Talk about a contrast…

My most favorite fruit…

I could go through all this in about 2 days.  No really…I could.

I think I have some nostalgia issues with watermelon.  It brings back good memories and therefore I love it.  Running around in the summer (you see, in Michigan, you actually can run around in the summer) with my friends with red, watermelon juice dripping off our arms (sounds kinda country…donald would say that’s my “small town” talking) playing kick the can / having seed spitting contests on the 4th of July (hmmm, I really am sounding country now) – well, you get the picture.  Good times.  I love watermelon.  They embody summer.

So strange that on the same day that all of this watermelon enjoying is happening…there’s also some enjoying of this:

That’s some pumpkin latte action.  Amen.  (Well, not Abi…she digs chocolate milk in a paper cup with straw…and yes, our favorite Aggie barista knows her drink and how she likes it when he sees her…maybe we grab coffee too much?)

Happy Fall-ish weather / Fall drinks / Summer yummy!!

First Day

Peaceful morning, the house is quiet.  I’m making baby-girl’s lunch thinking “How in the world am I making her lunch for her to take to school?”  That seems crazy to me.  She is getting so big, so fast.

And the rest of the morning?  I wish it was as calm and as smooth as this morning at 6 am.  Alas, not the case.  But, the Lord is good to me – my heart was thankful and my soul was calm.  Red lights seemed to steer clear of me as we drove downtown, allowing us to arrive almost on time.  This was a mercy as I didn’t allow enough wiggle room for baby brother’s overly active bowels since solids were introduced.  (Sorry ‘bout that, just keeping it real).  And then I showed up 30 minutes late for bible study.  Oh well, we’ll try again next week.  And sweet lady is tired (and a bit grumpy) as we prepare her for nap.  This is OK, there is grace and momma’s arms for the tired.

Oh yes, and here’s our house.  It’s a product of the crazy.

Clothes dumped out of above bag to make room…why do I have a dress-up dress with me?  It’s just a part of mothering a three year old girl.

And the crazy sink…about to go fix that right now…sweet hubby cleaned them all last night for me (bless that man) – and I never put them away.  I just grabbed the dishes as I needed them!  But, such is life, right?

The English by the sea

Our relatives from England were in town and we went aquarium-ing! 

Note: It is good to ‘go aquarium-ing’ when…

1) School is back in session and you essentially have the place to yourselves

2) When it’s still so, so hot outside that air-conditioning seems like your best friend

3) When you have kind friends who work there and treat your family extra special!

 

My kind friend, Tom, showing us all the bonnet head sharks that were just born early that morning!

We had so much fun!  We hope to pay them a visit for the 2012 Olympics in London!

It was a good, weird day

I liked today.  I am tired after today.  I have cried today.  I have felt sadness with friends today.  I have laughed and smiled a whole bunch today.

I liked today.

It was a day where I feel like the Lord gave me glimpses of His goodness, designed to draw me into more.  To crave time in his words to me, to think (I mean REALLY think) about how to love others better, to show me how to find delight in the seemingly mundane.

I started the day by getting to meet with some women who each week pour into me and share their lives with me.  I am so grateful.  I love Tuesday mornings.  What I don’t love: it was a 3 iron day.  I always feel so silly ironing baby clothes.  Oh well, he did look darn cute.

On to buy sweet thing her school backpack…which I found out that they don’t allow backpacks.  What?!  That seems bizarre and silly.  They didn’t ask me though.  We then waited for 45 minutes for the store to figure out my gift card blues.  And it still didn’t get sorted out.  And I’m the schmuck who waited for 45 minutes in Pottery Barn with two kiddos.  After that…we needed Starbucks.  (Abi asked, I was more than happy to oblige)

Abi is not napping anymore.  Well, that’s a bit dramatic.  She apparently caught the “no-sleep” bug from her friends!  She naps 4 out of 7 days now.  I’m still adjusting to this normal.  Not sure if I like it.  I had asked her to really try and go to sleep (she was yawning her head off) and this is how she appeared 15 minutes later…

(don’t mind all the phone pics…that’s just how we roll sometimes)

Oh goodness.

Sweet little man – we’re learning avocados.  Can he get any cuter?

A certain child loves to take pictures and videos.  I crack up at what she captures and how she interprets what images she “snaps.”  It really is interesting.  Today…not so interesting…I have about 15 of these on my phone right now:

We went to Abi’s preschool parent's night.  Did you catch that?  Her preschool.  Sweet wee one is ready for preschool.  I can’t really believe it.  More to come, I know, but I am so excited for her.  I think she will just love it.  Meet the teacher is on Thursday.  But no backpack.  I don’t like that.  As Donald said, I think it’s harder for me to get over the fact that she doesn’t get to bring a backpack!

