Thursday, June 14, 2007
Happy!
It's been a great day. A HAPPY day! Boy did I need a day like this. It's hard to believe that a day could be so great when your four year old gets FIVE shots and your five month old gets three shots. But through it all, with the the help of a friend, it was success. (Thank you Gina.You have filled me up more than you could ever imagine and you have been a healing balm in a way you could never understand. Don't ever wonder if God is using you, because He is. I will have to share with you HOW He has used you today.)
This afternoon I had a certain song in my head that I could not quit singing. I had heard the song only once until now. We were at church with my parents several months ago and there was a girl there that the pastor introduced as an up and coming Christian artist. I remember seeing her in the congregation before I knew she was a singer. She was beautiful and had a smile that lit up the entire sanctuary. When I found out she was on the gotee record label, I was a little jealous. :) Anyway, when she started singing this song, I got tears in my eyes. I don't think anyone else was crying but there was a line in the song that brought so much joy to my heart. I wanted to add this song to my iPod but I could not remember her name or the name of the song. I just knew she was on the gotee record label. So I looked up gotee records and found her! AYIESHA WOODS is her name and the song is called Happy.
Click on the myspace link I have below and you can listen!
This song has meaning for me in many ways and what was going on in my life back when I first heard it has now passed but it helped me then get through something and today it has done the same. HE is always making beauty out of my mess! Constantly.
Enjoy!
Happy (click here)
This afternoon I had a certain song in my head that I could not quit singing. I had heard the song only once until now. We were at church with my parents several months ago and there was a girl there that the pastor introduced as an up and coming Christian artist. I remember seeing her in the congregation before I knew she was a singer. She was beautiful and had a smile that lit up the entire sanctuary. When I found out she was on the gotee record label, I was a little jealous. :) Anyway, when she started singing this song, I got tears in my eyes. I don't think anyone else was crying but there was a line in the song that brought so much joy to my heart. I wanted to add this song to my iPod but I could not remember her name or the name of the song. I just knew she was on the gotee record label. So I looked up gotee records and found her! AYIESHA WOODS is her name and the song is called Happy.
Click on the myspace link I have below and you can listen!
This song has meaning for me in many ways and what was going on in my life back when I first heard it has now passed but it helped me then get through something and today it has done the same. HE is always making beauty out of my mess! Constantly.
Enjoy!
Happy (click here)
Labels: friends, music, prayers answered
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Still limping a little
Men don't understand this. They never will. They just can't! My husband usually thinks I am insane when he hears me on the phone. He laughs when I get off the phone with my friends because I usually say, "I love you" before hanging up. The other day I did not say it when I was on the phone with someone. I honestly don't even remember who I was talking to. When I hung up, he said "Are y'all not at that place yet? You haven't told her you love her yet?" He ALWAYS makes fun of me with this stuff!
I do LOVE my friends. Life without them would not be possible and yesterday proved to me why!
My friend Gina showed up at my house yesterday, put my car seats in her car and said, "I'm dropping off Josiah and Adrianna (her 4 year old) off at Erika's house for a play date and YOU and the other two kids are coming with me. You aren't getting out of this. You are going! You can clean later! Put your makeup on in the car, get your butt (she may have said ass) dressed. I will be back in five minutes." Okay, so do you think I went? Your dang strait I went! Gina is a New Yorker and I was not about to argue with her. You see when you are Gina's friend, you are pretty much family too. That's what I love about her and her husband, Chris. Your family and they love you! They even kiss you and hug you when they see you! And it's not weird, it's awesome! Oh and my kids? She loves them too! She adores them!
This is why we need friends. We need someone that can come along, help us get our crap together and go! It was tough with the kids but it was all worth it! I needed that trip to Bath and Body Works! And she bought me something too. :) I said, "Gina, going into Bath and Body Works before payday while their sale of the year is going one is like taking a kid in Toys R Us and telling them they can't get anything!" And she said, "Well, pick something out. I'm buying you something!" Some may think that was rude to pick something out for myself. But, if I would not have done so, she would have been mad! She means business!
I needed her yesterday. I needed that so much. Erika calling and asking if Josiah could come over and play, I needed that. Cindy calling me this morning to see if both older kids could come play today, I needed that. My friends help me through so much and when they love my kids, I know they love me. I need that.
Sometimes I struggle to accept this new season in my life and to allow others around me to help me. But, I am getting better. Three years ago, I got injured. It was like I broke my leg and wore a cast for three years. Finally I was done with the crutches but, now I have a limp. Even though the leg is healed, it's hard to trust that I can put my full weight on it and not fall and hurt it all over again. So, I walk with a limp. Thankfully I have friends here to help me get over that limp.
