What No One Ever Told Me . . .

I don't talk a lot about my job. One reason is that I teach, and student information and experiences are confidential. But this year starts my ninth (wow, did I just say ninth?) year of teaching school. Some years have been more challenging than others, but when all comes down to it, I've realized that I've not only survived every single year of teaching (as is evidenced by this crazy blog), but I've also learned from every single student I've taught (how's that for a run-on sentence?). I'm not a perfect teacher, and I've made mistakes. I'm human, but I like to think that I've grown a lot from the naive 22 year old that started out in Pre-K a few (or more) years back. I've been mulling this post over in my mind for quite some time. It's not about any one class or any one student, but rather it's a conglomeration of what I've learned from teaching.

So without further ado, I present "What No One Ever Told Me" (a.k.a. "What I've Learned from Teaching") . . .

I spent four years in college. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I minored in Math and Reading. I spent numerous hours helping and practicing in various grade levels and classrooms. I took Child Development, Classroom Management, Child Literacy, Child Psych, Survey of Exceptionalities, Number Theory, and Evolution of Math to name a few. I passed my certification exams without any problems. When I graduated in May of 2003, I was ready to teach. I had all the job qualifications under my belt. I could create lesson plans with the best of them. How hard could it be to teach reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic?

That is a laughable question now. Teaching is the easy part. What no one ever told me was that I would become emotionally invested in every child that walked through my door, some more than others, but all to some extent. No one told me that Number Theory wasn't going to help much with a child who is heartbroken. No one told me that Child Development doesn't apply when a child is starved for attention. No told me that both laughter and tears were part of the deal. No one told me that four year olds don't know when they're about to vomit (my one and only year in Pre-K). No one told me that I'd deal with the most extraordinary kids you could ever imagine. No one told me that when it seemed the roughest, and when the stress was the most intense, I'd need to push just a little harder. No one told me that I'd marvel at what these kids can accomplish. No one told me that I would be a mentor, a counselor, a social director, a sometimes parent, and a teacher. Nope, no one told me any of that. I just thought I was signing up for reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic.

If I've learned anything over the last eight years, it's that that college degree that I worked so hard to earn was just the beginning of my learning experience. I'm in no way devaluing that degree. I busted my rear end to earn it, and minoring in Math almost killed me (no joke). But in the end, it was just a precursor to the real learning experience. I don't know where I'll be in eight years, but today, I know that no matter how challenging it may be, I'm where God wants me to be right now. I've learned that you can't hand out consequences without hugs, that a little understanding goes a long way, that compassion and empathy should be job qualifications for teachers, that test scores aren't the end-all and don't necessarily correlate with a child's future success (yep, I said it), that praying for my students goes a long way toward helping them, and finally, I've learned that I still have a heck of a lot left to learn.

What's Goin' On

I promise I won't whine about the weather in this post. It's going to take everything in me not to, but I promise I'll control myself.

Last Saturday we took Andrew to see the Lion King. We didn't do the whole 3-D thing. I'm not a big fan of 3-D. It always gives me a headache.

As soon as the movie started Patrick looked at me and said, "This is the old Lion King. Did you know that?" "Yeah, hon, don't know which previews you've been watching, but I was aware." My husband doesn't pay any attention to details.

That day happened to be cloudy and a little rainy here and there. We didn't get much at our house, but about the time the movie started a little storm rolled through the town we were in. Anyway, this was a brand new theater and for some reason, the thunder set of the fire alarms (which we didn't know at the time). So we evacuated, in the rain nonetheless. While we were evacuating, one lady asked, "Is this for real?" I wanted to turn around and say, "Why don't you stay and find out?" I didn't. In general, I try to keep my sarcastic comments to myself.

They let us right back in, but it took a while to restart the movie. Apparently, everything is connected through their fancy schmancy computer system, and the computer was convinced there was a fire. So these two women behind us were there with their 16 kids. At least it seemed like 16, it could've been like six, but they were awful. After we waited for awhile, and their kids wreaked havoc in the theater, they got all gripey and were like "This is ridiculous. We're going to get passes and leave. I can't believe they aren't fixing it faster." And I was like, "Hallelujah, thank the good Lord that they're leaving". But as soon as they went to walk out the movie came back on. Lucky us. So their obnoxious kids spent the majority of the movie kicking our seats and running up and down the aisles. Patrick told them to stop a couple of times, and I even used my "teacher look" on them. But it didn't work. And did the moms say a word? Nope, not a single stinkin' word. Thankfully, Andrew was blissfully oblivious to anything except the movie. He loved it.

Yesterday, we took Andrew to see Thomas the Train. He didn't know where we were going and was really excited when he saw Thomas. I'm glad we took him this year. He still plays with his trains, but is starting to grow out of his intense interest in Thomas. Anyway, he got to ride a real train for the first time, and he absolutely loved it. The night before Patrick told him we had a surprise. Andrew was trying to guess what it was. His first guess was a new toy. We told him "no". His second guess was a train ride (which we found funny), and we just said, "Hmmm, you'll have to see." Obviously, he didn't catch on because he went for a third guess. He guessed (and I quote) "a new kind of cereal." Wow, if only we had known it would take so little to make him happy.

