Conversations with my Daughters

Kendyll's new favorite CD to listen to is Nichole Nordeman (I couldn't be prouder!). She loves her pretty piano, her pretty hair, and the song "Breathe". She knows every word, and I don't care how many times I've heard her sing it, I still smile huge and get a little misty-eyed each time. Her sweet voice combined with such incredible words about God, are just too much!

So, today, she was singing "Do You wish, do You want us to breathe again? Say goodbye to the lines that we've colored in, brown and gray, from day to day...Do You cry, do You hope for all things made new, try and try to invoke us to live in You? That we might be the hands and feet of this mystery, yeah...."

This and many other songs on Kendyll's "favorites list" have led to great conversations where she asks me some pretty challenging questions about faith and the God we serve. Today, the question was "Why does it say we are hands and feet?"

Ummmm.....well, where do you start on that one?

So, I briefly told her that before Jesus went back to heaven, he told us we should try to be just like Him and that we should tell everyone about God and Jesus, so that they will love Him and can go to heaven with us. (that was the short version)

From there, we spent a long time talking about heaven. She can't wait to be there, and her passion for it (although it scares me sometimes to hear her so eager to go there), makes me excited too. Today, we talked about how great it will be to not ever be sad, to not ever cry or get boo-boo's or be scared, or angry....and how wonderful it is to know we will be happy all the time because we'll be with God.

Then, here's my favorite part. "Mommy, I think in December, Jesus will come back. And, He will come get me and hold my hand, and I will tell you to come with me! And Daddy and Carlie too! And, we will go right up into heaven with Jesus and God. And, do you know what we will do all the time?....We will bounce around on the clouds and go really high and it won't even be scary! We will just laugh and laugh and laugh." I have to say the knot in my throat was rather large. And, I could barely get my response of "Kendyll, I can't wait to do that with you" out of my mouth.

I love the simplistic way that children capture the very nature of God, and the ease with which they let go of this world we are in, and long to be with the Lord....to bounce on the clouds.

On another note, conversations with my other daughter are pretty fun these days too. She now says the cutest things like:

"Wherego? Day-Tis!" (Where'd it go? Oh, There it is!)
"Tiss n Hud" (Kiss and Hug)
"Heh-Doe" (Here you go!)
"Whehmasoo?" (Where are my shoes?)
"Nee Binka" (I need my blanket)
"addiblkjektjakgte(unintelligible) PASS, peeeaaas?" (Can I please have my pass (pacifier), please?)
"Addie a dod!" (Annie's a dog!)
"Pa Pa Bible" (Pat Pat the Bible)

Although these two sets of conversations sound very different, they thrill my heart in such similar ways. :)

GranSunday Celebration

I stole my blog title from my sister's blog (henkehappenings.blogspot.com)---"GranSunday Celebration #1".

Yesterday was the first of many monthly get-togethers for our family at my Dad and Kay's house. They had the genius idea of setting a specific Sunday apart once a month to gather together at their house for a day of family fun. As ridiculous as it sounds, with our family being spread across the metroplex, it has become almost necessary to schedule a time to hang out...so we're thankful that Dad came up with this great idea. Each time we get together, we will have a big meal featuring some of my dad's finest foods (he and Kay both are awesome cooks), and we will celebrate that month's birthdays, anniversaries, and special accomplishments. Yesterday was the greatest kick-off for these fun days to come! (except for the fact that Cassie was gone--we missed you, Cas.)

Kendyll and Carlie got the best surprise when we arrived...a kid-sized Gator that they can drive all by themselves! Kendyll wasn't sure that was really okay, and kept asking me "Are you sure I can do it by myself?" She is used to the Gator at Gammy and Papa Ron's ranch, which is adult-sized where she drives in Gammy's lap. So, she was shocked that this one was driveable without adult help required! I don't think she got off that thing for longer than a few minutes to scarf down some of the yummy lunch we had. (Her favorite was the canteloupe and the cupcakes, while Carlie's was the tomatoes, pork, and homemade ice cream!)
After lunch, Carlie crashed upstairs and Grandad and Kendyll started a project in the backyard. While all of us enjoyed the air conditioning and visiting time inside, they were busy outside for hours. It was so fun to watch them playing, as they scooped up rocks in the Gator to build a "patio" and "hopscotch". Then, as we watched from inside, they started to build a child-sized tee pee from old twigs and brush my dad had collected from their huge and beautiful trees.
As we watched the tee pee come to life, complete with flooring (brown fabric) and buffalo hide (a yellow sheet), I couldn't help but think of how thankful I am for the relationships my children have with each of their grandparents and for the memories they will have for years to come of special times just like these. I sat there thinking about how each one of our parents bring something different and special to our lives---Grandad, Grankay, Gammy, Papa Ron, Pops, and Grandma all represent something unique to each of their grandchildren, and what a treasure that is! My girls being with Grandad reminds me of my own childhood in so many ways. Building a tee pee is something that comes so easily for my dad, although Mark and I both would have struggled for days to figure out how to make those sticks stand up! My dad's hands can form playhouses out of twigs with no effort whatsoever, and, all the while, make a four year old girl believe that she was the one creating it. As I listened to dad ask "Now, where do you think we should put the door?" and Kendyll answer "How about right here?", I was so proud that, in her mind, it was her creation from start to finish. She was so proud and so happy. And, SO cute!
After Grandad and Kendyll put together the tee-pee, she had to show each of us how cool it was. She then had to have a snack inside and enjoyed her ice water and orange slices with Grandad too. She begged to stay and sleep outside that night, and we have promised her that she can do that very soon. (but maybe in a bigger tent!) She said all her tee-pee was missing was "a flashlight and a radio", so I guess she has grand ideas for her next visit to Grandad and Grankay's!