I do LOVE my friends. Life without them would not be possible and yesterday proved to me why!
My friend Gina showed up at my house yesterday, put my car seats in her car and said, "I'm dropping off Josiah and Adrianna (her 4 year old) off at Erika's house for a play date and YOU and the other two kids are coming with me. You aren't getting out of this. You are going! You can clean later! Put your makeup on in the car, get your butt (she may have said ass) dressed. I will be back in five minutes." Okay, so do you think I went? Your dang strait I went! Gina is a New Yorker and I was not about to argue with her. You see when you are Gina's friend, you are pretty much family too. That's what I love about her and her husband, Chris. Your family and they love you! They even kiss you and hug you when they see you! And it's not weird, it's awesome! Oh and my kids? She loves them too! She adores them!
This is why we need friends. We need someone that can come along, help us get our crap together and go! It was tough with the kids but it was all worth it! I needed that trip to Bath and Body Works! And she bought me something too. :) I said, "Gina, going into Bath and Body Works before payday while their sale of the year is going one is like taking a kid in Toys R Us and telling them they can't get anything!" And she said, "Well, pick something out. I'm buying you something!" Some may think that was rude to pick something out for myself. But, if I would not have done so, she would have been mad! She means business!
I needed her yesterday. I needed that so much. Erika calling and asking if Josiah could come over and play, I needed that. Cindy calling me this morning to see if both older kids could come play today, I needed that. My friends help me through so much and when they love my kids, I know they love me. I need that.
Sometimes I struggle to accept this new season in my life and to allow others around me to help me. But, I am getting better. Three years ago, I got injured. It was like I broke my leg and wore a cast for three years. Finally I was done with the crutches but, now I have a limp. Even though the leg is healed, it's hard to trust that I can put my full weight on it and not fall and hurt it all over again. So, I walk with a limp. Thankfully I have friends here to help me get over that limp.
Labels: friends
Monday, April 16, 2007
Our first out of town guests
This Friday we will have our first out of town guests come to stay with us in our new home. I am so excited! I'm looking forward to making homemade waffles (with my new waffle maker that I got for my birthday from Jeremy), eggs, bacon and countless pots of coffee for breakfast Saturday morning. Saturday we will stay close by because we have a big birthday bash to attend, then maybe Sunday we can go eat breakfast or lunch at one of the places Rachel Ray featured on $40 a day in Austin called Taco Xpress or Cafe Josie on 6th street. Both sound "yummo"!
My Mom doesn't know this yet but as soon as Josiah sees her, she will be reminded that he longs to take her to the Disney Store outlet in Roundrock so she can buy him a few things. It's close by so I think she will agree and asking my Mom if she wants to go to a huge outlet center is like asking a child if he/she wants a cookie! She can't say no, she just can't. I know her too well!
And since my Mom is coming in town that means my hair stylist is coming too (she is the hair stylist)! This means I get FRESH highlights this weekend! Woo hoo! Nothing better than FREE highlights! She even has a portable dryer that we are going to keep at my house!
Of course after they leave, my kids will need to be on Grandparent detox! If they spent two days here, that means the detox will last AT LEAST four days. You can always count on doubling the detox based on the time they spent with any grandparent. It's very difficult for my children to come back to reality when they have spent a lot of time with these people! In fact, it sometimes results in me calling the grandparents and saying, "YOU DID THIS SO YOU COME GET THEM!" But now that the drive is three hours, I don't think I will have that option. My friend Erika said that her almost three year old daughter came home after spending a week with grandma asking for sweet tea! I don't know about you but I have never felt that giving sweet tea to a two year old is a good thing! But when left in the care of a grandmother, you just never know what's going to happen. :) My two year old daughter is no longer content with Sprite. She now asks for Dr. Pepper! Thanks to my Dad! And who would have EVER thought that my children would know the taste of MOUNTAIN DEW until they were at LEAST fifteen! But thanks to their Papa, aka my Father in law, they do! Grandparents, can't live with 'em and for sure can't live without 'em!
For the next several weekends we have a lot going on with RC, so our visits to Dallas for a while will be few and far between. I am so grateful that our families can visit and that we have a home plenty big enough for them to stay. And that goes for my FRIENDS too! Come on down! Let's help KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD!