After we were done with Thomas, we decided to do a few things while we were out and about. So we headed to Round Rock to Ikea. Now, it's no secret that I'm not really fond of Ikea. In general, I don't think most of their stuff is very well made. Sorry if that offends you. Anyway, I've had my eye on one thing, this butcher block island they have. It would fit perfectly in our kitchen, and is 100% wood.

So we trudged 857 miles through the madness that is Ikea. We found the island and dutifully wrote the numbers down on the piece of paper. Then we continued on through the maze, stopping once to look at the stuffed rats they had for sale. Nothing says, "I love you" like a stuffed rat. On top of everything else, people act like complete morons in there. I mean is it really necessary to run over women and small children in order to get what you want? Apparently, the answer is yes because when we got to the end of the line, and went to find the island that I wanted, the only thing I've ever wanted from Ikea, by the way, it wasn't there. So the guy goes to look for it, and oh yeah, looks like they didn't have any "out". But they would be putting more out that night if we wanted to "return tomorrow". Ikea dude didn't seem to care that we live over an hour away, they weren't putting anymore out until that night and that was all there was too it. So now my dislike for Ikea has grown by leaps and bounds. I'm not sure if it's grown enough for me to forget about the island altogether. I'm pretty crushed over not getting it. I'll be okay once I pass through all the stages of grief . . . maybe or maybe not.

Or maybe my husband will surprise me and drive up there and bring it home and assemble it. I doubt it, but a girl can dream right?

Bone Dry . . .

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Not that Texas gets much of a fall, but what little we get, I love. Now I'm a Texas girl 100%, of that you should have no doubt, but this is the one time of year that I'm always slightly envious of those states whose leaves change to deep hues of red and gold. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to start school with a crispness in the air. I want to throw open my windows and turn off the air conditioner. I want to drink hot apple cider and go on hayrides in the cool night air. (Yes, I know I'm being melodramatic . . . deal with it). Anyway, this year I'm not just "slightly envious", I'm downright jealous. Y'all today is September 24th, and our high was 98 degrees. Tomorrow it is going to be 100 . . . again. Boo! Hiss! This is the summer that won't quit, and just when we think, "relief . . . we're finally getting relief," here comes another 100 degree day.

This morning we took Andrew to Burnet to see Thomas the Train (more on that later). Burnet is in the Texas Hill Country about an hour and a half from our house. If you've ever had the opportunity to visit the Texas Hill Country then you know how absolutely beautiful it is. But y'all today, as we drove, and I was watching out the window, what I saw wasn't beautiful. Everything . . . emphasis on everything . . . is dead or dying. Lakes are completely dried up. The trees in Texas are changing color, not because of cool fall temperatures, but because they are dying. This summer, the lack of rain and intense heat, has taken a huge toll on the great state of Texas.

I find the continual hot weather and lack of rain exhausting. It is time for summer to end. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3 where it says, "To everything there is a season". God put seasons in place for a reason. And now I'm praying that this long hot dry summer season comes to an end soon, and a new cooler and wetter season takes its place just as soon. Until then I'll try to keep the green eyed monster under control, but I can't make any guarantees.

His Eye is On the Sparrow

* If the youtube video doesn't load at the bottom, refresh the page, and it should load. For some reason it's not always showing up.

Luke 12:6-7

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

A few days ago my cousin posted the first few lines of "His Eye is On the Sparrow" on her facebook status. I immediately commented that it was one of my all time favorites. I was raised listening to and singing old gospel songs. So often their words contain so much power yet we often fail to realize it.

After she posted those words, the song continually played through my head as the week went on. It has been a trying week, and by yesterday afternoon, I was really discouraged and down (and a little . . . okay, a lot on the grumpy side). But then those words came back to me once again, and I was reminded, as I have been so many times in my life, that I can choose to let my circumstances dictate how I feel, or I can choose to remember who my God is. It's a conscious choice. One that at times has to be made 100 times a day. But it's a choice never the less.

If you've never heard the song, or maybe just need a reminder, I encourage you to listen to it. You won't be disappointed.

The "Why" Questions

I still often get questioned about "why" and "how" we chose Bulgaria. I also get a lot of questions about "why" we're not adopting domestically or why we don't foster adopt. Most people are genuinely curious, but I have had a few people that were genuinely offended that we chose to go with international adoption. All I can say to those people is we are here because this is where we feel like God has placed us.

