I think I have mentioned that I grew up on a farm. I am no sissy, prissy girl. I am familiar with all sorts of bugs and vegitation. Our swimming pool, growing up was the bar-ditch. What is a bar-ditch, you might ask? Well, it's just the ditch beside the dirt road that collects all the run-off water from rain or crop irrigation.
I spent lots of time outside growing up. I know how to kill mice and I'm not afraid to do it. I can kill the spiders that live in my house. I often find some sick pleasure in being able to take care of these things myself. I know the difference between good snakes and bad snakes. I know how to kill one if I need to.
But in all my growing up years as a farm girl, playing with worms and caterpillars we NEVER had slugs. I don't think I had even seen a slug until we moved to PA. Don't they like wet climates? I don't know. But we have a legion of slugs that decided that our porch connecting to MY bedroom is their new sanctuary!
Dan makes fun of me because I figured out that they were getting in the sitting room connected to our Master bedroom. It's pretty common knowledge that slugs and snails leave a trail of slime, right? Even this slug ignorant farm girl knows that. What I did not know is that the slime dries into a clear shimmering film. I kept seeing this film all over my carpet. When the sun would hit it just right it would sparkle. I could not figure out what this was. Until one night for some reason Dan and I went out onto the porch for some reason late at night. We saw a slug crawling around on the porch. The next morning I noticed the trail on the concrete. It lead to the door! And sure enough as I opened the door the trail was faintly recognizable along the wall in our bedroom. Hummm...Ok. It's just a slug and at least it has the decency to exit the same way it came in. No problem, right. I told Dan what I had discovered and he wanted to see the proof so I showed him the trail all along the carpet. He now calls me "the slug hunter". He says this is proof that I should be a CIA agent but it seems like a weak association to me seeing as how people and slugs have a relatively different mode of travel and pace. I simply link it to a gift for observing my surroundings, or simply being aware of them and to Dan, apparently this is a coveted characteristic.
Now my curiosity is peaked. I need to catch this slug in the act. But I am not so desperate to actually execute a stake-out. But we were sitting in the sitting room late one night visiting and I caught a glimpse of something dark on the floor board. I saw it in the reflection of the mirrored closet doors. (We can talk about that some other time.) It took me a few seconds to get the image reversed and actually find the perp. But I calmly brought it to Dan's attention and we moved in for a closer look. Sure enough, it was the slug. This slug was no longer or wider than a common earth worm. But, let me tell you, these are nasty bugs!! They're all slimy and cold. GROSS! Dan looked around the room for something to scrape him off the wall with and once that was accomplished we had to figure out what to do with him. Here are a few of our suggestions: squash him; too gross and messy, throw him out; he obviously knows the way back in!, toss him, WHERE? We decided to toss him. I let Dan do it, but I suggesting tossing him in the front yard. That way we had at least a few days before he made it back around to the back porch and we could figure out a plan by then.
Case solved. Case closed.
Not so.
Now I have this compulsion. Every night I have to go out on the back steps and look for more slugs. We have since found three more and all of these keep getting fatter and longer and nastier. I don't want them coming in to my sitting room and having a party on my carpet! We have kept with the theory of tossing them. Sometimes into the neighbors yard, they have dogs. I secretly hope the dogs will find them but perhaps even dogs are grossed out by these things. Who knows?
Last night I did my final check before bed and found one. BUT Dan was in the shower. I told him but he didn't immediately jump out and come to my rescue, so that's when the farm girl independence kicked back on. I found a piece of paper on Dan's dresser and coaxed the nasty thing onto it and brought it to Dan in the shower. I didn't know what to do next. Even MY farm capabilities have there limits! I suggested flushing it down the toilet but Dan said it might crawl back up!!! THE HORROR!!! Can you imagine, you turn around to flush the toilet and there coming up out of the bowl onto the seat..... I can't even finish that thought because it leads to other, worse thoughts. Then he suggested pouring salt on it. I am not sure if this is an experiment, a sure fire answer for death or just torture so I take it to the front yard and toss it under our tree. I am hoping one of the hundreds of birds living there will spot it and take it home for breakfast.
The sad thing is....this morning, I checked for the tale-tell filmy trail. It has become an obsession. What do I do? How do I get rid of them? I think I am going to have to do some research. Get better aquainted with my enemy. I mean, that's what an agent would do right?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Rainy Day Musings
Growing up in West Texas as a farm girl I learned to appreciate the rain. We needed it, depended on it, and very often prayed for it to come.
In Pennsylvania I learned to tolerate it, expect it, and even feel thankful when it didn't make it's regular appearances.
When we moved to Pennsylvania we experienced an unusually warm, dry summer. Now that we have moved back to Texas we have had an unusually mild, wet spring. It's funny though how those things that you grow up learning and understanding never really leave you. My love and deep appreciation for rain and thunderstorms grew dormant in the wet hills of Pennsylvania. But now that I am back in West/North Texas, that love is alive and thriving again.
Today is a rainy, thunder struck day. The sum rose this morning but was soon engulfed by the deep blue clouds that came sailing in from the North. A Norther. Those storms that come in from the north are usaully trouble because they bring colder air and it's usually pretty hot here by this time of the year and that usually brews up one heck of a storm. But the milder temps kept this storm from being a record breaker. The heavy rain and menacing clouds have passed on now and we are left with the steady rain and comforting thunder of a good ole Texas style storm.
