school, we shared in the college/career class. That was really a good group to share with--attentive and open to being challenged (70ish in attendance). Matt shared his testimony and how the Lord called us to missions, I shared about how they could be involved in reaching the unreached now through active prayer and involvement, and then Matt ended with a powerpoint that had pix from here of the office and pix from the field. We had several copies of Revoltion in World Missions, but they were all gone after Sunday School, as were the Road to Reality brochures and info. on IT internships. Many of the young adults came by the display table that night to chat. Some had already started reading the book!
Funny story: Most display tables have 'free' stuff of some sort that they hand out...mostly just brochures and the like. At one point in the evening, a sweet girl came up to me and inquired if our pens were 'free.' We had 4 pens being used to fill out cards to receive the free book. Smiling, I had to tell her that all we had were free books. At least she didn't ask for the laptop!

FREESTYLE JUMPING

This is Matt jumping.
Do you see the brick landing in the lower left corner?
From what I understand, there was once a wood deck over there until Matt broke it with his body and his skateboard in an unplanned landing.
From freestyle skating to freestyle jumping.
The truly hilarious thing, though, is FREESTYLE WALKING.
You'd have to see it to believe it.

Almost a Family Photo

Cracker Barrell Pros:
The store!
Complimentary gift wrapping.
Blueberry Pancakes.
Coffee.
Audio books available to rent and return to any Cracker Barrell
About the pix: Matt's mom is taking picture.
In pix: Papa, Uncle Owie (that's how Simon says it), us

Voyage Ends

These pictures were taken during the last 30 minutes of our trip.
About the pix...
Simon was either out of it or seriously faking something. We were cracking up at him the last 30 min. or so of the 15 hour trip! He was so mellow. We noticed on the trip that he sometimes preferred having a blanket over his seat all the way to the seat in front of him. He would go 'in and out' at will. It was so funny. I would peek in on him and he would just be sitting there, completely mellow. Just chilling like his daddy or his papa or his uncle owie.

I included the pix so you could see the different stages of alertness.

The return trip home was an adventure. Although we drove the whole trek in one day (compared to two days on the way there as we had stopped midway to visit overnite with the Humble family), it was so much easier! The secret was preparation--leaving at 3 a.m. Texas time so that Simon could sleep some of the van hours away. That sort of worked. Stopping for breakfast at Chick-fil-A and letting Simon play on the playground versus getting drive thru. Lunch was Subway to go and then finding a park to eat/play in. That made all the difference. Plus, we weren't stingy with letting him watch videos. At one point, on the return trip, he watched 3 of his movies in a row. (They are only 30 min. each.) Also, we think giving him fresh fruit instead of Teddy Grahams helped his mood. He also liked having a fresh supply of new books to look at.

Kelly and Alex

Alex will be 2 weeks old this Thursday! I love this picture. Matt just showed me how to 'borrow' pix from Corey's website--otherwise, we would have posted pix of Alex ages ago! I shouldn't say Matt 'showed' me, because actually I left the computer while he did the borrowing so I could pour myself another bowl of LIfe cereal and 2% milk. Ah, what a combination. Normally, we drink skim milk, but since switching Simon to 2% milk (an hour ago), I treated myself to the 2%. I think Life and Quaker Oat Squares are the only two cereals that require a higher grade than skim.

Back to Alex...I know we were all SO surprised to see that he has red hair! Look, he has rosy cheeks in this picture.

AGHH! Pray for me that I don't become crazy packing Amy this week. We are packing for a long road trip and those who know me well know that my crazy psycho self usually takes over right before a trip. Seriously, it is the #1 most stressful thing to me. Honestly, I have dreams/nightmares about packing. This scenario varies, but usually I just realize we're about to leave and I have only 30 minutes to pack or a similar scenario. It's never about me getting to a destination and realizing I forgot something--just about packing. I am trying to be more laidback this time around. So far, so good. I'll give you an update later if it's favorable to me. If not, you'll just have to ask Matt...

