Content

Our blessed dogs woke me up at 7:30 this morning. Usually we're up by then for early service at church, but this morning, our church combined services for a Christmas service. We also didn't have class, so Brian and I were really looking forward to sleeping late. But alas, the blessed dogs woke me up at 7:30 this morning. 

After letting them outside with temps at 23 degrees, I crawled back in bed. By this time, Brian was awake, but after both dogs decided they needed to climb into bed with us, we made an executive decision that we were NOT going to wake up yet. We still had about 2 good hours worth of sleep. 

So with Brian in the middle of the bed, me on his left and both dogs on his right, we had a Tindell family snuggle. Brian and the dogs tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't. Partly because I'm my father's child. Once I'm awake, I'm awake. But also because I was enjoying myself. For two hours I just laid there petting my dogs and getting my back scratched by my hubby. And I felt completely content. 

Sure, I would have loved to have a baby or two up there with us, but the thought of that nagged me for a milisecond and then I went back to feeling completely content again. It was such a blessed way to start my day, I couldn't help but think of it and thank God for it as all 700 of us worshiped this morning in our church gym.  What a great way to start this awesome week of eating, laughing, sharing and thanking God for his most precious gift of all!!

Oh. Man. Thankful List #7

Today was quite the day. W.H.E.W.
First, I worked my next to the last day in Grand Prairie. Even though I'm really looking forward to working 45 minutes closer to where I live, the day was bittersweet. I wrapped up my time with my kids from one of my campuses this afternoon. A couple of them I've had since I started in the district. It was really sweet because one of them kept adding more pieces to the checkerboard so the game could keep going, while another made me promise his new counselor would be as cool as me. So, for my first thing I'm thankful for this week:

1. My time in Grand Prairie. It hasn't always been great, but the one thing that I've loved is working with the kids, I will miss it. 

After work, I went...gasp...Christmas shopping. Aside from slipping from my wet boot on the wet floor and falling on my left knee, which is now swollen the size of a grapefruit, it was a decent experience. I actually...gasp...finished my Christmas shopping!! Second thing I'm thankful for:

2. Close parking spaces at Borders, the Parks mall, Academy and Target, which totally decreased the amount of time it took for me to shop. I'm also thankful for my mom for instilling in me the need to make lists before I shop, it made shopping much easier. Though, Mindy would be distraught at how my list looks, lots of scratching out, rewriting and changed ideas.

3-5 of the Thankful list

3. My hubby, he's currently removing all of the files off of my GPISD laptop so I can turn it in tomorrow. 4 years worth of files, and I get to type my blog while it is done. 

4. Lewis. So one of the rabbits had bunnies and they are super cute. Last night, Brian took one of them out and put it down so Lewis and Gracie could see it. Gracie, surprisingly didn't try to eat it. I think she was kind of freaked out by it because she just stood back. Lewis, on the other hand, went right up to it and gave it kisses. Then followed it around as it hopped all around the porch. So sweet. 

5. The last week of 2008 is before me. It has by far, not been a banner year, though it's been good for lots of reasons: move to Granbury, start of my private practice, Disney world. All that being said, I'm pretty happy to see it go. Brian and I've already started making plans for 2009. We've decided that in 2009 we're going to get busy again. After spending an entire year taking care of ourselves, we're ready to get out there and start doing again. So far, we're looking into going on a mission trip to Mexico in the spring, going on a trip that my parents gave us before March, and possibly taking a couple of weeks to a month this summer to visit one of our missionaries and do some traveling. We don't want to just be sitting around waiting to get pregnant again. We feel like God was showing us in August that we will get pregnant when He decides it is time. So, until that time, we want to get busy. There's a lot of stuff we want to do, and we are tired of wasting time and not doing it. We could really use your prayers as we try to work through what we feel like God is telling us. 

