Pages

Monday, November 21, 2011

Out of the mouth of our babe…

Normally, I’d post this on the kiddo blog…but it deserved posting here as well.

General Disclaimer: I was (and am!) a safe driver. 

Driving along today…I had just made a right turn, and another car switched lanes and was therefore quite close to the driver’s side of the car – which Abi sits on.

I thought nothing of it.  And then, from the mouth of my eldest…

“Mom, be careful to not crash the car.”  Awesome.  I just had to laugh – I mean, that is funny!  I assured her that I was being very careful to not crash the car.

IMG_0237

Our rental car, in Yosemite at El Capitan, we didn’t crash that car either.  Just a scratch.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Six Sweet Years of Good

image

Last month, on the actual day…my dear hubby took me to listen to Mendelssohn being performed (he’s my favorite, you don’t take piano lessons for 11 years and not have a favorite!) and then we had dinner.  It was a divine evening. 

wallace184

Because it’s fun to post wedding pictures…

I don’t mean the title to be deceiving.  I guess anyone who has been married for six years (well, even six months really) will know that marriage isn’t always the stuff of Hallmark cards and chic flicks.  I’m certainly not proud of words that have come out of my mouth or deeds that I have committed– they are evident of the desperate place that I’d be without Jesus.  But because of Jesus’ presence – they’ve been years of good.  Years where we’ve been drawn together, where we’ve fought for the other one when the other was tired, where we’ve labored together on our knees (thank you, D for encouraging us in this), where we’ve laughed…real hard.

It’s good to be nostalgic on the day.  I like that.  PS – the day was also doused in a TON of reality.  I acted like a punk and was just grumpy and insisted on silly rights…oh thankful for forgiveness and grace– the babies were needy and sick– and we were plain tired.  I’m so glad hubby kept pushing us to still go on our anniversary date.  Because at the end of the day, our perspective was made clear through grace and love.

image

Also, insanely thankful for grandparents who will watch sick babies.  Abi wanted to dress like me (melt a momma’s heart) – so we found a dress that had flowers on the bottom too – and each wore our pearls that D brought back for us from Asia.

Flash forward one month: another set of grandparents are in town and D and I get to head out of town for a quick few days to just be together.  We try and get away (even if it is just a weekend!) each year around our anniversary.  This is always our “advice” that we write to our friends who get married.  It is just so amazingly life-giving.

Inks Lake State Park

What is the most comical about this stop in our trip is that we realized on day two of our time here that we’d been here before.  We both have the exact same memory, just can’t place it.  Oh goodness, we are getting old.  We know it’s from college.  Friends de Aggie, anything??

IMG_3572

There is just something good about waking up outdoors.  To the sound of rain.  Enough said.

These signs just made us laugh – beware of the wildlife.

image image

On our morning hike…umm, yes please.  Morning hikes are life-giving too.

image

Anniversary 20111

The fall color (for Texas!) was great and was uplifting to this native-to-fall-color girl’s soul.  We went kayaking (boo for no pictures), hiking some more, and general relishing in nature’s goodness.

You know we document our trips through our food.  It’s one of my most favorite parts of traveling.  These pictures tell a good amount of our story!

Anniversary 2011

Can you pick out the camping contribution?  Hah.

Austin

Post camping, in my opinion, it is always good to head to somewhere nice (home will do, of course!) and take a really delightful shower.  Fun hotels are even better though.  So, after removing camping grime – we walked and walked (because we could!  no naps to be home for!) and then walked some more.  We tried Sandra Bullock’s restaurant Bess Bistro – and it was divine.  Would highly recommend their brunch.  It made our tummies quite happy.

Oh yes, there’s more…

2011

So, Doons looks a bit creepy…but I’m making him pose with an Odwalla bottle.  He had to be a bit weird in the photo…

Because I am my father’s daughter…I really do enjoy history.  So, like the good Texans that we are, we visited the capitol.  Quite an awesome building, really!

IMG_3582 IMG_3592

More walking / trail running / eating / enjoying.  Thank you, Austin. 

image

Thank you six years for celebrated goodness.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Fall Catch-up: State Fair

IMG_3090

I love-love-love the State Fair.  Can’t really put my finger on why.  It’s not really the food (although, don’t let me fool you, I always eat plenty while we’re there).  And it’s certainly not the games (never play, biggest rip off!) – but there is just something.  We love going to the fair.

IMG_3072

PS – I enjoyed this way too much…we giggled the entire “flight”

IMG_3088IMG_3084

Oh wait!  I remembered why I love the fair…the Bird Show!  It is a must-stop each and every time we visit the fair.  And baby girl loves it too.  Wahoo!

IMG_3107

Talk about awesome…we were standing in line to ride on the Ferris wheel (this is the one thing that Abi really wanted to do at the fair this year) – and our dear friends walked up behind us.  You can’t plan that, folks.  The rest of our fair experience was enriched for sure.

IMG_3108

IMG_3111

IMG_3113

While everyone else was in the petting farm (I can’t do it – call me the crazy zoo lady, but that place just makes me sad) – I walked around some of the animal barns, and found the largest piggy I have EVER seen.  The picture doesn’t do him justice.

And night descends on the fair…

IMG_3127

And dancing…

IMG_3136

IMG_3139 

Sweet little beauties…

IMG_3157 IMG_3171

IMG_3179

IMG_3177

I asked Donald if the fried oreos that I coerced him into buying were any good (you can’t leave the fair with tickets still in hand, I believe that’s a rule!)…take a good guess at his answer.

Until 2012, State Fair!

IMG_3183

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

China Bible at Northwest Bible

image

Our church is hosting this really great exhibit.  I would totally recommend going to check it out.  Nate couldn’t wait to go see it.  He’s wondering why in the world his mother decided this was 8 month appropriate so cultured.

image

Nate, in Ergo, taking it all in and wondering when we’re leaving…

Really though, Nate did great.  I actually got to read the graphics and was so encouraged at what the Lord was doing in and through Chinese believers.  I didn’t grab a picture of it (I didn’t know if I was supposed to be taking pictures! – off of their website below) but there was an entire section devoted to the history of the distribution of the bible in China.  It so moved my heart to see multiple hand copies of the Word, the time invested because of the life that those words offer.

image

‘The goal of the Bible distribution ministry is to meet the needs of all brothers and sisters in China who love His Word.”  -The Bible Ministry Exhibition

 

IMG_1179

Donald & I (and abi-in-belly) at the Great Wall visiting some dear friends in 2008