Our time with family yesterday was so much fun, so relaxed, and so "homey". Mark and I both talked on the way home, how incredibly fortunate we are for the families we have and who we treasure so much.

It's always amazing to me to watch as God blesses our lives in the "little things" and the moments with family that you don't always notice or expect. As many of my sweet friends and family know who read this blog, our family has been blessed in many ways by the changes we have gone through over the years. Although the sadness and discomfort of divorce accompanied some of our years before now, and even tries to come back from time to time, it is awesome to see how much more richly God has blessed us today because of it. Our family has grown to appreciate and love each other even more. And, we have double the grandparents and double the love. Double the memories and double the blessings. And, for that, I am doubly thankful. As Amy Grant said long ago, "Thank the Lord, He's been doubly good to me!"

Thanks for a great day, Grandad and Grankay. We look forward to many more!

Summertime Fun

We've had lots of fun in the sun lately...summer is so much fun! Here are some highlights from last week.

We visited the zoo with Grandma and had such a fun time seeing the animals, playing in the Texas Wild, riding the train and carousel, and getting treats to eat.

We also had our first official visit to the pool with Aunt Cassie.

Kendyll, who isn't too fond of water, eventually warmed up to the idea of swimming (although this was still done with water wings AND an intertube floatie). Carlie, however, was ready to dive in, and got four spankings while we were there (We generally only spank for danger, so you can probably tell what kind of day it was for her!) She spent most of her time dunking her whole head under water, trying to swallow as much water as she could, and proceeded to run all over the place without me, getting dangerously close to the side of the pool. She's gonna be a crazy one this summer, I can tell!

This weekend, I got to spend Friday and Saturday with my sweet and already very missed sister, Cassie. We took a road trip to Birmingham, where she and Austin will be living for the next 3 months. We had many experiences on the road from Texas, through Louisiana and Mississippi, and finally to Alabama. These included getting "picked up" in a gas station, eating too much fast food to the point of sickness, and seeing the most beautiful magnolia trees I've ever seen. When we finally arrived in Birmingham, Austin gave us the city tour (he grew up there) and we had a great dinner together. It was so fun to see where they will live during his law internship, although we will MISS them SO very much while they are gone. I flew back on Saturday afternoon to my hubby and girls, who apparently had a GREAT time while I was gone.

This was the report I got from the homefront.

Friday consisted of ransacking the entire house, (Mark's exact quote was "You would DIE if you saw this place. You wouldn't even recognize the game room." Nice.), swimming at the pool (with more water-ingestion by Carlie), ordering pizza and watching a movie, and then a beauty shop and slumber party. Yes, that's right, Daddy had a full-blown beauty shop with the girls. I got home to a husband with purple fingernails and silver toenails...and yes, he kept it on all weekend, until church on Sunday. The slumber party was a pile of blankets and pillows in our bedroom floor while they watched a TV show and had a pillow fight before bed. Saturday was more of the same, with breakfast at McDonald's, more crazy playtime including markers, tape, scissors, and paint. (Scary!) Then, the rest of the day was spent cleaning up the tornado before Mommy came home and had a stroke. I'm very glad that my girls can have that much fun with their Daddy while I'm gone. Here is a glimpse of what they looked like without me.

Nice hair in the face and Pj's with no pants in the middle of the day. It's so fun to have the Mommy out of the house!

My next blog (tomorrow, hopefully) will be about today. We got to spend the entire day with alot of the family at Grandad's and Grandkay's house and it was a blast. I have lots of pictures and a few cute stories, so it will have to be a new blog tomorrow.

It's been a fun start to our summer around here. I'm trying to start planning a few activities for us to do each week, and I can't believe it's already JUNE soon! I hope all of you are making the most of your fun in the sun too! It's gonna be school time again before we turn around. But, let's not talk about that....

We're Home...

I always hate to blog that we're about to leave town, letting anyone and everyone know that our house is empty! But now that we're home again, I'll update on where we've been. :)

Mark had a conference in San Diego and I tagged along for a few days of doing absolutely nothing. It was WONDERFUL and we had a great time getting away from the craziness of life. The weather was up and down, with a couple of cloudy days, but I was thankful for the clouds. It gave me an excuse to lay in bed and read all day! We also got a few opportunities to get outside and enjoy the sun too. And, lots of time to go to dinner in the evenings, go see the movie Mission Impossible 3 (yes, I had mixed feelings about supporting Tom Cruise, but it was worth it!), and we even caught a Padres baseball game the last night. (which made Mark a very happy camper!)

