Junie B. Jones

Thanks to our friends, Janice and Bob, H and I were able to enjoy a wonderful play at The Paramount this past Sunday called Junie B. Jones. Their daughter has THE LEAD ROLE as Junie, in a play based on the children's books written about a young girl entering the 1st grade. She was BRILLIANT and did such a fantastic job portraying Junie!
We all had such a great time and it was a neat experience for H, plus she was able to catch up with a close friend that we hadn't seen in awhile. It was so cute...three 1st graders seeing a play about the 1st grade. They were precious. H loved the play, but her favorite part by far was going backstage to meet Junie B. Jones in person. Thank you so much for inviting us to come!!!

I was able to catch up with my sweet friend Janice, whom I hadn't seen in months. I would like to ask for prayers for my precious friend. She recently was told that she has a malignant mass deep in her breast tissue and although we are rejoicing that it is slow growing and certainly not the most scary scenario, it's never an easy path for women or their families to walk down. I am so impressed and encouraged by this courageous, faithful woman. She just amazes me with her strength and trust in the Lord. She has kept a positive outlook and has placed it all in God's hands. What an amazing woman! Janice Faye...we are ready to help you kick that mass in the butt.
Frankly, I am tired of cancer. Anyone else feel the same way? I have seen cancer hurt so many and it seems as if it touches more people that I love every day. It is something I have spent so much of my time fearful of because so many of my own family have dealt with it and it tries to haunt me still. I want to know what to do to stop it! Anyone else want to join me in kicking it in the butt? Arrghh.

Lord, I would like to lift up my friends and family that are dealing with cancer or have in the past. I pray ultimately for Your will to be done. Lord, I don't always understand Your will, but I do know that You have an amazing plan and we must trust You. I pray for peace, for nights full of healing rest, for support systems that will encourage and lift up these warriors. Lord, I pray that your hand rests upon them and eases their pain and your Holy Spirit fills them with Your presence so they know that You are walking with them through this difficult journey. We love you Father and we trust You and your plan for our lives. In Your Holy Name I pray, Amen.

Happy Birthday H!

This time, 7 years ago, I was laying in a hospital bed awaiting the arrival of our firstborn. She just couldn't get here fast enough and when she did...HOLY MOLY...our lives were forever changed in that very moment. She was so beautiful. A little "Texas tornado" adorned her forehead where her hair twisted in one little spot like a whirlwind. Her fingers were so long and beautiful and those feet....they were big then and still amaze me. Her little lips and button nose were so cute...she was just perfect.
We were blessed with an angel, 6 lbs of sweetness coated with love. Her heart is precious. She loves doing for others and making people happy. H is a hard worker, always blowing me away at what she is able to accomplish in her few years here on this earth. She loves to read...anything, and even when she's in a completely different room and hears us spell something, she yells out her guess at what we've said.
H is a drama queen, 100% girl. She loves to dress up and begs me to wear my make-up way more than she actually gets to. She wants her fingernails painted all the time and has a bigger shoe fetish than most adults I know. :)
Anytime Daddy plays "My Little Girl" she covers her ears with embarrasement but then asks him to play it again. When she hears Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Cinderella" she asks about his daughter and the accident that happened to that family and her sweet heart worries about them.
She shares a love of music that our whole family does and she sings like an angel. She also loves to dance and has just found a love of playing basketball, where she makes the basket almost every time she has the chance to shoot.
She loves animals almost as much as she loves people. If she had the option, she would spend most of her time outside, playing at the park.
She loves to draw and be creative and has already asked me to create a website for her to sale her creations online. Entrepreneur just like her Father!
H just amazes me with all these great things that she can do, but the topper of them all is her love for God. She says the most beautiful prayers that are heartfelt and so meaningful. She questions me often with deep, thoughtful questions about God and how everything works. It worries her when people don't love Jesus and don't go to church. She loves to read her Bible and always wants to be at church. Even after she's been to Kids2Praise and Bible Class, she wants to go back to Kids2Praise for 2nd service. Her love of worship is priceless.
She's gone from diapers to potty training, wobbling to running, from saying "Pinklewinkle" instead of Periwinkle and "Fu-fwies" instead of Butterflies, and we have treasured every single moment that God has granted us with our precious daughter. She has rocked our world and we are so grateful that she is ours.
Although I'd love to put a brick on her head and keep her little forever, it has been so beautiful watching her grow and mature and blossom more every day into the beauty that God dreamed up years ago.
Thank you Jesus for my H!!! And Happy Birthday to you sweet girl!

H through the years...

H at 3 Months H at 9 months

H is 2 1/2 here H wearing my glasses...she is too cute!!! H lost her first tooth!!! November 2008

H at the Father/Daughter Banquet

A Few Minor Changes

So, a few things have changed since the last time I blogged...like 2 1/2 months ago. :) Please forgive me for my lack of communication. We have been without Internet for awhile and have recently been settling in....to our own place!!! WOOHOO! Who knew it would be such a joyous day to step foot into our own home again after a year and a half of living with our family. (Which of course is much appreciated.)


We also appreciate our wonderful church, whom has literally saved us over the past few months. Rough times set in for our family and we have not only been covered in prayer but also taken great care of by our church family. We also owe a great deal of thanks to our dear friend Harold who let us "bunk" in his beautiful lake house while we got back on our feet. He was a lifesaver for sure...and continues to be a priceless gift to anyone who is lucky enough to be touched by this angel! To all of you who have helped in some way, we thank each one of you and pray that someday you are blessed just as you have blessed us.


We are now living in Austin, about 15 minutes from our wonderful church where I have been gifted with a great job working part time as their childcare/nursery coordinator. My job is flexible and much is done from home, but I am able to take the kids with me when I do go in which makes it possible for me to continue homeschooling them.


Chad was blessed with a fabulous job as an investigator for the state. WOW! His dream of being a detective without the crazy hours and the danger of being a police officer. We are both very happy about this! Chad works downtown and has his own office, where he serves with a legal enforcement team. We could have never dreamed this job up. For those of you who don't know Chad's work history, He's gone from turning wrenches and writing service to working in a high rise with marble floors. What a change. GOD IS SO INCREDIBLY AMAZING AND WE OWE HIM ALL THE GLORY!!! Thank you also to our friend who served as a vessel to help Chad receive this position. You are awesome and we love you!



What a ride 2008 was? The business you might ask...is becoming a thing of the past, but we shall see what is in store. We feel like it was just a piece of the puzzle that brought us to where we are today. We don't always understand the path that God allows us to travel down, but the amazing thing is that He NEVER LEFT OUR SIDE and His blessings have only just begun. It's funny...when you give everything to the Man Upstairs and stop trying to fix it all yourself...He tends to bless you in ways you could never imagine. Pretty amazing!


So, there you go. I have so many things I'd love to tell you about that happened along the way. Maybe I'll find the time. For now, know that we love each one of you and we thank God for placing you in our lives.