I'm going to try to explain how we got here a little more so maybe it will help some people understand. When we first started exploring adoption almost three years ago, we knew without a doubt that we would go the route of international adoption. But all we knew of international adoption was Russia and China. We kind of assumed that we would just go with China, which at the time was a three year wait, but we were too young (you have to be 30 for China). That, along with the fact that we had a one year old, were both working full time jobs, and were worn out new parents, made us decide that we would put it on the back burner for a while.

Fast forward to last February, two years later. We felt ready and were almost 30 so we could start the process if we wanted. But by then the wait in China was (and still is) upwards of five years, and the paperwork was (and still is) astounding. So we decided to apply for Taiwan. I don't know if I've ever told y'all that we applied for Taiwan first. But we did. I hesitate to even put it in the blog, because I don't want our daughter to ever think that we "settled" for Bulgaria. The truth is that it just wasn't on our radar. It ended up that our agency's program in Taiwan wasn't accepting new applications until they processed all of their current applications so our adoption agency sent us info on all their other countries. And this is when Bulgaria first came into view on the radar. At first, I wasn't sure because it requires two trips instead of one. The total time out of country is only slightly over two weeks, but the fact that it is broken up into two trips brings the cost up substantially.

Anyway, one afternoon I was sorting through all the countries trying to make a decision. We had even discussed going with a different agency to broaden our country options, but we really liked and felt drawn to our agency, AGCI, and didn't want to switch. My sister came to pick up my nephew from our house, and I showed her the brochure from Bulgaria. I told her it was a possibility, but I wasn't sure yet. And she asked, "Why not?". So when Patrick got home, I asked him to look at it, and he asked the same question. We decided to take a few days to pray about it. Typically when Patrick and I make a decision we follow through on it rather quickly. We bought our house and both of our cars that way, but this wasn't a house or a car. This was a life we were talking about, and I didn't want to be impulsive.

In the end, we never heard a loud booming voice from Heaven saying "Bulgaria". There weren't any neon signs or flashing lights. In all honesty, it just felt like the right choice to make, and so, we did.

We are just now entering the "waiting" phase, and we have a long wait ahead of us. Some people wonder how we can stand to wait so long. I'm not going to say that it's going to easy, but it's not as if it's going to be a huge surprise to us. We know that God has the right little girl for our family, and that He'll bring her to us at just the right time for her and for us. And there is no questioning that.

To Be Content

Philippians 4:11-13

New King James Version (NKJV)

^"11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

This scripture was the central scripture of today's sermon at church. Even though I've heard it a million times, it really struck a chord with me today. It's amazing how different scriptures will do that at different times in our lives.

I started thinking about what this scripture really means. Paul starts off by telling us that he has learned to content no matter where he is in life. Webster's lists one of the synonyms of being content as being satisfied. So does that mean that we are satisfied with our lives to the point that we never try to better ourselves? Does God want us to go hungry and to do without our basic needs? I don't even remotely think that this was the point Paul was trying to make. I believe that he was trying to explain that no matter where he finds himself in life. Whether it be on the side of the road or in a beautiful palace, his contentment, his peace, his happiness comes from Jesus Christ.

We live in a "me, me, me" society. We compete. We want more. We want bigger houses, better vacations, nicer furniture, better cars. And you know, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting nice things. But when those nice things cause us to live outside our means and become our "god" instead of the one true God, when they cause stress in our marriages and our bank accounts, then we are living in discontentment.

The other side of the coin is when we have more than enough. I also think our culture has big problems with "having much" gracefully. So many times we either want more, more, more and are greedy and selfish, or we want to be sure that we flaunt what we have. We want to "show" everyone who has ever gotten on our "bad side". We don't know "how to abound" gracefully.

I think that the reason this verse really struck a chord is because God has been dealing with me in this area. I have been guilty of looking around my home, my yard, my closet . . . and being discontent. And while I always make sure the bills get paid first, I've also been guilty of cutting too close at times. On the other hand, I've also been guilty of flaunting my blessings. And I'm not proud of that. God has blessed us greatly, and He alone gets the credit for that. There's a fine line between being proud of what God has done, and becoming "puffed up with pride". Unfortunately, I've crossed that line more times than I'd like to count.

The bottom line is, we all have dreams and there's nothing wrong with having and wanting nice things. God wants us to dream. He created us to dream. But our contentment doesn't lie in those dreams, it doesn't lie in our things, it lies in Jesus Christ because He is the one who truly gives us strength.

Nothing of Any Substance

Thursday afternoons are normally my grocery shopping afternoons. Not yesterday. Nope, yesterday I spent an hour in the vet's office with Daisy (a.k.a. crazy tail chewing dog) trying to figure out why she would (1) chew her own tail off and (2) is now chewing and licking her feet and legs. After an exam, because you know they have to get an exam in there, and a lot of discussion, we decided she needs allergy meds. So now, in addition to everyone else in the house, Daisy is taking allergy medication. Hopefully, this will help, but seriously why would a dog's allergy meds cost more than a kid's? It's not a rhetorical question. Someone please explain it to me. I'm all ears.