I am not sure why but today, turning all the lights on in the house at 8:30 made everything feel cozier. In Pennsylvania it was just normal. And today, for me, that cozy breeds a contemplative spirit. These days should be special. They were for my family growing up. If it was summer time it meant everyone took the day off and stayed in doors. EVEN Dad. This was a special treat for us because it meant something speacial would happen. Days that Daddy stayed home were like holidays. We made yummy treats to eat, dusted off the board games and sat on the living room floor together. At least until Dad fell asleep. Then we would all pull out a good book and just bask in the warmth of home.
As a kid, I cherished those days. One time while Angie and I were still in school a big storm came and we got several inches of rain. We lived on about 3 miles of dirt road and Dad let us stay home that day from school. We were redecorating the living room and we all spent the day painting. Even working together was fun when Dad was there.
Home for my family was a refuge. A place we went to rest and relax, to eat, and be together. Home is so much more than that though. My home was no different. My mom did such a great job of making our home a peaceful place that we wanted to be. She kept it so inviting and my home was always filled with love.
As a Mom myself, I am so thankful for the home I grew up in. It is not an easy task to make your home peaceful and warm and inviting. Especially if I can not keep that kind of spirit for myself.
I am not talking about having a spotless kitchen or squeaky clean bathrooms. That's nice, but that is not what makes a home warm or inviting. To make a home your family's haven, well...you have to have that peace in your heart. I have caught myself not wanting to be at home. I just want to be somewhere else. I mean, good grief, I spend somedays where I don't always even make it out the front door!! But that is NOT the attitude I hope to foster in my children. I want our home to be a place that our children want to be. A place where they want their friends to come visit and are content to just BE. A safe place that they know they will be accepted and loved no matter what their faults are, no matter how badly they mess up, no matter how long they stay away. A place where they learn about who God wants them to be and who God is. A place where the distractions and fast pace of this world just melt away.
That takes work. It doesn't just happen. I have grown to realize this and appreciate my mother so much more for her willingness to take on this formidable task. She made my childhood home so peaceful and warm and wonderful. I still feel that when I go home and visit.
But as a mom I realize how much work that truly takes. You have to diligently gaurd against those distractions that so easily emplant themselves into our everyday lives. Things that are harmless enough but wedge their way into our families and take the place of these dreams we have so carefully crafted in our hearts of what home should be. There are too many to even name. But be on the look out. Scripture says that Satan is like a roaring lion, looking for who he may devour. And very often that lion of sin comes sneaking up behind you and you never even see him coming. That's why you have to be on a constant look out for the safety of your home. Diligently, you must keep your eyes wide open with every opportunity that arises to entertain your family, to keep them busy, or simply occupied.
Nothing has made me more aware of my selfishness than being a mom. Some days I find myself fuming over the fact that I have spent a whole day caring for ALL the needs of others that I haven't even had time to think about myself. But frankly, those days are easier than the days that I do have time to think about what I would like to be doing. On the days I give in to the temptation to think of myself are usually the days that I spend justifying my time and putting off the things that I know will have an eternal impact but just don't show any rewards right now.
Today, the rainy weather gave me a renewed vision for my role as homemaker; A deeper desire to make this house the home that I want our children and my dear husband to rush home to; A passion to be the grace filled mother that God has called me to be and knows I can be.
In Pennsylvania I learned to tolerate it, expect it, and even feel thankful when it didn't make it's regular appearances.
When we moved to Pennsylvania we experienced an unusually warm, dry summer. Now that we have moved back to Texas we have had an unusually mild, wet spring. It's funny though how those things that you grow up learning and understanding never really leave you. My love and deep appreciation for rain and thunderstorms grew dormant in the wet hills of Pennsylvania. But now that I am back in West/North Texas, that love is alive and thriving again.
Today is a rainy, thunder struck day. The sum rose this morning but was soon engulfed by the deep blue clouds that came sailing in from the North. A Norther. Those storms that come in from the north are usaully trouble because they bring colder air and it's usually pretty hot here by this time of the year and that usually brews up one heck of a storm. But the milder temps kept this storm from being a record breaker. The heavy rain and menacing clouds have passed on now and we are left with the steady rain and comforting thunder of a good ole Texas style storm.
I am not sure why but today, turning all the lights on in the house at 8:30 made everything feel cozier. In Pennsylvania it was just normal. And today, for me, that cozy breeds a contemplative spirit. These days should be special. They were for my family growing up. If it was summer time it meant everyone took the day off and stayed in doors. EVEN Dad. This was a special treat for us because it meant something speacial would happen. Days that Daddy stayed home were like holidays. We made yummy treats to eat, dusted off the board games and sat on the living room floor together. At least until Dad fell asleep. Then we would all pull out a good book and just bask in the warmth of home.
As a kid, I cherished those days. One time while Angie and I were still in school a big storm came and we got several inches of rain. We lived on about 3 miles of dirt road and Dad let us stay home that day from school. We were redecorating the living room and we all spent the day painting. Even working together was fun when Dad was there.
Home for my family was a refuge. A place we went to rest and relax, to eat, and be together. Home is so much more than that though. My home was no different. My mom did such a great job of making our home a peaceful place that we wanted to be. She kept it so inviting and my home was always filled with love.
