Chuck Taylors

Kids still wear their Chuck Taylors the same way I did in high school, with the laces tied in a knot on each side instead of tied in a bow.

Something I learned in school today: always make more copies than you actually think you will need.

Breakfast at Tiffany's and more . . .

It was dark and not even humid when I left this morning. Dark, that's typical. Not humid for the end of September in Gulf Coast Texas, not so typical. But I don't think I'd forget anything about this morning, even if it was the most typical of all things typical.

I don't like driving in the dark. Chicken Nugget and I chatted in the early morning darkness on our drive to our friend's house. Our friend AH has a son in CN's grade, and AH is a very nice friend. She loves to have CN hang out with her before school; then she'll drop her son and CN off in the morning.

After a kiss and hug from CN, I hopped back into the car and drove on into the thinning darkness. My mind was going, whirling, and I was nervous. The radio was playing, "Breakfast at Tiffany's," and I found myself singing along and thinking back. Good grief, how did I get here from there? The first time I heard this song was in college, I guess, maybe just after. I can't remember, but a flood of other memories came hurtling toward me. Memories of me before all this. Before kids, before moving away from Arkansas, before being a teacher.

What alarm! Holy cow! I'm a teacher! And what was I to be teaching this morning? As I turned onto Hwy. 90, I remembered. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Jonathan Edwards's famous sermon. How's that for a start to your Monday morning? Nothing like some hellfire and brimstone to get your week off right.

I switched stations. "This is the air I breathe," sang Michael W. Smith. That line . . . "and I . . . I'm lost without you . . . I'm lost without you . . . "
How true that has been in my recent life. I prayed for help for today. I prayed for help for lots of things.

Geez Louise. I have to talk about the Puritans, too, even though Edwards isn't technically a Puritan. He's more part of the Great Awakening. What's a Puritan? WHAT'S A PURITAN???? You remember. Funny shoes. Buckles on the hats. Henry VIII. Thanksgiving. OK . . . I remember now. It's going to be OK. I think.

Then it was that song . . . "Let 'em wish that they were not on the outside lookin' bored . . . " Shine, by the Newsboys. Would I shine today? Who would need some light today? Would I be OK enough to be that reflection that they needed? I didn't feel like it.

Classes were good. They were fun. I had fun getting to know the kids. I had fun pretending to be Jonathan Edwards preaching. I hope the kids learned some stuff. It was just the first day. It will get better.

I'm glad I'm a teacher. I liked it today. I'm ready for the rest of it. We'll see how to tomorrow goes before I say too many other things . . .

A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess what I got - A JOB!!!!!!!!!

Here's the deal:

I got hired on as a long-term sub for an 11th grade English class. This has the possibility of turning into something more. That's all I can say for now, but it is a very hopeful situation. So for now let's just focus on the fact that the school thought of me first for this position (I was approached out of the blue by this school), and that quite possibly by semester I'll be a *real* teacher!!!!

Thanks for all of your prayers during this process of certification, bed rest, job hunting,
c-section, more job hunting, no job, hurricane, and poof! A job!

Love you all -

We're Home!

That's it. We're home. Got back in last night. I'll post some more stuff later, with pictues.

GUEST POST!!

Hello all! I'm Court and ABB (er Mrs. Tasty Tibits?) asked me to give an update.

The Sickle family is safe and sound in AR. They plan to stay in AR for at least another week because their town was hit pretty hard. ABB said today that there isn't any electricity and the water isn't drinkable in their area.

Let's continue to pray for all those that have been displaced by Ike. Thankfully, the Sickle's have ABB's family to take them in. Other's weren't as lucky.

I hope to see ABB this weekend. I always take tons of pics when we're together so, check back on my blog for photo updates next week.

~Court

I Don't Like Ike

We're taking a hike
All thanks to Ike
We wanna be survivin'
So to Arkansas we'll be arrivin'

We moved to Houston
Four years ago
What we gained was hurricanes,
What we left was snow

So now we are dealin'
With winds free-wheelin'
140 mph and flooding too
no power, no roof, downed trees, Woo-Hoo!

But lucky for me,
I'll only see that on TV
'Cause I'll be livin' large
Drivin' to Arkansas in our family barge

So I'll see all my home-fries
When to Arkansas I arrive
'Cause we're runnin' from Ike today
For Hurricane Ike, we don't want to stay!

The kids can't wait
For grandparents to see
But the drivin' I hate
Nine hours going seventy

Too bad I'm not as strong
As my lineage long,
Who were raised on the beach
Close to the hurricane's reach

My grandma said
They'd all have a ball
And boil crawfish all night
To the sound of the squall

I'm of weak constitution
It is sad to say
So think what you will
Think what you may

But the Sickles are piling
All up in our van
For of dangerous hurricanes
I am not a big fan!!!!!

Lots of Pictures

Here are some pics from the summer. I cannot believe that Baby Butterbean will be 13 weeks old on Thursday! I can't believe that Matt and Lisa have been married almost two months! And I can't believe that summer is over . . .

Grandma giving Baby Butterbean his first bath at home.