Packing memories:
Dana packing for my trip (senior year) to Galveston because I was lying on the bathroom floor (sick.) Sick from a virus, not from packing...I'm not that crazy.
Kellie Hill packing for me twice. Once for Christmas and once for Canada. I wasn't sick those times--just a typical case of packing paralysis.
I don't know who packed for our honeymoon. I think it was Kelly, Kellie, and Mom...? If no one confesses, then it is the first miraculous intervention for packing of which I've ever heard.

Did I really grow up?

Caption: Simon eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Notice he is making the sign for "please." Also, you can note Toddlerwise on the dining table. Just a glimpse into our daily life.

So, did I really grow up?

I ask this question because I called my dad tonight to check on our van. We left it at his house yesterday and he took it for us today to the mechanic. (Sidenote: Praise the Lord for His protection as one of the front tires was in really POOR condition.) So, dad is also taking care of getting tires for us, too.

I asked if I could talk to mom, but she was at a school supply store, doing some errands for Scott--making some copies and getting some lamination done for him. So, although my parents should have the empty nest syndrome, here they are busy helping us!

We've been having lots of fun here--enjoying the warm weather! I can't believe it's supposed to be 87 degrees on Wednesday! The last two afternoons, we've gone outside with Simon and kicked a soccer ball around. It's like the warm weather brought with it so much energy. This evening we have played soccer, danced around the living room, and at one point, Matt was literally doing cartwheels...

My Little Valentine

This little sweetheart stole my heart a LONG time ago.

Yum, speaking of hearts, I have developed a taste for the Necco Conversation Hearts. (Thanks, Sara, for the personal recommendation!) Except the yellow ones. Though I like disliking them.

Simon is feeling poorly and might be contagious. Running a fever anywhere from 100.7 to 101.7. I think he's contagious cause I'm feeling sick, too, and Matt is likewise. Though I can't really 'afford' the time to feel sick with an under the weather husband and an 18 month old who needs to be held from 3-4:50 a.m. YEP. But once I took his temp. last night and saw that it was fairly high, it was easier to just hold him. If he hadn't had a temp, I'll admit, the little pumpkin would have found his way back to his little pumpkin patch crib. Matt might have a fever, too, but the only thermometer I've found is Simon's rectal thermometer, so you can see why I have no official temp. readings for Matt!

Funny story: Monday morning I realized why Simon had been so upset the night before at 3:00 a.m. (Yes this is 2 consecutive sleep-deprived nights. Did you know that they replay the Olympics in the middle of the night???)

So, I realized the cause of that Sunday night escapade. As I changed his clothes in the morning light Monday, I noticed a horrible cut on the bottom of his foot. Wound is a better description. I'm a wimp, but I did brace myself enough to dab it with some hydrogen peroxide. I asked Matt to come home at lunch, and he was kind enough to take initiative to dress Simon's wound better. The words laborous, precision, and tenderness come to mind. Really, Matt loves Simon so much. He made a remark to me the other night that Simon is the only one he 'worries' about--(Is he warm enough, does he need socks, etc.)

I know I said it was funny. Hang in there...it's coming.

Matt is dressing the wound and tells me I need to go out that afternoon and buy gauze. The injury is on the bottom of his foot on such a place where a band-aid won't stay. Of course, I'm not looking forward to taking sickly Simon to a store, but I know it is inevitable. Temporarily, we use a clean paper towel to dress the wound. Matt heads back to work after eating a thrown-together taco salad. I check the mail. HERE'S THE FUNNY PART. Guess what we received in the mail that day: GAUZE. I am so not kidding. How awesome is that??????? PTL!

Music Men

We have been praying for a piano, and we were blessed with one by a GFA family! It's by far the biggest 'pass it on' that we have received. I think.