As a Mom myself, I am so thankful for the home I grew up in. It is not an easy task to make your home peaceful and warm and inviting. Especially if I can not keep that kind of spirit for myself.
I am not talking about having a spotless kitchen or squeaky clean bathrooms. That's nice, but that is not what makes a home warm or inviting. To make a home your family's haven, well...you have to have that peace in your heart. I have caught myself not wanting to be at home. I just want to be somewhere else. I mean, good grief, I spend somedays where I don't always even make it out the front door!! But that is NOT the attitude I hope to foster in my children. I want our home to be a place that our children want to be. A place where they want their friends to come visit and are content to just BE. A safe place that they know they will be accepted and loved no matter what their faults are, no matter how badly they mess up, no matter how long they stay away. A place where they learn about who God wants them to be and who God is. A place where the distractions and fast pace of this world just melt away.
That takes work. It doesn't just happen. I have grown to realize this and appreciate my mother so much more for her willingness to take on this formidable task. She made my childhood home so peaceful and warm and wonderful. I still feel that when I go home and visit.
But as a mom I realize how much work that truly takes. You have to diligently gaurd against those distractions that so easily emplant themselves into our everyday lives. Things that are harmless enough but wedge their way into our families and take the place of these dreams we have so carefully crafted in our hearts of what home should be. There are too many to even name. But be on the look out. Scripture says that Satan is like a roaring lion, looking for who he may devour. And very often that lion of sin comes sneaking up behind you and you never even see him coming. That's why you have to be on a constant look out for the safety of your home. Diligently, you must keep your eyes wide open with every opportunity that arises to entertain your family, to keep them busy, or simply occupied.
Nothing has made me more aware of my selfishness than being a mom. Some days I find myself fuming over the fact that I have spent a whole day caring for ALL the needs of others that I haven't even had time to think about myself. But frankly, those days are easier than the days that I do have time to think about what I would like to be doing. On the days I give in to the temptation to think of myself are usually the days that I spend justifying my time and putting off the things that I know will have an eternal impact but just don't show any rewards right now.
Today, the rainy weather gave me a renewed vision for my role as homemaker; A deeper desire to make this house the home that I want our children and my dear husband to rush home to; A passion to be the grace filled mother that God has called me to be and knows I can be.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I would be a very dishonest person if I tried to make you believe that my spiritual walk has been deep and thriving these last few weeks. The truth is, I have been resting in faith and I don't mean watch and see what God can do faith, but my ever faithful Father has been so diligent to seek me out. I have been so very aware of His provision and watch care over us. This doesn't mean that I have been in a spiritual drought either. There have been times of spiritual awakening in these last several weeks but I wish they were not so few and far between. I have not been very diligent in seeking out my Savior. BUT He is always my pursuer and He will not let me forget His love and care for me. I tell you this so that you will be able to ascribe the credit for these blessings where credit is due. I have done nothing to deserve the provision and care of my Savior, yet He is faithful!
I thought it was about time I shared some of the things that the Lord has been doing in my heart and family.
1. We love our new hometown, home church, and home. We feel very blessed to see how God brought us here through months of preparation in Fort Worth so that both our family and the church family would be ready and waiting anxiously for our arrival.
2. I have never moved in the middle of a pregnancy before and was VERY nervous about finding a new doctor and all of the hassle that goes along with it. I have just gone to see my new OB and he is great! I have been so blessed to have friends that helped me find great doctors in both Fort Worth and here. It was only at the request of a church member that this doctor agreed to see me. Thank you, Lord for friends that care and doctors that can be persuaded!
3. We are recieving regular pay checks now!! PTL! We even have a tiny bit of money left in savings. That is truly an act of GOD!
4. I have never had a hard time getting pregnant and I have never lost a baby to miscarriage. During this pregnancy I have been painfully reminded through the hardships of so many just how blessed I am. This is a blessing I admit I have taken for granted for far too long!
5. God is giving me a renewed passion for my children and my role as mother. I finally can focus on them now instead of the move or finances. It's no excuse, believe me, I know. It feels like it has been a long time since I was able to truly enjoy my time with the girls instead of resenting how tired I was. Pregnancy isn't the best time for this revival but I am learning to live like today is the MOST important day of my life. It has helped me to re-evaluate my daily goals. It probably helps too that I get to bed a lot earlier! ;)
6. Dan and I are ONCE AGAIN revisting our personal goals. For so long we have known what things are stealing our attention from obedience to God like: TV, desserts, caffiene, sleep, ..... the list goes on and on! You know those little things that don't really matter but you find yourself thinking about and doing more and more of? Well, we are tired of letting those things dictate our days, emotions, and desires. We are struggling, together, to give those things back to God and recommit our hearts to obedience. Obedience in EVERY part of our lives. Free time, work time, sleep time, what we eat, how much we eat, why we eat what we eat, and taking care of our bodies, physically, mentally and emotionally. Every time I find my self dissatisfied with life or any part of my life, or even just some part of me, if I look back at how I am spending my time and who or what I am giving my attention to, I usually come back to one of these things and I realize I have given it a more important role in my life than it deserves.