My Mom doesn't know this yet but as soon as Josiah sees her, she will be reminded that he longs to take her to the Disney Store outlet in Roundrock so she can buy him a few things. It's close by so I think she will agree and asking my Mom if she wants to go to a huge outlet center is like asking a child if he/she wants a cookie! She can't say no, she just can't. I know her too well!
And since my Mom is coming in town that means my hair stylist is coming too (she is the hair stylist)! This means I get FRESH highlights this weekend! Woo hoo! Nothing better than FREE highlights! She even has a portable dryer that we are going to keep at my house!
Of course after they leave, my kids will need to be on Grandparent detox! If they spent two days here, that means the detox will last AT LEAST four days. You can always count on doubling the detox based on the time they spent with any grandparent. It's very difficult for my children to come back to reality when they have spent a lot of time with these people! In fact, it sometimes results in me calling the grandparents and saying, "YOU DID THIS SO YOU COME GET THEM!" But now that the drive is three hours, I don't think I will have that option. My friend Erika said that her almost three year old daughter came home after spending a week with grandma asking for sweet tea! I don't know about you but I have never felt that giving sweet tea to a two year old is a good thing! But when left in the care of a grandmother, you just never know what's going to happen. :) My two year old daughter is no longer content with Sprite. She now asks for Dr. Pepper! Thanks to my Dad! And who would have EVER thought that my children would know the taste of MOUNTAIN DEW until they were at LEAST fifteen! But thanks to their Papa, aka my Father in law, they do! Grandparents, can't live with 'em and for sure can't live without 'em!
For the next several weekends we have a lot going on with RC, so our visits to Dallas for a while will be few and far between. I am so grateful that our families can visit and that we have a home plenty big enough for them to stay. And that goes for my FRIENDS too! Come on down! Let's help KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD!
Okay so I need to post this and get ready to head over to Settler's Park, a few miles away. I am taking pictures of my friend's daughter, Kylie, for her third birthday and the park has a lot of really neat places to capture great photos. What's funny about this is I also took Kylie's pictures at a beautiful place in Dallas (Highland Park) for her one year birthday. We never imagined in a million years that two years later I would be doing it again, my family would be living down the street from one another and we would be helping them plant a church! CRAZY!!! Again, God is cool and so detail oriented!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
another post about my friends!
I really had no idea how incredible blogging would be. There have been some times in my life over the past year and a half where I felt very lonely and disconnected from other moms. But blogging and meeting some wonderful blogging friends has blessed me along the way.
Yesterday the phone rang and it was Wendy! I was so happy to hear her calm, sweet, quiet voice. If you read Wendy's blog, then you KNOW how precious and warm she is. The awesome thing is every single time I talk to her, I am encouraged or motivated as a wife, mother and child of God. Yesterday I got to share with her all that God was doing in my life. She knows all the details and I am glad she does because I know she will be praying. Wendy and I have both gone through very similar childhoods so my struggles she always seems to understand. One of the most incredible things about Wendy is her heart. She really loves the Lord and she in intentional in sharing him with her everyday life. She has starting running with a neighbor friend who does not know the Lord. I love that! So many Christians spend time with Christians when we should all be INTENTIONALLY befriending people that don't know the Lord. I encourage you to start reading Wendy's blog if you haven't already. She is a beautiful lady inside and out.
Today I got an email from another blogging friend, Stacey. As soon as I read her email, I knew I wanted to talk to her and give her some encouragement so I replied with one simple sentence. "CALL ME!" Within the minute my phone rang and it was Stacey. Now let me tell you something pretty cool about Stacey! She knows God's Word like the back of her hand. Scripture rolls off her tongue and she is passionate about Jesus. Her energy makes me want to get out my Bible and read, read , read! Today was the first day that Stacey and I actually got to talk on the phone. We have exchanged messages a few times but today we finally got to chat! As soon as we began talking, I felt like I had known her my whole life. We prayed together and encouraged one another. Isn't that cool? That's what God does! He blesses you with incredible friends that you will spend an eternity with! If I need faith for something, I will email or call Stacey. She is a WARRIOR and I sure love having her in my corner. This girl can pray and her prayers get answered! Just check out her blog and you will see for yourself!
Then there is my sweet Paula, the sweetest Southern Belle you have ever met in your life! Paula has become one of my best friends in the whole world and I adore her. Plus we have already made plans for my daughter to marry her son. Who cares if they are only two right now! Paula and I just want to be mother-in-laws together! :)
Outside of blogging, I have some awesome friends too! I don't see all of them as much as I would like but I couldn't get by without them. Kelly Ann, Kelly F., Courtney, Nancy, Tiffany, Laura, Rebecca, Cheri, Diana and my cousin Cara. These gals are the most incredible prayer warriors, shopping buddies and confidantes I have ever had.