The girls went to Gammy and Papa Ron's house for a few days, and were, of course, begging to stay longer when we picked them up last night. They had a great time "getting away" too, and spent every day outside playing in the dirt, riding horses, holding the new baby chicks, and apparently having alot more fun than they do here at home!

The best part of being away for a while, is that wonderful feeling of hugging my sweet girls when I get back home. They each grew a foot while I was gone, and talk more than I remember them talking last Thursday. :) And, it's so good to be unpacking and getting settled again here.

Of course, I will have to get re-adjusted to the fact that I can't read for hours on end each day, because I definitely got addicted to that daily schedule! While I was gone, I read a few great books, that many of you have probably already read. But, just in case you haven't....

"Boy Meets Girl" was a hilarious easy-read that I got from Alyssa. PERFECT for this trip. I kept laughing out loud while I was reading it and Mark kept saying "What? What's so funny? Tell me!" So, he practically read it too, because I kept having to read him the funny parts. GREAT one Alyssa!

"The Red Tent" was one I have been wanting to read for a long time and really enjoyed. I haven't finished the last few chapters, but this is an interesting historically-based fiction book about Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and the story of their children. After studying this family in Ladies Bible Class this year, I loved reading what might have happened in a family like that long ago.

"The DaVinci Code" was probably the one I spent the most time on. Wow. I have to say that from my perspective as a Christian, it was truly a story of mystery and a great novel, and that was it. I was actually impressed with Brown's ability to align all the details the way he did to make such a great story, although I didn't feel "swayed" at all by the religious theories in it.

But, as I finished it, I did feel overwhelmed with concern for those non-Christians who read this with no faith base from which to judge what they learn in this book. I can see why others could be very easily swayed into thinking negatively about the church, as well as influenced to believe a completely different "story of Christ" than we do. As I finished reading it on the plane, an interesting thing happened.

A guy sitting next to us, handed me a book written in response to the DaVinci Code by Josh MacDowell. He said he had picked it up somewhere and that I could keep it and read it when I finished the book. I did read this response (called A Quest for Answers: The DaVinci Code) and was VERY glad to see that Christian authors are defending our faith and our history in books like these. MacDowell refutes many of the "facts" that Dan Brown claims as truth and makes a case for the origin of Christianity.

After I read it, I felt much more encouraged that books like this exist, and was interested in why the guy handed it to me. I told him I was a Christian and was reading The DaVinci Code out of curiousity about the book and that I enjoyed what Josh MacDowell had to say in response. I offered him his book back. He said "No, keep it and pass it on to someone who needs it." I thought it was very interesting, and a great example of someone who was prepared to offer anyone he saw reading DaVinci Code a Christian response. When he handed it to me, he didn't know my background or my reason for reading. He just knew that he had a responsibility to offer me the truth. I was impressed. And, for anyone who is curious, I now have this book as a reference.

So, along with some deep reading, I also made time for mindless magazines, a few short stories, and lots of naps in between. It's been a long time since I did truly "nothing" on a vacation. So, this was a great no-agenda trip for all of us. And, it's always great to be back home as the four of us again, catching up on what has happened while we were gone!

Kendyll's New Pastime

Kendyll has discovered the ease and enjoyment of a digital camera. You can aim at the subject, view it on the screen, and click away. Now that we've shown her how to do it, she is addicted. As you can tell, her favorite photo subject currently is her own feet. We probably have twenty of this "pose", in white sandals, flip flops, bare feet, sock feet...you get the picture. Here are a few of her other shots this week.

First, you'll see a few of the inanimate objects she sees as art....and then the people shots she has captured so well.

So, if you are in need of a professional picture of your own shoes, the back of your head, or maybe your favorite sippy cup, contact us for more details. We'll give you a great deal.

Celebrations Part TWO

Man, I cannot keep up! Every time I sit down to blog, I realize how much has happened since the last one. This summer-time blogging may get out of control. I'm gonna have to "pick and choose" my updates a little better. However, I am also starting to see this blog as my own version of a scrapbook, since I can't seem to manage a REAL scrapbook of either child. So, I want to get everything I can into this journal (whether anyone else reads it or not!)

Okay, so back to Mother's Day. This was our Sunday morning.

