SSMTC 2012

I just want y'all to know that I'm still in my robe - which is standard for a Monday morning - and Annabeth is wearing a light pink leotard with a red and white tutu and hot pink leg warmers. We are kicking off the week in style. Did I tell you that Annabeth once asked me if my robe was my "dress ups"?  She is a hilarious child.

I'm here to give a little recap of this weekend but there's no way to do it justice. My dear friend Janelle came down from Irving and we got to hang out all weekend for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration that my mom hosted. It was so good to have quality time with her. Melanie and Sophie were also here and we got to stay with them on Friday night. What a blast. The awkward, absurd, and flat out hilarious moments abounded and so did the guacamole. We found the world's best - I kid you not - at Escalante's on Westheimer. I have no words, only pictures.

This is the dinner we all shared. It redeemed some of the meals I shared with Sophie in Melanie in Ecuador. Obviously, healthy eating was put on pause for about 24 hours.

I've never loved Melanie more because she embraced the awkward and took one for Team Moore a couple of times. It just so happens that Melanie and my sister are both very slender, tall, stylish, and beautiful with long brown hair. Out of the corner of my eye I sometimes mistake one for the other. There were a couple of times when people approached her and it was very unclear if they knew they were talking to the ultra fabulous uber-blogger Big Mama or the equally fabulous scholar of ancient biblical languages and sister of mine, @MisFitz77. Bless Mel's heart. She was so, so gracious and tried keep "Melissa" from appearing too aloof. It was the gift that kept giving.

One of my favorite things was that I had lots of people ask about As Our Own and Compassion. As Our Own even had a display in the foyer as part of HFBC's missions expo. That was such cool timing. I'm not much of a blogger these days, but if I can do anything to connect people with how they can help vulnerable children in Jesus's name, I will keep trying. (Lord, help me.)

My mom taught from 2 John and she brought it. Travis and Angela Cottrell and their team led us in worship, which was awesome.

This picture is for my friend Charity in Wales. I missed her very much this weekend. This is Siesta Cindy, who just moved back to the U.S. after being in the U.K. for several years. She was precious.

Lots of Siestas visited our church on Sunday morning and that was a lot of fun. We came very, very close to maxing out the chapel. I think you could have counted the empty chairs on your fingers. Curtis was on fire while he preached and I was just sitting there thinking, "This is my husband." I'm so in awe of Jesus.

Speaking of church, I have been really blessed by a blog by Christine Hoover for church planting wives called Grace Covers Me. We did a little interview for her blog if you want to check it out (here and here).

She Wanted Breakfast Tacos

I'm feeling much better about life thanks to all of your encouragement and "Me too!" comments on my last post. Thank you, friends. Our house is looking a lot better today and I'm so grateful. I put out some of the fun little "pretties" I got for Christmas from Anthropologie and they're very cheerful. If you don't like bold colors, you should probably not come over. Just saying.

So yesterday I took back a bowl and some jeans from Anthro that I had been given. The bowl arrived broken and the zipper had fallen right off the jeans. They gave me a gift card for what they were worth and then I went on the hunt through the store to find the same jeans. I couldn't find my size, so a sales lady brought me some from the back. I grabbed a couple more things and went to check out. The jeans rang up at $9.

NINE DOLLARS.

The lady checking me out was in shock because the tag clearly said "A lot more than $9." But apparently the computer was just dying to give me a major discount. I thought they would fix it and charge the full amount, but the sales ladies just basically said, "Rock on! It's your lucky day!" and congratulated me on my good deal. How awesome is that?

This is a very random turn to take, but this morning I was in my room getting all the laundry folded and Annabeth was watching 'Punzel in the living room. When I finished, I came out and found that she was in the back yard with two cartons of eggs she had taken out of the fridge. She had also been playing with tortillas. I guess I can't blame her for wanting to make breakfast tacos. But it was just the perfect story to share after my last post.

Okay, one of my besties is arriving any minute. Gotta go! Happy Friday, peeps.

Guess What, Guys!?

I do not have it all together.

Today I'm lamenting the fact that I can't get every part of my life under control. No matter how hard I try, there's always (at least) one part of me spinning off into chaos. It could be something like my schedule, my avoidance of cooking, my spending habits, or my overuse of the computer.

During the holidays I ate like I was about to go into hibernation and now I'm working out and eating right to try to get my body back in order. I'm even cooking healthy meals! Now that I feel in control there, I'll swear if I cannot get a grip on this house. Is it just the reality of having a five and two-year-old? Or am I a failure as a woman? That's what it feels like.