Thankful Thursday #6

I know, it's Saturday. But I am at my parents' house in North Carolina, so there's a time difference, right?
This has been such an awesome week so far. This is the first time my sister and her husband and Brian and I have all been to visit at the same time. It has been so fun all of us living under the same roof. Mom's already getting a little sad because Manda's leaving tomorrow and we're leaving Tuesday. They've been looking forward to this for months and I know that however much it has been a blessing to me to be here, it has meant that much more to them.
So without further ado, here's my thankful list for this week:
1. The 60 degree temperature it was here after we got off the plane. When we boarded in DFW, it was 28 degrees outside. So far, except for some rain Thursday, it has been B-E-A-UTIFUL!!
2. My parents' cat Corky, Brian calls him a Zepplin, he's really fat, has a super tiny head and really long, skinny legs. But he's our Zepplin. He acts like a dog and when we all lived with Mom and Dad he terrorized Lewis. Lewis is still scared of the word Corky, to this day, even though he hasn't seen him in 3 years. Corky crawls into your lap, gets hair all over you, but loves to be pet and played with.
3. Watching my mom bake and cook. She has a certain way of doing things and she loves to teach us how to do stuff. And I'm on my 4th piece of rum cake since yesterday, so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be loosing any weight this week.
4. My dad. He surprised me with a great thing yesterday. He recently acquired Skype and took us up to church. He then called UKRAINE and got ahold of one of my dear friends, Alonya. So, I was able to video chat with her and her sweet husband, she got to meet my husband and family. It was such a blessing. Daddy also put one of my posts from my blog into his bulletin article and tells everyone to read my blog. Although it is a little embarrassing, it is one of those things that gives me the confidence to write, express myself, and do anything because I know I have one of my biggest fans cheering me on.
5. Being with my family. Last night we watched some old home movies, played games, ate, and laughed, laughed, laughed. It has been the best time getting to hang out just the six of us and I've loved every second. I love my family and I'm so blessed that we were all able to be here together.

Thursday Thankfuls #5

I can't believe it's already Thursday!! This week has been a whirlwind of crazy for the Tindells. I'm sitting here drowning in Camp COPE stuff, I've got 2 week old laundry in the washer & dryer, Seinfeld is on, the dogs keep licking me and pawing the laptop, dishwasher with leftover dishes needs to be run, I still haven't packed and I just want to go to sleep! If I wasn't leaving for North Carolina two days after I get back from Kansas, I would not feel as stressed out. I'm literally going to be gone almost 2 weeks! YIPES! But I couldn't let a Thursday go by without a thankful list! I'm on week 5 and its getting to be a little bit of a habit now, it really does work to take your mind off of anything rough in your life when you are busy being thankful and full of praise! I've been thinking about my list all day...

1. Brian bringing Taco Bueno home for dinner tonight so I don't have to create food out of nothing, because that is literally what I have left in my house.

2. Thursday Bible Study girls: Cami, Heather, Sara, Jami, Ginger, Alisha, Marsha, Penny, Susan...we had a great holiday brunch today and I totally love hanging out with you ladies. You've been such a great blessing for me feeling apart of things here in Granbury and I can't wait for our meetings to start back up again!

3. My washer & dryer. After putting off laundry for the last two weeks, I had to crawl over piles between our room and bathroom. But our awesome washer & dryer make it possible to get all of it done tonight! I can't even imagine what it would be like to not have one.

4. My work situation. Opportunities are being dropped into my lap and I know it is God's hand working in my life.

5. Christmas music on the radio. Not only is 94.9 (the Christian station) playing Christmas music, but so is 103.7 (a "worldly" station) playing songs celebrating Jesus's birth. So great!

It's Christmas Time!!

Sick, sick, sick. That's what the last 8 days have been in the Tindell household. But have we let it get us down? No siree!! Friday Brian was awesome enough to help me drag down all of the Christmas decorations and by Saturday night, all of our Christmas decorations were up! Last year we didn't get to decorate since our house was on the market, so this year I'm loving it!
I'll probably get more after Christmas is over (when they're 80% off), so I can get crazy next year!
I'm actually not going to be in town too much this holiday season to enjoy the decorations, which is another reason why I didn't go all out. This weekend I'm traveling to Ft. Riley, Kansas for Camp Cope, a camp that teaches coping skills to children of deployed and/or injured military. It is such a blessing to work with this organization, I'll post more on it another time.
Then next week, Brian, Manda, Paul and I are all traveling to North Carolina to see my parents! I am so excited since this will be the first time all six of us will be out there together. It's going to be great! Then a few days after we get back is Christmas!!
This is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the music, even though its the same song, just redone by different artists over and over and over again. I love the cold air outside, the fire in the fireplace, all the cookies, cakes, peppermint mochas. I love shopping for everyone and I love spending time with my loved ones.
Most of all, it is so awesome that worldwide, people are remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. It is amazing that even though this holiday is extremely commercialized, and everyone is worried about the perfect gift, traveling and parties, we all still stop for one whole day to rejoice over the birth of the Savior of the World. I hope that you are able to take time this holiday season, amongst all the hustle and bustle, traffic and grouchy shoppers, to remember what's really important and that you get to enjoy and love on those closest to you!

Stockings Brian's mom made for us. I'll be adding more to the mantle. We didn't have a fireplace in our last house, so I'm new to mantle decorating. Any tips?!