We also need groceries now, but I spent all our money on the dog's medication . . . I'm just kidding. I have money for groceries. If only I could get someone to go to the store for me. Then life would be much, much easier.

We went to a birthday party for my friend's little girl tonight. She has two little girls, one who is turning six and one who is Andrew's age and goes to school with him. They swam, and after having another stretch of 100+ degree days, today was actually in the mid 80s. Which was wonderful for all the parents, but the kids were freezing. Not to worry, it didn't stop them from swimming, blue lips and all. Seriously, Andrew's lips were blue at one point. I made him get out of the pool, and that made me widely unpopular with my son.

Speaking of cooler weather, I'll take anything below 100 at this point. This has hands down been the hottest driest summer I can ever remember. Anyway, our forecast has nothing higher than 96 in it, and there are even some (small) chances of rain. I'll take it.

I'm so tired my eyes are crossing, so I think I'll hit the hay, hit the sack, catch a few winks, sail off to dreamland . . . we studied idioms at school this week. I could go one for awhile. Instead I'll just say, goodnight everyone!

And Now for Your Feature Presentation

I'm not a huge movie/t.v. person. When I watch a movie, I usually need something to keep me busy . . . papers to grade, pants to hem (I'm short . . . everything has to be hemmed), clothes to iron, shoes to polish, scarves to knit (the last two were lies . . . I've never knit a thing in my life and I don't polish shoes). Anyway, I just don't have the attention span to sit through a long movie unless it's really, really good. Books, on the other hand, are a completely different story. If I got paid, oh let's say, $5 for every book I've read I'd be a bazillionaire by now. I can read for hours and hours without stopping. I. Love. To. Read. I got the flu last year and read the entire Hunger Games series on my iphone in the four days I was in bed. The Tamiflu gave me wicked insomnia. It was pure bliss . . . the reading . . . not the flu.

So . . . yes, I'm going somewhere with this . . . Patrick and I don't go to the movies all that often. It's so expensive, and I sit there looking at my watch every fifteen minutes and sneaking peeks of twitter and facebook on my phone. Please forgive me if I've ever annoyed you. Anyway, from what I can remember I've seen these movies in the theater in the last year:

Secretariat - Y'all I love this movie. When Penny Chenery yelled, "Let him run Ronnie, let him run!" I wanted to stand up in my seat and scream, "That's right Ronnie! Let him run!". I didn't. I didn't think anyone else, my husband included, would appreciate it. But oh my gosh, I love that movie.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Chronicles of Narnia. How can you go wrong? I took my nephew on a "date" to see this one. Very intense. Very well made. I cried.

Ramona - With the kids at school. The people at the theater had the volume so low we could hardly hear it. We had to rewatch it when it came out on DVD. (very cute btw)

Hop - Yeah, well, anyway. Nuff said.

Cars II - Pretty good. Not my all time favorite, but definitely better than Hop.

Winnie the Pooh - Very cute. Great for young kids. And short to boot. (I've been trying to work "to boot" into a blog for quite some time).

Apollo 18 (spoiler alert) - Okay, Patrick and I went to the movies rather spontaneously the night before Labor Day. Apollo 18 is kind of a SciFi/Horrorish/Conspiracy Theory flick. Normally, I'm all about SciFi. My dad raised me on Star Trek, Star Wars, and Dune . . . Dune, now there's a really weird movie . . . I love it. Anyway, this movie was . . . well first of all, it was done in the Blair Witch, camera moving everywhere, documentary style. A little bit of that goes a long way. Secondly, it was cheesy. The rocks came alive and invaded people and turned them into zombies/crazy people. There wasn't much of a story line. Sorry if I spoiled it for you, but it's not that great no matter how you slice it.

Actually, I've seen more movies than I thought in the past year (nevermind that four of them were kids' movies . . . actually five if you count "Voyage . . . "). We've also watched a few good ones at home. "True Grit" and "The Lincoln Lawyer" were both good.

Okay, I promise I'm getting to my point. There are a couple movies I want to see in the theater. The first one is "The Help", but I haven't read the book yet. I know, I'm a slacker, but I've been hooked on these mediocre, pre-WWII, espionage, spy books. I plan on reading "The Help" asap. I may not make the movie in the theater, but I'm okay with that.

The other movie that I feel compelled to see is "Contagion". I'm telling y'all that to warn you. I should not be allowed to see this movie. I'm a germaphobe, hypochondriac, Type-A, OCD, freak of nature. I almost had a complete breakdown (slight exaggeration) during the H1N1 crisis of 2009/2010. Last year I googled small-pox, don't ask me why, and almost had breakdown numero dos when I realized which countries have live viruses. Do not google it. If you do, I cannot be held responsible. So now you know why this movie is on the must not see list.

"Hunger Games" comes out next year. That I will see. Even if I have to go alone.