Matt's the musical one in our family; I hope Simon gets the musical genes, too. Actually, I think Simon already has a natural inclination to music and rhythm. There's a certain track on a cd of his that we all 'lip sync' together for. The song is the very hip, modern song, "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed." Well, regardless of how high the cd volume is, or how engaged we are in another activity, Simon ALWAYS notices when the song comes on. He gets these HUGE eyes and starts smacking his lips together (his version of lip syncing.)

Well, their smiles make me smile and then we smile and life is GOOD.

Resolution Gone Bad

Caption: Simon's new haircut: short on top!

Well, Simon's haircut was a surprise to me, too. I was definitely coerced into it by the nice, pro-haircut lady that cut my hair last week. Sweet Simon was sitting in his stroller, and she couldn't wait to get her scissors out for him, too!

About the pix: These are our new bookshelves. It's so nice to have all of our books in one place and slightly organized by topic. The bummer is that we'll have to relocate our lockers which have been a great source of organization and quite the conversation piece. Note: we are not getting rid of them, just putting them somewhere else.

I realize that my public resolution of blogging per week is going bad, as several of my informal, unpublished resolutions. For example, the resolve to get up earlier. Last week I finally restarted that habit, but today, I opted for staying in bed. My goal is to get up at 5:00. I used to be a morning person!!! What happened??????? I really like the extra morning time to sip my tea and read and write and pray before the rest of the house gets up. I think one reason I'm having a difficult time being consistent getting up early in the morning is because I know that I'll have a couple of hours to myself during the afternoon (Simon's Nap) to read and write and pray. If the morning was my only option, I'd be much more inclined to rise.

Or, I can take Doctor Marvin's advice for Bob and just 'take baby steps.' Maybe getting up 5 minutes earlier everyday, working back from 6ish to 5.

Side bar: We are selling things we don't need on EBAY. It's really kind of fun. Getting rid of some excess. Unpacking the last of our boxes sent us over the Ebay edge. Matt was taking digital pix of all kinds of junk. Lord of the Rings collectibles from New Line Cinema (Matt used to have a students whose Mom worked for New Line and sent a bunch of cool stuff our way.) I was convinced we could sell this Elvis jigsaw poster (unopened) that was a 'limited edition' for at least a few dollars, but it looks like its only selling for 1.99 on Ebay. Not really worth our time. Next time I see Tamitha, I'll give it to her. She is a true Elvis fan.

Simon's 18 month well baby doctor's appointment is today.

This Wednesday, Feb. 8th, is mine and Matt's unofficial dating anniversary (1998)

Kelly went to the doctor last Wed. and baby Alex is still breached; so, at her appointment this Wed., they are going to decide on a specific day for a c-section. Kelly is wanting Thur. Feb. 16th to be the day. It's getting close! Mom flew down to Corpus Christi this weekend to see Kelly and take her shopping for hospital necessities and new baby necessities. I really wanted to give Kelly a baby shower before Alex was born, but her doctor wasn't let her travel. I'll work with Kelly to set a date for a Dallas baby shower maybe sometime in April??? The fun thing about post-baby baby showers is that we can see the baby!

Church update: In the weeks that we don't drive to WBC on Sundays (we still consider WBC our home church,) we are using the opportunty to plan to go to church with local supporters who don't go to WBC or to worship locally in Carrollton. Yesterday we worshipped at a Korean church in Carrollton. A family on staff at GFA in the Korean office goes to church there, and Matt asked if we could visit. The church has a strong evangelism, discipleship, and missionary focus (Win, Build, Send). We went to the 12:00 service that is in English.

The pastor for that service (mostly highschool youth/young adult Koreans) shared very passionately about Phil. 2: 5-11. His earnestness for the people was touching and his sincerity in his affection for Christ was almost palpable. He was a young guy, maybe in his 30s.