7. God can use me as long as I make myself available for His use. It doesn't matter what my attitude is when I make myself available, or how equipped I am for the job. IF I give myself over to God's use, HE CAN DO AMAZING THINGS, despite me! Sometimes I will keep myself from doing things I know God is calling me to do because I am ....not trained for it .....don't want to .....or jsut have the wrong attitude in general. But I am usually MORE blessed in those situations if I just DO IT because I am usually leaning more heavily on Christ to work through me than if I felt equipped or equal to the task. The lesson here...Do the thing you fear! Just be obedient and let God do His thing!
Those are just some of the things that have been floating around my head lately. God has been so diligent to teach me even if I haven't been seeking out his wisdom. Wow! Just think what I could learn if I was really ready to hear from Him!
I thought it was about time I shared some of the things that the Lord has been doing in my heart and family.
1. We love our new hometown, home church, and home. We feel very blessed to see how God brought us here through months of preparation in Fort Worth so that both our family and the church family would be ready and waiting anxiously for our arrival.
2. I have never moved in the middle of a pregnancy before and was VERY nervous about finding a new doctor and all of the hassle that goes along with it. I have just gone to see my new OB and he is great! I have been so blessed to have friends that helped me find great doctors in both Fort Worth and here. It was only at the request of a church member that this doctor agreed to see me. Thank you, Lord for friends that care and doctors that can be persuaded!
3. We are recieving regular pay checks now!! PTL! We even have a tiny bit of money left in savings. That is truly an act of GOD!
4. I have never had a hard time getting pregnant and I have never lost a baby to miscarriage. During this pregnancy I have been painfully reminded through the hardships of so many just how blessed I am. This is a blessing I admit I have taken for granted for far too long!
5. God is giving me a renewed passion for my children and my role as mother. I finally can focus on them now instead of the move or finances. It's no excuse, believe me, I know. It feels like it has been a long time since I was able to truly enjoy my time with the girls instead of resenting how tired I was. Pregnancy isn't the best time for this revival but I am learning to live like today is the MOST important day of my life. It has helped me to re-evaluate my daily goals. It probably helps too that I get to bed a lot earlier! ;)
6. Dan and I are ONCE AGAIN revisting our personal goals. For so long we have known what things are stealing our attention from obedience to God like: TV, desserts, caffiene, sleep, ..... the list goes on and on! You know those little things that don't really matter but you find yourself thinking about and doing more and more of? Well, we are tired of letting those things dictate our days, emotions, and desires. We are struggling, together, to give those things back to God and recommit our hearts to obedience. Obedience in EVERY part of our lives. Free time, work time, sleep time, what we eat, how much we eat, why we eat what we eat, and taking care of our bodies, physically, mentally and emotionally. Every time I find my self dissatisfied with life or any part of my life, or even just some part of me, if I look back at how I am spending my time and who or what I am giving my attention to, I usually come back to one of these things and I realize I have given it a more important role in my life than it deserves.
7. God can use me as long as I make myself available for His use. It doesn't matter what my attitude is when I make myself available, or how equipped I am for the job. IF I give myself over to God's use, HE CAN DO AMAZING THINGS, despite me! Sometimes I will keep myself from doing things I know God is calling me to do because I am ....not trained for it .....don't want to .....or jsut have the wrong attitude in general. But I am usually MORE blessed in those situations if I just DO IT because I am usually leaning more heavily on Christ to work through me than if I felt equipped or equal to the task. The lesson here...Do the thing you fear! Just be obedient and let God do His thing!
Those are just some of the things that have been floating around my head lately. God has been so diligent to teach me even if I haven't been seeking out his wisdom. Wow! Just think what I could learn if I was really ready to hear from Him!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Daddy's Birthday!
Daddy Dan turns 28 today! The girls and I have had a fun time making his cake. It's THE birthday cake. It's pretty famous in our house. It's a chocolate cake that I only make for birthdays and it's been a while since I made it. Diana made it for me on my birthday and that was the last time we have had it. FaithLyn was pretty cute this morning. She came out of her room and smelled the cake baking and had to lay on the couch for a few minutes just to enjoy the cake smells. She later told me I made the best chocolate cake in the world. She's really racking up the points today! I put on my apron this morning so I didn't splatter chocolate all over my white shirt and the girls wanted to wear their aprons too. They wore them most of the morning. I know they won't always want to be just like Mommy but I do so treasure those moments now!
Here is the finished product. You can still see some remnants of my frosting lickers! Olivia at least saved some for later on her shirt. Even the apron wasn't enough to save her from the enthusiasm of licking the beaters. These girls were pretty proud. After we put the lid on the cake Olivia sat at the table and stared at it. Every once in a while she would turn around in her chair and just squeal. Then when Dan got home she kept saying, "Cik, peese. Eat Cik, peese!"
Dan was pretty proud of my helpers too. 
Happy Birthday, Daddy Dan! We sure are thankful for all that you do for us and how well you love us all! May God bless this year with abundant joy as you strive to follow your Savior and allow Him to direct your days. We sure do love you!
Monday, May 7, 2007
That Terrible, Horrible, No Good, VERY Bad day!
I alluded to our trip back to Fort Worth in one of my recent posts and I think I have recovered enough to share it with the world.