The Tree and the puppies, they can hardly contain their holiday cheer.

Thursday Thankfuls #4-Thanksgiving Style!!

So how cool is it that on my Thursday Thankful list, it also gets to be Thanksgiving! The day that people all over the country gather around tables and celebrate all of the blessings they have received!

Today, Brian's family gathered around my table, which was a special treat for me! I decided that since I'm hosting, I would cook the meal, Long Family style, just like my grandmother. Then Brian decided he wanted to roast a goose (random, I know, he's been talking about it for two years, he had to do it today!). So, all except goose, we had a San Antonio Thanksgiving! Everything turned out perfect, and we all ate too much! And to top it all off, the COWBOYS WON!! It is a good day! I hope that each and every one of you had a blessed holiday today, complete with good food, family and football! And so, without further ado, my Thanksgiving Day Thankful list.

1. Being sick. Brian and I both got really sick this weekend and have been feeling AWFUL all week. But the good part was that we got sick together! So we literally spent 5 straight days laying around and being together.

2. Kleenex. We ran out and had to use toliet paper and paper towels. Ouch. Enough Said.

3. Infertility. Seriously, you ask? And don't get me wrong. I would much rather be getting my little one ready for bed right now rather than typing about it. But my infertility has changed my life in so many ways. It has brought me into new relationships that I would not have had before. It has brought Brian and me closer together than we have ever been. It has taught me patience like nothing else could have. Waiting for my time of the month, waiting to test to ovulate, waiting to ovulate, waiting for my time of the month...for 24 straight months. And it has not been easy. But through this time of waiting and growing, God has brought me close. It has been in those moments of fear, desperation, extreme sadness and pain that I have cried out to God and he has met me there, calling out to me, "Further still, sweet one".

4. My Nanny. I love my Nanny for so many different reasons, she's loving, she's funny, she's always worried and wondering how everyone is doing (which is a lot of worrying since there's over 40 people in her immediate family). Nanny's also old school. She uses her dishwasher to STORE dishes, not wash them. She only washes things by hand. Which, after cooking for over 40 people, can add up to a lot of dishes. But she's always taught me about living simply and though doing things the hard way sometimes is a little slower, it gives you time to spend with each other (side by side, washing and drying, taking turns grinding ingredients by hand). I love watching her cook. She always gets really excited when she gets to cook for all of us and she's really good at it too. And it is from years of watching her cook and learning at her side, along with learning from my mom and all my aunts, I was able to cook most of the meal today from memory, something I thought I was incapable of doing.

5. My Jesus. When I think about what I was doing last year at this time, I realize I had no idea what was in store for me up ahead. The one thing that has not changed at all has been Christ. I am so thankful he lived and died on this Earth, and I'm so thankful for the special relationship we share that just gets better every day.

Thursday Thankfuls #3

Here's my list for today:

1. Buttercream and Pumpkin Pie candles from Yankee Candle Company
2. A fire in our fireplace
3. My sweet husband snoring on the couch. He took off tomorrow so we could move into my NEW OFFICE!!
4. Heather and Cami for my awesome new bag with Agape Family Center embroidered on the front.
5. A visit from a couple of elders at our church here in Granbury. We were able to learn about some exciting ways to get involved and are so happy to finally feel like we are becoming apart of our new church family.

A side note, please pray for our friends Joe and Rachel. We have struggled virtually side by side with our infertility for the past two years. They have attempted invitro fertilization twice. One ended in miscarriage around the time we lost our sweet baby. The second one, though they were celebrating a pregnancy for two weeks, has also ended in miscarriage. Please lift them up as waves of desperation and hopelessness are crashing upon them.

Clean my Closet

I was reading in our book tonight from my Wednesday night Psalms of Ascent class. I came across I Peter 5:5-7 and it really called out to me.
"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you."
I feel like humility has always been something I've struggled with, I think most oldest children do. But this isn't just talking about being humble with others, but being most importantly, humble towards God. In doing so, I believe that God is actually more powerful and adept at solving my problems and handling my circumstances than I am. Though, he will lift me up in his due time, (which could be soon, or not until eternity), I am called to give my concerns, my cares, everything to him.
This is difficult to swallow for me because I feel like I've worked hard trying to iron out my future. I have plans. But, as in lots of things, my plans don't always seem to coincide with God's plans. It has been a humiliating process to gradually start handing things over to him. I'm still working on it. But I think the thing I've learned most of all is that God is actually big enough to take on everything of mine: the fabulous, the junk and everything in between.
It's like I'm this little kid that's been asked to clean out my closet. First of all, I would rather be playing outside or doing something fun, so I'm already upset I have to go through it at all. Second, there is some really gross stuff in my closet: old food wrappers, dirty clothes, who knows what that is in the corner over there....Third, there's some really great stuff in there I don't want to give away, stuff that even though I don't use it and it's not necessarily good for me, I'm so attached to it, I can't bear the thought to part with it.
But God's standing in the hallway knocking on my bedroom door with the trash bags, waiting to take everything from me. Ready to clean out this cluttered, dirty mess and give me a clean start.

