Our pastor gave a great sermon last week. It has been on my mind all week. She lead us in a sermon about "Cheating Jesus" after all this is his birthday. She asked us to consider giving gifts to Jesus this year. And here is what he has on his list: forgiveness, healing, and love.

So for Christmas I am giving Jesus the forgiveness he has given me that I will extend to someone else. Pain is something we can carry around with us or something that can wake us up to and realize life is slipping by while we sit in our pain and hurt. We may have the right to be hurt and angry. God has been there with us and understands our pain. But he wants us to chose, wallow in the pain and anger or move on.
Next I will give him healing. I have recently learned that, really, I am the only one I can change. I can not force someone else to change their ways but I can change how respond to them. This has allowed me to heal in ways I did not know possible. A mentor that I realize I have moved on from and no longer see eye to eye with is not someone who has hurt me but has taught me what God wanted me to learn and is now a treasured love one. This healing he has offered my heart has helped me love without expectation and disappointment.
Finally, there is the love he has given me that I will share. No matter what I will love those in my life even when I feel it is not returned. I will not let those I love go on without knowing how I feel about them.

So don't cheat Jesus. Celebrate his birthday in style and grace!

Inspiration

Just a quick note before I head into the weekend. My family is asleep and I have a rare moment to be alone on the computer.
I am sitting in my very messy house, I am watching the Chronicles of Narnia and I am thinking about how incrediably blessed I am. I was thinking about what God has put into my life as inspiration
An adoring husband who buys me a new down pillow when the one from my childhood explodes
A giving daughterdaughter who gave to a friend a gift she wanted for her self but saw a friend in need
Supportive friends who laugh and cry with me no matter what I am facing
Snow during a thunderstorm in New Braunfels, Texas. I am not kidding!
Laughing brownie scouts who love to just be friends with each.
Encouraging colleagues who suport each other during tough times
Creative sisters who seem to have an idea for all kinds of things (my little sister inspired a new background for my blog)
And a God who continues to surprise me daily!

There have been times where I feel I have grown up and I no longer look to my mentors of the past. Then God puts a new task in my life and new inspirations and I am growing again! Here's to all of the great inspirations in our lives! Thank you Lord.

Chit Chat and Socializing

Preparing for my daughters birthday on Friday got me thinking about birthdays when I was a kid. Some of my best memories are from birthdays with my family. Not because of the gifts and not because of the grief that led up to the special day but because of the actually time spent with family. (Yes I am a sap) I remember homemade birthday cakes, special dinners, my Uncle Mikes hugs, cousins to play with while the grown ups talked and laughed. As a kid that is what you see. That is how my relationships formed with my extended family. We were not perfect. There was stress and heartache and all kinds of issues in my family but holidays were for family. As we grew from kids to teenagers our own attitudes shifted. My older sister no longer felt like going to every family party and we all began to take issue with the predictability of each gathering. Jokingly we referred to them as time to "chit chat and socialize".
Now, however, listening to my daughter make plans for her big day I realize how important these events truly are. She is developing her own memories. As I helped her wash her hair tonight she said "Mom, when we get back from my special dinner can you have my presents set out in front of the fire place and maybe blindfold me before I walk into the room?" I laughed because except for the blindfold, she was checking on to make sure that we were going to follow procedure. Dinner at her restaurant of choice, home for cake and presents (plus a little Maggie flair with the blindfold!)
This is what birthdays are about building memories and sharing special moments together. Not the obligatory phone call we all seem to make to the relative that seems so distant. Or the hunt for a perfect gift for someone when you truly do not know them well enough to shop for anyway. My Aunt Joyce always sends me a card with a special message. She does the same for Darrel and for Maggie as well. All three of us look forward to her card because it ment she took time to sent down and write each of us a quick note and let us know how much she cares about us.
Unfortunetly, I have not lived by this example. I have always wanted to do this but I always fall short. I have had every excuse, too. I am overwhelmed with life (read my lil' sis blog and her about a crazy life with four kids and this excuse falls flat). I wanted to do more for their birthday to show them how much my family loves them (Then I hear myself say that and laugh, because we all know how much a gift says). So I started to think about my own extended family. I do not have the forced chit chat and socializing that at times I saw as predictable so I do not have the relationship that I thoughtI would have with my loved ones. So now it is up to me. Do I want to keep letting birthdays slip by with nothing more than a phone message left for them on a machine. Or do I want to live up to my Aunt Joyce's example and send a personal message of love and thanks for the blessing these people are in my life? Seems pretty obvious what I want and the kind of sister, aunt, daughter, grandaughter god-mother, and friend I want to be. So here is to a New Year's resolution made early. (Now all I need to do is get calandar in order and make the time.) To all of my family that I no longer have "chit chat and socializing" with: I love you all and I daily Thank God for the blessing of having you in my life. May your Christmas and Birthdays be moments of joy that last all year long!