The Kind of Mom

I'm the kind of mom that dresses her son in clothes to wear to his grandparents for the evening, picks him up that night and let's him sleep in them, and then allows him to wear them all the next day, all to avoid a major battle. Hey, he did have a bath prior to me putting the clothes on him.

I'm the kind of mom that get's frustrated and tired, and sometimes a little . . . okay a lot on the snappy side.

I'm the kind of mom that lays down with her son for a few minutes each night, because she doesn't have the heart to tell him no.

I'm the kind of mom that messes with her kid. Sometimes I can't help it.

I'm the kind of mom that bribes her child with ice cream and cookies. Don't judge. You do it too.

I'm the kind of mom that can't wait for a night out alone and then can't wait to get home because I miss my child.

I'm the kind of mom that keeps her child up from his nap so that he'll go to bed by 7:00 p.m. Glory, hallelujah.

I'm the kind of mom that makes her child say the same thing, wrong, over and over because I think it's funny. Nice huh?

I'm the kind of mom that worries.

I'm the kind of mom that believes that one of the greatest gifts you can give your child is the gift of learning about Jesus.

I'm the kind of mom that says, "Because I said so." Yes, I'm proud of that one.

I'm the kind of mom that prays and then prays some more.

I may not be perfect. Actually I know I'm not perfect (shocking I know), and sometimes I do get tired and grouchy. But no matter what, I love being a mom. There isn't a better job in the world.

Holidays in Our Home

This is a very weird post for September. Just go with it.

Okay, so I have holidays on the brain. I made Patrick and Andrew pose for our Christmas Card pic yesterday. Hello, I'm Courtney, and I'm extremely ever so slightly off kilter. Truth be told I was having a good skin and hair day so I decided we were taking the picture. I'm extremely selfless that way.  So in honor of the fact that I'm crazy (and apparently very shallow), I decided to do a "holiday" post, and discuss not only how but if we celebrate certain holidays. Before I talk about any of these days and the traditions that surround them, I want you to know that I am in no way judging the choices and decisions that you make within your own family. How you celebrate is your decision.

Ladies and gentleman, fasten your seatbelts it's about to get exciting. Okay, not really, but if you'll please humor me.

Halloween . . . I have mixed feelings on this one. Neither Patrick nor myself were raised in families that celebrated Halloween. Overall, I think it is an innocent and fun holiday for parents to torture their children by dressing them in ridiculously hot costumes kids to dress up, and parents to take too many pictures. Still, we've decided that for the most part our family won't be celebrating Halloween. However, we will let Andrew dress up in his Batman costume (that he doesn't know he's getting for his birthday) and wear it to school that day (we're not the meanest parents ever). We (meaning Patrick) may even take him to the Fall Festival at the local church. (I hate those things . . . not because of it being Halloween . . . more because it's germ central. Germ-X anyone?)

Thanksgiving . . . No controversy here. I. Love. Thanksgiving. I think it's just about the perfect holiday. There's not a lot of hype. There's not a lot of me, me, me (because I'm really not as shallow as I seem). It's a time to bake, eat, and be thankful for all God has given us. I usually spend the day before Thanksgiving baking, and then we spend the actual day with our families. We eat, we laugh, we relax, and of course, in true Texas fashion, we end the day watching the UT vs. A&M football game. Actually, I just found the controversy . . .

Christmas . . . Oh Christmas. My favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the music, the food (oh my, how I love the food), I love the traditions, and of course, I love the meaning behind Christmas. So where's the controversy? Santa Claus. I know, how could the jolly old man be controversial? I grew up believing in Santa. Patrick didn't. Somehow, we managed to overlook this important difference until after our marriage (I'm not implying it was a make or break it point for us . . . I'm just pointing out that it was overlooked). When I found out that Patrick didn't believe in Santa, I was mortified. What would this mean for our future children? When he found out that I did believe in Santa, he was horrified. Obviously, I was brought up wrong. Don't worry, we worked it out. I think, once Patrick realized that Old St. Nick was just one small part of my whole Christmas experience and in no way took away from the real meaning of Christmas, he was okay with it. And just so you know, I wasn't devastated when I realized the truth. Because our Christmas experience didn't revolve around Santa, but around Jesus, it was just a natural progression as we got older. We outgrew it. So in short, yes Andrew believes in Santa. We visit him. We leave out milk and cookies. And he leaves a few treats in our stockings and some gifts on Christmas morning.

More than anything, however, we focus on Jesus and His birth, during the Christmas season (and throughout the year). We read stories about the birth of Jesus, and we Sing Away in a Manger (670 million times). We also pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child so that Andrew can understand the concept of giving to others. The whole giving to others thing is a work in progress. Who knew four year olds were so egocentric? I'm pretty sure I learned that in my first Child Phsych class . . . if only I had paid better attention.

As we get closer to Christmas, I'll share more of our traditions, but basically, that's Christmas in a nutshell.