After the service, some members encouraged us to stay for the Korean meal that they all share together afterwards. Then they have bible study in small groups. It was our first time to eat Korean food (truly authentic) and it was refreshing to share in a different culture. We went by to pick up Simon in the nursery before eating. When we got to the nursery (of course Simon was the only redhead,) Simon was in no hurry to leave! Everyone was so surprised that he did so well and didn't cry. I, actually, would be floored if Simon were to cry in a nursery setting. He loves it! Plus, they fed him! When we walked in, Simon was smiling and holding a donut hole. Thankfully, that was his dessert and they had fed him rice and mixed vegetables already!

So, we went through the line and headed back to a small room to eat with our small group. The pastor was in there and we were able to meet his wife and learned that they had a four year old boy. He shared some about his time in Russia as a missionary (he has only been back for 3 months) and he shared about how much he believes in the ministry of Gospel for Asia (training nationals to evangelize, disciple, and plant churches.)

What he didn't share, but we learned in a conversation later with another member of the church, is that right before Pastor Won came back to the states, he was beaten and lynched by a Russian mob. Left for dead, it's only by God's grace that he is here today. Now I understand why his earnestness and sincerity were so touching and why his authenticity seemed palpable.

Futon Recovery

My Day on the Futon.

[Background: Matt is ill Sunday night; I fall ill Monday morning at 1:30. We were quarantined today (stomach virus.)]

First Futon Pix: Filling out paperwork due today for Woodland Park's Mission Conference.

Middle futon pix: My friendly yellow towel is handy in case I get sick again. Yep, Simon looks like he is getting away with something, but his daddy is watching him carefully as he felt the better of us two. Simon makes me smile!

Last Futon Pix: The end of Simon's day. We all cuddled on the futon with jello dessert. I had my first real meal of the day (dinner.) You can see the yellow towel is now being used to drape Simon's lap from orange jello. Then, we had family devotions. For music, we had a family singsong with Simon's toy cymbal, toy xylophone, and toy piano. He loved it! Then we read about FAITH and then we prayed.

"The End" or "A Blogging We Will Go"

Well, Here we are. The Monster at the end of the book.

Still wrapped in a get-well quilt.
What is it about quilts that make one feel better?

I'm noticing that maybe, at some point in the day, I should have at least brushed my hair.
I did brush my teeth.

Here's hoping I don't awake in the night with sickness.

Looking forward to tomorrow--God has done great things!

Simon Likes to Read!

We're so pleased that Simon enjoys books. Board books are the best for him, cause his little hands can pretty much turn the pages by himself!

Saturday

This is Simon playing with some new toys from Saturday.

Shay did come over Friday night and we celebrated our birthdays with dinner and a movie. We went for a walk/jog together on Saturday morning. Then, Coach Shay made me do many more push-ups than I am comfortable with...then crunches...then stretches...I can still feel the pain. :)

Lisa did come for the afternoon with Bethany and Jacob. Shay was able to stay until lunch, then she had to leave. Matt played a little disc golf with Bethany, but it was a little cold for her. That's nice to say it was a little cold. It is winter, you know. (According to the calendar, not our weather.)

Matt was nice enough to put Simon down for a nap and hang out with Jacob and Lisa, Bethany, and I were able to pick up a Bridal Shower gift at Pier 1 and then try out our local thrift spot.

Simon is advertising two of his new toys.

Mid-Week Bonus Post

I actually didn't intend to post, but I was correcting my template, and here I am!

Pray for Kelly and baby Alex. She had a doctor's appointment and was told that the baby is in a 'breach' position--which is not dangerous, just not the easiest and best scenario. Pray that the baby will move so the delivery procedure will be normal.

Weekly Talk

"It would be curious to discover who it is to whom one writes in a diary. Possibly to some mysterious personification of one's own identity." ~ Beatrice Webb

Hmm, and I would add, to whom one writes in a blog.

I have pulled out my trusty quote journal that has been sorely neglected. Here's one perfect for the holiday:

"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well." MLK, Jr.