This Christmas

I was just reading the newspapers and several stories caught my eye. One was about the tragedy in NY. It is sad to think that a young man lost his life due to the greed and selfishness of others. I even heard that two men shot each other dead in a California toy store. Shocking. Mob mentality is a dangerous place to be. Then I read an article about a group of well meaning people petitioning advertisers to stop targeting kids with their advertisements. Good luck folks. I do not see them stopping especially when their response to the letters was simply; no, because the realtionship between a parent and a child is what keeps them safe even in an economy that is struggling. In fact the article went on to say that the companies realize that parents will sacrifice their own needs and wants to extremes to keep their children stocked up and looking goos in front of their friends. Sad but it does seem to be true.

A few months ago, I began struggling with a health issue. I have had migraines and back problems but this was different. I thought it was me and the particularly rough start to school. The best description I can give is that I felt like I was moving in super fast forward at all times. Yet when I laid down to sleep I could not. My stress level was through the ceiling and I just felt like I could get nothing done. I had a OBGYN appointment that I had been putting off (Since the "undiagnosed infertility" I had been stubborn about going to the doctor). The nurse took all of my vitals and was concerned about my bloodpressure. I normally have a relatively low BP but it was 174 over 114. I ended up at the doctor's for quite sometime, they wanted to take my BP several more times. It never dropped from the original reading. So let me make a long story short. I have high blood pressure. My GP did an EKG and my heart is not damaged We talked about diet and weight and he said although I do need to loose weight and excercise that is not what caused my HBP. It is hereditary. Weight loss and excercise may drop it 5 points but I was in need of meds. One of my favorite christian writers, Shelia Walsh, said once that taking a daily med for a condition is her way of reminding her self that ultimately she is not in charge and that she needs rely on God for everything, including her health. So I have been dedicated to taking this medicine and my metforin meds and amazingly I not longer feeling like I am fast forward.

So what is the connection to Christmas? I dreaded my birthday this year because of my health. Now that I am feeling back to myself I am ready for the holidays.
About 7 years ago Darrel and I decided that we never wanted gift giving to take over the holidays. So we set out a plan. Three gifts were good enough for Jesus and so they are more than enough for us. So we plan on three gifts for each other and Maggie: A Gold gift this is the gift that is valuable, something that the person really wants (Think about the list to Santa); then a frankesence gift. This is a gift that is spiritual. Something that reminds the person of their creator and the blessings he has given us. Finally a Mryrr gift. Originally this was an oil used to cover a body in prep for burial. We use this as a gift that covers the body. Usually clothing of some kind.
This system has really helped us keep our focus straight during this crazy time of year. It has made it possible for us to enjoy this season instead of stress over it. We are able to celebrate advent, go to Wassailfest, enjoy White Christmas giving at church, spend time with loved ones. With the health issues I am facing I needed Christmas. The peace and preparation for the coming of Christ. I needed to breath and enjoy the blessings God has given me.
So for those of you that read my blog let me encourage you this season. Enjoy your children, teach them what Christmas is really about and then enjoy! They will not remember what gift you buy this year but years from now they will remember the time you spend together.

God's GPS

We had an amazing church service. The kind that moves you to tears (okay I cry during most of the music anyway but who is really checking). Anyway the focus was on Psalm 1 and being truly happy. What a great message for this time in history. Anyway it started with a children's message with bubbles. They talked about how long bubbles last and then compared this to the "stuff" they had at home that made them happy. It was very sweet. Then the rest of the service followed suit.
Anyway the really interesting part was my onversation with my darling husband afterward. We were talking about the sermon when Molly interupted with "Turn left in 1 mile" You see Molly is our Nav system in the car (the name comes from Thor's hammer but that is a whole other story). We started talking about a GPS with God's design. For example wouldn't it be nice if you head down a path that is not good for you and you hear a sweet angelic voice say "Make a U Turn as soon as possible" or "you are off route!"
Here is the verse that inspired us today (BOLD faced is mine)
Psalm 1
BOOK I : Psalms 1-41
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers. "Make a UTurn now"

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night. "Recalculating route"

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away. "You are off route"

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. "You are off route"

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

So here is to staying on the right path and taking God's direction!

I found My Pants!

I knew I was getting old when I lost my pants. Now I have heard that some young men and women have had this problem but please know that I did not lose them while I had them on. No I lost them when I set them aside for dry cleaning! You see I had a pile of clothes that I wanted to have dry cleaned last spring and I set them in the back of my closet. This particular pair of pants was a great pair for the winter. They were a fully lined and linen. I have looked for them since school started and I was begining to feel sheepish. Where did I leave my pants? This was never a question for me (even in college).
Well this weekend I was in my closet looking for a jogging suit I could where for comfort and quess what I found! My pants!!!
So remember no matter where you left them, you can still find your pants!

On This day...