Easter . . . I would consider this the last of the major holidays. To me it is so important to take time out each year to really focus on the sacrifice that God gave us in His son, Jesus. Not that we don't remember throughout the year, but Easter is definitely a special time of remembrance and reflection. The hardest thing this past year, was explaining to Andrew about Jesus's death on the cross. The concept of death is still very vague to him, but we have done our best to explain to him Jesus's death and Resurrection in an age appropriate way.

We also hunt eggs. Please don't tell me it's a pagan tradition. We haven't dyed any yet. I'm not sure I'm that brave. We don't do the Easter Bunny. I know it makes no sense, we do Santa, but not the Easter Bunny. And really I don't have a problem with the Easter Bunny, but we try to keep the gifts at Easter on the low key side. I think sometimes we get too focused on the gift giving and forget about the real meaning. So yeah, the only Easter Bunny at our house is made of chocolate.

Of course, there are other holidays throughout the year . . . Mother's Day, Father's Day, The 4th of July, my birthday . . . Haha! But I think I gave you a pretty good idea of how we celebrate (or don't celebrate) some of the biggest holidays. Because I know you've been dying to know. :)

Remembering

Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make. They saw liberty and thought they saw weakness. And now, they see defeat.
- George W. Bush, President of the United States

There is no nation like our nation. No country like our country. No other country has ever been founded on the dreams and values on which our country was founded. No other nation has held to the notion of freedom in the way that our nation has. Americans, we are a passionate group of people. We are proud of where we've come from and determined to move forward in spite of any and all obstacles placed in our way.

Ten years ago today, The United States of America suffered what will go down in history as the most deadly and heinous attack we have ever seen. It seems like the past 10 years have passed in a blink. Yet, it's hard to remember what life was like before the attacks of September 11, 2001. That day forever changed not only the course of American History, but also, the way Americans live their daily lives. Never again, will we be naive enough to feel completely safe on our own soil. Never again will we, the citizens of our country, live life without looking over our collective shoulders from time to time. But while we may live life with caution, it is not without optimism. While we may have been knocked down, we certainly weren't knocked out.

As we look back, I hope and pray that we remember. That we remember all those who lost their lives on that horrific day. That we remember how valuable our freedom is, how beautiful our country is, and the values on which our nation was founded.

To all those that fight for our freedom, to all the families that sacrifice and have sacrificed for our freedom, to all those that have lost someone they love so that we may be free, I want to say "thank you". There are not enough words of gratitude to truly thank you for all you do.

America the Beautiful

Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

A Story and Other Stuff

A Story
On Monday, Andrew was chilling with my parents on their deck when he decided to inform them that when he grows up he's gettin' a motorcycle. Okay, when he grows up  . . .  that's a few years away.

Then he went on to say, "And when I bes four, I bes growed up, so I'm getting a motorcycle. My mommy will probably cry, but that's okay. My daddy will let me."

Well then, not quite sure what to make of that one other than the fact that (1) we clearly have some major grammar issues to work out before college kindergarten, and (2) I am apparently the uptight responsible parent, while my husband is the cooler one. "My mommy will probably cry"??? Thanks for the sensitivity.

Other Stuff
I'm sorry if my blog posts have been slightly uninspired lately. If I'm boring you to death, I apologize. There isn't really much going on in the way of the adoption. Our Dossier is still in translation. We had to get new medical letters, and our doctor has them ready so we'll pick them up on Monday. They, of course, must be apostilled before we send them off. It's a bit of a hassle, but not that big of a deal. Please keep praying for a quick referral and for referrals in general to pick up.

For those of you following the fires, the largest fire, the Bastrop Complex Fire, is 40% contained. The fire closest to us is 100% contained. Containment does not necessarily mean that the fire has been put out, but rather that it is contained within a perimeter (I'm not a firefighter, but I'm doing my best to understand this). Unfortunately, for Bastrop, and other large (and small) wildfires in Texas, there are many homes within those lines of containment. Almost 1400 homes have been lost in the Bastrop Complex Fire alone. The amount of loss is staggering, and emotionally draining. So many people are left with no physical possessions. And by the way, I hate the comment, "well they're just things, at least they have their lives." Seriously? Let someone take away everything you have right down to your toothbrush and underwear, and then see how you feel. Yes, lives are the most important thing you can save and material possessions can be replaced. But basic needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual, still have to be met, and right now, the need is overwhelming. Sorry, rant over. Please continue to pray for relief and rain for Texas. We need it desperately.

)

(This photo has been circulating all over facebook and the internet. If you know who took it, I'll gladly give credit.)

In slightly less nail-biting news, I keep forgetting things. It's not necessarily because I'm becoming more forgetful. At least that's what I tell myself . . . we'll go with it. It's really because I run around like a chicken with no head and start too many different things. You know, you'll be taking clothes out of the dryer and remember that you meant to clean the fingerprints off the t.v. screen (not that there are fingerprints on ours). So you decide to go take care of that really quickly, and then you remember that you meant to clean out your child's humidifier that hasn't been cleaned in a week. And while you're doing that you decide to go ahead and clean out the two week old casserole in the refrigerator and wash the dishes from breakfast. And two hours later you remember that you had clothes in the dryer. I think I may be slightly, okay a lot, ADD . . . at least on 9 days out of10.

