Fun Times in Crockett, 6-16-07

My dear friend Marita is moving to Peru and getting married. So myself and my fam, as well as our dear friends J&T (who work at the BSM at the U of H), also friends from seminary, traveled to Crockett, Texas for a day of fun with Marita! Here, Marita and I brave the elements while getting the bbq all ready for some burgers and brats.

Although very cute, Banana got impatient. "Where's my burgers? Where's my brats?"

J&T. Fun times.

It was time for some adventures on the open seas (aka - the pond at Marita's parents' place).

J and Marita bring in the boats.

"Safety first, kids!" After the kids and I were seated in the boats, Marita said, "Lifejackets!" I wish I were a better parent!

I love this pic of Marita. It is as if she is holding us up with her hand out on the pond. It also looks kind of like a brochure picture, advertising the beauty and serenity of the area. "Come visit us," it is as if Marita says here.

Ya'll, for real, this is the first time I have EVER manned a canoe all by myself! Paddle boats, yes. Canoes, no. Never.

But I look like a natural, don't I?

Bringing it in. Our adventure on the open seas comes to an end.

AAARRRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Queen of the Open Seas!

Cute kids on the porch swing.

Noodle! Noodle Crockett! Queen of the wild frontier!

OK - when we got to the farm (Marita's parents' place), the kids immediately ran for the open out-of-doors. There is so much to do there, with ducks, ponds, and free reign of the water hose. Noodle made haste in stripping off her clothes. Marita's mom and stepdad were outside with the kids, and when I went to check on them, there was Noodle in most of her glory. Not a few minutes later, Noodle walked through the front door of the house - my peeps and I were playing a fast-paced round of Apples to Apples - in ALL her glory, holding her underpants. It seemed to bother her to run around in wet clothes (they were playing in the water hose), and when her undies got wet, they had to go, too. So I found a pull-up and that was her attire for the rest of the day. That and the coon-skin cap, which she found right away upon entering the home of Marita and her parents. That's the ONLY thing she didn't take off for the ENTIRE DAY!

Playing in the water.

Soaked!

Watching the kids; visiting on the porch.

The Farm is one of the most wonderful places I know. I love it there. It's a perfect place to pass the day with good friends.

All of us! Marita, T, J holding Banana, Buffalo Wings holding Noodle; Front row: Chicken Nugget and me.

Fun times. Good times.

Achluophobia

I am afraid of the dark. My dad used to sing a hymn to me when I was a little girl, and my mom said that every time I heard it, I would cry:

"When you walk through the storm / hold your head up high / and don't be afraid of the dark"

I can't remember the origin of this fear, but since older siblings are always the best direction for which to point fingers, I'll blame them. Surely it has something to do with scary stories they told me, or scary movies they watched while I was growing up.

It could not possibly have anything to do with my over-active imagination.

I have carried this fear with me all my life. Even at age thirty, as I sooth and ease the fears of my three little ones, I sometimes lay terrified at night. Even with my husband beside me. I feel terror. Even though there are small lights throughout the house, so that there's never utter darkness. I'm even afraid of the semi-dark.

Yesterday, while on my lunch break at work, the store lost power. I was in the break room, which has no windows. Just off the break room is the hallway, where the bathrooms are located. Again, there are no windows. There's no opportunity for light to break through.

I was writing something down in the break room when I heard a loud crash, a beep, and then was suddenly all alone in darkness and silence. I was terrified to the point of tears. All I could think about was steering myself toward the direction of the door, finding my way down the hallway, and entering some kind of light as soon as I could.

I knew that Beth was the nearest co-worker I'd be able to locate, so I started screaming for her like a little girl.

"Beth! Beth! Beth!"

I yelled it several times until a customer heard me.

"What do you want?" yelled the customer.

"I want to find somebody!" I answered, by that time having made it from the depths of the break room and into the pitch-black hallway.

"Are you scared?" called the customer.

"A little," I said. (A lot - I thought!)

Had I known what was in front of me, I would have run.

I made it into the store area, where light came in from the glass front doors and windows, and I felt instant relief. Before long, I recovered. But I wouldn't so much as venture into the restroom, not even with a flashlight, not even if my life had depended upon it.

However, I knew that if I had not been in the break room alone when the lights went out, or if I had someone else to go with me back into the dark, my fear would have lessened quite a bit.

My experience sent my mind here:

"You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light." 2 Samuel 22:29

"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." Psalm 139: 11-12

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5

"There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light." Revelation 22: 5

It's silly, my achluophobia. It's a silly little earthly fear. And I understand the spiritual, not the physical, aspect of the above verses. In my (many) times of spiritual darkness, God has been my light and I have not been afraid. But I have to say that I am looking forward to entering my eternal Home, never experiencing night or fear again, walking and living in the Light of my God forever.

Much to Muse

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. We'll be married four years. Those years have gone by in a snap. Truly, I can hardly recall where they've gone. From shivering and fighting blizzard after blizzard in a very deep Northern part of Iowa, to welcoming two babies, one right after the other, to wiping sweat from our brows on our first day in Texas . . . it's been a fast, fast four years.

This night four years ago, I was relaxing with my girls in the hotel. We swam, sat in the sauna, had all manner of silliness in our room. It was a wonderful, wonderful time.

Our wedding was absolutely beautiful. It was so simple, so home-made, yet still beautiful. We tried very hard to glorify the Father who had given us to one another. We had songs of grace and of the Father's love; we shared communion with our guests. We made sure that there was a full gospel message presented, as marriage is an earthly reflection of our relationship with Christ. It was beautiful. Simple, home-made, and beautiful.