And now this weekend we are going to a new place where I will get to spend time with two other friends, Erika & Cindy. I will tell you all about them soon because they are a part of this new chapter in our lives. So exciting! (Stay tuned for more details!)
I sure love all of these incredible women. They help me and encourage me daily and I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with each and everyone of them!
Yesterday the phone rang and it was Wendy! I was so happy to hear her calm, sweet, quiet voice. If you read Wendy's blog, then you KNOW how precious and warm she is. The awesome thing is every single time I talk to her, I am encouraged or motivated as a wife, mother and child of God. Yesterday I got to share with her all that God was doing in my life. She knows all the details and I am glad she does because I know she will be praying. Wendy and I have both gone through very similar childhoods so my struggles she always seems to understand. One of the most incredible things about Wendy is her heart. She really loves the Lord and she in intentional in sharing him with her everyday life. She has starting running with a neighbor friend who does not know the Lord. I love that! So many Christians spend time with Christians when we should all be INTENTIONALLY befriending people that don't know the Lord. I encourage you to start reading Wendy's blog if you haven't already. She is a beautiful lady inside and out.
Today I got an email from another blogging friend, Stacey. As soon as I read her email, I knew I wanted to talk to her and give her some encouragement so I replied with one simple sentence. "CALL ME!" Within the minute my phone rang and it was Stacey. Now let me tell you something pretty cool about Stacey! She knows God's Word like the back of her hand. Scripture rolls off her tongue and she is passionate about Jesus. Her energy makes me want to get out my Bible and read, read , read! Today was the first day that Stacey and I actually got to talk on the phone. We have exchanged messages a few times but today we finally got to chat! As soon as we began talking, I felt like I had known her my whole life. We prayed together and encouraged one another. Isn't that cool? That's what God does! He blesses you with incredible friends that you will spend an eternity with! If I need faith for something, I will email or call Stacey. She is a WARRIOR and I sure love having her in my corner. This girl can pray and her prayers get answered! Just check out her blog and you will see for yourself!
Then there is my sweet Paula, the sweetest Southern Belle you have ever met in your life! Paula has become one of my best friends in the whole world and I adore her. Plus we have already made plans for my daughter to marry her son. Who cares if they are only two right now! Paula and I just want to be mother-in-laws together! :)
Outside of blogging, I have some awesome friends too! I don't see all of them as much as I would like but I couldn't get by without them. Kelly Ann, Kelly F., Courtney, Nancy, Tiffany, Laura, Rebecca, Cheri, Diana and my cousin Cara. These gals are the most incredible prayer warriors, shopping buddies and confidantes I have ever had.
And now this weekend we are going to a new place where I will get to spend time with two other friends, Erika & Cindy. I will tell you all about them soon because they are a part of this new chapter in our lives. So exciting! (Stay tuned for more details!)
I sure love all of these incredible women. They help me and encourage me daily and I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with each and everyone of them!
Labels: friends
Friday, March 16, 2007
Ching-a-ring chaw!
A few months ago I was out Christmas shopping with one of my best friends, Kelly Ann. I wish I could go back in time and freeze that particular day at Target, the Target Snack Bar, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and Hobby Lobby. It was a great day! Just me and her shopping the day away with no children, no husbands, just us! She's a pretty special friend. We have a ton of history together that goes all the way back to eighth grade. Not only did we attend the same junior high and high school but we grew up in the same youth group. We had a typical teenage, female friendship. There were some days we loved each other and other days we felt the total opposite. Our Youth Pastor can vouch for that! Our love/hate relationship probably had a lot to do with boys. She always had way more boyfriends than me. Not too long ago we were sitting in a Mexican food restaurant eating our chips and salsa (without our husbands) as we divulged many High School secrets. We discovered that we had kissed many of the same boys! Of course we compared notes and both agreed on the bad kissers. I know she is reading this so I have to say this for her. T.B=QB, A.W.=PK! Okay so enough inside jokes! And Janna, if you are reading this, I know you are totally disgusted by BOTH and probably shocked by the first one! Anyway! Kelly Ann had a her baby shower this past Saturday. The room was full of women, many whom I did not know. It was obvious she was in a room full of people that loved her. I sat next to some of her husband's relatives and shared some stories about my teenage years with Kelly Ann. As Kelly Ann opened her gifts, I could not help but think back to our journey together and how blessed I am to have her in my life.