4:30 am -- Alarm goes off for mommy.
5:00 am -- Mommy finally gets out of bed, followed by Daddy in a few minutes.
6:00 am -- Daddy wakes up the girls and sneaks them downstairs to give me my sweet Mother's Day cards (any card that involves four-year-old artwork is priceless.)
6:15 am -- Girls, Mommy, & Daddy are loaded in the car, heading to Abilene for the day.
6:30 am -- We finally drive away from Whataburger with breakfast and caffeine for the trip ahead.
8:30 am -- Daddy has to stop for "gas", which really ends up being yet another coffee break, which makes Mommy stressed out, because now we are officially late for 9:00 am church service. I ask him why he needed ANOTHER giant coffee. He says, what time did I start driving this morning? Okay, I guess we'll be late.
9:15 am -- Arrive in Abilene to the Southern Hills parking lot and literally throw our kids out of the car, strip them down from their PJ's, and throw on their smocked dresses. Mommy changes to her skirt (inside the car, of course), throws on her heels, and in we go.
9:27 am -- We sit down on the row saved for us by the family, and Mommy tries to take a deep breath because she is 27 minutes late for church, something she never does well with. Especially when visiting family who is ALWAYS on time. :)
9:30 am -- Mommy relaxes, both children are sitting down the row with grandparents and cousins, and Mommy and Daddy take time to listen, sing, sit, and pray together. Wonderful!
10:30 am -- We get to see some of our favorite friends for class! We got to catch up with Cary and Erica, who moved away a few months ago, and their sweet girls, Kaylee and Campbell, as well as Matt and Melissa B., with their son Aidan, and sweet girl on the way. We saw many other ACU friends as well, and enjoyed their Young Marrieds class so much. It was great to visit with sweet friends and watch my daughter "reconnect" with Kaylee after a few months of missing her.
12:00 pm -- Home to Aunt Carol's for Mother's Day lunch and a big surprise birthday cake for Mommy! Everyone enjoyed cake and ice cream and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting, napping, playing, and relaxing. It was great!
5:30 pm -- Time to get back in the car and head for home. Quite the eventful trip home with horrible traffic, hungry and impatient kids, and a broken DVD player. NOT the best part of Mother's Day. But, we got awesome video of both kids screaming their heads off at the same time, and Mark and I were just laughing hysterically. So, I guess we could find humor in it anyway.
9:00 pm -- Home Sweet Home! Kids in bed, Mommy & Daddy clean house and unpack, and hit the sack. Happy Mother's Day!

But, all was made better from the road trip when I woke up Monday on my birthday! It was one of the best I've had, and was wonderful because my husband worked so hard to make me feel loved and appreciated all day. Sleeping in late while he took care of the kids, breakfast in bed cooked with love by my girls, sweet birthday cards from everyone with more artwork, playtime at the park with the family, a picnic by the duck pond (see pictures below), and then five hours at the Four Seasons Spa. I mean, really, it couldn't have been better. My spa gift certificate was given to me LAST YEAR, but I had never found the day to use it. So, Mark booked it for me, picked out all the best treatments, and sent me on my way. Absolutely relaxing. I was pampered beyond belief.
When I got home, we left for dinner (without children, thanks again to Grandma) and then enjoyed the evening at home. It was a great ending to a perfect day. I am so blessed and am still reliving my wonderful day. Thank you, Mark, for making me feel so special and for celebrating with me all day long.

Happy Mother's/Birth Day!

Well, I really should have blogged in small chunks over the last four days, but never found the time to do it. So, once again, here's another marathon post from Chelsea.

My weekend was amazing. It was one full of family, and lots of time with my husband too. I am one of those people who has a "combo birthday" almost every year. This year, my birthday fell the day after Mother's Day, so it was a fun few days of celebration!

Let's start with our first day of celebrating:

Friday, I got home from getting my hair cut (four inches off, by the way!) and found out that Mark had arranged for his mom to come over so we could go on a date. The plan was to go shop for our digital camera that was to be my Mother's Day and birthday gift this year. So, we headed that direction and somehow got distracted by the mall on the way. (I have NO idea how that happened!)

Now, let me explain that our yearly tradition for my birthday has always been a shopping trip with my hubby to Ann Taylor Loft (my favorite clothing store on the planet.) The important parts of this trip are:
1) a night out without children where we shop as late as we want without strollers or diaper bags and THEN eat dinner at 9:00 if we want to.
2) once-a-year actual shopping by my husband. I had to teach him how to do this early on in marriage, where he actually walks around with me (rather than sitting on the bench outside) and picks out the outfits he likes the best (I love this----it reminds me of growing up when my sweet dad would accompany us on shopping trips and actually picked out clothes for us, found the right sizes, and had opinions on what we tried on, along with mom)
3) And, of course, the last important part---I get to take home my favorite clothes as my gift each year!

So, let me just say, that the digital camera is on hold for a while. I was way too successful at the mall "on the way"! But, it was such fun and helped keep the tradition going! We had a fabulous kid-free dinner with time for conversation and no reason to rush, which was wonderful. And after checking out the movie theater selections (and the millions of teeny-boppers attending the movies that night), we decided to rent two movies, which we promptly fell asleep to by the time we got home to watch them.

So, thank you, Grandma Cheri, for keeping the girls while we had a date night to celebrate!

Okay, day two of celebrating: Saturday morning we woke up with lots to do for Kendyll's big ballet recital that afternoon. So, I started making my lists as I always do, getting organized for my day. But, not long after that, it was decided that the girls and Mark were taking me to breakfast for Mother's Day (since we would be out of town on Sunday). So, I threw my lists out the door and enjoyed the day anyway!