I think Grandma really likes this kid!

Baby Butterbean, all cozy in his laundry basket. I can't believe he was tiny enough to fit in there. It sure was handy during the day. And I think it's just so cute!

Pappa likes hanging out with Baby Butterbean, too.

Noodle loves her new baby brother.

Love this pic of Noodle and Butterbean and . . . someone's finger.

While my parents were here helping me with Baby Butterbean, they took a day to do some fun things around town with the big kids. One of the highlights was the Baytown Historical

Museum. You see the big kids . . . and someone's finger . . . with Pappa above.
Noodle and Pappa

Chicken Nugget went home with Grandma and Pappa after Baby Butterbean was born. She and Trev had a lemonade stand. Pappa helped them build it; Grandma supplied the refreshments.

Trev is a serious little entrepreneur.

They made about six bucks that day!

They swam in this little pool . . . until it busted . . . then Grandma had to go buy a groovy new pool, which you will see a few pictures down.

After a fun-filled time with Grandma and Pappa, it was time for all of us to head to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for Matt and Lisa's wedding. Trev was the ring bearer; Chicken Nugget was the flower girl. Don't they look all dream-like in this picture?

After the wedding, we went swimming at our awesome lodge. The kids and I had a cabin and everything. It was great!

"Um, yes, Butler," said Ms. Noodle, "You may put the tray of strawberries and lemonade right here by the pool."

Cousin / brother & sister fun! Not all the cousins are here . . . D/S McNary, where were you???

Silly cousins!

Then back to Grandma and Pappa's after the wedding . . . it is fun to have cuddle time on Grandma's couch.

Pappa loving on Baby Butterbean.

Sugars!

Banana thinks his big cousin Trev is the most!

Fun on the swing set!

Yes, Banana is naked! This was after pool time. During pool time, Banana decided that clothes just weren't necessary.Isn't this the grooviest pool ever????

Naked Banana, front and center.

Summer was lots of fun!

Labor Day Fun

Today at Chick-Fil-A, if you were wearing a team logo, you got free chicken strips. Though Baby Butterbean was sporting his Central Dutch bib and was thus eligible for the free grub, he didn't get too excited about it:
The girls, all Razorback-clad, found a friend from church in the play area:

Banana was digging the slide:

Below are the results of trying to get a regular smiley face from Banana.

The sister pose:

Don't know if you can see their little faces poking through, but isn't that play car the coolest????

Baby Butterbean is still unimpressed:

We heart free food! Oh, yeah, and each other!

"Those chicken strips were great!"

"Yeah, great!"

AND we got free balloons! How's that for an outstanding day? Hope your day was equally exciting, though really, how could it have been????

All that excitement left someone all worn out:

Some people go to the lake, or maybe camping. Or even possibly to the beach or a theme park. Well, I feel sorry for those people. They just don't know what FUN is!!!!!!

Before and After

Baby Butterbean at about a week old, above. The following are of him from today, at 11 weeks old. He is wearing the same bib and shorts. Truly, they get too big, too fast!

Remembering My First Love

The first time we went back to church (here in Baytown) after the accident, I cried the whole time. I clung to my baby and cried. We took the Lord's Supper that day, and I was reminded of His provision, and I cried. That was pretty early on, and the tough questions hadn't yet started swirling around in my head.

This past Sunday morning, 7AM, and I didn't want to go. I knew I should, knew it might help me, but I had a heart that was very hard and bitter that morning. I didn't know how I could sit through Sunday school without everyone seeing right through me. And I certainly wasn't expecting God to show up! I was just wanting to get through the exercise and go home.

The Sunday school lesson was about . . . um . . . something,I don't remember, but - it was the Scripture that hit me square in the face. We opened to Isaiah 30, and verse 18 says this: "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

It was the word longs that jumped out at me. It reminded me of a conversation I'd had with Scott when I was still living in California. From Iowa he'd called me, and told me that he missed me, that he was pining for me. Seeing the word longs in verse 18 made me remember what longing for something feels like. I remembered pining for, longing to be near Scott. It was such an aching feeling, to want to be near him, but to know that I couldn't.

I sat there wondering, is God longing to be near me, to show me compassion? This God that I've been doubting and wondering about, is He doing that? Even after I (like the obstinate nation in the verses before) have been turning away from Him? Wondering if God was longing for me was something that started to touch my heart.

If I hadn't been in the choir loft Sunday morning, I would have cried again. We were singing this song:

All who are thirsty,
All who are weak,
Come to the Fountain,
Dip your heart in the stream of life;
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy,
As deep cries out to deep,
We sing,
Come, Lord, Jesus, come
Holy Spirit, come
As deep cries out to deep
1998 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire)Words and Music by Brenton Brown and Glenn Robertson

I don't have any more answers than I did before, but I know that I felt something on Sunday. It felt a little bit like a softening, maybe. And I was a little bit lifted just to be feeling again.

Memories!

Thanks, Boss and Peanut! This is going to be fun!

It's game time! Here's how to play...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you have of me. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see who leaves a memory about you.

If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Ready? Go!

Nine Weeks Old