Today Darrel and I celebrate our 11th anniversary! We spent the day working on our gift to each other, a sprinkler system for the house. We stood in the front yard and gazed as the four sprinkler heads popped up and began their work. It was awesome! Now for those of yu out there saying, Traci are you nuts! a sprinkler system for you anniversary! Let me first say that for our tenth anniversary he bought me a Caddilac.
Also many years ago Darrel and I decided to make our anniversary celebrations what we wanted them to be, instead of what everyone else thought they should be. Instead of hiring a babysitter and going to dinner and a movie (which we do all the time anyway) We (Maggie included) dress up nicely and go someplace really special
This year we chose The Melting Pot. At folks let me tell you we had a blast! The foods was amazing. Maggie had fun dipping different things into the the cheese fondue. The salads were good (I think if I go again I will have the cesear salad, though). The main course was amazing! Filet mignon, lobster tail, shrimp, salmon, pork loin, chicken and ravioli. WOW!!! But the dessert was the most fun. We had Flaming Turtle (chocolate, caramel, and pecans flambade at your table!)We dipped strawberries, cheese cake, marshmellows, pound cake, bananas, and brownie bites. It was incrediable! Maggie said that it was definately one of her favorite restaurants. (She actually said that before the dessert. Once the dessert arrived she was giddy and couldn't speak!)
Now before you begin to think that my darling husband is getting off easy without having to do anything romantic, let me just say this: we love celebrating our anniversary this way! Each year we think about something we as a couple want. At times it has been electronics, other times it has been trips, or a new car. We pray and plan and decide on what is best for us at the time. (Just so you know I have not pushed to hard But I might in the years to come push for renewing our vows a DisneyWorld. Have you ever seen their wedding planning show! COOL!!!) This year we had been talking about home improvements we could do that would improve our chances of selling (yep we will try again!). So this year we decided on the sprinkler system.
However Darrel did not quite stick to the plan. Friday during my last two classes of the day, I received a beautiful box of fall colored roses (a deep reddish orange!). My classroom smelled heavenly!
Tomorrow at church, there will be a special floral arrangement to thank God for our marriage. It turns out that this week in October was a busy week for weddings, three other friends of ours have anniversaries this week as well and We all decided to join together to sponser the alter flowers. I will try to get a picture of them if I can. Anyway this was a fabulous day spent with my two favorite people.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with an amazing husband! Each day with him is an adventure and a joy!

Ditch Witch

We are embarking on an amazing adventure. We are landscaping are very unusual yard. Yes folks as we speak Darrel is returning the Ditch Witch. This is a pretty amazing piece of equipment used to dig a trench in a yard. You see one of the first things we are doing is putting a sprinkle system. We know that it will add value to our home but it will also do wonders for the yard. Now most people would probably want to hire someone to do a job such as this. Not my husband. He read all about home installations, watched many do-it-yourself videos, and has decided that this is something he can do himself. So pray with me as we begin this journey. (Buster fell into the trench after the first five minutes)I will keep you posted on our progress!

Maggie's Solo

River Laws Video

A Star is Born

Darrel and I are in the process of uploading a couple of videos. One is a school project that Maggie completed this past week. The purpose of the lesson was to investigate a rule or law we live under and express what life would be like if we did not have this rule. In case you did not know it Maggie is dramatic. (Okay stop giggling!) She loves to perform and recently fell in love with power point and movie maker on our computer. Maggie decided that she wanted to focus on the rules for our beloved Comal and Guadelupe river. When I asked her how she planned to share her information she told me she wanted to write a game show. The video "River Laws" is completed her creation and ideas. Her daddy played the voice of Darth Vader and Yoda but Maggie was Hannah and the Host. I served as the support crew! Everyone that has seen this has thought it was great.
The second video is one of Maggie earlier in the summer. She played a starring role in our churches musical "The Three Trees" Hopefully we are able to post just her solo (although the entire show was awesome!) Anyway as soon as we figure out how to post video we will share!

That you know off, mom

August... I have no idea where to begin! Let me start with something my lil sis told me to write about.

At the end of July I sat down to shave my dog. Buster is one of the biggest cocker spaniels I have ever seen. Lately I had been referring to him as "Tubby" because he seemed to have expanded his rear end. As I sat down with the clippers I begin to praise the dog groomers in our life. You see Buster's age (14 human years) has put him in a high risk group with his groomer. She had an elderly dog pass away while she was grooming him and so she no longer grooms elderly dogs. I can understand. However this has left me with job and I am no dog groomer! In fact I will take a picture of my poor pup and post it later. He has poodle feet (because I could not get to them) and the rest of his coat looks as if mange might be a problem. The reason: Apparently their is a trick to clipping a dog. It is nothing like cutting Darrel's hair. During the three hours (yes I said 3)I got to know my dog really well. And guess what he really had not gotten fat! In fact the two ample rear cheeks were mostly hair! I kid you not!
So Buster ended July a lot lighter and August began for us with an ending. On August 2nd my granddaddy passed away. We knew it was coming and I truly believe God called him home. What I was not prepared for was how Maggie would handle everything.
She was pretty close to her great granddaddy. She though he was funny and she loved him very much. She understood that he was in heaven and that he was no longer in pain. At the funeral she wanted to go up to the open casket. She went up twice with Darrel and I and then headed up alone after the service. Her Pappy saw this (Darrel was watching her but she had attempted this alone and he felt like there was a reason)Maggie and Pappy stayed for a bit but nothing out of the ordinary (unless you count the whole has no fear as Brother in law said). Later when it was just Maggie, Darrel and I we asked her if she had any questions. She had just one: What would have happened if she had touched granddaddy?
Darrel told her about the difference between our physical bodies and the spritual bodies God gives us in heaven.
after that she seemed okay. She talked about granddaddy and she seemed to be grieving quite a bit. Sunday after the funeral I went to check on her and found her crying. She told me she was sad because she had not touched granddaddy and made him come back to life like in the bible. She was also upset because she thought she had forgotten her.
Can you say WOW! I have a book of 801 questions kids ask about God. Guess what? That one was NOT in the book!
At this point I can say that Maggie has started to journal how she is feeling and we seem to get over the hump. Most importantly GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME. We have the memorial service and my grandparents church this weekend. She wants to goand we are in prayer. pray that God's wisdom is clear to us as we help our little one understand a tiny glimpse of God's plan.
School starts soon and summer ends. "As for me and my house, we will serve the lord"

Oh Nooooo!