So, off we went to Breadwinners, one of my very favorite breakfast spots anywhere. We had a delicious breakfast outside on the patio and the girls were perfect for me. :) Then, we took Kendyll to the ballet store to pick out a special ballerina doll and new ballet shoes for her big day. The rest of the day was spent running a few errands, practicing a few ballet moves for her show (although that didn't last long!), taking good naps for the recital, and meeting up with family for Mother's Day hugs and cards before the recital began. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

And, here are a few pictures of the cutest ballerina around: Kendyll had so much fun at her recital and felt like a queen. She had SIXTEEN family members come to see her show, and she truly felt how special she was from each and every one of them. She got flowers, Hawaiian leis, gifts, and big hugs. She told me as we left the theater "Mommy, my mouth cannot stop smiling!" That summed up her day perfectly. We were so proud of her up on that stage, and enjoyed seeing her personality in her performance. She is such a mix of her two parents. She hams it up just like Mark, looking for us in the audience and remembering to smile the whole time. But, then she spent half her dance routine looking for her spot of tape on the floor because her teacher told her to stay there. (following the rules like her mommy). We had a fun day and got Sonic ice cream on the way home for such a great performance!

Well, I will finish with Sunday and Monday this afternoon. I'm even getting tired of reading this, so I'm sure all of you are! I had such a great few days, I don't want to leave anything out...which always leads to a novel with way too many details! So, I'll see you this afternoon for part 2.

The School Year Ends...

The first day of Sunshine School, September '05 The last day of school, May '06. My, how they've grown!

Well, today marks the end of another preschool year around our house. The last day of school was yesterday, but today, I finished cleaning out my room and reorganizing my lesson plans. So, now, it's officially done. Until August, anyway. Kendyll and I celebrated yesterday by going to get ice cream (while Carlie took a nap!), going to the Galleria to play, and then to meet Daddy and Carlie at Macaroni Grill for a "Celebrating Summer" dinner. It was a great night and reminded me of years ago when school was out and you felt free!

I LOVE preschool. I love the smiles and hugs I get from my students, I love the ages from two to four, I love getting to see my fellow teachers and friends two days a week, I love feeling like I get to "make a difference" for a few children every year, and I love what my children learn and the friends they make at Sunshine School. This year was a great one, for all involved.

Carlie had a great year with Mrs. Leslie and learned a few letters (mainly "B" & "S") and colors (favorites are still yellow and black). She also learned how to "ask" for things instead of scream (something I was REALLY hoping would eventually start clicking!) Now she cocks her head to the side and says "Peeeeaaas" anytime she wants something. She made new friends, even though she scared the boys in her class within the first week of school. (They played with a flower garden playcenter that she loved....she screamed right in Henry's face when he dared come near it, and made him cry. Needless to say, he didn't touch that toy for months-- I must admit, Carlie knows how to hold her own with her peers.) She learned to color with crayons, and count (saying Un, do, ee for one, two, three....and then she starts over at one). What she didn't learn was how to say her friend's names, or much else for that matter, even though most of her class is extremely verbal. She didn't learn how to take a good nap at school..or even a bad nap, really. And, she didn't learn how to wait patiently in my classroom each morning until it was her turn for school. (She was usually running down the hallways until every teacher heard me yelling "CAAARRRRLLLIIIEEEE!!!") But, I am thankful for her sweet teacher who loved her just as she was and celebrated Carlie for the spunky girl that she always is. Now, I must begin praying for next year's teacher, Mrs. Rebecca, that Carlie will be able to nap on a nap mat for her, sit in a big girl chair, and be a NICE friend to others. I told her future teacher today, that her teacher gifts will start in June, so that she will be nicely "prepared" for Carlie by August!

Kendyll had an awesome year. She had two different teachers who worked so well with her personality and also celebrated Kendyll's strengths and encouraged her so much. I don't know if I could list the things she's learned from Mrs. Holly and then from Mrs. Marla. But, a few of the high points would be sounding out and reading simple words, writing all of our family's names, as well as many other phrases and names of friends. She perfected her skills at drawing rainbows with clouds at each end, houses with windows, pictures of our family, and mommy with her braces. She also says that she knows how to draw neighborhoods, but I have no idea what that means. :) She learned the pledge to Texas (& America of course!), as well as some great national and Texan songs. She is still working on coloring "in the lines", although I still don't know if that's something I want her to already do! I want her to feel free to color all over the place for as long as she can, before she faces the rigid world of black and white lines. :)

She has some of her very best friends in Sunshine School and we have had the blessing of knowing each of their families better and better through our children being in school together. She is already planning many playtimes and sleepovers with her school friends this summer. Now, something she didn't learn: Although there are many things she hasn't learned yet, the big one with Kendyll is keeping her emotions in check. She hasn't come close to mastering the art of talking without whining when she is disappointed. And, she sure can't calmly react when someone messes with her stuff, gets out of line, or hurts her in any way. When will she change this? That one kills me. I want her to be able to be a "big girl" and not react so dramatically. This one we WILL be working on before next year (I promise we will, Mrs. Rutledge!)

So, summer is here and we are all so happy. Next year will be another fun year, I'm sure, but a break from the schedule of school will be wonderful. Kendyll's already planning trips to the zoo, the library, the pool, piano camp in June, and trips to every grandparent's house too. She's already said that she is going to play toys and swim at Grandma's new house, ride horses at Gammy's, and play soccer on the HUGE soccer field at Granddad's. (Dad, she thinks you are making your "long backyard" into a soccer field for her....don't know where that came from!) Anyway, lots of fun stuff planned and hopefully, lots of good time for mommy to work on her projects!! (and, of course, play too!)