Friday night I was able to watch Pride and Prejudice (A&E Version) with some girlfriends from GFA. Although I have seen the film several times (usually when I am sick,) I always enjoy watching the story unfold between Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth. I do question the casting for Jane, though, since she is supposed to be the beauty-endowed daughter and really Lizzie is much prettier. I also noticed for the first time how much Mr.Bingley looks like Mr.Tumnus (Narnia.)

From the book-

"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment."

"She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her." (Ah, Mrs.B.)

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

End of P & P Quotes.

I am so happy that we live right on the greenbelt. It's so nice to look outside our window and not see other homes immediately. One could almost imagine not being in the city (were it not that we can also see a Taco Bueno sign.)

Sunday was nice. Uncle Scott came over and shared the day and three consecutive meals with us. I don't think we've ever had him over for 3 consecutive meals before. Church was nice. Weather was nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. And my nap was ... nice.

I forgot to mention Simon's first haircut by Matt on Saturday. The pix I posted isn't great as far as the dribble on Simon's shirt, but I was trying to show a view of his haircut. Simon was intimidated by the electric clippers (though he has been fine before.) I think it helped him to also see Matt cutting Matt's hair with the same clippers. Regardless, I don't think he'll be sitting still the next time.

Simon is saying more words!!!! It's rewarding to hear him repeating words and being more toddler-like. A milestone for us was buying Size 5 Diapers for the first time. But the 4's still fit so it's kind of a grey-milestone.

Or maybe a milepebble. :)

Here's hoping that my weekend plans come through! The weekend kicks off early with a GFA Ladies Meeting Thursday night. Shay and I are celebrating our January birthdays this Friday with dinner and a movie. And she might stay over. And sleep in the 'spare room' or 'spare uuum.' Tentatively, Lisa, Bethany, and Jake are coming over mid-Saturday for lunch and a visit. A GFA wedding shower Saturday evening. And we're going to get to go to Wesleyan this weekend and have lunch with the folks! They might have a semi-remodeled kitchen by then which will be fun to see.

That's a lot to look forward to. We just need to carve out some Matt and Amy time sometime. I hope that isn't too selfish.

I enjoy reading people's online journals that are rambly and surface level (like mine) and I also enjoy reading the short and sweet ones and the spiritually deep ones. For me, though, for this season, I have peace to keep up the rambling and family vignettes.

So, you'll have to forgive me for not sharing the really important things coming to my mind. Things that last. Things of the Lord. You'll have to actually talk to me sometime! Or read my prayer journal. OOOH, you better not do that. Seriously. Off-limits.

But I'll end with my absolute favorite discovery of the week---

desiringgod.org

I've often told people that John Piper discipled me through his books, tapes, and teaching. Well, on his ministry's website, you can download sermons for free and they also encourage you to burn them on cds if you like and to pass them on to other, as long as you don't alter the audio. It looks like most of the sermons available are from Romans 12. I memorized that chapter a few years ago, and b/c of that, it's some of my favorite scriptures because it is really embedded in my heart. I've listened to the sermon based on the verse "Abhor Evil, Embrace Good" and it gets two thumbs (way high as the movie reviews read.)

So, I'm really taking my time cleaning the kitchen in the evenings so I can listen to more audio teaching. That's no promise to see a clean kitchen, by the way!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Caption: SUPERMAN!

Today, I am thirty minus three. Or Twenty plus seven. F.Y.I. January 8th was also Elvis' birthday.
My birthday celebration lasted all weekend and it was full of all sorts of pleasantries.

We had all-night prayer this Friday, so Simon stayed with my parents this weekend. Saturday (late morning), Matt brought me breakfast in bed. (Earl Grey Tea and Baked Oatmeal which is yummy in case you haven't tried it.) Then he vacuumed our van out for me.

Then I went for one of my favorite activities (garage sales and thrift stores) with Rachael C.

