Baby Bangs

SSMTC 2012

2012-01-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-20T15:17:00.002-05:00

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!?

2012-01-18T15:37:00.001-05:00

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)

2012-01-13T12:04:00.002-05:00

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

2011-12-25T22:54:00.000-05:00

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?

2011-12-24T11:30:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-12-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

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!

Lots O' Pics

2011-12-19T11:52:00.003-05:00

I have a lovely assortment of unrelated pictures to share on this Monday morning. It's been a two-cups-of-tea-morning for me. How about you?

This is a drawing by Jackson of a "Christmas alient (alien) with jingle bells."

This is my little PK who ran around in the pouring rain after church a few weeks ago.

On this day we redeemed Annabeth's love for the Disney princesses by having them come and worship baby Jesus.

Christmas stickers are fun.

This is Jackson's self-portrait. Look at those muscles.

Last week my parents moved out of the home they've lived in since I was 5 years old. Mom found my old Rainbow Brite doll in the process. I loved her.

AB and I kept mom company on the day the movers came. There were a lot of tears, but this was just a sweet moment between the two Bethies.

Annabeth wanted to feed the birds in the back yard one last time.

She only managed to feed a naughty bird dog.

She tried again under another tree.

Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal came by for a snack.

Annabeth got this little dress from my mom last year. It has a tiny cameo of Dora on the front, otherwise I don't think it's very Dora-like. AB wasn't really into frou frou dresses at that time and didn't want to wear it. Well, she has suddenly become Dora's biggest fan, so I got out this dress again. It's a little small now but she loves it so much.

I attempted to roll Annabeth's hair that morning. She didn't realize what I was doing at first, but when she figured it out she made me take it all down. This is as curly as we could get it in 60 seconds.

This was my second attempt on Saturday night. We're working up to the greater hair glory. She has a lot of hair but it isn't coarse enough to hold much curl.

You've made it to the end! Bless your heart!

Fried Chicken Shenanigans

2011-12-15T23:32:00.003-05:00

This evening the kids and I took fajitas from a local restaurant to some dear friends with a new baby. The food smelled really good and I thought about getting some for us, but since Curt was gone for the evening I didn't want to get fajitas for just me and the kids. They really don't appreciate fajitas yet. I trust they'll eventually develop the palate of good little Texans, but until then, there's always fried chicken. Now Texans love some fried chicken, but who doesn't?

I pointed the car in the direction of my favorite place to get chicken strips, fried okra, and rolls. It just so happens that this fried chicken joint shares a roof and a doorway with a gas station. Don't hate - they have the perfect crunchy, yummy batter. Nothing else will do!

So we're in the drive thru, because I really don't want to go inside the gas station fried chicken place, when Annabeth says, "Mommy, I have to go tee tee!" There's enough panic in her voice that I know she's for real and can't wait. I parked the car and we went inside the chicken place to find a potty.

I was so excited when I realized that the fried chicken place shared not only a roof and a doorway, but also a bathroom with the gas station. Yay! And the ladies side was out of order. Double yay!

We walk into the bathroom and I almost retch a the sight of a urinal, filthy sink, overflowing trashcan, and just overall disgustingness. At first I was too busy barking "Don't touch anything!" at my kids to realize that every nasty word in the English language is scrawled on the bathroom door. And guess what, y'all? My kid can read now. Let's celebrate literacy!

Now I'm barking, "Jackson! Do not read the wall. Those are very bad words. Do not even try to sound those words out. Turn around and don't look at it! "

By the time we stumbled out of there, I was in no shape to deal with the long line that had formed at the gas station chicken place. See, I'm not the only one that likes it. I'm convinced the deep, dark secret of my neighborhood is that everyone eats fried chicken from the gas station but no one talks about it.

What could we do at this point but go home and eat leftovers? Boo hoo.

So, folks, I think I learned a lesson. Sometimes it might be better to let your kid pee her pants.

Two Tiny Christmas Trees

2011-12-02T09:10:00.001-05:00

I had so much to say this week and never got around to typing it out. Darn! I did, however, make very good use of my kitchen and I'm patting myself on the back for that. Pinterest is giving me a lot of motivation to cook. In fact, I've made 8 recipes I've found on there in the last month. If you're a kitchen slacker like me, you should do yourself a favor and check it out.

My little one has been giving me a run for my money this week. Let's just say her personality has been BIG. She spent almost all of Wednesday pouting at me with her hands on her hips. Whoever taught her that better hope I don't find out about it.

Thankfully, Miss Personality also gave us some moments to laugh about. Like when she groomed Beckham with the dustpan brush. I think she has a future as a horsewoman.

It was pretty cold here earlier this week, which reminded me to get some warm hats and stuff for winter. We walk Jackson home from school every day and I was told by another mom that pick-up in winter is even more miserable than the first month of school when it is 112 degrees. I cannot even imagine that.

Aber reminds me of a little flapper girl in her hat. She loves it.

Here's Bub all decked out.

I can't help but picture him like this.

Here's Annabeth having one of her big personality moments.

These are the pizza rolls I made a few nights ago. They were pretty yummy!

This is an enchilada stack. I made an absolute mess out of it. My friend Lindsee stopped by for a minute as it was baking and I made her come in and see my potential cooking disaster. Curt walked in at that moment and invited her to stay and eat with us. Um, AWKWARD! Did Lindsee really want to stay for this? Bless her heart, she said yes. (Disclaimer: I ran out of the foil and couldn't follow certain steps of the recipe.) It tasted somewhat like a Mexican pizza from Taco Bell. I will try it again sometime.

We have Griswold-style Christmas lights adorning the house, but so far our only decorations inside are two little trees for Jackson and Annabeth. I've always wanted to do this for the kids and it was a lot of fun. Hobby Lobby has a whole aisle of tiny ornaments. Obviously, Annabeth's tree is pink. It lives in her room since there is no other pink in the house.

Jackson's tree is silver. I bought it at an interior decorator's store that was going out of business a couple months ago. The base was cracked and it was super cheap. By the way, can you tell what movie we just watched?

Jackson's tree is in the breakfast area for all to see. He was a little bitter that I didn't let him have it in his room. Here he is hugging it.

Miss Alicia was here with us. She is so fun!

The highlight of the week was seeing Hillsong Live with a bunch of friends from our church. It was a-mazing. I wish I had pictures.

Supposedly we're putting up our real Christmas tree tonight. I'll believe it when I see it.

Have a great Friday!

A Fightin' Texas Aggie Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

When I was a little girl, I asked my daddy for a pony. (His name was Coco the Wonder Horse and he provided us many, many hours of father-daughter bonding.) When I grew up, I asked my daddy for tickets to see the Aggies and the Longhorns play football on Thanksgiving Day for the last time. Since Texas A&M is moving to the SEC, this would be the last match up for years. Maybe forever. And since I fell in love with the Aggies when my daddy took me to this very game in 1991, I thought maybe he would have compassion on this old (but still oh-so-young) Ag.

