Laundry Mix-Up

The kids and I were playing this afternoon after nap time when I looked up at Rebekah and noticed something was different with her denim shorts. Sure enough, I looked at the tag--24 months. No embroidered flowers on them. She was wearing Benjamin's shorts and had been all day long.

So maybe she can get hand-me-downs from her little brother.

Journeying Together

If any word sums up this week it would be "community." I know that's such a buzzword in some of the circles we're in right now, but this week proved its beauty and value in so many ways. We're just not made to be singular and private. Even D, as he crossed the country this week said, "I hate traveling alone." No one wants to experience life alone.

The highlight of my week was having a dear, close friend spend a few days with us and have other dear, close friends visit too. We got to know each other's kids and have them play together. We ate good food and wine. We could encourage, pray, discuss, talk about things we don't talk to ANYone else about. We could also laugh our heads off, watch What Not to Wear together, eat dessert every day, and trade parenting tips and war stories. There are people in your life that have gone places with you--maybe not for a long time even--but the depth of experience and honesty you've shared means there will be a bond between you. And I just love these visits where we fall comfortably into being around each other, despite being very different people. It's beautiful! (I'm not sure how I will be able to eat this week though after K's reading material and too much key lime cheesecake.) I love reconnecting with people, erasing a year or more between us, knowing better how to pray for them, knowing that they are praying for you. And at the same time, I wasn't as sad when she left. Over the last year, I've become more comfortable in my present life. Another person is in our house and our family is even more connected. Wonderful women have faithfully pursued me, kept after me and some of the void of not working and not being around my colleagues has abated.

And then Sunday morning...Sometimes we get bitter and critical about our church homes. Our preferences and sin and distractions rob us of enjoying Sabbath fellowship. But our church is fighting for the kingdom! It's not perfect, not always how I would do it, but they are trying. Worship focused first on the beauty of Christ and I was also enamored with the beauty of worshiping with the Body in our physical bodies where I see the joyful faces of my brothers and sisters singing, or the talented hands bringing music out of an instrument. I'm glad they rearrange the instruments on stage--have you ever watched a talented, passionate piano player play for Christ?! It's beautiful! The sounds are beautiful, the images beautiful. The feel of my husband beside me or passing the peace with my neighbors is tangible beauty.

Jeff's message in the Family Matters series (on Eph. 5:3-21, yikes!) reinforced that need of journeying together in community to battle the dark places of our hearts. We can't be private Christians praying to a private God. We matter to each other. He hit all the right points, brought us back to the gospel, and then led us into corporate and private confession. In a weird way, it capped my week.

Now, isn't that just like God?

Harry Potter and the inside of my eyelids

12:13. That's when I finished reading last night...er, this morning. I won't say too much since I know a few of you are waiting but it was a fine ending to the series, though not spectacular. I am kinda sad it's over. What other books have me up past midnight? D is glad it's over. He was a pest--even opened the box and read the last page.

So I guess this means I'm back to Winter of our Discontent. Yippee.

While Momma's away

For the week I was in NC, D was super busy finishing up the Dr. P site. He also made it his goal to not use a single dish or utensil--which he accomplished by eating South Beach bars and Diet Coke for breakfast, ordering a pizza to eat over the weekend, and eating out a lot and at his parents. The only dirty dishes were two plastic cups that a carpenter used. Yes, I have new interior doors and doors on the closets which were gaping holes before. Which means I'll be spending the next few weeks with my dear friend Benjamin Moore.

D also visited the Orlando area Kwikee Mart (sp?). I have refrained from posting potentially embarrassing pictures of the future CEO in case they came back to haunt him (I can't believe he took pictures!). But he did purchase Buzz cola, Krusty O's, a Squishee, and a t-shirt. Talk about obsession!

Of course, I'll be watching for the FedEx truck to deliver Harry P tomorrow. I'll have to put down the compelling and uplifting Winter of Our Discontent (the title alone makes me want to slit something) and I'll be up all weekend reading. I've even planned a crock pot dinner for tomorrow with leftovers for Sunday.

The Proud Family

Fighting soldiers from the sky

Fearless men who jump and die

Men who mean just what they say

The brave men of the Green Beret

Friday we attended my brother's graduation ceremony. He received his very special "hat" on Thursday in a private ceremony. He also got a really big knife! I can't quite comprehend my laid-back, sorta goofy brother knowing a hundred ways to kill a person but he can make a pretty mean face. R's a bit intimidated by him but B thinks he's great.