Confession: we just took our artificial Christmas tree down last night. Curtis and I were sort of waiting each other out, hoping the other would make the first move. Now everything is in boxes, but those boxes are still in the hallway. Ahhhhhhhh! Laundry is everywhere and all the kids'  new toys are spread throughout the house. I haven't seen the surface of my desk in several months because I just pile things on top of it until I can't take it anymore. I just want my house in order, but as long as we're living in it, it will never be! If I could get 48 hours alone in these four walls, I think I could get it under control. But I don't know how to keep it that way when it takes 5 minutes or less for the kids to utterly destroy it.

Does anyone know the secret of having it all together? If so, please share. In the meantime, I'll just be watching Hoarders to scare myself into getting organized.

Happy New Year! (And a 2011 Recap)

Thirteen days into 2012, is it too late to do an end of 2011 survey? I just saw this on Rage Against the Minivan and thought it was such a great idea. Thanks, Kristen.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Plant a church!

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

There was one big one that I really failed out. The other one was to stop freaking out. I at least made some headway on that one. I don't have any major resolutions this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My sister-in-law, Lindsay, had a baby girl named Ava - my one and only niece! She's a doll.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No one truly close to me died. My great-uncle passed the week Jackson started kindergarten, and while I didn't know him well, his life had a very big impact on everyone in our family.

5. What countries did you visit?

I got to visit Ecuador with Compassion and some friends I met on the Internet. I fell in love with that beautiful country and its people. Los Angeles is technically not a different country, but in August I spent several days serving at the Dream Center with an amazing group of women. I would love to go back with a team from our church.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

I can't really think of anything. 2011 was kind to me. On second thought, I would like more patience with my kids.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

March 26 was the night we hosted a dinner for a group of friends to share our vision for Bayou City Fellowship.

September 11 was the day our church launched publicly.

8. What was your biggest achievement for the year?

Sending Jackson to kindergarten and adjusting to life with a kid in school every day. I also started a new habit of waking up at 6 AM on weekdays to have my quiet time. This has been an amazing change in my life.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I wasted a lot of time messing around on the computer.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I struggled with anxiety but I'm dealing with it effectively now. Thank You, Jesus.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Two baseball gloves.

12. Where did most of your money go?

My Jeep kicked the bucket and we bought a new (to me) car.

13. What did you get really excited about?

My friends Angela and Alicia moving to Houston to help us start BCF.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?

"Overcome" by New Life Worship.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
-Happier or sadder?

Happier!

-Thinner or fatter?

My goal for 2012 is to find balance here. I was at different times thinner and fatter than I needed to be in 2011.

-Richer or poorer?

Same.

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Cook dinner for my family.

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Hold grudges.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

On Christmas Eve our church held an outdoor service. We knew the building we meet in wasn't going to have power due to construction going on over the holidays, so we decided to have it outside. It ended up being very cold and wet that night, but we stayed (mostly) dry under an overhang. Everything about it was inconvenient for us, but so was everything that happened in the Christmas story. Hello, Mary gave birth in a stable. As Curtis said, we may never do it that way again, but we will always remember it. It was a very sweet night and I'll never forget this:

We had Christmas Eve dinner with our dear friends, the Steffens. Christmas morning was at our home and we spent the rest of the day at my parents' house. That night we packed up for our trip to Missouri.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

We got rid of cable about a year and a half ago and use Netflix, but I really miss 20/20, as dorky as that sounds. If I had a favorite show (not an endorsement) it would be Parks and Recreation.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis 

21. What was your favorite music this year?

Hillsong, Hillsong United, Passion 2011

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

The Help, Sherlock Holmes

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 32 in October. The night of my birthday, my mom cooked dinner for me and we had a little fiesta at her house.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Being with Jesus.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Ha! I guess you could say I plunged deeply into the equestrian look with my tall brown boots and a green velvet blazer I got from Banana Republic like 7 years ago.

26. What kept you sane?

See number 10. Also, LOTS of people praying for us.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

When someone says something to me out of their flesh or lack of faith, I can choose to stay in the spirit and continue believing God. I don't have to descend into a pit. I got to practice this a lot. :)

Joy to the World

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas day. I woke up at about 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. I just couldn't risk the kids getting up before I did! I wanted to see their faces when they came downstairs, so I got up and had a little quiet time and cat napped on the couch. I finally heard Jackson's door knob turn at 7:00. Then the fun began. 

Here's our tree early in the morning. We put it in a new place this year and I really liked it there. 

This is Annabeth's pile. She got a cardboard castle, a balance bike, a helmet, some princesses and a baby doll.