We had so much fun and here's our most excellent finds: Simon got some cute board books at the garage sale at the K.'s house (G.F.A. family relocating to the G.F.A. office in the UK)

Our thrift store finds: Rachael: 2 fun shirts with one being of exceptional, exceptional material and a hopefully fave pair of grey slacks. Amy: Balderdash (which I have been wanting and was considering buying later that weekend for my birthday, but I don't think we could beat the $2 price at Target, plus it was the old version which I think I like better than the new version), the board game Malarky (similar to Balderdash and also $2), and perfect jeans (now and later.)

To make the outing even nicer, Matt called while we were out and asked me to stay out later so he could clean even more for me. Awesome. What a wonderful gift of service.

So, I visited leisurely at the Tysons before heading home.

I made Matt some lunch or dinner or whatever you eat mid-afternoon when you don't plan on eating dinner. And then we played disc golf and walked in the park and it was so gorgeous outside--in the 80s I think.

Then game night at the Chupp's. Fun. People. Games. Popcorn.

Then Blockbusters for a movie of my choice. We rarely rent movies. They didn't even have our name on file anymore. I don't think we've rented anything since BEFORE Simon was born. (We usually get movies at the library.) So we had to fill out paperwork.


As the birthday weekend continued...
Breakfast at Cafe Brazil (I love the bottomless cup of coffee and we love that there's one just down the road since the one at Lake Ray Hubbard by our former homestead closed down)
Church (Bent Tree hoping to see Wesleyan friends but too many people)
Bike Ride
Mom, Dad, Scott, return Simon to us and we have Chinese and birthday cake.
(I made my own birthday cake. How sad.)
I was actually glad to try a new recipe (pineapple coconut pound cake.)

I really don't feel like I deserved all the attention, fun outings, and gifts this weekend. I felt like I was playing hooky from parenting. (The healthy part is that I missed Simon so much. He is so much fun. So much. So much.)

Hmm.

Funny story: my mom got me lots of hand towels. I know she thinks we have none because we're really bad about not having them in the guest bathroom. We actually have plenty, but we can always use more and I think it's really sweet and funny and helpful. (She also got me soap................................................................................. Bath and Body kitchen soap...but it was funny to make you think it was for the bathroom. That would have been hilarious. By the way, we do without exception have soap in the bathroom. It's just the hand towels that never make it out.) Mom had a 'room theme going.' The hand towels for the bathroom, the kitchen soap, and a Kohls gift card for me. I guess that's the bedroom. AND for I don't know what room but it's really awesome, A SEWING MACHINE! Whoo-hoo! Yep, my mom knew I wanted one. So my dad took my mom's old one (that hasn't been used in years and only then it was used by Tamitha), to a shop that repairs sewing machines and asked if it would be more sensible to repair the old one or buy a new one. The fixer person said that the old machines are better b/c of the metal parts (versus plastic?). I love vintage. If 1970s is vintage.

Ooh, I'm vintage. 1979. A good year.

(I should mention that my mom used to sew before she got so busy with children. Kelly and I are only 20 months apart. So, pretty much the last things she made on the sewing machine were maternity clothes for her pregnancy with moi. Then the sewing machine took back burner.)

That's the Sunday update.

Pending Delay

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be more consistent with my blogging. Blogging is my way of journaling our life and I need to ask google is they could sell a "Blog Album." They could publish all of one's blogs and bind them together and make some money. And save me the time of putting together another photo album and journal.

I know my last post was full of excitement about Sarah coming, but it actually didn't work out this time. Maybe we'll be first in line for the Spring Break calendar (?) The plane ticket can be changed and sometimes enjoyment delayed is more fun. (Besides, Sarah, Simon is really sick right now. I won't give details, but trust me...it's not a pretty sight.) He is happy though and somehow able to sleep despite a racking cough.

I'm listening to the new David Crowder CD (A Collision.)

We decided to stay home this Sunday and let Simon's body heal. I also gave him some decongestant, antihistamine, and expectorant so we'll see...

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.