We're enjoying a relaxing weekend all together for probably the last time before he's off to Afghanistan in the fall.

By the numbers....

7:46 - time we left FL
528 - miles to Fayetteville, NC
5:00 - time we got to hotel
4 - number of stops we had to make
1 - hour to eat lunch at the crazy busy Chick-Fil-A in Pooler, GA
2 - crying fits Ben had which Rebekah either ignored (because she was watching a video) or slept through it
2 - glass of wine at dinner

I'm either very brave...

...or veerrry stupid.

Tomorrow morning--by 7:00, Lord willing--the kids and I will be on our way to North Carolina. Sans Dad. And possibly sans sanity.

My brother's graduation ceremony for his Special Forces training is Friday so I'm meeting my parents in Fayetteville/Ft. Bragg, NC so we can all attend. Then my bro and his lovely wife will head on back to my parents' for the weekend. All very wonderful--just pray for us!

I've been such a blog slacker lately, I know. Thoughts run through my head but I just haven't stopped to write. I've been so wasted by the night's end that I just watch baseball so I don't have to think. I'll be better, I promise.

I can't think of a title today

Okay, being the occasionally overly anal mom that I am, I decided that Rebekah needed some more constructive learning time during Ben's morning nap, especially since we decided to forgo 2 yr. old preschool next year. So I bought a couple of workbooks for fine motor skills, shapes, letters, following directions, etc. (I had also bought some phonics flash cards for the TX road trip. I could just envision us zipping through Mississippi while we sounded our letters. HA!)

We got our crayons, sat at the Little Tykes table, and opened the workbook to the first page--a scene of a zoo with the instructions, "Mark animals you think are big with a blue crayon. Mark animals you think are small with a red crayon." We took out blue and red crayons. I talked her through an example with the hippo. Then it went downhill from there.

"No, this hippo is small....No, pink crayon! *random scribble, scribble* "No, bears are not big!" Being a major paint-by-numbers rule follower, the pink crayon bit really got to me.

We turn to another page--a primary level "maze". Instructions: Help Bessie (a cow) find her way home. Objective: Draw a path to get Bessie home. Bessie is in the top left of the page, the barn in the bottom right. What does Rebekah do? Yup, draws a diagonal line from Bessie to the barn. The rest of the 15 minutes continued in similar stubborn fashion.

I don't see home schooling in our future.

I relate all this to Dave at dinner last night. He's laughing because that's pretty much the kind of student he was. (Great!) Rebekah asks, "Daddy, do you want to do that book with me?" Your turn, Daddy!

Old friends and new life

Yesterday we celebrated the wedding--and creation of one new life from two--of a good friend from "back in the day."

Neal, who knows more people from more places than anyone I've ever met, was one of Dave's college roommates. In fact, that's pretty much how Dave and I met. My first year at UCF, I met Neal through Campus Crusade. Of course, he knew somebody, who knew somebody, etc. He introduced me to two girls who lived in my apt. complex, who introduced me to the girls who lived above me, who later moved into my apt. when I needed roommates. The next year, Neal, Dave, my roommate's brother Phil, and some others rented a house. We were always at each other's places, I started going to the same church as them, and eventually Dave and I had enough conversations to realize we were meant to be. I have wonderful memories of hanging out with "our boys," who deeply resented being called such. Great talks on reformed theology that sometimes got heated, too many meals cooked and bathrooms cleaned for them, soccer matches we girls faithfully attended, spring break trips...good times, good times. Neal is a great guy and I'm so happy (and a bit relieved!) that he and Jessie are now married.

Yesterday was also a great day to see people that we don't usually see. Recognizing faces that haven't changed a bit and those that have, hearing what people are doing now almost 10 years later. Amazingly, all but one person who lived in that house of boys was there yesterday. Our college minister during one of our very formative years officiate the wedding and we met their baby #4. I chatted with a girl I hadn't seen in 8 years. We talked about our kids who are nearly the same age and about the joys and struggles we have in common. And it was just fun to get a bit dressed up, drink a bit of champagne, and talk and hug and remember.