And he did. Thank you, Daddy!

Curtis and I enjoyed a low key Thanksgiving lunch with our kids, my parents and grandparents before the two of us set out for College Station. We got there early and had time to walk around campus. We saw my old dorm on the south side - Krueger Hall.

We walked through the Commons. It looked exactly the same. Here's the hallway leading into Krueger. This is as far as we got.

This is the window to my old room. We were on the first floor facing Bizzell, right next to the stair well.

Then we met up with some friends from our church who had set up a Thanksgiving feast in the shadow of Kyle Field. They did it up right with long tables, centerpieces, candles, and all the traditional foods.

This maroon pumpkin is not very traditional, but there couldn't be any orange now, could there?

We watched the band and the Corps of Cadets march in. I took everything in, even the very powerful and pungent smell of the Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Then it was time for the game. We sat down low on the student side. The band was close by, the yell leaders were right in front of us, and it was perfection.

We sawed Varsity's horns off, stood as the 12th man, kissed when the Ags scored on the field, twirled our white towels in the air, and did all the yells. We gave a few horses' laughs to some bad calls.

The Horns gave a nice tribute to the rivalry by forming a "Thank you A&M" formation during half-time. The Ags did a traditional "sawed off horns" formation during their performance and got some flack for not "being classy." The Horns took the high road, people said. Well, the Aggies took neither the high road nor the low road, but the same road they've been on for 118 years. Aggies are nothing if not traditional.

A 118 year rivalry came down to the last 20 seconds of a football game and a field goal. The Aggies ran out of time and lost by two heartbreaking points. What is more heartbreaking is that these games are over.

Goodbye to Texas University

So long to the Orange and the White

Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies

They are the boys who show the real old fight...

Little Miss Pilgrim

2011-11-25T16:19:00.001-05:00

My favorite thing about Annabeth's preschool is the annual Thanksgiving feast. It is just so adorable every year. The kids and teachers always dress up and all the classes feast together in one huge room.

I wasn't sure what Annabeth would be this year, but I kinda hoped she would get to be a pilgrim since the kids have always been Indians. When this little thing came walking out, I nearly passed out from the cuteness.

Annabeth took herself very seriously.

This was the closest she came to smiling.

Here's the table for her little class.

Her place marker had her name on it as well as what she told her teachers she is thankful for. Her answer was "God." Her teachers thought that was just too precious but I told them not to be too impressed because she had just told me a few days before that she really loved Mary.

Checking out the food.

Hmmmm. I think I will only eat celery dipped in ranch dressing. And when I run out of that, I'll just dip my fingers straight in the ranch. Yum-o!

I knew all the LPM girls and some LifeWay guests were having lunch together at the office, so I decided to take my little pilgrim to see everyone. Suddenly she was all smiles. As we like to say, she loved herself.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-23T21:10:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling it all week - this welling up of gratitude deep in my chest. I have more to be thankful for than anyone I know. In fact, I could make a list that would stretch a mile wide. But my grateful eyes are gazing on one thing that's so beautiful, it's hard to look at anything else. It's Christ, through His church.

It's like a big, bright bouquet of balloons that takes my breath away even though I'm 32 years old. It's a collection of Jesus followers with brilliant gifts, engaged hearts, and strong servant arms. They are filled with the Holy Spirit, who takes flat, rubbery lives and gives them impossible dimension and lightness. They are generous with their time, money, and love. They don't keep a mental list of all the things they've done for the Lord so they can cash it in when they think they've done enough. This is their calling - to be a living sacrifice. Every minute, every heartbeat, every step, every breath is purposed for the glory and renown of their God. His Word renews their minds and fills their mouths. They face opposition, but they are ready for battle. Having been forgiven and set free, and they preach the Gospel to those who are suffering in their hopelessness and frustration. They love Jesus. They bear each other's burdens. They forgive each other because Christ forgave them.

To our friends at Bayou City Fellowship, Curtis and I are so thankful for you. We praise God today because of your great faith, your hard work and endurance, your authenticity, and your humility. You are beyond all we could have asked for or imagined. We asked God to put together a team of believers that represented every spiritual gift and every part of the body, and He did it. We marvel at His faithfulness through you.

Thank you for believing God. We love you so much.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Weekend Recap

2011-11-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

It feels like it's still the weekend since Jackson and Curtis have this whole week off. At first I wondered why we didn't leave town and do something fun with so much time off, but it will be really nice to have a whole week to just hang out at home.

On Friday night I was still in my post-Ecuador funk. You know what brought me out of it? I cooked a nice dinner for my family. When I felt frozen after Guatemala, Ann Voskamp encouraged me to just "do the next thing." It still applies nicely.

So for dinner I made spinach stuffed shells with meat sauce from the SkinnyTaste blog. I used really lean ground beef instead of turkey because, well, beef is goooood. It was pretty yummy and probably would have been incredibly yummy if the recipe hadn't called for reduced fat cheeses. (Confession: I added some mozzarella to the top of it.)

I stumbled out of my room at 8:30 on Saturday morning. Curtis Jones was at the top of my thankful list for letting that happen. Later that afternoon Mom, Melissa and I did some Christmas shopping together. That evening my parents kept the kids so Curtis and I could attend a going away party for a sweet couple in our church. The Massey's are moving to L.A. and we will miss them so much! We're very thankful for how they have sown into Bayou City Fellowship since the earliest days. After the party, Curtis took me to dinner at Churrasco's and we had the world's best empanadas. You cannot believe how good they are.

We had a great Sunday morning at our church. Some very dear friends of ours, the Habermehls, were in town and came to visit. Curtis preached about fasting, which historically has not been my favorite thing (why are you not surprised?). But we are asking our church to fast during the lunch hour during from December 5-9 and I'm really excited about how God is going to work and what I'm going to learn.

After church I went to lunch with two young ladies who were in my 8th grade Sunday school class the year after I graduated from college. They are now the exact age that I was when I was their teacher. I'm so proud of them and thankful that they have stayed in touch with me through the years.

Now I want to return to the subject of the Habermehl family. When Curt and I were newlyweds, he and C.M. were on the youth staff together at HFBC. We had so much fun serving with C.M. and Fay during that time. We learned a ton about ministry and family life from the Habermehls. I was never much of a kid person, but being around their little girl, Addison, helped some of those maternal instincts bubble up from deep inside. On Sunday morning I got to worship next to Addison, who is a middle schooler now, and that meant so much to me.

When I was completely helpless in the kitchen, Fay showed me some basics and taught me how to work a KitchenAid mixer. I knew NOTHING, y'all. I still don't know much, but most of what I know is because of her. She taught me how to make those butterscotch haystacks that I've talked about so much.

The most important thing Fay and C.M. modeled for us was how to be a team in ministry. As a mom of four very young kids, Fay made a lot of sacrifices to be present with her husband and serve with him. Sometimes when I want to make a habit of being a hermit, I say "Fay raised you better than that!" She showed me how to support my husband by encouraging him, getting to know and love the people he serves and serves with, and finding a way to be involved in which I can use my own spiritual gifts. Every ministry couple operates differently, but this is what has worked for us so far. The changing seasons of family life require flexibility and patience, but this is the pattern we bounce back to.