Well, I'm off to drag out the pool and all the floating toys from the garage shelves. Happy summer to you all.

Pictures from our Super Summer Day at school yesterday:

What?!

I can't believe Chris just got voted off of American Idol. I'm in shock. He wasn't my top favorite (Katherine is), but I still thought the two of them would go all the way. Wow. Elliott is still there and Chris isn't.

Cortni, I'm sure you're giddy that Taylor was top two. It's probably from your thousand votes every Tuesday....

I Have Survived!

Where do I start? How about with a picture. They always say "A picture's worth a thousand words". So, here goes two thousand words.....

The view from our front door. If you look closely, you see "THE DESTROYER" painted across the front.

The view from our culdesac, looking from our neighbor's yard toward our house. Also, a close up of the skulls painted down the side of the bus.

So, now, here's the report that some of you have been waiting for. (well, the two or three of you who have asked!). This weekend with the band went great, all things considered. They were very nice people with very interesting lives, who tried very hard not to inconvenience us or be a burden in any way. Of course, any time you have that many people (plus your own family) under one roof, it is still rather "inconvenient" in ways, but overall, I think I was pleasantly surprised.

There were, of course, some funny moments, and some not-so-funny moments too. My favorite memory from this weekend will always be the moment when I greeted each of them upon their arrival, and thought there would never be an end to the number of people coming in the front door. Then, as they came in, they took their shoes off and literally collapsed all over our living room furniture. I just remember it all in slow motion. They drive up in this rumbling bus called "The Destroyer" at 11:30 pm, they start piling out of the thing (while I sat there with my jaw on the ground at the sight that it was), and then they just start shaking my hand. Eleven handshakes and a huge pile of shoes later, I turn around after closing my front door and see them all there. They were already comfortable in my house. And, there I sat trying to figure out what to do next. It was a pretty funny scene.

So, my first instinct was to offer food and drinks. Well, they gladly took me up on that. So, two bags of chips, guacamole, salsa, and queso, along with 4 large pizzas they decided to order, then took over my coffee table. And, I must remind you, this all happened at after midnight, when I'm usually fast asleep. (Yes, we're old fogies)

That first night was the only time I really felt like I had to quickly adjust and not start screaming like I kind of wanted to. It was crazy. After they ate (and I do mean ATE), I started showing them where the beds were, and helping them get situated with showers, sheets, pillows, and so on. Both my children woke up at several points during this, and I was just ready to go to bed! But, as things settled down, and Mark and I were alone in our room (with Kendyll on the floor), we thanked God for the blessings He has given us in a home that could fit all these people and a fridge that could fit all the food. We know that this was an opportunity to show a group of people the Lord, and to share our blessings with them. So, we really were grateful for that....even though we probably both fell asleep before we said Jesus Name, Amen!

After the initial shock wore off, I was pretty comfortable with waking up to the house full of people. We kept the girls quiet in our room for as long as we could, and then went out to survey the damage. That's when I realized this weekend could work, after all! Some of them were reading, others were working on their laptops, the girls were upstairs chatting, and one guy was quietly watching TV. It was very calm and quiet. And, not that different than our usual weekend. Okay, that's not true. It was very different. But, it was good and somewhat relaxed.

We had a huge barbecue outside for lunch, with music playing, a soccer game going, and great conversation. They enjoyed the afternoon, and then all went to see Mission Impossible 3, while I took Kendyll to a birthday party and we attended our Class Picnic. We got home (after a shortened picnic due to weather), and were greeted by the only three of the group who stayed behind to sleep. We got into great conversation with these three about church, God, our life here in Dallas, their life on the road, and other such things as that. It was great. The girls were in bed early with baths, and we were relaxed enough to enjoy company.

Sunday was more of the same, and the band left about noon. That was when the best part of the weekend happened. Not because they were leaving, but because of what it made me realize. Kendyll actually cried when they had to leave. She was sad that Uncle Chris couldn't stay for "two more weeks with all of his friends" and Carlie was throwing a fit because she wanted back on their bus. She had instantly clung to Kim, one of the band members, and was reaching her hands out for her as they loaded up. It was in that moment that I realized how important teachable times like these are.

Although I blogged before about my lack of desire for hospitality opportunities such as this one, I also want nothing more than my own daughters to always feel the desire to have an open home and a heart of generosity for others. So, as they begged for this company to stay longer, it reminded me that Mark and I have a responsibility to model for them the behaviors and attitudes we would like for them to have as grown women someday. I loved that Kendyll wanted more visiting time with them and was so happy that we had housed them for the weekend. (By the way, each of them were SO nice to her, and it was such a sweet sight to see her playing baby dolls and dress up with two alternative band girls in her bedroom. They were so interested in what she had to say and always got down on her level to "converse" with her.) And, Carlie made some best friends in a few days time, which doesn't always happen easily for her.