And it wouldn't have been all that it was without all the friends and family who lended hands and hearts to make it so. Whether it was coordinating who would stand where, playing piano and singing, ushering, decorating the cake, placing greenery on tables at the reception, or just offering a steady hand . . . thank you all, all of you who we love so much, who helped make our wedding the beautiful day that it was.

And here I am, a married lady of (almost) four years, and I have a vibrant and growing family. I have hopes and dreams and gifts. I have a man who encourages me. I feel so often that I am not what I'm supposed to be. I didn't finish seminary (yet). I haven't finished any of the books I've been writing for years. I haven't read those intellectual books that have been sitting on my shelf. I'm not as good , as pretty , as talented , had as great adventures, as well-versed, as articulate as (there are several I could name) - - - on and on and on, and every one of those "not as" statements, nothing more than a lie whispered into my ear by the enemy. Something to distract me from all the gifts that surround me. Even more dangerous, that I might be distracted from the opportunities to minister to the hearts of those nearest me. Or to miss opportunities in my neighborhood or greater community. It is difficult to see anything but my own failures, if I listen to those well-worded lies.

Thank you, Scott. You are my darling. You help me ward off those lies. You tell me they are not true. I pray that I may be a helpmeet to you. I pray that I might not fail you, as I so often have. I am glad that four years ago tomorrow, we became each other's.

My beloved is mine, and I am his . . . Song of Solomon 2:16

10-to-10 Donuts

I'm on my way, ya'll! Before you know it, there will be a 10-to-10 Donut Shop in your very own neighborhood! The above was my (our) first attempt at home-made donuts. These are cake donuts, not yeast. We made the dough last night, since it had to chill, and rolled it out, cut out the donuts, fried them up, and glazed them this morning. One thing I need to get is a real donut cutter instead of using just a cup. I also need to thicken the glaze by adding more powdered sugar (which will also improve the taste!). The girls had fun cutting the donuts, and even though some of them took on more of a blob shape than a donut one, they still tasted great! Especially after the girls added sprinkles. See photos below, which attest to yumminess of taste regardless of donut-like shape:

She's Coming Home!

Chicken Nugget comes home from camp today! Yay! I'm excited. I think Noodle is, too, but she expresses it a bit differently than I do.

I said, "I can't wait to see Chicken Nugget today!"

Noodle said, "I can't wait to buy my gum today!"

Lots to Talk About

Yesterday, we went here. It was so much fun. There's some great play areas for the kids, and I love being by the water. The trees are full of beautiful Spanish moss, too. I love that Spanish moss. There is sometimes something . . . I can't think of a word for it . . . but just something about living in Coastal Texas.

Chicken Nugget left for camp yesterday. :o(

It is happy for her, sad for me. I can't believe she is big enough to do things like that. This is not the first time she's been away for a period of time, but it is the first time she's been away with someone other than family. On Sunday night, she and Noodle asked to have a "slumber party" with me, which means that poor Dad gets to ride the couch while the girls pile in bed with me. We spent lots of time cuddling and saying how much we'll miss each other and how much we love each other and talking about what camp is going to be like, before finally drifting off to sleep.

Noodle has asked when we're going to get Chicken Nugget about 50 times already. I know it will be a fast week, but still. She's not a baby anymore, my little Chicken Nugget. She called last night and said, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm doing great and I'm having a great time at camp!"

Buffalo Wings started teaching summer school yesterday. It was registration, so he didn't do any teaching (he's teaching Geometry). Today is a work day and he'll get his room assignment. Tomorrow he'll have students. He's excited about teaching Geometry, since it is something he has not taught.

We're still working on getting me into Region IV. I sent in my application, but it turns out that I am six credits short on English requirements. So it looks like I'll be taking some English classes, mid-summer or maybe starting in the fall. It depends on when I find out what courses I need to take to qualify for the program.

Here's what I'm thinking at the moment:

1. Complete Region IV - become a teacher.

2. As I am teaching, finish seminary.

3. After seminary, pursue my goal of becoming a chiropractor.

BW said, "Wow. That's a lot."

But I'm not really on a strict schedule, so I have plenty of time to do all of these things.

In the meantime, I am looking at a job change. But I'll say some more about that later.

Life is good!

Love to all of you -

Another Reason to Come Visit the Tasty Names . . .

We got a great new spray park near our house!

However, you will be so tired after you go, that you will fall asleep eating. Like this:

Banana was wiped out after playing at the spray park. That's because there are so many things to do there. Like this: And pipes that spray water, like these:

And even a palm tree that rains water down on you! Like this one:

Before Banana's exhaustion, he was acting like this:

And Noodle was making some new friends as she splashed around:

So was Chicken Nugget:

Banana enjoyed the arch of water that spouted up directly out of the ground! It made him very happy, as you can see:

The rings that sprayed water seemed to be Chicken Nugget's favorite:And Noodle would take time out every now and then to run over to me and try to be cute:

She didn't have to try too hard.

The girls enjoyed getting rained on by the palm tree:

And sometimes, all three kids would somehow find one another all at one time:

This one of Chicken Nugget running through the spray rings seems kind of artistic to me:

So, you see, there really is no excuse to come visit us. I will take you to the spray park! You will love it! Added perks: It is completely enclosed, so that you don't have to worry about the kids running off (or yourself, if you are inclined to run off and need to be enclosed); the water that runs through the spray park is recycled, so it doesn't waste unused water all day long; AND - - the best part - - it is FREE!!!! Local government using our tax dollars for something fun!!! Yay, local government!

Um . . . WHY are you not coming to visit us now????