If you are taking the time and energy to pour into younger people, I hope you will be encouraged to keep it up. There are some things you just can't learn from books and lectures.

"The Night Max Wore His Wolf Suit"

2011-11-21T10:35:00.001-05:00

Last week Jackson's school had a Storybook Parade. Jackson was Max from Where the Wild Things Are.

He roared his terrible roars and gnashed his terrible teeth and rolled his terrible eyes about wearing this costume.

But I assured him that everyone in the world loves Max.

By the time we saw him at the parade, he was all smiles.

These two little wild things were surprised and happy to see each other.

Big, huge thanks to Beth and Jakson for lending the Max suit to us.

Goldilocks

2011-11-19T10:27:00.001-05:00

Please forgive me for leaving up a picture of jungle worms for so many days. Gross. I have not been able to find words this week. When I came back from Guatemala I cried a lot, but this time has been different. There were some waterworks and a lot of heartache at church on Sunday, but since then I've felt really edgy and impatient. Maybe it's the Malaria pills, maybe it's re-entry syndrome, or maybe I need some Midol. I have a feeling this can be helped by some quality time with my mom and sister, which will hopefully happen today.

On Monday morning I went straight to the Apple store at the mall to get my laptop fixed. It turned into an all day event, but in the end I left with a functional computer with all my pictures still on it. Thank You, Jesus. Seriously.

Since we had a few hours to hang around the mall, I decided to take Annabeth to Visible Changes and see if we could get her first haircut. (I know, y'all. Yes, she is almost 3 years old.) I'd been meaning to do this for a long time, but I was scared that she would freak out and we would have to leave with half a haircut. I also didn't know where to take her. "Cool Cuts for Kids" was great for Jackson, but there was not as much at stake with his hair. Annabeth's hair is her crowning glory. Could I really trust a kid place with my angel's beautiful locks?

Visible Changes fit us in with a stylist I didn't know, but she was really sweet. I took Annabeth around the salon to show her everything. Then she started getting nervous. When it came time to sit in the chair, she freaked out and said she wanted to eat. So we told the stylist we'd try again after lunch. I also took her by the Disney store to show her that I would buy her a princess doll if she got her hair cut.

We ate some Chickfila and then Curtis arrived with his moral support. We went back to the salon but our stylist was with another client. So we took Annabeth to the play area and let her go crazy. After that, she said she was ready to get her hair cut. Yay! We went back to Visible Changes for the third time and the stylist worked us in again.

There was a four-year-old girl in the waiting area who was having her first haircut, so I stopped feeling so bad about how long I'd waited. I think interacting with her helped Annabeth relax a little bit.

Our stylist, Christine, sprayed Annabeth's hair with water so she wouldn't have to brave the sink. AB cried for about a minute and then she calmed down.

She was very still and quiet throughout the whole thing. The stylist basically evened out the ends and that was it. You can't even tell she's had a haircut, except that it has a nicer shape to it now. My first thought was that it was a waste of money, but I think it was wise seeing as how Annabeth could have freaked out at any moment.

Goldilocks also got to have her first experience with a curling iron. I would be way, way too nervous to do this myself.

Christine said, "Here you go, Miss Cindy Crawford!" (I'm guessing they don't say that at Cool Cuts for Kids.)

Annabeth looks a little bit like Wednesday from the Addams family here.

And finally, a smile!

Annabeth picked out an Ariel doll from the Disney store and then it was done. My baby girl is growing up!

Let's Talk About Grub

2011-11-14T08:26:00.007-05:00

Behold, Ecuadorian jungle grubs.

Y'all. This happened.

And so did this.

We'd heard that guinea pig is a delicacy in Ecuador and frankly, the thought of that grossed me out. But as soon as I saw the grubs I was all, "Dude, where is the guinea pig?"

We had been on a bus winding through the Andes mountains for about 6 hours and our stomachs were on edge. Certain bloggers' stomachs had succumbed to the windiness. These are some women who were smiling because they were so happy to be off the bus. This was before they laid eyes on, well, the fish eyes.

I wish you could have seen our faces when we were all seated at the table and our hostess announced that for lunch we would be having tilapia and worms. Ha! I knew right away that a fish head was about to be put in front of me and I prepared myself to be strong and courageous. I imagined the worms might be earthworms. That would be gross, but I thought I could cut it into small pieces and get it down. It might be worth it to be able to tell Jackson Jones that Mommy ate a worm.

But the jungle grubs turned out to be fat and rubbery. I am seriously getting nauseous right now just writing about this. Several members of our team got brave and tried them. The looks on their faces did not encourage me. This is our photographer, Keely. She is the bravest girl I know.

I know it's bad form to not eat something given to you in another country. But here were my options:

A) Eat the worm and throw up at the table.

B) Don't eat the worm and, instead, eat the fish with a huge smile and talk about how yummy it is!

I went with option B. I just tried to ignore the fish eye until I was done. Y'all, nature is so great because after my last bite I pulled about five bones out of my mouth and had I needed a toothpick, I would have been all set!

What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten in another country?

*If this post didn't really do it for you, check out my friends' posts here.*

**You can make the fish heads and grubs all worth it by sponsoring a child in Ecuador. :) **

Loving Toward All He Has Made

2011-11-12T00:11:00.012-04:00

I ducked my head and crept to the back of the long canoe. It dipped to one side and I squealed like a little girl. Steadied now, I scurried to the back bench and took a seat next to our videographer. I exhaled in relief and opened wide eyes to take in the scene around me. The river was bordered by banks of smooth, round stones and it flowed quietly. River banks were hugged by thick belts of greenest trees. Monkeys, snakes and birds hid beneath a million leafy umbrellas that formed the tree canopy. We were in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador.

The canoe carried us downstream toward our destination. The majesty of God´s creation stole my words. The One who can read my mind and heart heard my joyful song. My God, you brought me to this place I have longed to see since I was so very young. I never even asked for this. I never dreamed it was possible. You are so good. Thank you.

I had prayed before my trip that God would open my eyes to His goodness. I knew what the enemy would whisper to me when I saw the poverty and misery. He would tell me that my Father is unjust, that my Father is not good. This I know: this world is broken by our sin and my merciful Father sacrificed His only Son to redeem it. Psalm 145:13 says "The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made."

I saw God's goodness on Wednesday morning when we had breakfast with two Leadership Development Program (LDP) students. Evelyn was sponsored into the Compassion program at age four. She grew up dreaming the dreams that kids dream - bold, daring dreams that poverty can rub smooth and small like rocks in a river. Dreams of high school, university, and a professional future can be squelched way too soon by the heavy gates of poverty.