I can not believe it! It can not be! I was busy playing with Maggie in my mother-in-law's pool and it hit me! (Pretty Hard, I might add) that summer is is almost over! Now don't get me wrong I have done almost everything we had planned. Maggie has attended summer camp (Day camp at TBarM was awesome!) We visited my oldest sister and her family. (This is always a favorite for Maggie. She loves her cousins dearly.)Maggie and I were a part of the church's summer musical. (She had one of the three lead roles and she sang one of the most beautiful solo's I have ever heard!)I am working getting a clip of the solo on the blog soon. We have gone to the movies, gone swimming almost everyday (You may not believe it but the daughter of the two whitest people on earth has a tan! She is a beautiful honey gold right now.) Maggie has become a HUGE Star Wars fan! At this point she has all six movies memorized and she has begun scouring the library for the paperback books. I have caught up on my reading as well. One of my students last year recommended the novel Twilight before the end of the school year. Well I loved it! (The book is actually a part of a four book series and I have read the three books and I am looking forward to the release of the fourth book.)Darrel finished his traveling for work in June and as much as I hate to say it, we have decided against ant big traveling this summer. Too expensive with gas prices the way they are.
Basically I have no regrets. But seriously, I had no idea how close I was to returning to school. August seems to fill up so fast! The first week I am in a required training for four days. (Maggie is excited because we decided to send her back to Day Camp.) The following week, I will be teaching a to day seminar for research (unless it is cancelled due a lack of people willing to give up the summer. Do I blame them. The third week of August it is back to work full time! I will hire a sitter for Maggie and return to school. I love that time of year but it is truly hard to let go of the sunny warm days of summer. I am looking forward to A tradition Maggie and I started the month before kindergarten. On of the days before going back to work she and I dress up and head over to the tea room in Gruene and enjoy a special lunch. Afterward we head out to buy her school supplies and her first day of school outfit. This has become a really special day for us.
I guess I can not put it off any longer. I will put the finishing touches on a curriculum for a new course I am teaching. I will begin the prep work for my first week of school and I will hold tight to every drop of the luscious summer sun! For those of you that look forward to sending your little ones back to school I am sorry that the school year can not arrive any sooner! But for those of us that tend to relish every waking summer day and the promises of something new I thank you for the break from teaching! I truly believe that the extended time off makes me a better teacher!

Summer!

It has been a while since I last posted. The end of a school year is a particularly craxy time of year for teachers. Children are counting down days and truth be told teachers are counting down days as well (we are actually very precise: we could tell you how many Monday's and how many 6th period classes are left!)
To add to the crazy times, Darrel has been traveling Monday through Friday for the past three weeks as well. He has one and a half weeks left and Maggie and I will be thrilled to have hi home again. I turned to my mother-in-law's example. She had to learn to deal with Papa at sea six months at a time! I have learned a few things during this time
1. All eals taste better when the family is together. (No matter what I offered to cook, Maggie said it wouldn't taste right without Daddy. Needless to say we have had a lot of Sandwhiches, soups, baked potatoes, and salads!)
2. Time zones make a difference. When Darrel was in Colorado I had to remember that he was 1 hour ahead. This makes a difference when you are trying to cooridate a bedtime phone call.
3. "Letting" Maggie sleep in our bed was really more for me than her. That's right I let her sleep in my bed because she said she was lonely. (Do I have to admitt who was really lonely?)
4. Husbands on business trips cannot sit in their hotel room after work and remain a sane individual. I had to except the fact that Darrel needed to get out and do something while he was away. And hey the company is paying!
5. The weather in Texas is nothing like the weather in Kansas. For some reason Darrel has a way of setting records with weather. Usually it is heat but this time it was some of the worst thunderstorms and tornado's they have had in years!
All said and done I must praise my husband! He is truly a genius and an asset to her his team! The work he has done on this trip has been priceless and I could not be ore proud!

Father God, You are an awesome God! Darrel has seen your mighty hand at the top of the Rockies and in the midsts of storms in Kansas. You know Darrel has a few more days to go. Be with him on his journeys. Bless his work and keep him safe!Return him home safely!