Thursday Thankfuls #2

Well, it's almost Thursday. I'm syncing my new IPHONE (happy birthday to me...) and while all 2050 songs are loading, I've got some time to kill...So, here's my list for this week:

1. My new IPHONE! After playing with the Kennedy Iphones this weekend, I looked into getting one, just for fun. I found out for $20 less a month than what I was paying at Verizon (without internet) I could get an Iphone with internet and texting. So, I did it. I'm sooo impulsive, but as of yet, haven't regretted it for a second! It freaking rocks!

2. Airplanes, especially the one that is taking me to Becca tomorrow.

3. Brian for holding down the homefront (and hopefully doing some cleaning before small group on Sunday night) while I'm gone. He loves me and my friends so much and is so great for letting me love on them, even if that means I don't get to love on him for a few days.

4. Doc called yesterday and I ovulated this month! (TMI ALERT!) Aunt Flo did come to visit today, but I'm so thankful that two months after the miscarriage my body is already getting back to normal, and maybe even more normal than it has ever been! Keep praying, hopefully baby Tindell will be just around the corner...

5. My mom! Today (well, Thursday), is her birthday! My mom is one of the most loving people I know. She is always awesome at remembering birthdays, anniversaries, complete with cards and gifts. She is thoughtful, smart, funny, friendly and sweet. Mom always makes it very clear that her kids are most important besides her God and her husband. I can't wait to come see you in a month and I'm so happy you were born today! I love you so much Mom and hope that you have a wonderful, exciting, fabulous birthday today!!! :)

Waise the Woof!!

This weekend we went to Austin to hang out with the Kennedys! It was so much fun! I've been there a few times this year, but Brian hadn't been back since we spent New Years with them. We had a total blast! The girls attached onto Brian, which he was just a big softie for them. Mindy and I laughed at how he's going to be a big mushy puddle if he ever has any daughters!

Brian and Mackenzie

We hung out at their house on Friday night, complete with pizza, porch time and go fish! Before the kids went to bed, we played a few hundred rounds of go fish-kennedy style. After I got the hang of the rules, it was so much fun! Of course, everyone won, which resulted in a "raise the roof", which the girls called "waise the woof". It was hilarious!

Saturday we were really busy. After a bowl of Captain Crunch Berries and some episodes of XMEN from the 80s, we were out and about. We went to Red Lobster for lunch, which, shockingly, is one of Dylan's (one of the pickiest eaters I know) favorite restaurants. The kids loved looking at the lobsters in the tank and decided they were all boys since none of them were pretty.

After Red Lobster, we went for a shopping extravaganza all over Austin. The boys went to a cigar shop, Mindy got to experience the wonder of Francescas and we went to a play therapy store in south Austin.

Once we got home, Brian wanted to make hot tea, and the kids decided that even though they've never had it, it sounded like something they should have too. So Brian made one cup of hot tea for the kids, who said it tasted like hot water. Since we drained the last of the milk with our Crunch Berries that morning, Brian then proceeded to sweeten it with sprinkles. So, even though they thought it tasted incredible, it looked like a black gooey mess. Yummm...it was really cute though because they were so into making hot tea, which unless you live in Europe, is pretty much a grown up drink.

If you look closely, you can see the yummy goodness of "sweet hot tea"

Saturday night the boys made some mean fajitas and Mindy made some tasty margaritas and we had another porch night of talking and laughing.

Sunday was church, which I love watching the kiddos singing. Mackenzie sat next to me and grabbed my hand several times while we were singing. So cute! After a yummy lunch at Chilis, and the kids were down for their nap, Mindy and I headed to High School Musical 3!! I don't know why the boys didn't want to go, it was classic greatness and horrible cheesiness all in one and I can't wait to see it again!

We had so much fun this weekend and are so blessed to have such great friends. Brian and I talked on the way home how great it is that Brian grew up with Brandon and after almost 10 years of friendship with both of them, we are still so close, even though we don't see each other all of the time. Every time we get together it is like no time has passed at all. I'm so happy that my kids are going to have the Kennedy kids to show them the ropes and hang out with, even though Brandon can't wait to get back at us for making their kids crazy every time we get together. We love you guys so much and can't wait to see you again!