Evelyn's sponsor wrote to her often, encouraging her to work hard, offering confidence in her abilities. Compassion workers invested deeply in her life. She performed well in school. Dreams in her heart - hopes that she may never have dared voice - came into focus. After graduating from the Child Sponsorship Program, she applied to be part of Compassion's Leadership Development Program, which allows students to receive a university education and Christian leadership training. Obstacles arose, but God moved them out of the way and Evelyn was accepted into the program.

Evelyn stood before us, a gracious, confident, wise, godly young woman, and shared her testimony. God had given her oppotunities beyond her imagination. He had used two women in Australia to help pry open the gates of poverty and release her into a fruitful future. Evelyn is now in her last 6 months of law school. Her goal is to be part of the United Nations one day. I'd love for you to meet her.

You can be a gate opener for a child in poverty.

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle

2011-11-10T19:00:00.001-04:00

It is 6:45 in the morning and we are getting ready to pack all our stuff back into suitcases and get on the bus. We have a 6 hour drive that will take us to the river and the jungle and a long-awaited canoe ride that has been such a hot topic for months now. We will not have Internet access once we get to the jungle, so I'm getting a little crazy and setting this here post to publish itself tonight. Y'all let me know if it works. I know many of you are anticipating pictures of our team in our fabulous jungle clothes. It is going to be a rich experience, I'm sure. While you wait, check out this post by Sophie. She got to spend the entire day with her sponsor child, Wilter. I was just reading it and laughing out loud by myself like a hyena. She is the queen. Thanks again for following our trip, for your prayers, for your encouragement, and for your sponsorships. Much love!

Amanda

Joy - Vol. 2

2011-11-09T19:01:00.008-04:00

Joy - Vol. 1

Joy is my sweet roommate letting me use her laptop since mine crashed last night. Joy is knowing that when I face trials of many kinds, such as none of my technology working here, that the testing of my faith is producing perseverance. And perseverance must finish its work so that I may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

Joy is being connected with THE most adorable sponsor child in all of Ecuador.

Joy is going to Walmart to shop for a 9-year-old man child. Joy is finding the perfect backpack to fill with things you hope a kid his age would like - a digital watch, legos, a transformer, underclothes, a Texas A&M ball cap, school supplies, sports equipment, and a flashlight. Joy is asking God to lead you in the right direction and sensing Him say baseball.

Joy is watching a little boy named Jhon open up his new backpack to find two baseball gloves and some balls. Joy is hearing that baseball is his most favorite sport! Joy is tossing the ball back and forth while learning everything you possibly can about each other in one hour.

Joy is having a great translator who can make you feel at ease.

Joy is finding out that Jhon and I have the same favorite pizza flavor - candian bacon and pineapple. Joy is hearing him say that although he doesn't go to church with his family, his favorite thing about his child development center is learning about God. Joy is knowing that even though his circumstances aren't ideal, he has a good family life.

Joy is being asked by my sponsor child if I like horses. Joy is saying absolutely! Are you kidding me? Joy is finding out that his daddy is an excellent horseman.

Joy is teaching Jhon how to use a mechanical pencil. Joy is seeing his name handwritten for the first of many times.

Joy is a fightin' Texas Aggie ball cap that just happens to match his school uniform.

Joy is a facial expression that says "I've always wanted one of these!" and hearing "Muchas gracias!" a hundred times. Joy is being slightly embarrassed to give underclothes to a 9-year-old, but getting over myself and doing it anyway.

Joy is laughing really hard because the jeans you bought him are super long and he says he'll save them until he's thirteen.

Joy is promising to write. Joy is waving goodbye through the bus window with a lump in my throat, but knowing that this is just the beginning of an important relationship...for both of us.

Joy is helping a child. Will you share my joy? Again?

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:3-4)

Carita Feliz (Happy Face)

2011-11-08T21:30:00.032-04:00

We had an epic first day here in Ecuador. But before I start telling you about that, I want to say THANK YOU for your prayers and encouragement while we were traveling yesterday. Our team was coming from all over the US and Canada and not one person had travel drama. It was a late night (my roomie, Kelly, and I didn't shut our eyes until after 2 AM) but a very successful travel day.

This morning at 6:45 our alarm went off and neither of us knew where we were. Ha! We had a quick breakfast with the team and got our fill of caffeine. Here I am with Melanie.

I took more pills than I've ever taken at one time to ward off Malaria, motion sickness and altitude sickness. Holy Moses. Quito is way up there, folks. Especially for sea level-dwellers like myself. I had a little snooze on the bus thanks to Dramamine and before long we arrived in the beautiful, rural village of Cayambe. Oh, but first we had a quick stop at the equator. No big deal, right?

Cayambe was green and beautiful with lots of little farms. It was like a South American version of an English village.

Our team was greeted at the "Carita Feliz" (Happy Face) child development center by the wonderful teachers and pastor whose church hosts it. One of the things I love about Compassion is how they partner with local churches who are already serving children. Compassion empowers these churches to provide significant ministry for impoverished families in their communities.

We split into several groups to have a "day in the life" experience at the home of a sponsored child. Melanie, Keely, Chris, Carmen, Andrea and I were told to hop in the back of a truck to get to our location. My husband is gonna be proud of me but I guarantee my mom is going to freak when she sees this.

We lived. And that's why I can tell you that it was super fun.

We got to spend a day in the life of Emma (6) and her big brother Alex (8). They live with their grandma and some other extended family members. Their mom passed away a couple of years ago from cancer and their dad isn't in the picture. The children go to school and are part of the child development program, but today they showed us how to work the soil.

We grabbed some tools and headed for the fields.

Alex

Emma

Abuelita

Abuelita is small and advanced in years, but she showed all of us up. I'm not even kidding. You can't imagine how fast she dug her rows. The rest of us are not going to be able to move tomorrow.

Alex and Emma grabbed Melanie and me by the hand and took us to see their house.

This is Alex's room. We found a letter from his sponsor, Corey, taped to his wall.

Here's sweet Emma's room.

Emma does not have a sponsor yet. Here's a link to a few others from Carita Feliz who also do not have sponsors.

The kids share their dwelling with a food preparation station and some cages of guinea pigs.

The adults live across the path in another building. My impression is this: they are doing the best they can for these children, but they can't care for them alone. That's where Compassion sponsors come in.

The ladies at the child development center brought a wonderful lunch to the family's home and we were able to serve food to Abuelita, Alex, Emma, and two teachers from Carita Feliz. Then we all sat down together and talked. I think we forgot we had translators making this possible. It was a delight.

I started reading Kisses from Katie yesterday on the airplane. Have any of you read that yet? I couldn't stop thinking about the author when I heard Myra, Alex's 20-year-old teacher, describe her passion for these children. Since Alex and Emma don't have a mother, Myra's role in their lives is vital. She goes the extra mile to help them learn things like good hygiene. And she simply loves them.

Melanie and I got to present a big basket of food to Abuelita from the child development center. It will go a long way. Here we are with the kiddos. What a great afternoon it was.

Keely gave Emma a new version of a polaroid picture of herself. She was so happy.