Dan had a really big paper due and I was worried about him driving because I knew just how much sleep he had gotten in the past few days. His mother and I were praying that he would let me and the girls help him out by driving him. We had big plans. We were going to visit the Museum before our membership ran out and then spend the afternoon at the GerltHouse. We were pumped!! To prepare for this big endeavor I got all of the girls clothes ready the night before. I packed lunches for everyone and decided it would be best if we just got the girls up and put them right in the car in their pjs. I was hoping they might fall back to sleep because it was 5:15 when we pulled out of the driveway.
We made a quick stop for some coffee for the driver and breakfast for the clan. When I got back in the van I noticed that the lights and the dash lights were flickering a little. I asked Dan what he thought and if I should worry but we decided to keep moving. This was before we had even left Iowa Park! So I am praying that it stops and it does. But my mind is going over all the things my Dad told me about cars. I knew flickering lights was a bad thing....the alternator....the battery....what else could it be? We just spent TONS of money fixing the transmission. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! Anyway we start on our journey. The girls do not sleep. Olivia eventually screams herself into oblivion and we all get a little peace. Dan is catching some shut eye as well. His big plan was to skip his 8 o'clock, which was risky because he might have a presentation due that day, but he had to finish this paper and it was a risk he had to take. So we were going to drop him off at the library to finish writing this paper.
We made it to I-35 and were about 30 min. from the Seminary when the lights started going crazy and then.................nothing. The van died! OH, DEAR LORD! I pull over and decided to try and start it up again. IT STARTED! HALLELUIAH!! We made new plans.
The new plan was to try to get to the dodge dealership that we are now financing thanks to all the work they have done on our van. Then call our dear friend to rescue us. We make it to the dealership with no more trouble and I shakily exit said vehicle. I am not sure what caused the shaking;the coffee, lack of sleep, or the circumstances. Anyway, they assure us that they can at least figure out what the problem is so we start to gather up our day full of stuff and I realize I have children still in their pjs. OH, and while I am gethering up our junk I realize I forgot to bring shoes for FaithLyn! At that point I looked at Dan who was working on the other side of the van and said, "Dan, we are white trash!" His always delicate reply? "Kel, we are what we are!" Not the reassurance I was hoping for.
SO I carry the children into the bathroom and get them dressed and carry FL back to the waiting area. Dan is starting to look a little sick. I call Erin to see if there is any way possible she could come and pick us up. Luckily it was Chad's day off so we just had to wait for him to come home from playing b-ball so he could keep the kids, otherwise we wouldn't all fit. So we began our wait. Dan was looking pretty miserable at this point. And a man came in and asked if anyone needed a ride in the courtesy van. I told Dan to go and get started on his paper. He reluctantly left us there. But I assured him that Erin was coming soon.
I am trying to corral three little kids and I look up 2 hours later and see a gray van sitting out in the parking lot. It looks very much like our van. I walk to the window and yes, it looks very much like our van. I take a few steps outside...It IS our van!? I wonder how long it has been waiting here. I take Olivia back to the shop to find out what is going on and leave the girls under strick orders to stay seated or ELSE! Yep, it's our van and it's all fixed. The mechanic thought we had all left. HE obviously did NOT look in the waiting room. Anyway, Praise the Lord, it was just a dirty battery cable causing a bad connection and the mechanic caught it before he did all the tests so he saved us a bit of money!! THANK YOU, LORD! I called Erin real quick and told her to turn around and head back home, apologizing profusely.
Dan gave me the cell phone (church cell) just in case and I gave him Erin and Chad's number because I knew the cell number would be long distance. Sure enough I got a call from Chad that Dan was trying to get in touch with me. I gathered up my crew and carried FL to van. I kept trying the number Chad gave me to no avail while I headed to the Seminary. We got there and got the girls in the stroller and went to the phone I hoped Dan was trying to reach us from. We walked up right behind him before he saw us and as soon as he saw us I saw color come back to his face. Poor thing. He must have been so worried about us. I filled him in and handed over his lunch. I soon found out that he had been so worried about us that he had worked himself into a stomach fit. This has happened once before and now I know it is stress related. But as soon as he knew we were out of danger he felt immediately better.
I then took the girls to Target to find FL some shoes. Luckily I had some socks left over from who knows when and it wasn't quite so noticable that she didn't have shoes on. But I made the mistake of letting her get her very first pair of flip flops. I forgot that you have to learn to walk in flip flops. They were cause of quite a bit of frustration for both FL and myself!
But we ventured on! On to the Museum. At this point I thought we were in the clear! We played and had a fun time at the museum for about 45 mins. We were finishing up in the downstairs play area with the water play. They have these nifty aprons that keep the kids dry. Well, I look over at Olivia and she is pouring water and because of how she is pouring it 95% is running down her arm right through the arm hole. Right as I notice this and get up to go inspect the damage Elise gives me that deer caught in the headlights look. I know what it means but Do NOT want to admit to myself. Sure enough...She had an accident. This is so very rare for her. She has had a total of maybe 6 accidents. But it happened none the less. I take off her apron and send her to the stroller. She doesn't move though. She is paralyzed. I carry her to the stroller while Olivia pours about 3 more gallons of water down her arms and legs. By the time I get to her she has a tiny dry strip of clothing in the exact same spot that Elise is wet. Hmmm...the irony just isn't funny to me yet.
At this point I congratulate myself for deciding the night before NOT to bring an extra outfit for the girls because, I mean, really, what could happen!??