Looking for the Good

It is lunch time at school and I have a short break before I finsih up my day. As my students were leaving and mylast class was dropping of books before they headed to lunch a thought crossed my mind and I needed to write it down.
How often when you are around someone that challenges you more than anything else do you count up the positive qualities in that person? Sometimes when I am around a person that pushes my buttons I find myself counting up all of the ways that person needs to change, or the reasons they are causing problems for themselves, the ways they are doing something wrong. Do you get the picture? of course I am not speaking these things out loud. (However I know people who do this when I am around them and they speak these thoughts out loud,...constructive critsim I believe it what they call it). Well yesterday i heard a man speaking on the radio about being there for your spouse. I thought about the way Darrel speaks with encouragement to me. He tells me about the good things I am doing, or something that he enjoys about me. I thought about my good friends, the women in my life that I can go to with anything and realized they do this to. Then last night, we read with Maggie, the story of Saul throwing a spear at David because of his jealousy. we talked about how our bad feelings toward someone (even constructive cristism) can feel like a spear being thrown at them. Fortunetly God was with David and he got out of the way. The only person truly hurt was Saul. God had left him and people were beginning to lose respect for him.
Then as I sat here in my classroom, trying to think of a way to enjoy the end of the year with my students I realized I needed to focus on their qualities that were pleasing, excellent, admirable, trustworthy, honest, and lovely (A scripture we focused on in church, hmmmm I am beginning to think God was speaking loud and clear!)So I made a list of my students and I began to write down some of their pearl like qualities. Of course, just like a pearl, some of these qualities started out like an irritating grain of sand but over the year I am beginning to see a more polished precious stone.
Lord I pray that I can look at the people in my life with eyes like yours. You see past my grainy, irritating exterior and you shape and mold me into a precious pearl. Thank you for the grace and love it takes to accomplish this. help me to look at the pearls in the ones I love!

Count Down

It has officialy started! The count down to summer! As a public school teacher there comes a point every year where you actually begin to count the days down. A hard year starts on the day you return from Christmas vacation. Fortunetly this year I did not actually start counting until this week! (I think this is the longest I have ever gone)
So here it is:
38 days (5 weeks and 3 days)
or
If you do not count the weekends
29 days (including the Work Day on Saturday and not including our Memorial day holiday)
Or one of my favorites
we only have 4 Mondays left!!! (Remember we do not have school on the last Monday due to Memorial day)

Time to Declutter

You may have read (or heard) that our house is on the market. Every couple of weeks we have tried to do something that would help increase interest in our house. Our dear friend Dave is an appraiser and he has shared with us tips years ago about what to do to get the best "bang for our buck". Mostly he told us what kind of things may look good but don't necessarily add value. With these in our head and tips from our AWESOME realtor we have tried to address areas that are effective but don't break the bank. For example we have added some neutral color to areas that really needed it. Of course this made us want to paint everything but we have held back. Then Darrel went to work on the yard. He did some tricks that another friend with an undeniably green thumb had suggested years ago. He created a ring around the tree in the front yard (this tree has looked like a dwarf for seven years!!) and he created two flower beds in the back yard and planted a couple of trees in the back. Amazing. Our yard has life! Add the tree that never grew looks so healthy and full of life! So that brings me to this last week end. You see we have had three realtor's (Our current one is the best!) and all three have told us to declutter. I nodded and listened but on the inside I must admit I scoffed. I am one of the least cluttered people I know! But more and more lately I have been looking at our house through the eyes of possible buyers and I began to think we might need to move out some extra pieces. To do so meant renting a storage unit with strict rules about not filling up the space we emptied. So we began to empty (notice I am not calling it decluttering)the quest room. Then Darrel thought of items that could be cleared out of his office. On a break loading boxes we thought about what could be moved out of our garage and laundry room. (Our friends had offered to let Maggie play at their house for the day so that we could use the day to our advantage). So as the day moved on we cleared out most of the guest room and Darrel's office. We had rented a 10 x 10 storage room and so far it isn't even half full but the difference in these rooms is noticeable.
Now I still do not think I am a person of clutter. But I am stubborn. Kevin told us years ago what would help our tree grow strong. We put it off. I had been told twice before that I needed to declutter. Yet now with this realtor I got the hint. We still have a few items to move out and clean up but I know that in the end it is for the best. Hopefully the new owners will be along any day now and this house will strike their fancy and they will see all it has to offer. And maybe (no promises) I will stop listening to words and start hearing the message.