Y'all I started a load of laundry yesterday, but never actually "started" it. Then when I got home, I was in such a ridiculous hurry, that I put dry, unwashed clothes in the dryer. I realized it when I got home last night, and the lights on the washing machine were still flashing for me to push start. Great! I'm officially looney. Please tell me I'm not alone in this???

Okay, I've got six million things to start and not finish. Have a great Saturday everyone.

Four Year Pictures

On October 6th Andrew will turn four. Seriously!?! In just a little under a month my little boy is turning four. I feel a strong case of denial coming on here. I wonder how he'd take it if I swaddled him and stuck a bottle in his mouth? Probably wouldn't go over too well . . .

Anyway, every year I spend much dinero to get his pictures taken by a professional, but this year I decided that before I hauled the child to Austin, licked my hand and slicked down his cowlick, and forced him to smile for a stranger, I would give the whole picture taking thing a go myself. I did this for a few reasons. One, we're trying to save money when and where we can. Two, I really wanted to get some more "natural" shots of him, and my parents live on the river (I say "the" as if you know which one I'm talking about) and have some great picture taking spots. Three, Patrick and I both have cameras that were a big investment (his is a Digital SLR and mine is Panasonic Lumix Point and Shoot, super zoom, blah, blah, blah, etc.) so it would make sense for us to actually put those suckers to good use.

I ended up taking all of the pictures with my camera, because someone (ahem, my husband) wouldn't give up the other camera, and all of his pictures turned out goofy. Overall, I was really pleased. I mean I'm not going to quit my day job, but I think I got some frameable prints.

Because he is such a huge superhero fan we started out in the Superman shirt.

That's Anthony, my nephew. I'm not hiding some kid in the closet that no one knows about.

From this point on he was over it. Which is why the pictures aren't in focus, and there's a stick involved.

"Hey Mom, watch me I'm a inja." Yes I meant to type "inja".

 

"Don't mess with me . . . I've got a stick and I know how to use it!"

So there you have it. Not too shabby huh? If you disagree keep it to yourself. We'll all be happier that way. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the corner crying over some of my child's preemie clothes.

Pressed But Not Crushed

Edit: I got word last night that all Caldwell County fires are under control. The Bastrop fire is huge but hopefully without the wind to make it worse they will get it contained. We are continuing to pray for those who lost their homes and the firefighters out battling this monster.

I just watched the Good Morning America report on the Texas wildfires. I think we're all walking around in a state of shock. It's still hard to fathom how quickly these fires got out of control. Things were definitely looking better today because the winds finally died down, but there are still massive wildfires burning, and smoke still hangs heavy in the air.

This morning the smoke from the large fires still burning settled in like fog and forced us to keep the kids in from recess. My throat and eyes are burning from the dry air and smoke. Yesterday afternoon, after eating at my parents, I took some pictures of the smoke in the distance.

These first two pics are taken out at my parents' place. They are approximately 15-20 miles further from the fires than we are (I think that's right . . . I'm horrible with directions/distances so I could be off a little). You see that wall of clouds in the distance? Those aren't clouds. That's smoke.

In addition to the wall of smoke in the distance, you will notice the big patch of brown dirt in this next picture. That's normally a tank. Last year at this time there was a mama duck with her ducklings living there. Now it's bone dry. Depressing.

The next three pictures are of some land my parents' own closer to our town and the major fires. This is where we used to live when we first got married (remember the pics of our trailer?). When my parents sold their house out there they kept a lot of the land that was with it. You will notice the black smoke coming out of the trees. The smoke you're seeing is a rekindle on our land from the night before. It took an act of God to convince anyone that it was a fire and not a hotspot. A brush truck finally got out there to help put out the fire, but the bottom line is, the firefighters are stretched thin.

This is off the highway as we drove into our hometown. All that grey you see is smoke once again.

The largest fire right now is the Bastrop County Complex Fire. Bastrop County borders Caldwell county where we live. That fire has burned around 30,000 acres and destroyed between 500-600 homes.  As of this morning, we still had a fairly large fire burning in Caldwell County. It had burnt 8000 acres and was 40% contained . . . hopefully, it's completely contained by now.

It is devastating to see all the damage that these fires are doing to Texas.  Bastrop is such a beautiful area filled with tall pine trees. Unfortunately, those pine trees make a great fuel for the fires that are burning. Texans are an amazing group of people. We are fiercely proud of our state and will stand together and support one another in the worst of tragedies. We know that God is going to see us through these fires and this horrific drought and bring us out stronger on the other side.