I want my girls to always see me opening my home, and my heart, with a willing attitude. So, this was a convicting moment for me. Although my girls didn't know that I had somewhat fought for the weekend not to happen, eventually they will know those things if I'm not aware. So, I want to be better...if for nothing else, for what I am teaching them about being a sweet host.

Although we all breathed a sigh as they drove out of sight (after getting out twice to push the bus out of the cul-de-sac), we enjoyed our time with the group, and are looking forward to the places they will go from here. We wish the Cinematic Underground the best of luck with their crazy Destroyer road trip. :)

Seth, the band's "bus man", adding antifreeze so that the bus will work.

The "gang" with the girls and Annie (our dog). Even the dog fell in love with these people!

The inside of Destroyer. And, yes, they have done this road tour for months.

I'll close with five random things I learned this weekend:

*You need FOUR giant Sam's sized bags of On the Border chips for a band...not two.

*A bus called "The Destroyer" really doesn't scare my neighbors--or my 21 month old.

*A school bus can actually be converted to have a living room, four beds, and a massive storage area for all kinds of instruments and equipment.

*My house really could be a hotel! (Well, if my customers prefer air mattresses in my husband's office.)

*Just because a girl has a nose and eyebrow ring, she can still cry over a brand new bar of soap in the shower. (She really did.)

Why am I BLOGGING?

I don't really know why I feel the need to sit down and post right now. It's really the last thing I should be doing. Basically, it's what I am doing to avoid what I need to be doing. I'm on my way out the door to buy food for the gigantic house party we are somehow hosting in a few hours. Only Mark's brother, Chris, could find a way to invite eleven band friends to our house for the weekend, with only a few days notice. They had two shows in Louisiana and Oklahoma cancel for this weekend, so they are driving here from Kansas instead. (Holly and Tiffany, I almost sent them to your house for a live show in your backyard!)

Although my first reaction was a resistant one (to say the least), I'm really getting more relaxed about it at this point, somehow. Okay, so I know how. It's because I'm making myself relax!!

I was a little more tense a few days ago, when I first pictured these guys and girls hanging out in my house for the weekend---nothing personal to them, but just the thought of that many people taking over our "space" was a little overwhelming. (I'm one of "those kind" who like their "space" alot.) Where will they sleep? What will they eat? How will they all shower? Where will they sit? What will they do? How are we going to manage their "band dude" schedule with our two sleeping children? And, where will they park their bus? (They have a school bus that they inherited for free that has black skulls on the side and runs on vegetable oil....don't ask me.)

But, my calm-natured-go-with-the-flow-nothing-really-stresses-him-out husband reminded me that there is no reason that we can't manage to show these friends of our family some hospitality and an "open door" to our home, without it having to be "perfect" here. (That happens to be my downfall to a fault when hosting any event in my house...) So, like I said, I have forced myself to relax. And, then, five minutes later, I have had to make myself relax again. I find myself going from "Oh, it doesn't matter if they have a pillow" to "I should go buy new sheets so they don't have to sleep on Dora or Sleeping Beauty". And, from "We'll just have ice cream sundaes for dessert" to "I should probably make three different kinds of pie, in case someone doesn't like ice cream."

But, now it's a few hours from arrival time. And, they may not have a pillow, and they will have to like Sleeping Beauty, and hopefully they will love ice cream sundaes for dessert. These guys (and girls) will just be thankful for a floor to sleep on, and a house to land at for a few days, that reminds them of home, when their whole year has been spent traveling around America on a vegetable bus. So, their standards are probably not too high to meet. :)

I truly think that God gives the gift of hospitality to some people and it is a natural part of who they are. They don't stress over the little things and see the bigger picture easily. And, then are those of us who have to force ourselves out of our comfortable-just-being-at-home-with-our-own-space kind of box, consciously say no to the pressure we put on ourselves when entertaining, and just do what Jesus says to do. Love others and welcome them, give them food when they are hungry, and encourage those who are weary. So, the weekend will be good, I just know it.

Meanwhile, I continue to avoid the grocery store run, as I prepare for "breakfast for a bunch" and "lunch for even more than a bunch". But, it's time to get going....

So, if you see me tomorrow at the class picnic, on Sunday at church, or Monday at school, just ignore me if I look a little listless. It's just from the 8 beds I've put sheets on, the fourteen mouths that I've fed, and the time I've spent in interesting conversation with people I otherwise would have never had the chance to know. It will be a good weekend!

Carlie Reese

Carlie's post is way overdue. I think it is probably because she is so hard to describe in words and truly get across how adorably funny this girl really is. She makes our family fun and gives us something new to laugh about every single day. She is constantly learning, constantly growing, just like any other 21 month old is. And, there is a spark in her eye that has been there since birth, that makes her very special to us. But, that also makes us crazy on many days! I know she will someday cause me many headaches and might possibly lead me to write the sequel to "The Strong-Willed Child". Hers will be titled "The Strong Willed Child...And Then Some".

But, something about that "will" and that "stubborn streak" makes her so irresistible to me! Mark and I laugh at the fact that so much of what she does just makes us smile, even though it shouldn't. And, I think it's because we see her whole personality as much more than her crazy and sometimes strong-willed nature. She has such sweet ways of loving each of us, and such adorable ways of being "Carlie" that make us love her more than I could express in a blog.