On the way back to the CDC we saw a very strange sight - watermelons growing on a wall.

And then we saw a dog running around on a rooftop. I'm not one to like dogs in foreign countries (ask Sophie how fast I ran from her little bulldog buddy this morning). But this guy was adorable. And confined to a roof.

That's all for tonight, folks. But you can go here to read posts from our whole team of bloggers. Hasta luego!

Twas the Night Before Ecuador

2011-11-06T18:55:00.014-04:00

There are two kinds of people in this world - those who pack days in advance and those who pack the night before. Which one are you?

I've never understood packing days in advance. I still need all my stuff until it's time to go! In typical Amanda form, I will be up long after the kids are in bed tonight with the washer and dryer working over time. I will be so wound up from packing that I'll probably have a hard time falling asleep. But all the craziness of packing and collecting the things I need for this trip (helloooooo Walmart on a Saturday) are going to be more than worth it.

If you've had the blessing of giving birth to more than one child, you might be able to relate to how I'm feeling tonight. I've spent months imagining this trip and what it will be like. I am so excited about playing with the precious kids, hearing their songs, talking to their mothers, and meeting the wonderful adults who lead their projects. I know I'm going to have rich experiences in the bus/canoe with the team. I feel a little less nervous and a little more secure about what's going to happen when I get there. Those are huge pluses.

But I keep having this thought:

Oh, crud, this is going to hurt. There's just no way around it.

(Someone reading this is weeks away from giving birth for the second time and she is nodding her head right now.)

Will you pray for our team? Did I hear a yes? A few yeses? Oh, thank you. I believe that your prayers will make a huge impact on our trip. Here are a few things you could pray for:

-Perfect health and protection for our team and for families back home.

-That the Holy Spirit will give us the words to write each night.

-That many, many, many, many blog readers will be prompted to sponsor children living in extreme poverty in Ecuador.

-That Jesus will be near to us, that we we will hear His voice, and that He will be glorified in our lives through this trip.

-That the enemy will be bound from having any influence.

I want to thank you in advance for holding up my arms during this trip. One other thing besides your prayers (and sponsorship, but that's obvious, right?) would be a huge encouragement. Would you let me know you're here? As the week goes on, would you let me hear your voices? I know sometimes it's hard to find words when posts are serious, but an "I'm praying!" or a "Still here," or a "Keep it up, sister," would help spur me on.

Thank you so much, friends. You guys have enriched my life in more ways than I could ever count. God alone knows.

Okay, are you ready? Let's go to Ecuador.

P.S. You can follow our team on Twitter here.

Got Questions?

2011-11-02T09:24:00.006-04:00

I've had my head in the clouds for the last couple of weeks. Am I really going to Ecuador with some of my best friends from the blogosphere? (I'm totally owning the nerdiness of that statement.) Yes! I am! I've got my jungle outfits ready to go, some fun things to do with the kids, and a mental list of what to pack. Last week I looked up the rustic little hotel where we're staying in the Amazon and I teared up. It's right on the river with trees all around. How am I getting to have this experience? For the love...I am going to see the Amazon with my very own eyes. What kind of God do I serve that would show me this kindness? Not only that, but the 9-year-old boy that we are newly connected with through sponsorship in Ecuador has the cutest face and cheeks I've ever seen and I will probably get to meet him face-to-face. I have been beyond excited.

Yesterday I descended back to earth to get the last round of vaccines I need to travel. Perhaps having needles poked into my arm is what brought the importance and seriousness of this trip into tight focus. It's not about spending six days with some dear friends. It's not about visiting a country I've never been to before. It boils down to this: there are children living in extreme - EXTREME - poverty in this world. Some of them in live Ecuador. We are going to meet - to see, to smell, to listen to, to play with - precious children who are suffering from the emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual and physical trauma of poverty. We are also going to see where light is shining in the darkness because of the work that Compassion is doing in their communities. Thank God for that!

I would love to know what questions you all may have about Compassion. What would you like me to find out while I'm visiting their programs in Ecuador? What would you like to see on this blog? Whether you've been a sponsor for years or you've never heard about Compassion until now, I'm going for all of us.

Optimus Prime and the Butterfly

2011-11-01T17:51:00.016-04:00

Look at this sweet little butterfly.

She means business.

Her big brother was Optimus Prime.

Here they are together with Scary (not so scary) Scarecrow from last year. He waited patiently all year for another turn in the sun.

Bibby dropped by to see the kids dressed up.

I had some wonderful front porch assistants who helped distribute candy to the neighborhood kids - Alicia, Lindsee and Angela. We had so much fun with them.

After a spin around the block, Annabeth was done.

Very, very done.

Optimus was primed. (What does that even mean?)

I love my family.

I love my friends.

And I love the evidence of the one time I was crafty.

Dewberry Farm 2011

2011-10-31T09:18:00.017-04:00

We had a wonderful weekend complete with a visit from Curt's parents, field day at Jackson's school, a legit cold front, lots of good food, a trip to Dewberry farm, fall baking day with my girlfriends, church and a block party.

This was our fourth year to visit Dewberry Farm. The first time we went, Jackson was Annabeth's age. It has gotten bigger every year and I think this time the extra attractions helped spread the crowd out nicely. This giant slide was one of the new things.

The kids were so cute climbing the hill together.

This is Jackson shooting corn cobs at targets.

This beast of gun shot mini water bottles at targets.

He was very successful with some help from his dad.

Annabeth wanted to sit on this horse, which made me happy.

Annabeth and Nana

We went out to the pumpkin patch on the farmer's wagon. Apparently they had tried to plant pumpkins but with the drought, they just didn't grow. So the pumpkins they had were imported from out of state. Let's just say the heat had not been kind to a lot of them. It was like a pumpkin graveyard.

Here's my future horsewoman on a noble steed.

I thought she had nice form. She had no fear whatsoever.

Jackson's favorite attraction has always been these bouncy things. Annabeth loved them too.

Here's the Mister on the zip lines. This looks so fun to me.

The last thing we did was pan for arrowheads.

Look at this face! So funny!

On the way home, my people dropped me off at fall baking day with my girlfriends, AKA The Blogging Barbies. These baking days are out of control awesome, thanks to Missy.

Here are Lindsee and Jen, sampling what was left behind from candy apple decorating.

You can't believe how good this was.

And this is why my post-birthday detox was totally wrecked and I get to start over today.

I love these girls (and all the ones we were missing (including the one in Tennesee!)) so much.

Lindsee, Jen, me, Missy, Ashley, Kristy and Erin.

Like Old Times

2011-10-26T15:13:00.020-04:00

When Jackson was a baby I carted him all over the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Sometimes we did things that would be fun for him, and other times we did things that would be fun for me. We had lots of friends in the same stage of life that we could connect with. We were rarely confined to our house.