Shopping with my daughter

Okay I promised a story about the Easter dress and so here it is. When I was a little girl I remember shopping for an Easter dress one year with my grandmother and papa. I believe we went to Sears or JC Penny's. My oldest sister was there and we both had new dresses and bonnets and if I remember correctly we also had new purses. It was one of those memories that you cherish and look forward to doing something similar with your own child. So that is exactly what we have done for the last three years. This yeaar however was a little diferent.
First I had a couple of returns from Land's End to take to Sears. I thought that while we were there we might look for Maggie's Easter dress. We began looking at the dresses that they had. Everything that was under the size 6x was adorable. However Maggie is no longer wearing a 6X, so we moved over to the section that was 7 and up. I was shocked. Every dress we looked at was a "hoochie momma" style. This means that they were low cut, clingly, or ooked like something a 25 year old might wear. Nothing was appropriate. Maggie pulled out a couple of dresses but I had to say no. She picked dresses with bright bold colors, or a floral pattern. I told her we had a couple of other stores we could look at before we decide. So we decided to have a little lunch and then continue our searching. as we headed to Chick Fil-A we passed JC Penny's and a quick glance told me that would be our best place to look. It had been so long since I shopped for clothes outside of small boutiques, Children's Place and Target or Walmart that I think I forgot about options.
After lunch we headed for JC Penny's. In my mind's eye we skipped and sang while holding hands and gliding through the mall (I am sure Maggie remember's it a little differently but she can tell the story her way another time.) Anyway we breeze into JC Penny's and I was thrilled. There is hope moms of daughters! JC Penny's had sweet, innocent dresses for girls of all ages and sizes! I of course head straight to the girls spring dresses and Maggie well lets just say she wasn't with me. She headed for some of the "older" styles. I explained how some dresses are cut for a more mature look. The blank look told me she did not get it. I mentioned how they were ment for girls with bigger "boobies" and she giggled and hung it back on the rack. She proceeded to pick a bright pink dress made out of a slinky form fitting material that instantly made my eyebrows creep upward on my forehead. She also picked out a dress covered in flowers that would have been sweet on a fifteen year old. The dress I had picked up was a pale green qith pink flowers embroidered on the top and a princess waist with a matching pink ribbon. Maggie liked it but thought her choices were better and proceeded to ask to try on the dresses all by herself. Trying not to show show the shock I felt I told her that was out of the question but I would not offer any help unless asked while we were in the dressing room. This was agreeable and so we headed off to try on the lot.
Once inside I was careful not to help or do as much as I have in the past. Maggie chattered on and on about how pretty the colors were or how "spinny" the dress looked. She asked if I could help tie or zip each dress. I nodded but said nothing. I knew that I would be the one to pay for the dress thus I make the final decision but I did not want the battles that I remembered with my own mom so I prayed! "Please Lord let my opinion still mean something!
She tried on the first dress. Bright pink and clinging to everything! She loved how it twirled around her knees. I smiled and she asked "What do you think, mom?"
Whoppee!!! She asked, now I could tell her that the color was too old, the style to mature, and the material to clingy! Then I saw her smile. So I took a second look at the dress. If I ripped it apart, what would I do to her own thinking. I remember being critized for my size as a child. I remember the pity in my own mothers eyes as she told me a dress did not fit which I could tell was my fault. Suddenly the answer to my prayer was in my ear. "Yes daughter she wants and values your opinion. Make sure your opinion is worthy." So I smiled and her and said "It's nice. And yes it does spin." The next dress was her floral dress choice. Once she had it on I could tell that it was not for her. And the funny thing was, she could too! However she looked me dead in the eyes and said "You know mommy, we don't have to like the same things, all the time." My heart cried but I moved forward. Finally she was ready to try on the dress I picked out. She tried it on, I could feel my face beginning to grin. We zipped it up, I was smiling from ear to ear. When I turned her around to face the mirror she could see my face and she grinned and pointed at me to remind me to wait to comment until she asked. Then she spun around, she curtsied to the mirror, and then she spun around again. Finally she looked me in the eyes and said "What do you think?" I told her that I loved it! She said she did too. So it was time for a decision. We looked at the each dress again and she told me what she liked and I told her what I liked. I asked her what she didn't like about each one. final decision: my dress won! Now I was fully ready to pull the mom card and buy the one I felt was best for her but by going slow I allowed her to grow a little and still trust that mom would listen and consider her likes as well.

Overall we had a great day, shoes, dress, and no stress (at least on the outside).

Easter Blessing

I just wanted to take a quick second to share my sweet girl in her beautiful easter dress. Later I will add the story behind the dress. Watch the slide show careful and you will ge a good look at the joy and fun that is aways apart of our home!

Have a blessed year everyone! Our Lord and Savior is risen!

SPRING BREAK BABY!

As a kid, I always wanted to go somewhere for spring break. I can remember hearing my friends talk about the trips they took. Skiing, Disney World, Visiting family in far off places. It always sounded like such an adventure!
Now, as an adult all I really want is to sleep, catch up on household projects, maybe scrapbook or stamp a little. It all seems like such a simple peaceful vacation.
Then my precious girls twirls into the room and asks the dreaded question, "What are we going to do today, mom?" Last night her daddy and I tok her to the play ground behind her school and created an "American Gladiators" obstacle course for her. She ran it three times, each time beating her previous time. Then she tried the monkey bars. Even though the child can do 100 pushups before they wear her out she has not mastered the monkey bars (I never did master them!) Then she asked me to swing with her. We giggled and laughed and I realized I was way too old to fall from so high. Finally we flew her kite for a little while. It is a great kite. (Go to the website http://www.cobrakite.com/frstlsfl.html and check them out! Kids get to decorate them and I have never flown a kite with such ease!) Finally it was time to head home. Maggie was not ready and she began to grumble, "I didn't get to run the gladiator course again" I wanted to get mad and grumble back but that never helps. Instead her daddy told her that here she is at the beginning of her Spring Break and she is already counting what she didn't get to do. With that kind of attitude she was bound to have a lousy spring break.
I started thinking about this dilema. We can not wait to live the blessing filled life God has planned but as soon as it is time to move on to something else we whine about what we didn't get to do. So as we head into our spring break week, Maggie and I both will try to enjoy the blessings of the moment. We will look at what we have received and be glad.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad"

Psalm 118:24

On the Market...again

We have done it again! We put our house on the market. Our most recent journey began during Christmas vacation. We decided to do some home improvements after we had our house on the market the first time. We wanted to do the floors (that is another story, lets just say that the "nickle and dime" was 12oo more than we had budgeted!) So we had the carpet's professionally cleaned and we did some painting.