At this point I wish I could say I was calm and understanding and we all laughed at the kind of day we have had so far. No, there was not one ounce of graciousness left in me! We made our way out of the museum FAST! FaithLyn was whimpering somewhere behind me trying to keep up. I wasn't too worried about her because I could here her shuffling in those stupid brand new flip flops. I wasn't going to leave her!! I promise. But I wasn't slowing down either! We made it to the car and I think I was the only one not crying well, it took Olivia a while to catch on but she got the picture when I yanked her out of the stroller and shoved her in the van. I got in the van and closed the door so that my . . .lack of control. . .couldn't be seen by everyone. I didn't spank anyone, I didn't touch anyone but I wasn't speaking quietly. FaithLyn is worried that we aren't going to get to have our picnic and is asking about every 5 seconds. I told everyone to sit down and be quiet until I could figure out what everyone was going to wear. So, everyone is crying again and this time I am included in that group. I strip off all the soiled and wet clothes. Thank goodness we had at least worn our pjs that morning so I put the pull-up back on Elise and put FL's pj t-shirt on Olivia. It was almost long enough to look like a dress. Elise put on her pj pants and we all got buckled in.
I pulled it together enough to realize how unreasonable I was being and I prayed and apologized to the girls and we set out for our picnic. We were going to go to Trinity Park. It's right on the Trinity river and is lots of fun. But first I have to get gas and stop for drinks. I find a gas station and fill up the van but the store part was locked up!! AT NOON ON A MONDAY??? SO we find another gas station and I run in for drinks and wait in a line while I pray that our van doesn't get stolen with my children in it! Finally we are on our way to the park. You will not believe this....THE PARK WAS CLOSED!! This huge public park was CLOSED! WHAT!?? There was one little side rode that open right parallel to the busy street that intersects with I-30. Not the most ideal place to have a picnic but at this point... I didn't even care. We pulled over and spread the girls sleeping blankets for our meal. That's when the birds came scavenging. Once I could convince the girls that the birds would not hurt us we ate our lunch and even got to read a book I had brought for this very purpose. It was even about birds. I was trying to focus on the good things no matter how small!
We finished our meal and headed over to the Gerlthouse for a fun afternoon. Well, the kids had fun. I wasn't the best company I am afraid. But Erin is always so good to listen to me and she never tells me what a dope I am! We finally leave to head back to Seminary to pick Dan up from his class and that's when I really start worrying about him. What if he fell asleep in the library, what if he didn't finish his paper, what if he got sick again.....
But he didn't. He finished his paper and got it turned in. But once I saw him and he said it was finished, I lost it. The floodgates were loosed! We ate at Chick-fil-A and made it home with out any further distrubances. But WHAT A DAY!
It is still hard for me to think about so I doubt that I will check this for errors. Just give me a little grace. I finally feel like now that I have posted this I can move on. So forgive me if I move on immediately!
Dan had a really big paper due and I was worried about him driving because I knew just how much sleep he had gotten in the past few days. His mother and I were praying that he would let me and the girls help him out by driving him. We had big plans. We were going to visit the Museum before our membership ran out and then spend the afternoon at the GerltHouse. We were pumped!! To prepare for this big endeavor I got all of the girls clothes ready the night before. I packed lunches for everyone and decided it would be best if we just got the girls up and put them right in the car in their pjs. I was hoping they might fall back to sleep because it was 5:15 when we pulled out of the driveway.
We made a quick stop for some coffee for the driver and breakfast for the clan. When I got back in the van I noticed that the lights and the dash lights were flickering a little. I asked Dan what he thought and if I should worry but we decided to keep moving. This was before we had even left Iowa Park! So I am praying that it stops and it does. But my mind is going over all the things my Dad told me about cars. I knew flickering lights was a bad thing....the alternator....the battery....what else could it be? We just spent TONS of money fixing the transmission. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! Anyway we start on our journey. The girls do not sleep. Olivia eventually screams herself into oblivion and we all get a little peace. Dan is catching some shut eye as well. His big plan was to skip his 8 o'clock, which was risky because he might have a presentation due that day, but he had to finish this paper and it was a risk he had to take. So we were going to drop him off at the library to finish writing this paper.
We made it to I-35 and were about 30 min. from the Seminary when the lights started going crazy and then.................nothing. The van died! OH, DEAR LORD! I pull over and decided to try and start it up again. IT STARTED! HALLELUIAH!! We made new plans.
The new plan was to try to get to the dodge dealership that we are now financing thanks to all the work they have done on our van. Then call our dear friend to rescue us. We make it to the dealership with no more trouble and I shakily exit said vehicle. I am not sure what caused the shaking;the coffee, lack of sleep, or the circumstances. Anyway, they assure us that they can at least figure out what the problem is so we start to gather up our day full of stuff and I realize I have children still in their pjs. OH, and while I am gethering up our junk I realize I forgot to bring shoes for FaithLyn! At that point I looked at Dan who was working on the other side of the van and said, "Dan, we are white trash!" His always delicate reply? "Kel, we are what we are!" Not the reassurance I was hoping for.
SO I carry the children into the bathroom and get them dressed and carry FL back to the waiting area. Dan is starting to look a little sick. I call Erin to see if there is any way possible she could come and pick us up. Luckily it was Chad's day off so we just had to wait for him to come home from playing b-ball so he could keep the kids, otherwise we wouldn't all fit. So we began our wait. Dan was looking pretty miserable at this point. And a man came in and asked if anyone needed a ride in the courtesy van. I told Dan to go and get started on his paper. He reluctantly left us there. But I assured him that Erin was coming soon.