When we moved back to Houston, everything changed. I'd never lived here as a mother and I didn't know all the great places to take kids. We also lived farther out of the city than when we lived in Irving (just a stone's throw from downtown Dallas) and the fun stuff wasn't as accessible. On top of that, I had morning sickness almost immediately upon our arrival to Houston. My North Texas-born baby was now an extremely active two-year-old who was big and strong and refused to hold my hand and walk nicely next to me. Next thing I knew, we started potty training and got in the habit of staying home all the time.

Then Annabeth was born and I found it overwhelming to leave the house unless I really needed to. I started avoiding play dates, but that is a story for another day. When I realized my new MOPS group was all about play dates and I pondered telling them up front that I was never coming. Awful.

Church was our social life. That's not all it was, of course, but it was largely where that need got met. I got to know another mom who became one of my best friends because we were in the nursing room together so often.

I have extremely fond memories of everything Jackson and I did when we lived in D/FW. Sometimes I read the early posts of this blog and relive it all with a smile on my face and wet eyelashes. When I do, I can't help feeling sad (and guilty) that I was never that footloose and fancy free with Annabeth. I wish I had that same energy for her. I wish doing things that should be fun didn't stress me out so much. The things I am better at as a mother the second time around probably outweigh this one aspect, but I'd still like to change it.

Now that I'm getting comfortable with the whole kindergarten routine, Annabeth and I are starting to get out more. Today we met a friend and her son at the Children's Museum. Honestly, I would never have gone there if my friend hadn't invited us. But it was so simple with one kid! Seeing my friend with her first born took me back a few years. I loved how easy going and enthusiastic she was. I want to be more like that.

Annabeth and I have been driving into the city to meet up with my sister for lunch once a week. I feel like the richest woman in the world because I have her and my mom close. They are definitely helping me get out more. Last week Melissa, Annabeth and I went to Barnaby's and sat on the patio, then hung out on her back porch with coffee and tea. Today she met us for tacos before we headed home from the museum. I'm enjoying my sister so, so much.

After today, for the very first time, I think I might be able to do for Annabeth what I did for Jackson.

Eating at the play cafe.

Shopping at the mini-HEB.

We tried really hard to get a great pic of AB and Zane. This was as good as it got. I'm not sure a boy really wants to get close to a cow wearing a tutu and a giant flower. He is some kind of cute, though!

Silly and a Bad Word

2011-10-25T14:21:00.008-04:00

On Friday night our little family went out for an early dinner at Russo's. They have our current favorite pizza - coal fired, New York style pepperoni. Praise the Lord. Afterward we went to a store called Gander Mountain so that I could buy some advanced form of mosquito repellent for the clothes I'm going to wear in the Amazon. I also had to buy a hat with a rim all the way around. Bonus!

Jackson got really excited about the hats and wanted one for himself. Not wanting to buy two, I told him I would buy this hat for him but he'd have to let me borrow it for my trip and he couldn't wear it until I got back. This was the perfect compromise.

Now, I am cursed with expensive taste and of course the one hat that I actually loved turned out to be $75. Um, no. So I moved on to this one.

Amazing, right? If I were a bee keeper.

Eventually Jackson and I settled on a hat that looks ever-so-slightly Texan, repels water and dries quickly.

So yesterday morning I was getting my boy ready for school and I put on the hat just to be awesome. I told Jackson I was probably going to wear it to pick him up from school. Then we had a major milestone.

"Mommy, I think that would look silly."

Did my son just get scared that I would embarrass him at school? I think so!

Then I mentioned it again - just teasing him, of course - and he said, "Mommy, that would be silly and a bad word."

Alert! Alert! Alert!

Major milestone number two!

"And a bad word? Huh. What bad word would that be?"

"I can't say it."

I ran into my room and locked the door behind me. I blurted all this out to Curtis and we both died laughing. Then I went back into the living room and asked Jackson to spell the word for me.

"It starts with 'S'." Curtis was sweating. I, however, knew what it was going to be.

"Sttttt...oooo...pid."

Bingo.

I'm just glad my son will never have to see me in my sweet Amazon clothes that will be arriving from Columbia any day now. I resolve from this day forward to shelter him from all things silly and a bad word in his mother's wardrobe.

Barefoot Church

2011-10-24T09:37:00.031-04:00

It was at this time last year that God began giving Curtis and me vision for a church plant here in Houston. My friend Missy placed a book called Interrupted in my hands without knowing what was going on behind the scenes in the Jones family. This book was Jen Hatmaker's account of how God gave her and her husband a passion to start a church that serves the least in Austin, Texas. The story of their journey and God's faithfulness throughout it all is very powerful. (Confession: I still haven't returned the book to Missy! I'm horrible! That is going to be my goal for this week.)

Both Jen and her husband, Brandon, have been an encouragement to me this year. I haven't met them in person, but they have extended a kind word and a prayer at times when I thought I might sink down in the anxiety and complicated emotions that went along with jumping off the big ship and sailing off in our own, new boat. Jen told me that their church prayed for us on our launch day, which meant so much to me. I hope one day to get to visit Austin New Church and see their wonderful ministry with my own eyes.

When Brandon tweeted about the new book he was writing called Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture, we were in the middle of making decisions about how Bayou City Fellowship was going to be. I responded with great (scary?) enthusiasm to read the new book. It went something like this: Please, sir, I could really use it right this second! I know your book isn't coming out for months and months but we have no time to spare! I even asked if I could be one of the reviewers for the book, which will make my fellow bloggers laugh because they know how rarely it happens that way in the blogosphere.

Before I proceed, I need y'all to know how hard it is for me to read non-fiction books. They're my weakness. My husband, on the other hand, devours non-fiction books at the speed of light. And, FYI, I accidentally typed speedo of light just now.

I loved Barefoot Church and highlighted approximately half of every page. It is relevant to any servant of Christ, not just those who are involved in planting churches. One thing it really helped me with was defining terms like missional, attractional, incarnational, social action, social justice, mercy ministry and justice ministry. Maybe y'all can rapidly and thoroughly define all those terms, but homegirl could not. Last winter I found myself trying to describe the vision of Bayou City Fellowship and I found it very hard to put in words. This would have helped!

On page 26, Hatmaker makes a clarifying statement about his book in saying:

"Barefoot Church is not about attractional, seeker-sensitive, culturally relevant, or other models. It is not a church-growth strategy or new style of church. Contrary to popular belief, serving the least does not make a missional church. It's about serving the least and your neighbor. It's about balancing the fasting and the feast. It's about making the altar both a place for communion and a place to leave your shoes." (Amanda adds: the part about the shoes will make sense if you read the book.)

I love that.

One of my favorite quotes from Barefoot Church is this:

"I don't view church growth in the same way I used to. Much of this change has come through my personal experiences both in serving as a pastor in the megachurch and as a church planter. Some has come through watching God move at The Austin Stone and other churches seeking God's kingdom over their kingdom. Some has come through conversations with proponents of the house church movement experiencing life-transforming breakthroughs. Here's what I've realized: in a city of more than a million people, it's going to take all kinds of sizes of churches filled with people committed to the mission and the kingdom of God. Our success will be a collective success - when God is glorified in our city." (p. 158)

Amen! I shouted "Yes, Jesus!" when I read that. BCF was incredibly blessed by two other kingdom-minded churches in our city who saw it the same way. They hosted our core team meetings throughout the summer and provided childcare for our kids. I don't know what we would have done without them. Oh Lord, help us all to seek your kingdom rather than our own.