We have this interestin "architectural niche" in the bathroom and needless to say, Darrel nor I can reach into it (which explains the amount of dust!). Little did we know Maggie was such a Michaelangelo! She crawled right up into that spot and painted her heart out! So the painting continued and we loved the way the bathroom turned out! So we painted Maggie's bathroom and an accent wall in our master bedroom. By the time we finished we were very pleased with our work and we admired professional house painters a whole lot more.

Next thing we knew we were talking with our friend Angie J and we were ready to give it another go! Angie has been incredible! She has truly been a blessing indeed!

For now we wait! We have had several showings already and Angie has done more advertising and footwork than anyother realtor we have had. I was anxious at first. It is hard to have people walk through your home and judge it. Right now we are resting in the fact that God is in control. There is truly nothing else we can do beyond the "decluttering". It doesn't matter how many HGTV shows we see, how many little projects we try, ultimately God must prepare the hearts of the new owners.

My oldest sister just listed her house as well and she said it best. When the new owner's walk in I want them to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, to know there is something different about this house, a since of the joy and love that we have experienced here!

Birthday Princesses!

Did you know toris birthday was 35 days ago.Well it was!So get redy to party!Tori wanted to hav her birthday at liby lus.A lady nameed rico asked us what we wanted."so what would you like?"she asked tori. "can i hav the princess diva?" I wanted the pop DJ (see the cool headphone set?).

After we were all dressed up we wentoutside the store and sang songs! We had a great time! I was even able to wear my hear up to school on Monday!

Never knew

Last summer my daughter and I had the privledge of attending my nephew and neice's swim meet. Honestly my first thought was "Boring!" but my oldest sister was so excited and she kept telling me how much fun it was. We went and except for the fact that my daughter fell (fully dressed) into the pool (probably walking so close because she was told she can not get in!) we had a blast. Now admittedly they were not my children I was rooting for but I had a great time. My sister on the other hand was beside herself. Her daughter was doing better than ever and her oldest was setting records. She could hardly stay in her seat.
Flash forward to today and I have a WHOLE new appreciation for my sister's enthusiasm! Maggie has been playing basketball and each week we have seen noted improvement. Today however was AWESOME! Several times during the game she had her hands on the ball and yet she has yet to make a basket. Her defense is awesome and today her offense was tight. (She even received the star for best offense after the game. Then during the second half of the game she stole the ball from the opposing team. Darrel and I were holding our breath! She headed for the goal, her dribbling was good and in control, friends from all around were hollering "Go Maggie!" She turned and lined up perfectly for the shot! Then, "She shoots! She Scores!" I had both hands in the air whooping and hollering like I just saw the Spurs win the championship again! I had tears in my eyes and so did Darrel. Then to see the look on Maggie's face was priceless. Her smile was ear to ear and she looked like she was going to cry! Everyone was clapping and yelling "Way to Go!" After the game we were stopped by friends and strangers who wanted her to know that was the greatest shot the had seen in the whole game. She was beaming! Even now retelling the details I am a little misty-eyed. I had no idea how much joy comes from watching your child do something amazing!
Just thinking about how Darrel and I felt watching that shot I am reminded that that is how God feels when he looks down on us. When we have worked hard, stayed focused and succeeded at something we had never done before God jumps up throws his hands in the air and whoops and hollers for us! I am humbled at the cheering crowd He has for each of us.

Dear Father God, I have read that you and the saints pray for us. I know that when hard times come you are there encouraging me to try hard and not give up. I pray that I give you many reasons to jump out of your seat and cheer! But most of all I thank you. Thank you for blessing me indeed!

I've Been Tagged?
Okay I am VERY new to the blog world and although I have shared my blog with others I do not have many friends that blog. SOOO I will keep at them!

here are the rules:1. you have to post the rules before you give your answers.2. you must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).3. after you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers.4. at the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details).

L - Loved by God, loving my family and friends
Y- Yodeler! Okay not really but you try to find a descriptive word that starts with "y"
N- Note to self: keep up with blog! Get more friends to start their own blogs!
N- Neat (I was stuck and this is the word Darrel suggested)

I will tag Amy, Dawna, Angie, and Darrel. Next I will try to get them to actually create a blog!
I can actually be more creative but for some reason my creativity disappeared and I am not sure when it will return!

Here is the newest basketball star to San Antonio!

Welcome Sunshine!