I am trying to corral three little kids and I look up 2 hours later and see a gray van sitting out in the parking lot. It looks very much like our van. I walk to the window and yes, it looks very much like our van. I take a few steps outside...It IS our van!? I wonder how long it has been waiting here. I take Olivia back to the shop to find out what is going on and leave the girls under strick orders to stay seated or ELSE! Yep, it's our van and it's all fixed. The mechanic thought we had all left. HE obviously did NOT look in the waiting room. Anyway, Praise the Lord, it was just a dirty battery cable causing a bad connection and the mechanic caught it before he did all the tests so he saved us a bit of money!! THANK YOU, LORD! I called Erin real quick and told her to turn around and head back home, apologizing profusely.
Dan gave me the cell phone (church cell) just in case and I gave him Erin and Chad's number because I knew the cell number would be long distance. Sure enough I got a call from Chad that Dan was trying to get in touch with me. I gathered up my crew and carried FL to van. I kept trying the number Chad gave me to no avail while I headed to the Seminary. We got there and got the girls in the stroller and went to the phone I hoped Dan was trying to reach us from. We walked up right behind him before he saw us and as soon as he saw us I saw color come back to his face. Poor thing. He must have been so worried about us. I filled him in and handed over his lunch. I soon found out that he had been so worried about us that he had worked himself into a stomach fit. This has happened once before and now I know it is stress related. But as soon as he knew we were out of danger he felt immediately better.
I then took the girls to Target to find FL some shoes. Luckily I had some socks left over from who knows when and it wasn't quite so noticable that she didn't have shoes on. But I made the mistake of letting her get her very first pair of flip flops. I forgot that you have to learn to walk in flip flops. They were cause of quite a bit of frustration for both FL and myself!
But we ventured on! On to the Museum. At this point I thought we were in the clear! We played and had a fun time at the museum for about 45 mins. We were finishing up in the downstairs play area with the water play. They have these nifty aprons that keep the kids dry. Well, I look over at Olivia and she is pouring water and because of how she is pouring it 95% is running down her arm right through the arm hole. Right as I notice this and get up to go inspect the damage Elise gives me that deer caught in the headlights look. I know what it means but Do NOT want to admit to myself. Sure enough...She had an accident. This is so very rare for her. She has had a total of maybe 6 accidents. But it happened none the less. I take off her apron and send her to the stroller. She doesn't move though. She is paralyzed. I carry her to the stroller while Olivia pours about 3 more gallons of water down her arms and legs. By the time I get to her she has a tiny dry strip of clothing in the exact same spot that Elise is wet. Hmmm...the irony just isn't funny to me yet.
At this point I congratulate myself for deciding the night before NOT to bring an extra outfit for the girls because, I mean, really, what could happen!??
At this point I wish I could say I was calm and understanding and we all laughed at the kind of day we have had so far. No, there was not one ounce of graciousness left in me! We made our way out of the museum FAST! FaithLyn was whimpering somewhere behind me trying to keep up. I wasn't too worried about her because I could here her shuffling in those stupid brand new flip flops. I wasn't going to leave her!! I promise. But I wasn't slowing down either! We made it to the car and I think I was the only one not crying well, it took Olivia a while to catch on but she got the picture when I yanked her out of the stroller and shoved her in the van. I got in the van and closed the door so that my . . .lack of control. . .couldn't be seen by everyone. I didn't spank anyone, I didn't touch anyone but I wasn't speaking quietly. FaithLyn is worried that we aren't going to get to have our picnic and is asking about every 5 seconds. I told everyone to sit down and be quiet until I could figure out what everyone was going to wear. So, everyone is crying again and this time I am included in that group. I strip off all the soiled and wet clothes. Thank goodness we had at least worn our pjs that morning so I put the pull-up back on Elise and put FL's pj t-shirt on Olivia. It was almost long enough to look like a dress. Elise put on her pj pants and we all got buckled in.
I pulled it together enough to realize how unreasonable I was being and I prayed and apologized to the girls and we set out for our picnic. We were going to go to Trinity Park. It's right on the Trinity river and is lots of fun. But first I have to get gas and stop for drinks. I find a gas station and fill up the van but the store part was locked up!! AT NOON ON A MONDAY??? SO we find another gas station and I run in for drinks and wait in a line while I pray that our van doesn't get stolen with my children in it! Finally we are on our way to the park. You will not believe this....THE PARK WAS CLOSED!! This huge public park was CLOSED! WHAT!?? There was one little side rode that open right parallel to the busy street that intersects with I-30. Not the most ideal place to have a picnic but at this point... I didn't even care. We pulled over and spread the girls sleeping blankets for our meal. That's when the birds came scavenging. Once I could convince the girls that the birds would not hurt us we ate our lunch and even got to read a book I had brought for this very purpose. It was even about birds. I was trying to focus on the good things no matter how small!
We finished our meal and headed over to the Gerlthouse for a fun afternoon. Well, the kids had fun. I wasn't the best company I am afraid. But Erin is always so good to listen to me and she never tells me what a dope I am! We finally leave to head back to Seminary to pick Dan up from his class and that's when I really start worrying about him. What if he fell asleep in the library, what if he didn't finish his paper, what if he got sick again.....