I learned a ton from this book and was also thoroughly challenged and encouraged. I took away much more from it than what I can describe in a blog post.

I'm really thankful for the Hatmakers' willingness to share their family's journey through church life and family life. (They just brought home two children from Ethiopia.) They're also not afraid to tell on themselves, which is really refreshing. God is certainly using their unique gifts, experiences and passions to equip and challenge the saints.

Barefoot Church is available here on Kindle and here in paperback.

Hat Day

2011-10-20T17:35:00.020-04:00

Annabeth is using a baby spoon to eat Goldfish crackers one by one out of their little bag. This is making me very hungry for a Frito pie. I hope that you have had the simple pleasure of eating a Frito pie with the chili and cheese poured right in the bag.

This craving is ironic because today I officially began a post-thirty-second-birthday-detox. Or P32BD. I threw off the french fry restraint for a few months and I'm going back to the land of a side of fruit. Fun times! Actually, fruit tastes pretty fantastic if you're not eating fried potatoes all the time.

I ordered Annabeth some new pajamas and they arrived today. She wanted to wear the gown she has on right away and firmly told me that she was not wearing the other two because they're "too big." She's wearing me out with all of her fashion opinions. However, I did get her to wear the biggest bow in our possession today. It's big even for southern standards.

Today was hat day at Jackson's school. Of course we didn't start looking for a hat for him to wear until it was time for him to walk out the front door. He ended up wearing his daddy's St. Louis Cardinals hat, which is fitting since they're in the World Series. Get excited. Jackson obviously is. (Look at Beckham coming in for a wet willy.)

Destino

2011-10-18T11:55:00.006-04:00

Destino

masculine noun

1. destiny, fate (sino)

su destino era convertirse en estrella de cine -> she was destined to become a movie star

2. destination (rumbo)

(ir) con destino a -> (to be) bound for o going to
un vuelo con destino a… -> a flight to…
el tren con destino a La Paz -> the train for La Paz, the La Paz train
pasajeros con destino a Chicago, embarquen por puerta 6 -> passengers flying to Chicago, please board at gate 6

3. position, post (empleo, plaza)

le han dado un destino en las Canarias -> he's been posted to the Canaries

4. use, function (finalidad)

*from Spanishdict.com

When I was nine years old my mom took my sister and me to the newly opened Sea World in San Antonio, Texas. I vividly remember walking through the parking lot and saying to the whole group, "There are too many Mexicans here." My mother nearly snatched me bald-headed. She rebuked me to the highest degree and I feel certain she had never been more ashamed of me. A terribly sinful attitude in my heart was exposed. I'm not sure how much my heart really changed at that point, but I definitely learned not to say things like that again.

Several years later, as God would have it, I landed in a 7th grade Spanish class against my will. I'd signed up for a theater class as my elective, but something went very wrong. I had no plans of ever taking Spanish - French sounded so much prettier, I thought. I really don't know why I didn't march into the counselor's office and have my class switched. It probably would've been easy.

Nevertheless, I stayed in the class and was absolutely terrified to be called on. I was embarrassed for anyone to hear me try to speak with an accent. Although when my teacher heard me speak, he asked if my family spoke Spanish at home. No, actually we spoke a blend of Houstonian (where you drop the H-sound from the beginning of words) and Arkansan (using weird figures of speech, such as snatching one bald-headed). It took me many years to understand what my teacher meant when he asked me that question.

I fell in love with the language and continued taking Spanish in high school and college. One day in 11th grade, Sra. Arnold was lecturing on prejudice and attitudes that white Americans have toward Hispanics. She looked right at me and asked, "Amanda,

hay demasiado?" Amanda, are there too many? Can you see how God did not, would not let this go? It was a full circle moment.

I had sin and ugliness in my heart toward Latin Americans, but God had mercy on my soul and did not leave me that way. He stuck me in a Spanish class I never wanted to take, gave me a knack for a language I never wanted to speak, and made me love it. In doing so, He gave me a deep and sincere love for a culture and a people that I used to dishonor in my heart.

You may be thinking "This girl is crazy. I can't believe she told that." We're not really supposed to talk about this, are we? You may be wondering if I'm embarrassed right now. Well, yeah, I am. But God has gone out of His way to redeem my sinful soul. He made beauty out of the ashes that had smoldered privately in my heart. I praise Him for plucking a thorny, ugly, poisonous bush out of my soul and planting something fruitful and life-giving. One of the most cherished treasures God has ever given me is the gift of Spanish. When I hear and understand it, I feel God's pleasure. When I get up the nerve to speak it even though I have been out of classes for almost 10 years, I feel God's pleasure. I see His glory because something happened in my heart that could only have been done by Him.

I would be embarrassed to speak Spanish in front of any of my former teachers now. I've lost so much already. But what remains, even as the meaning of pluscuamperfecto now escapes me, is love. I can no longer understand everything someone says to me in Spanish. I'm of no use as a translator. But what I can still do - and love to do - is give honor.

In my high school Spanish classes we used to watch an educational telenovela called Destinos. Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about. I was thinking about the word destino recently - it means destiny or destination. That seems like such a fitting theme for this story. It may have been my destiny as a young, white, privileged American to grow up truly believing I was superior to people of another economic standing or race. But God changed my destiny. He also gave me new destinations. I have been incredibly blessed to visit places like Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala.

Last fall I had the privilege of traveling to Guatemala on a Compassion blogger trip with Ann, Lindsey, and Lisa-Jo. One night I was sitting in the conference room with the other bloggers while we typed out the stories of what we had seen. I told our leader, Shaun, about the journey God had taken me on since childhood. It started off with "I can never write about this, but..." I think he was a little shocked, but I wanted him to know what it meant to me to be there. It meant redemption.

Jesus also brought redemption into the lives of a number of Guatemalan families because of the incredible blog readers who followed along on that trip and sponsored children. I heard from someone just last week who had been thinking about sponsoring since that trip and had finally done it. That's so awesome.

I'm still pinching myself over this news, but I'm really excited to tell you that I have a new destino with Compassion. I'm going on a blogger alumni trip to Ecuador next month. What grace! We're going to be in the city of Quito for part of the time, and then we're getting in boats and going into the Amazon. Whoa, Nelly! I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans Ann, Sophie, Melanie, and Kelly and I are going to have in those canoes. We will be blogging from November 8-12. I hope you will follow along.

Saturd'y

2011-10-08T19:38:00.017-04:00

Once upon a time, I was a little kid who lived for Saturdays. I woke up super early to spend the whole morning watching cartoons in my jammies. Mom made us pigs in a blanket or cinnamon toast while Dad watched Pee Wee's Playhouse with us in the living room. I seem to remember that we all said Saturday more like Saturdee. Or Saturd'y.