During the weeks we have endured drizzle and gray blustery days. But WOW Saturdays have been beautiful. For the last two weekends we have enjoyed mild temperatures, sunshine, and smiles for everyone! It has been wonderful!
Maggie has begun playing Upwards basketball! It is so exciting! I never played a sport nor attended games of my younger sister. If I had known how much fun it would be I don't think I would have missed a game (she played softball!). Darrel and I have enjoyed watching her play so much! I have a few pictures that I will post later. Today's game was as intense as any NBA game! The other team (of 1st and 2nd graders) were fierce competitors. Our girls were great on defense (Maggie even got a star for her defense!) We were on the edge of seats for the entire game! Of course we had to chuckle when the other teams star player kept stealing the ball from her own teammates! It was AWESOME!

Philippians 4: 4-6, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, my brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- If anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” (NIV)

Do you ever have one of those days were you are uncomfortable, you want to stay in the shower because it is the cleanest location in the house, and sleep evades you except when you are visiting your in-laws and the Cowboys are losing in a terrible way!)?
Welcome to my day. It seems that gloomyness has been around every corner. Darrel and I have a way on checking on each other if a day like this is brewing. He will ask me "Hows your spirit?" This simple question helps me stop and realize that my mood/sttitude is evident on my face. So is there an issue that needs addresing or am I stuck in the blues? Fortunetly this question has had a dull effect. Not only does it let the other know if I am sad, angry, or ill but it also makes me stop and think about what is really going on. Thats were those scriptures above come in. You see if I am in need I am reminded that I need to take it to our Father. If it is simply a bad mood or gloomy spirit I am reminded of the things that I should dwell on.

Disney World

It has been over a month, and I still have not taken the time to post the pictures from our WDW trip! The Owens threesome LOVES Walt Disney World! In fact, it is our favorite place to vacation. You see we do not do well on the beach. All three of us together tend to through off satellites due to the reflection of the sun on extremely pale skin. We do enjoy the relaxing and hanging out at the beach (We have gone to Corpus every summer for the past three years for the Methodist Church's annual conference.) We think we would like the mountains but we have been waiting for Maggie to be a little older before we attempt the drive. (Maggie and I loved visiting the Catalina's in AZ when we visited my little sister a couple of years ago.) So for now we indulge ourselves in a trip to Disney every couple of years. This year we decided that we wanted to experience this wonderland during my favorite season, Christmas. Maggie was turning 7, so we planned it for her birthday. We loved every minute of our trip. It all started with Maggie waking up to a special message from Mickey Mouse to wake her up, morning at the Magic Kingdom, a trip to Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, finishing her day at a special dinner with all of the story book princesses at EpCOT. Through out the day, people made a point to wish Maggie a happy birthday. Her day was made extra special because she was told that Dec 5th is also Walt Disney's birthday as well. Day two was topped off with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Snow on Main Street USA, caroling all around the park, hot cocoa and cookies for all, rides with virtually no waiting, and of course a spectacular fireworks display. Each day brought new excitement even if we were riding the carousel for the seventh time (That was Maggie's favorite ride). A special moment for me was when we headed over to the Grand Floridian to view the life size Gingerbread house. Throughout the trip, Maggie made it her goal to gather signatures of as many characters as she could. If you get the chance you should ask to see her autograph book, she loves looking back over the memories. Maggie is currently working on a post for our blog that shares some of her memories and thoughts so keep checking back.
Although it has been almost a month since our trip we are already planning another trip.

Message from Maggie

December 4, my family took a trip to Walt Disney World. My family stayed in Pop Century. the pool was shaped like a gear.the flowers shot water out from their middles.You can see fireworks from our room.The shop in the hotel had t shirts and toys and school utensils .pins,markers you name it. Day1.my birthday!We went to magic kingdom. Our first ride was the carousel.i rode Patty first.We next rode Barnstormer.i liked it because it went so fast.

sins it was my birthday,i went to Bibbity Bobbity Boutique . I had fun dressing up and playing princess. I will share more later!

Happy New Year!

It is 2008. It arrived last night with my daughter asleep on the floor, my husband in bed at 10:30 and me curled up on the couch, trying to keep my eyes open to watch the ball drop. I remember 11:50pm and then next time I blinked it was 12:36am, January 1, 2008. It came in rather quietly. I could not believe I missed all the traditional "stuff". The day before, we ate out with my inlaws and I felt like the less I ate the better. My oldest sister, Keesha, said that at this time of year you really only feel like eating enough to sustain life. By the time we got home I was so sick. For the next twenty hours, I proceeded to loose five pounds in a most unpleasant way. By New Year's Eve I was too weak to go to our friend's house and the only thing I wanted was a big glass of Sprite.
At first I thought "This is no way to start the new year, sick and weak. So sadly I woke up Maggie and kissed her, telling her Happy New Year. Then I walked her to bed. As I headed to bed, feeling sorry for myself, I realized that I was actually pretty blessed right at that moment. Weak, sick, and helpless is when Jesus is his strongest. I was right where God wanted me. Instead of setting goals and not reaching them (again) I could just simply let it all go, let Jesus take control, and follow him. When I am not feeling patient, turn to him for he has patience for the both of us. When I am feeling like I have no will-power, turn to Him. For his will power is limitless. If I feel lonely and sad, turn to the one who always has time for me.
This morning I woke up feeling a little better, feeling a little stronger and knew that I just needed to let Jesus do his thing this year and follow his lead.
Here is to your New Year! May you be weak and helpless so that Jesus may be strong!