But he didn't. He finished his paper and got it turned in. But once I saw him and he said it was finished, I lost it. The floodgates were loosed! We ate at Chick-fil-A and made it home with out any further distrubances. But WHAT A DAY!
It is still hard for me to think about so I doubt that I will check this for errors. Just give me a little grace. I finally feel like now that I have posted this I can move on. So forgive me if I move on immediately!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Haircuts
In the intrest of having a truly worshipful experience on Sundays I have decided it is best for all concerned that the girls have their Sunday bath on Saturday nights. So I took this picture last night rather than wait for the Sunday morning crunch. Dan has to leave by 7:30 for the early service so that means we have to have breakfast ready by 7 sharp. That just doesn't leave enough time for the girls to have a bath and for me to have a bath. I think both are important. SO this is my way of keeping Sundays holy.
I also get everything ready for the morning the night before. I set the table for breakfast, get the clothes ironed, get Olivia's cup for nursery time ready, I even get the coffee ready to brew in the maker. If I am making lunch I get that ready to go and try to take as much of the prep work out of the morning time as I possibly can. Some mornings, like this morning, it works really well and I have a chance to fix all the girls hair and even come back in the house to search out my church bible with out running! But on other mornings...it's still crazy. So it goes with little ones! Hope you have had a worshipful Sunday!
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Oh. My. GOODNESS. Was that the last time I posted?
Let's see...Since I last posted, we have hosted a youth fellowship at our house, I have signed up to help with VBS,(I am teaching 2nd grade A) Dan went to monday school. OH, that's why I haven't posted. OUR TRIP BACK TO FORT WORTH!....That will have to come later. It still makes me crazy just to think of it. We got our first paycheck, made our first mortgage payment, Dan had Fear Factor Fusion last Wednesday night which included large mealworms, mice, and throw-up juice (*not actual throw up), He also successfully navigated his first service project day on Friday with the youth. Today we got indoctrinated into true Iowa Park citizenry by attending ParkFest. Their local car show and cruise. Fun. If you like to look at cars...but that kind of thing is just lost on me. We did get a good ole fashioned funnel cake though! Oh, and the girls got their summer haircuts. Very cute. I will take a picture tomorrow morning after we get ready for church so that those who care to see, like the grandparents, will keep up to date on the kiddos.
Let's see, we actually have money in the bank and it didn't come from our savings account. SCORE! Dan is taking his finals Monday at Fort Worth and then he can take a good little rest from school and focus his attention more fully here in Iowa Park.
We got to have a date night last night. We went to eat and then just decided to rent some movies and go home. We were both pretty tired. But it was nice to eat out alone and come home to sweet children already in bed.
We are quite settled in to our new home. I already need to do some REAL cleaning. So we must be settled in. But no matter how much we love it here and KNOW that God lead us here, we are still dealing with the transition of a new home, town, job, and everything else. I am not complaining but I was still in this transition in FW and now have to start over from scratch. It helps that we are on staff at a church because everyone knows us, we just don't know them all very well yet. It has been a very welcoming town though. We really like the small town mentality. It is just so exhausting to try and make new friends and get to know people. I have lots of expectations for our home life and Dan has lots of expectations and goals and ideas for the youth group. The great thing is that a new start gives you a clear picture of how you want things to be and what changes you need to make the bad thing about a new start is that you get a really clear picture of how you want things to be and ALL the changes you need to make. So we are trying to remind each other that we can only make progress one step at a time. So we are taking steps in the right direction and trying to hold on to that clear vision we had when we moved here and let God refine that picture with out losing the desire and drive to keep working at it.
We are so thankful that God has kept us moving so that we are more likely to keep our focus on Him. The crazier things are the more we are forced to our knees in recognition of our need for our Savior.
Let's see, we actually have money in the bank and it didn't come from our savings account. SCORE! Dan is taking his finals Monday at Fort Worth and then he can take a good little rest from school and focus his attention more fully here in Iowa Park.
We got to have a date night last night. We went to eat and then just decided to rent some movies and go home. We were both pretty tired. But it was nice to eat out alone and come home to sweet children already in bed.
We are quite settled in to our new home. I already need to do some REAL cleaning. So we must be settled in. But no matter how much we love it here and KNOW that God lead us here, we are still dealing with the transition of a new home, town, job, and everything else. I am not complaining but I was still in this transition in FW and now have to start over from scratch. It helps that we are on staff at a church because everyone knows us, we just don't know them all very well yet. It has been a very welcoming town though. We really like the small town mentality. It is just so exhausting to try and make new friends and get to know people. I have lots of expectations for our home life and Dan has lots of expectations and goals and ideas for the youth group. The great thing is that a new start gives you a clear picture of how you want things to be and what changes you need to make the bad thing about a new start is that you get a really clear picture of how you want things to be and ALL the changes you need to make. So we are trying to remind each other that we can only make progress one step at a time. So we are taking steps in the right direction and trying to hold on to that clear vision we had when we moved here and let God refine that picture with out losing the desire and drive to keep working at it.
We are so thankful that God has kept us moving so that we are more likely to keep our focus on Him. The crazier things are the more we are forced to our knees in recognition of our need for our Savior.
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