The stage we're in with her is so much fun. She's copying anything and everything that big sister, Kendyll does. She loves playing babies, playing dress-up, pretending to be a ballerina, and watching movies with Kendyll. She loves to roll around in the floor with Daddy, walk around in Mommy's shoes, and draw pictures with crayons. She is so playful and loves to be "side" (outside), she dumps sandbox dirt on her head and pretends it's shampoo, and splashes the bath water until it drenches me, the walls, and the floor. She loves putting on lipgloss and saying "pitty" (pretty), she loves throwing balls and playing cars, and she easily sweats doing anything active. She idolizes Dora (who she calls "Rodis"), Elmo, and Bob (Veggie Tales), and would adopt every dog in the neighborhood if she could. She talks on her play phone all day long and even puts it in her pocket like Daddy. She pulls it out, says "Ho? (hello?) Yes, Yes, Nooooo. Bye" and her conversation is done. When you ask her who it is, she says "Daddy!" with a huge grin.

She is the first to remember to pray at every meal. As soon as we all sit down, her little grubby hands are sticking straight out for someone to hold, and her little head is bowed down, while she looks up out of the corner of her eye to see if everyone is following her lead. Her favorite sentences (actually, her ONLY sentences) are "Tate a bas" (take a bath) and "Heh ya doe" (Here you go.) She kisses every single animal, person, or object in any book we read, which takes quite a while, when you think about how many things are on a page in a children's book! But, regardless, each person or thing gets a smack. She holds my finger and "helps" me count everything, just like I do to her. When we go and get her out of her crib after sleeping, her hair is CRAZY and her pj's are usually twisted around or halfway off. As soon as we open her door, she starts the "crazy bouncing", as Kendyll calls it. She starts throwing herself down in the bed, spinning around crazy, and running into all the siderails. It makes us cackle every single time. My favorite smile is when she says "cheese" and puckers up her lips while squinting her eyes. My favorite thing to watch her do is take care of her babies. She loves them so sweetly and talks "nonsense" to them for as long as she can before she notices I'm watching her. Then, she does her "I'm embarrassed" look where she cocks her head to the side and smiles.

She already acts as the "class clown" and uses humor and wit to get out of answering a question that she doesn't know. I will ask her a color of something or how many crayons she has or to say a certain word, and if she doesn't know, she just starts acting silly to distract us from the answers. This works best on Kendyll...and I'm sure it will show up again when she's in elementary school someday and I get notes home that says "instead of concentrating on her work, Carlie just chooses to make farting noises with her armpit." Speaking of farting, she already notices her bodily functions and tells us "tee tee" or "poo poos" when she has done either one. (I'm hoping this leads to earlier potty training than daughter # 1!). But, with this, comes an awareness of how to pass gas as well. I've never seen a toddler stop in mid-stride, stick her bottom out, push hard, and fart intentionally. But, yes, Carlie does it. It's hillarious.

She loves going on walks in the wagon and will oftentimes just climb straight into the wagon after I unload her from the car since it sits in the garage too. It's always heartbreaking for her to get the news that we're not leaving on a wagon ride right after we get home from church or school or errand-running. If she's in the wagon, she wants the ducks. We have a duck pond nearby and it is her favorite thing to do. She says quack, quack until even the ducks are tired of hearing the sound. She can throw a piece of bread as far as I can...and it almost always makes it to the water. She's very proud of that.

Now, with all of these sweet things, comes a little bit of the stubborn Carlie as well. She has started throwing herself down and banging her head, in an attempt to get what she wants, although she only does it once and hopes it does the trick. (she's a smart one---she knows this tantrum thing can hurt!) She WILL NOT take a bite of something that we tell her to, so that she can have something else to follow. For example, she will not eat even ONE bite of hot dog, if she sees that a cheeto is to follow. She would rather hold out for the cheeto, be disciplined and sent to bed, rather than give into her parent's demands for one measly bite of hot dog. Oftentimes, she will not say "I'm sorry" and instead chooses to scowl up at us from under her eyelids as she looks at the floor. Nice. She will oftentimes flat out do EXACTLY what we just told her not to do. And, then look at us and smile. The nerve! (The sad thing is that we have to MAKE ourselves be stern, when we really want to laugh half the time!) She has a fire in her eyes that we know spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. But, we love her fire and always will. She makes our family fun and the laughter we have had since she has joined us, has been priceless and unmeasurable.

Carlie, when you read this someday, I hope you know that we thank God daily that He made you just the way you are. We pray that the Lord uses your "spunk" and "fire" for His glory and that He continues to mold you into the woman of God He sees...and your parents see...already in you. You have an amazing sense of adventure, a strong sense of self (was that a nice way to put it?), and a joy that radiates from you. We are so thankful to get to watch you grow and change each day. And, even though we call you "Crazy Carlie", we do it in pure love, knowing that one day your craziness will be what sets you apart from the crowd. (And Daddy hopes it is what makes you into an awesome athlete!)

We love you, Carlie Reese!