Please continue to keep us Texans in your prayers. Pray for our firefighters who are emotionally and physically exhausted. Pray that we receive rain soon. And thank you to all the people that have come from hundreds and even thousands of miles away to help fight these fires.

2 Corinthians 4:8

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair

Hear Our Cry

If you were to look at the Central Texas Radar tonight you would see a huge mass of green. Unfortunately, it isn't rain but smoke. This morning we woke to clear skies, but as the day wore on the wind picked up more and more. By this afternoon the wind was blowing over thirty miles/hour, and fires started popping up everywhere.

As of right now, there is still a massive fire burning in Bastrop County, which is east/northeast of us. The last time I checked, it had burned over 13,000 acres and over 300 homes have been lost. At this point, the firefighters are focusing on evacuations and getting people out of harm's way. In our own county, Caldwell, over 7000 acres have burned. Tomorrow looks to be more of the same with even drier conditions and high winds.

It is bone dry here in Texas. We've had over 70 days of 100 plus degree heat, and we're currently in the worst drought since 1854 (according to a Texas Forest Service official). The fires are unnerving to say the least, but they also serve to really put things in perspective. They remind me how petty our my life can become. I have friends and family out fighting these fires. I know people threatened by these fires. Isn't it amazing how disasters can serve to remind of us of what is truly important?

I'm going to ask you to take a moment tonight to pray for us Texans. I'm going to ask you to pray not only for both the safety of those fighting and those threatened by the fires, but also that we get some rain. The forecast says there's not a drop of rain to be had in the next seven days, but we are praying that God turns this awful drought around.

Psalm 61^[a]

    For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
 ¹ Hear my cry, O God;
   listen to my prayer.
 ² From the ends of the earth I call to you,
   I call as my heart grows faint;
   lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
³ For you have been my refuge,
   a strong tower against the foe.

Changing of the Seasons (Or Fall Decorations)

Autumn has not officially begun, but according to my friend the weatherman, the meteorological summer (say that five times fast) has ended. So in honor of the fact that the meteorological summer is over, in honor of the fact that the high on Monday is only supposed to be 90 (brrr), in honor of the fact that I know you've been laying awake at night and wondering if and how I decorate for fall, in honor of the fact that I have 27 loads of laundry to do and a stack of papers a mile high to grade and I'm shamelessly procrastinating, I now present my fall decor. (Say it with a foreign accent . . . it sounds much better).

You know you can't wait . . .

But before I start, I should tell you, my fall decorations are pretty simple. While I go overboard all out at Christmas, I try and keep it to a minimum the rest of the year. Also, if you could care less, I'm really sorry, but I figure most blog readers are a little voyeuristic and like to see the inside of other people's homes. Okay, so maybe it's just me. Anyway . . .

Drumroll please . . .

I collect salt and pepper shakers. I got these at Hobby Lobby last year.

Our breakfast area . . . the napkin holder is none other than a Hobby Lobby special. The salt and pepper shakers are from Walmart about 100 (or 5) years ago.

This is the left side of my kitchen. I change the plates on top of my cabinets throughout the year. And you see the cabinet above the microwave? Yeah, I opened it, an, unbeknownest to me, the hoarder (a.k.a. my husband) has apparently been shoving junk up there for some time. Needless to say, I shut it and walked ran away.

I had to stand on the countertops to change out the plates, and while I was performing this incredibly safe feat, Andrew came wandering into the kitchen. He promptly informed me that it was dangerous to stand on counters, and when I didn't get down, he proceeded to tell me that I wasn't doing what was right, and God did not want me standing on the counters. I'll file that one under "When Your Super Great Parental Manipulation Skills Backfire".

This is the right side of my kitchen. I've never decorated this side. I don't know why. Maybe I will this year.

This is just our kitchen. Ignore the full dish drainer. I have a serious aversion to unloading both the drainer and the dishwasher. I try to con Patrick into doing that job, and then I throw a fit when I can't find anything. I'm very mature like that.

Our dining room. All I did was change the plate on the China hutch. I left the same centerpiece (even though it doesn't really match) because I just made it this summer. Also, I have placemats, but I think our table is pretty so I didn't use them. Oh yeah, all the plates are from Hobby Lobby.

Ceramic pumpkins are either from Hobby Lobby or Walmart. I really can't remember.

Here is my shameless plug for Scentsy (my sister sells it). See the warmer on the right side. These warmers are amazing and so much safer than candles. They also have plug-ins, and there are about a million scents. Okay, plug over.

Beside the hallway into our room.

Our entryway. This is really a door hanger, but it bangs around like crazy when the wind blows so we don't hang it outside.

Entry table . . .  I made the arrangement myself. I'm pretty proud. I'm not usually very crafty, but I made that and the one on the dining room table. I think they turned out fairly good.

Anyway, those are my fall decorations. I know you've been waiting forever to see them. Now you can sleep tonight. (If you think this is bad just wait for Christmas :))