And then a date with aforementioned hubby.  So wonderful.  Dinner and then a brief stroll at the lake.  Complete with loads of bikes, loads of dragonflies, and loads of more bearable weather at 9 o’clock at night!

Ahhh, grocery shopping alone.  Enough said, am I right?

Oh, the ramblings.  It was a good day. 

RAIN

There’s not been much of it in Texas, as of late.  In fact, today in church we heard that there’s been 2-3 days of light rain (i.e. moments of rain) in the past 81 days.  That is dry.  We need rain.

(a few weeks ago, on one of those 2-3 days of rain…we ran outside in the early morning and soaked it up…literally)

oh, wet and messy feet!

I was reminded today of how much my faith in my supply of water is only as deep as our water pipes run.  My confidence and faith are not in the one who commands the storms.

(an old favorite)

I was reminded that while I hope for  rain to reduce my water bill – to keep the plants that are still alive (amazingly a few are!) hanging on – that there are millions in Africa who are desperately hoping for water to survive.  To live.  My heart sees its own ugly.  Gracefully reminded to pray for those who need emotional water;  Who need physical water.

Good Article to just get informed on the crisis

The journey of the taj 3…

According to REI’s website…

“Offering luxurious living quarters, the REI Taj 3 is a three-season, three-person backpacking tent that won't weigh you down.”

So true.  Not luxury defined by all standards.  But, certainly ours.  Especially my hubby.  Can’t get much better.  Check out where this little tent has set the standard in luxury:

Backpacked across Europe with D, Kristian & Steven (I searched the archives that we have…but couldn’t find the tent featured…so here’s one of my favorites instead!)

The coast of California

And most recently, the Pacific Northwest (with some SMU buddies who had a more delayed start that Doons!)

 

Luxury at its finest, my friends.

Sanctification through motherhood – blueberries & tatoos

Let’s be honest – we all love the stories when kiddos say something embarrassing.  Hearing the parents reactions and their desperate attempts to cover something up.  Or, when they just give into it and laugh at the awkward.  It’s just funny.  Especially when it’s not your sweet child.  But the other day…it was my sweet child.  I’m the awkward parent in the story.

And if you know me…when things get awkward…I talk more.  Talking more makes things more awkward.  Awesome.

(taken of miss thing after getting back in the car)

Just a normal day of grocery shopping.  Sidenote:  Abi, when you read this blog one day, I love grocery shopping with you.  Always have and always will.  One of our favorite activities together.  Anyways…onward.  We had made it through the store and were standing in line waiting to check out.  I noticed that the check-out chic had lots of tattoos…and that’s where my thoughts ended.  Not Abi’s…the tattoos sent her mind a-spinnin’.

Normal conversation – we talked about the dude in front of me who spent $45 dollars on avocados (no joke!) – how my handwriting on the little tie for bulk purchases was so bad (I blamed Nate) – etc.  I was getting my wallet out when Abi (who can be quite shy around strangers) decided to say quite loudly…”Mommy, what does that lady have all over her body.”  Oh no.  “Well, Abi, those are tattoos.”  Keep it simple, right?  “Well, we don’t like them.”  Oh my goodness, what do I say now?  So, I smiled.  And then I kept talking…and talking…and talking.  About why some people have tattoos and how it’s cool when you have something that means so much to you and you want to remember it all the time – and then making random small talk with the lady (and she was so great, telling Abi about some of them), all the while I was making things more awkward.  I know she was so ready to see me go.  She even had to remind me to sign the credit card machine-thing because I was talking so fast and so awkwardly.  Oh my.

We had a conversation in the parking lot about what types of thoughts we keep to ourselves – why it’s always great to have an opinion, but we need to practice wisdom when sharing our opinion.  How did what she said make that lady feel?  What’s a better way to have worded your opinion if you wanted to ask her about her tattoos?  Then, sitting in the car…it’s always good to play my thoughts back in my head.  I often realize that what I try to teach Abi, I frequently practice myself.  I mean we’re all opinionated (some more forth-coming than others!) – but the truth to act in wisdom and in love when sharing those opinions with others is always relevant.  It’s always being worked out.

(and then at home unloadin’ and talking tattoos)

I asked Abi what she would have as a tattoo (reminding her that you get a tattoo if something means SO much to you that you always want its picture with you).  Her response: a blueberry.  Look out 18 year old Abi.