Here's some more pictures from the weekend:

Me and Madison

Brian and Dylan
Old BFFs rock! (Notice Kenzie grabbing onto my jeans during the picture. It was so sweet. Love that kid.)

Mommy and Mackenzie (otherwise known as Mommy and Mini-Mommy)

Thursday Thanksgivings (even tho it's Friday)

Thursdays are shaping up to be my favorite day. Not only are my most favorite shows on Thursday night, but at 10 in the morning I attend a ladies' Bible study with some of the girls in my class. It has been such a blessing learning from and getting to know all of these women. Penny, our group leader has been doing a series on how to pray, envisioning a garden of prayer with everything we could include. One of the parts of the garden is the Bridge of Appreciation.

This is where we turn to God and thank him for all of the blessings he is doing in our life.

I have heard it said to me so many times throughout the last couple of years that thanking God for his bountiful blessings will help turn my mourning into dancing. And it's true. I find myself able to be joyful when I can thank him for any little or big thing that is going on around me. And when I am not thanking him, I get so self-consumed with my own pain, I am not that great of a wife, a friend, a Christian, well you get the idea. So I have decided to set a goal and post at least 5 specific things every week I am grateful for. This is really for my own benefit to look back onto when I get weepy or selfish. But I hope that it encourages you to begin thinking about your blessings as well!

So here's my thankful list for yesterday!!

1. Brian: he took off today and is cooking me eggs with cheese and pancakes!
2. Cell phones: Wednesday was my birthday and I think I was on the phone for a good 6 hours, texting and talking to my loved ones.
3. Gas at $1.92 a gallon
4. My car and the ability to travel wherever and whenever I want to. Like today, we are leaving to spend the weekend in Austin with the Kennedys!!!
5. Chicken Madeira and Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake with my sister before a day of shopping and talking on my birthday

My very own Jordan Knight

Saturday night we had our Bible class's 80's costume party. I've been looking forward to this for weeks, Brian, on the other hand, dreaded it for weeks. And of course, his lack of choice in costume, allowed me to choose for him. I still had spare 80's stuff from the New Kids concert. So, I brilliantly decided that he should go as Jordan Knight (consequently my fave New Kid), and I would go as his groupie. I got him all dressed up in his duds and took his picture, then printed those pics and put them into buttons. They turned out great! Here's some pics of me and my very own Jordan Knight. (I think he really had fun, AND we won the most creative costume award!! Whoohoo!)

Our group pic, you can barely see me, but oh well!

I can't help myself, he's sooo hot!!

My very own Jordan Knight

He really got into it!

My buttons

Okay, I love this man. And let me tell you why. In the last five years in our marriage, I've seen him triumph and fail. But nothing has stopped him from loving me and loving our God. He is constantly acting as the spiritual leader in our family, which I appreciate so much. He tells me he loves me constantly, scratches my back every night before I go to sleep and is working very hard to support me in starting my private practice. This month has been hard for several different reasons, and today it kind of culminated with me bawling. I see now that our relationship has gotten so strong because he just held me while I cried, he didn't try to fix it or tell me that I shouldn't be upset. He is my very best friend, he is my most trusted confidant, my sweet husband. Today I realized that God has blessed me with the one person who will never judge me, will always consider me first, will always be there for me and no matter who comes and goes, will be steadfast in his devotion to me. I love my man!!

Blessings

I have so many blessings and happy things to share with you! This week, though it's been very busy, and wrought with major decisions, has also been full of blessings and God's workings.

First of all, I am now a buisness owner! After much pondering, we have decided to open up my private practice. This is coming after a week of very painful decisions and seeking of God's will. I was offered a wonderful job opportunity last week that sent me into a tailspin. I've been wearing my family and friends out for their advice and prayers on what to do. I finally asked God on Sunday to speak very plainly about what I should do. Monday was full of his overwhelming answer. Within hours of each other, I got a call that the job offer was not going to be as good for our family as we originally thought, that my position in Grand Prairie would not continue after Christmas and my builder in Granbury called to say that he could set me up with a small office, for half of my original price, including a month to month lease. It became very clear to us that God was trying to tell me to step out on faith and start my practice.

So, I've signed all the papers and have already placed an ad, for what from now on will be the Agape Family Center. The Center will provide individual, group and family therapy, play therapy, parent training and more to the children and families of Hood County and beyond. Thanks for all of your prayers and support, I'm so blessed to have such great family and friends who continue to seek God's will for my life.