Here's Jackson's pile. He got a cardboard rocket ship, an art easel, a hot wheels race track, an alarm clock, a night light, and a coin bank. He had the sweetest attitude about his gifts all day long. He was an absolute joy to give to.

We went to my mom's house for lunch and had a fabulous time. My cousin Megen had made these fun little aprons for all of us, including Annabeth's baby doll.

Mom and Curtis

Me and the Sir

Me and my sweet girl.

This is my nephew pup, Winston. 

Aunt Melissa and Annabeth 

Good night, my hair was big today. It wasn't on purpose.  

For Christmas, Melissa asked for this really big book for scholarly people. I can't even pronounce the name of it. She was thrilled beyond belief. 

Mom and Dad in their elf hats

Lis and Colin 

Cousin Joe and Pappaw

Dad, Uncle Mike and Cousin Ben

Cousins Zach and Josh

Mom, Dad and Aunt Gay

We were laughing hysterically during this little photo shoot.

Annabeth fell asleep about 60 seconds after we got on the road. 

There's a lot going on all around me right now - too much to get real serious in this post. But I want you to know that Jesus is my life, my hope, my reason. He is who makes this family's life abundant. I'm so thankful that He came into this world to be God with us. 

Can You Believe It's Christmas Eve?

My house can hardly contain the energy of two very excited little kids this Christmas Eve. It probably doesn't help that we're on the Elf Diet this morning. I made cinnamon toast for breakfast and then for a snack I gave the kids little baggies of marshmallows. Tonight after our church's Christmas Eve service we're having a spaghetti dinner with some dear friends and, I don't know, there could be syrup.

Our schedule for this week was a 9.5 out of 10 on the busy scale. It was all fun stuff, but there was something big on the calendar every day. That was until Wednesday morning when the pre-Christmas stomach bug of 2011 hit our family. A group of ten had shared dinner together at my parents' house on Monday night and by Wednesday morning, four of us in four different homes were wishing they could be unconscious for a while. Jackson was the sick one in our house, bless his heart.

The care-taking anointing fell on Curtis and he sprung into action. The obsessive compulsive vomit phobia came upon me and I pretty much retreated to my room until the fun was over - about 24 hours later. We cancelled everything that had been planned for the next two days and went into hermit mode. That's never ideal, but maybe we needed to rest and just be together at home.

I have to say, I've been really excited about having a break from the school schedule. It's not really hard, but it's nice not to set an alarm. My hubs has won major points for letting me sleep until 10 AM on two separate occasions.

I was very proud of Jackson on his last day of the semester. He's kept a great attitude about school, stayed enthusiastic about learning, and behaved himself in class. Of course, when I sat him down and poured out my words of affirmation, he responded with, "Are you going to give me a gift now?" I said, "Son! I am giving you a gift - my words!" Ha! We clearly do not have the same love language.

Speaking of words, the kids have been cracking us up with their sayings. Jackson's been saying "yesterday yesterday" instead of "the day before yesterday." Annabeth's speech is gold, pure gold, with go-to expressions like "booly halla," which has a mysterious meaning that we have not been able to discern. Yesterday she kept saying, "I tell you a secret." Then she'd whisper, "Butterfly," or "The dragon and the butterfly are at the airport."

Abey's third birthday is just over a month away and she is changing so much. For a while I doubted I would live to see her third birthday because I was just sure her contrariness was taking decades off my life. But it became apparent that some very mean and nasty molars were making their way through. I hoped my sweet, if headstrong, girl would come back to me soon and she finally did.

We have our first Christmas Eve service tonight at Bayou City Fellowship. It seems surreal that all of this has actually happened between last Christmas and now. I can't wait to worship Jesus with our church family on this special night. The chapel we normally use is not going to have electricity due to some construction getting ready to happen at the school, so we're having a candlelight service outside. (We have a plan if it rains.) If you don't have a place to worship this Christmas, we'd love for you to join us tonight at Houston Christian High School at 5 PM. Bundle up and bring some blankets and lawn chairs. There will be child care for babies up to age 2.

Have a very merry Christmas, friends!

Carnival!

I got really lucky when my friend Beth (Beth V Photography) ended up with an opening in her family portrait schedule in November. Homegirl (me) is such a procrastinator that I would never have thought to book a Christmas photo session as early as I would've needed to. Beth offered us the spot if we wanted it and YES! We did! She suggested we do the session at a local carnival and while I fought her at first (because I didn't want to take pictures in front of hordes of people), I'm so glad I listened to her. The colors in the background are so much fun. The evening was windy, the kids were squirrely and distracted, and I didn't think she would be able to get anything usable. But Beth is a pro and I was really pleased with how they turned out. Thanks, Beth!