In a few weeks, Kelly will have a precious baby girl named Schaefer. I feel like this baby is a part of me too. I prayed and prayed for her to come. I prayed for life in Kelly's womb and I even prayed for a girl. Not only did God answer her prayer but he answered mine too! Even though the room was filled with women that love Kelly, pray for Kelly and cherish her friendship, I felt pretty special. We've been through a lot together. From stupid boys to youth camps (where stupid boys were). From Mr.Dean in Junior High (Not only was he our choir director but Kelly Clarkson's too) to Ms. Douglas in High School, we have sang our hearts out in ugly choir dresses and so much more. No one can take our history from us. Our friendship runs deep and the memories we have created will last a lifetime. We can't be separated. Differences can't do it, life changes can't, distance or anything else! Our friendship has always been "meant to be" and it will last a lifetime, no matter what.
So I wish I could go back in time and freeze our Christmas shopping day. We were walking in the parking lot when Kelly begin to sing, "Ching-a-ring a ring a ring ching ching, ho a ding a ding kum larkey!" I almost peed my pants, which would not have been hard to do since I was eight months pregnant. Instantly I knew what she was singing. I can appreciate the musical pioneer Aaron Copeland now, but when you are sixteen years old singing Ching-a-ring chaw for UIL judges, you wonder what in the heck Aaron Copeland was thinking with this piece of music. As Kelly and I tried to remember the words, we both talked about how we had no idea what the song meant. We laughed, sang and laughed some more. It is a precious memory that know one can take from us, no one would possibly understand but us. Tonight I was thinking about all that is going on in my life and baby Schaefer who will be here soon. Things will be busy and our time will be harder to come by. Feeling a little sentimental, I found Aaron Copeland's Ching-a-ring Chaw on iTunes! Can you believe it? It's now on my iPod and I plan on putting it on cd for Kelly Ann. There is probably no one else on earth that would appreciate this song, except me, Kelly and some old women who sing in your local Chamber Choir.
Oh how I love my friends. I just couldn't do life without them. So here's to you Kelly Ann! I love you my friend. I am pretty sure we will talk tomorrow and how about let's hang out SOON! We live so close, there is no EXCUSE! :)
Ching-a-ring chaw!
In a few weeks, Kelly will have a precious baby girl named Schaefer. I feel like this baby is a part of me too. I prayed and prayed for her to come. I prayed for life in Kelly's womb and I even prayed for a girl. Not only did God answer her prayer but he answered mine too! Even though the room was filled with women that love Kelly, pray for Kelly and cherish her friendship, I felt pretty special. We've been through a lot together. From stupid boys to youth camps (where stupid boys were). From Mr.Dean in Junior High (Not only was he our choir director but Kelly Clarkson's too) to Ms. Douglas in High School, we have sang our hearts out in ugly choir dresses and so much more. No one can take our history from us. Our friendship runs deep and the memories we have created will last a lifetime. We can't be separated. Differences can't do it, life changes can't, distance or anything else! Our friendship has always been "meant to be" and it will last a lifetime, no matter what.
So I wish I could go back in time and freeze our Christmas shopping day. We were walking in the parking lot when Kelly begin to sing, "Ching-a-ring a ring a ring ching ching, ho a ding a ding kum larkey!" I almost peed my pants, which would not have been hard to do since I was eight months pregnant. Instantly I knew what she was singing. I can appreciate the musical pioneer Aaron Copeland now, but when you are sixteen years old singing Ching-a-ring chaw for UIL judges, you wonder what in the heck Aaron Copeland was thinking with this piece of music. As Kelly and I tried to remember the words, we both talked about how we had no idea what the song meant. We laughed, sang and laughed some more. It is a precious memory that know one can take from us, no one would possibly understand but us. Tonight I was thinking about all that is going on in my life and baby Schaefer who will be here soon. Things will be busy and our time will be harder to come by. Feeling a little sentimental, I found Aaron Copeland's Ching-a-ring Chaw on iTunes! Can you believe it? It's now on my iPod and I plan on putting it on cd for Kelly Ann. There is probably no one else on earth that would appreciate this song, except me, Kelly and some old women who sing in your local Chamber Choir.
Oh how I love my friends. I just couldn't do life without them. So here's to you Kelly Ann! I love you my friend. I am pretty sure we will talk tomorrow and how about let's hang out SOON! We live so close, there is no EXCUSE! :)
Ching-a-ring chaw!
Labels: friends