Now for a blessing list of things I'm thankful for this week:
1. Brian, he has been unswerving in his support for me and desire for me to succeed in my career.
2. Feeling the presence of God so close to me this week. I literally feel like as I'm walking he's holding my hands above me, leading every step.
3. Email and text messaging. Monday was full of communication with my family & friends deciding what to do. Love living in the 21st century!
4. My new doctor in Granbury, she's a Christian, is super sweet and has a great plan to help my infertility.
5. Thursday night TV & the premiere of 30 Rock
6. Sonic Rt. 44 Vanilla Diet Cokes half off during Happy Hour
7. The warm sunny days and the chilly, starry nights here in Granbury.
8. The Beth Moore, Psalms of Ascent class I'm going to on Wednesday nights.
9. My new curtains and mirror in my dining room, and again my sweet husband for helping hang them up!
10. FALL!! Complete with 1/2 off decorations at Hobby Lobby, high school football (Brian's 10 year High School reunion tomorrow) & an 80's Costume Party with our Bible Class Saturday! (80's and Costume Party are consequently two of my all-time FAVORITE words, so you can guess how pumped I am about that!)

I really have felt so at peace about everything going on in my life right now. For the first time in a long time, I'm not worried about when I will be pregnant again. I don't know when it will happen again, but I feel so blessed to have been pregnant this year at all, it was a special gift that my Father gave to me. I'm not worried about the future and I feel so safe having God so close.

Isaiah 40: 29&31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.


Here's some pics of the dining room curtains and some of my fall decorations!

I haven't hemmed them yet, but they're beautiful to look at until then! Look carefully at the dining room table. This is the emptiest it will EVER be. It's right by the garage door, so it becomes our dumping ground when we walk in.



I love my pumpkin!

My Fun Friday!

Yesterday I got to spend the entire day with my best friend Rebecca, her sweet baby Hadley and the rest of the Ellis family (who let me crash their family night). Rebecca and I roomed together senior year in college and have been friends for almost ten years. I also grew up with a ton of good-looking, Christian men that I always tried to set up with my friends. Bec was no different, I knew of one of my friends that was just perfect for her. But when we tried to set them up, the timing didn't work out. The night Brian and I got back from our honeymoon, we were shocked to find out my bridesmaid Becca and my usher Marcus were on their first date! Seems they struck up some conversation during the reception, and my prediction was correct!

Now Marcus and Becca, two of my best friends, are married and live in Memphis. Becca and I have been through so much in our friendship: boy drama, sickness, family problems, marriage, grad school, careers and now parenthood. Marcus and Bec have a beautiful baby girl, Hadley Rene, who is the most fun, happy little thing you could meet. At first, I thought she looked like her Daddy, and I still do, from the nose, up. But Hadley's smile is all her Mommy's. She has a beautiful smile that lights up the room and brings everyone joy.

I am so blessed to have a friend like Rebecca. I love our talks, whether they be about the little stuff like sno cones and Christmas music, or big stuff like relationship problems and career decisions, Bec always listens, is always concerned and is always there with great advice and strong support. I love you so much Rebecca and I can't wait to come see you in November!!

Here's some pictures of yesterday:

I love your blog!

Heather nominated me for the "I love your Blog" award! Yay! I love Heather Blevins and her blog!! She's my new friend and already I have made such fun memories with her! She has adorable sons, Reed and Hudson. Heather also is a gourmet cake maker, for a HOBBY!! You should totally check out her blog (link list on the right) to see some of her work. She is truly gifted, is a great mother, an awesome wife, a phenomenal Christian and a fantastic friend! So, thanks Heather!!!!

So here's my one-word answers to the I love your blog quiz....

1. Where is your cell phone? dunno

2. Where is your significant other? work

3. Your haircolor? brown

4. Your mother? loving

5. Your father? hilarious

6. Your favorite thing? house

7. Your dream last night? NKOTB

8. Your dream/goal? privatepractice

9. The room you're in? living

10. Your hobby? sewing

11. Your fear? barren

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? home

13. Where were you last night? Cheesecake :)

14. What you're not? quiet

15. One of your wish-list items? wii

16. Where you grew up? Arlington

17. The last thing you did? shower

18. What are you wearing? comfy

19. Your TV? projector

20. Your pet? underbite

21. Your computer? wireless

22. Your mood? peaceful

23. Missing someone? parents

24. Your car? awesome

25. Something you're not wearing? bra...(i said comfy)

26. Favorite store? Anthropologie

27. Your summer? beach

28. Love someone? Brian

29. Your favorite color? pink

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. When is the last time you cried? today

there ya go! I nominate Andrea, Ashley, Becca, Maggie, Mindy and Rachel, Tanya and Taylor!!!

Hangin Tough, 1987 to "Summertime" 2008

So, last night I got the insanely awesome opportunity to go to the New Kids on the Block concert! I'm not ashamed at all to say that I am an enormous BLOCKHEAD. I've loved them since the third grade. I had the sleeping bag, the pillowcase, the buttons, the sleepshirt, and the People magazine. The 1991 People magazine that they were on the cover of. I got into a fight with the KMART cashier when I bought it. She said that New Kids weren't going to last much longer, and I not so respectfully told her that she was stupid and they were bigger than the Beatles. Or had she not been reading up on her TIGERBEAT?! My mom embarrassedly dragged me out of the store. So here's to you girls, ages 25-35, you moms who let your daughters drool hopelessly over these boys, to the Kmart cashier wherever you are, our boys are back, and man do they still got the right stuff! I'll be loving them FOREVER!

Rachel, Kara, Manda and me, rockin our New Kids shirts

Oh my gosh, are we the cutest sisters EVER?? As adults, we're best friends. When we were little, New Kids was pretty much the only thing besides God and the same parents that we had in common.



The five of us at House of Blues (thanks for the discount Holly!)



Manda and Me basking in our concert high in Victory Park

Ooohhhh, they're still sooooo good!!

There's the boys, singin in a circle in the middle of a mob of screaming girls my age acting 15 years younger.

The final bow after an Encore of Step by Step and Hangin Tough

I've got some video that I tried to post, but it took FOREVER to upload. So, if someone wants to see video, tell me an easier way to put it on here than just uploading it through blogger!

Welcome to Holland

I've been attending a ladies Bible study on Thursday mornings at our church here in Granbury. It has been such a blessing for me to get to know these women better. I've also learned so much from them already, some who have experienced hurts and trials much worse than I could ever imagine. They've all been quick to bring me in, give me their support and love. Their faith and strength is example to me. This was read by the study leader, Penny this past Thursday. It is intended for parents of special needs children, but I think it can apply to all of us who thought life was going to be one way, but it turned out much different than expected. I know I'm slowly learning to appreciate Holland.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Emily Perl Kingsley

In the Savior's arms

Today, October 15th, is the National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss. Please continue to keep those of us who have lost little ones in your hearts and prayers today. So many of you have encouraged me through our loss as you have experienced losses of your own. I pray for God's everlasting peace to cover you today and that you can seek comfort that our Savior himself is holding our loved ones in his arms and that we too will see them face to face someday.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Psalm 139:13-16

My rock

Since Bobcat man came Friday and scraped away all of the blessed weeds and the top inch of layer of ground from our backyard, Brian and I spent the last three days handpicking up each blasted rock and throwing it into what will soon be the "Firepit Patio". I have no earthly idea how to build a patio, but Brian has had some experience with it at his mom's house and he's a mechanical engineer, that should count for something, right?
Back to the rock transplanting: Yesterday I was mostly in charge of picking up rock, as Brian was trying to seed the ground that had just been "tilled". He came over and observed a load I had just dumped into the pit, picking up one rock after another and claiming: "This isn't a rock, Amy, it's clay. We don't want to put this in as the foundation of our patio. Clay shrinks and expands, rock stays firm. We don't want all of the gravel, sand and then flagstone to buckle under us, or the patio to not be straight."
Yesterday, I got frustrated with that statement. Why can't I just leave all those Rock-imposter clay lumps in there? They're hard like rock! But I was tired of bending over for 10 straight hours, so I was a little grumpy.
This morning, I was thinking about it as I was looking at the 16x16 hole in our ground that will one day soon be a patio, complete with fire pit. I'm looking forward to the end result of patio furniture, some potted cactus, roasting marshmallows on a chilly evening, singing devo songs under the stars. Then a song popped into my head:
Jesus, You're my firm foundation. I know I can stand secure.
Oh Jesus, You're my firm foundation. I put my hope in Your Holy Word, I put my hope in Your Holy Word.
I have a living hope, I have a future. God has a plan for me, of this I'm sure.
Your Word is faithful, mighty with power, God will deliver me, of this I'm sure.
Jesus you're my firm foundation. I know I can stand secure.
Oh Jesus, you're my firm foundation. I put my hope in Your Holy Word, I put my hope in Your Holy Word.
Building this patio is a lot like building my life. I can be like the wise man, who built his house on the rock: lining my life first with God's word and constantly communicating with Him. Or, I could be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. I can line my life with what I think looks like religion, or being holy, or even with comforts that I enjoy every day. But when the rains come in and the floods come up, my little life is just going to go SPLAT.
I feel like God has carried me through a SPLAT. He has given me a second chance to rebuild my life on what is important: HIM, my husband, my family, my church, my friends, my job. My priorities were out of whack and I was using building materials that were not going to stand the test of time. I only feel alone when I am not looking up at Him. I only feel lost when I'm not responding to His hand on my shoulder, guiding me. I only feel like the ground from underneath me is cracking when I have not stood on the ROCK.
Once again, my sweet husband has taught me an invaluable lesson, even though he was talking patio. I'm so grateful for that man, God has blessed me so much by putting Brian in my life by using him to speak to me.

The Clean Dream Team

I'm not so much of a "deep" cleaner. Actually, I'm not much of a cleaner. Word of caution, if you show up to my house unannounced, beware that there will be a layer of dog hair coating the floor, cobwebs in every corner, and dust on every piece of furniture. But, I am obsessed with dishes, I love doing them (weird huh?), so you will probably not see a dish in my sink.
Today was my deep clean day. I got tired of "spot" mopping. Bec taught me this art form when we lived together in college and I've tried to perfect it ever since. But today was the day for the mopping. I HATE HATE DOUBLE HATE mopping. But in Canton, Heather told me about the Swiffer Wet Jet. She said it makes mopping wayyy easier. Today was also the day for the shower to be cleaned. I HATE HATE DOUBLE HATE cleaning the shower, (really the whole bathroom). My mom told me about the Mr. Clean Magic Reach and that it changed her life in bathroom cleaning.
So yesterday I packed into Walmart and purchased what would soon change my life in regards to house cleaning forever. May I introduce you to, the Clean Dream Team:
Dottie Dyson, Slick Swiffy and Baldy McClean
We got Dottie when we lived in our last house. It got old really fast using two different floor tools to clean carpet, hardwood and tile. It was the best investment in a cleaning tool we've ever spent.

A close second is Slick Swiffy. Thanks Heather for telling me about him! He's given me new hope in clean floors!


And Mom, I LOVED LOVED LOVED Baldy McClean! Sweet Goodness did my shower look fantastic after I was done!


Welp, that's what I did today! Hope everyone had a great Saturday!!

Fun with Bunnies

Last weekend while I was in Canton, Brian brought home 3 new additions to our little family. Yes, I agreed to it, I know some of you are thinking, "Amy, you can't complain about this because you brought it upon yourself". And I just want to let you know, I hear you, and I'm still probably going to complain about the smell and the poo. So, Brian brought home 3 bunnies. More like, rabbits. Like the kind that they pull out of magic hats, though they have creepy red eyes that scare the begeezus out of me. One is a male, two are females, who Brian so wonderfully informed me are both knocked up. So, even though I'm dying to be a mother, it looks like I'm going to be a grandmother first. Super. I don't know the first thing about birthing baby bunnies. But at least I'm hoping their super-fertility will rub off on me!
So, without further ado, let me introduce you to:
FLOPSY (surrounded by his two new best friends)

MOPSY
And COTTONTAIL

Needless to say, the bunnies have gotten a lot of attention. Lewis just wants to be near them non-stop. They always stay in their cages, but Flopsy (the boy) gets to have his cage on the grass when we're home. So Lewis likes to lay next to him and watch him. We got Gracie again last night, and she's just down right obsessed with them. She cried for 30 minutes last night when we went to bed because she wanted to be out with them. And our neighbor dog, Emma, Lewis's girlfriend, comes over all the time to hang out in our little stockyard.

Today we're having the "Bobcat Man" come over and scrape the back half of our lot so we can lay out grass and form flowerbeds, build a fire pit, patio and gazebo. So, Brian and I were out surveying the lot and laying out stakes for Bobcat Man. Usually the dogs are at our heels chasing the millions of rocks that are the reason for our inability to mow and thus our weedfest in the backyard. But they were so into the rabbits, they didn't even care what we were doing.

Here's before pictures of our backyard. I really regret not having a catalogue of before/after pics of our last house since we did so much work to it. So, we are making sure we do that with this house. Though, there's not much to do, thankfully. And I threw in a picture of our front yard too since so many have asked me about it.



WEEDFEST '08!

For those who've stuck with this ridiculously long post to the bitter end, I'm taking a poll and need your votes. I've been debating on whether or not to paint our bedroom and other rooms in the house. I'm not painting the living/dining/kitchen area because it's all one big room and already a great color. But the rest of the house is the same color, on the walls, and ceilings. It's pretty and I don't mind it (I love art and bright colored curtains as you can tell), but also don't want to be boring. So, vote please...to paint or not to paint??