Then one day I became a teenager who lived in a constant state of physical, emotional and hormonal exhaustion. I lived for Saturdays because I could sleep in. In those days, a successful morning meant not getting out of bed until 11 AM. At the earliest. Fun for me would mean going to the mall with mom and hanging out with my friends at night.

Ten years later I had married a great guy and had a smiley, beautiful baby boy attached to my hip. We lived in a big city four hours away from home. Saturdays could be kind of hard. Our family of three enjoyed being together, but if we had a lull in our schedule I sometimes thought, "What are we doing here? Everyone is spending time with their families and ours aren't here." I didn't feel that way all the time, but on Saturdays there was an ache.

A few years and another baby later, we are back Houston where I used to spend so many Saturdays sleeping the day away. Now I live for Saturdays because (A) my husband is home and (B) so is this guy.

Most Saturday mornings I make cinnamon rolls out of a can. I bargain with my kids/beg for mercy to get them to sleep late. They didn't wake me up until 7:30 this morning, which I considered a success! They watched Yo Gabba Gabba and Snow White in their jammies. We skipped taking baths and headed out to the country to play under trees and stomp around in dirt. We enjoyed the company of my parents, grandparents, an aunt, two cousins and three happy dogs. When we all had enough grime on our faces and under our nails, we took off in search of a snow cone stand. Then we got cleaned up, ate leftovers, and put the kids down early. This is the kind of Saturday I live for now.

Spoils of War

2011-10-04T12:34:00.034-04:00

I have a history of starting really deep and serious blog posts and never finishing them. This may never see the light of day, but I suppose I will try and see what happens. Let's start with this:

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

The first memory I have of dealing with spiritual warfare was when I was a young teenager. My mom was writing her first Bible studies and our family came under the enemy's attack from every direction. When I take time to think through it all, it seems like something out of a movie - or at least a TV drama. The enemy desperately wanted to - and still wants to - prevent my mom's life from bearing much fruit. He tried all he could to stop her from writing Bible studies that would help women all over the world to know God through His Word.

In the months before Curtis, Jackson and I left Irving, TX (winter of 2008), I entered a season of spiritual warfare that I had never experienced before. I began struggling with tremendous anxiety and destructive dreams every single night. I didn't realize what was going on. I just thought I must have some issues that I needed counseling for, so I made an appointment to see a Christian counselor. The night before my first appointment, I dreamed that a dark spirit flew into my room and touched me on the chest. The next morning I woke up and my chest hurt really bad, but I did not remember the dream. Later, I sat in the counselor's office and described why I had come. She asked if it could be warfare. Suddenly I remembered the dream and it all came together.

Over time that attack eased, but it started up again this year. I've had consistent anxiety and my dreams have become a battlefield. My husband began suffering attacks in his sleep, too. Curtis is the least fearful person I know, yet he began to fear falling asleep. He was not only afraid of nightmares, but of waking up blind and deaf. I'm thankful for that very specific and bizarre fear because it helped us to see that what we were experiencing was a spiritual battle. We've asked many friends to pray for us and I know they have.

I have never felt the heat of the battle more than I have in the last month. Night after night the enemy attacked me in my sleep. I spent my quiet time two Sundays ago broken and weeping on the living room rug. I thank God that I knew exactly which friends I could text in that moment and ask for prayer. They were well aware of my junk, my vulnerabilities, and the way the enemy tends to mess with me. They immediately lifted me up and bore my burdens. I was able to get up from the ash heap get on with our Sunday.

The attacks didn't stop on that day. Curtis began fighting with me in prayer. A friend many states away knew in her spirit that something was up and began praying. I stopped being so shy about who I asked to pray for me because I was totally desperate for this to end. I did not know how I could carry on under the weight of it. A couple of times, while telling a friend what I was going through, I heard a voice whisper, You can't tell that. You're a pastor's wife. For a minute I believed that ugly voice but it took a half a second to figure out whose it was. I believe the enemy wanted to keep me from telling on him. His attack was weakened when it was exposed and when the saints prayed.

This Sunday morning I woke up and sensed in my spirit that God had given me victory over my enemy. That specific battle was over. My Savior had said Enough! and the accuser was silenced. The heaviness was gone.

I praise God for giving me the grace not to drown in the tidal wave. Jesus was faithful to remind me that I was justified before Him. No matter what the enemy wanted me to believe about myself, His blood covers me. His Spirit dwells in my core. I'm so grateful to my amazing friends who held me up when my feet were slipping. They listened to me and believed me.

Last winter I took some girlfriends to a conference called Intimate Issues with Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus. One thing I learned - and will never forget - was an illustration of temptation. Picture that you are walking down a long hall toward a specific temptation. At first the hallways on both sides are big sliding-glass doors. You could get out very easily. But as you go along they become regular windows. They open, but not as easily as doors. You could still get out, but it would take a little more effort. Down a little farther the windows start getting smaller. The next ones are narrow and more far apart. Getting out of this hallway wouldn't be so easy now. Finally, you realize you are getting very, very close to destruction, but now your way of escape is beyond your reach. The window is so high and so small that someone is going to have to hoist you up and maybe even give you a shove to get you out.

At that point, will you ask for help or will you take the last steps toward destruction?

Is that not a chilling thing to imagine?

Ladies, we must ask for help. Whether we're being tempted and we're walking closer and closer to destruction, or whether we're suffering under the enemy's attack and we don't know how much more we can take, we need to ask for help. I'm not saying it will bring an immediate end to the trials we're going through, but there is protection in letting those close to us know what's going on.

This has been a very humbling time for me, no doubt. But the spoils of war that I'm holding onto today are increased faith - which is of greater worth than gold, the readiness to pray for those who are enduring the same trials, and love for my mighty and merciful Savior.

These are some of the verses Curtis preached on last Sunday, which is the day God told me He had given me victory over my enemy. Surely this was no coincidence.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

A Boring Post + Pictures

2011-09-30T11:20:00.024-04:00

I've had a revelation, thanks to a blind playdate Annabeth and I had a few weeks ago. The sister-in-law and 2-year-old niece of a friend of mine came over to play. They had just moved to Houston after spending 6 years in Durham, England, which was one of our favorite places to visit when we were living there. We bonded over hot tea, although after she left I realized that since I make it a little backwards I probably looked like the British version of a country bumpkin. Or a poser. Take your pick. (I like to put the milk and sugar in the cup and stir it up before I pour the hot water. Does anyone else do that?)

My new friend told me she drinks 5 cups of tea a day, and that's after cutting back from one every hour of the workday. Needless to say, I realized that I could be benefiting so much more from tea! So I added a cup in the late morning and it has changed my life. Waking up at 6 AM to have my quiet time before the kids get up has been a very positive change for me. I wish I had done it sooner. But I've become rather dependent on naps, which is not realistic every day. Anyway, my mid-morning tea is helping so much. Sometimes I even skip the afternoon one.

Now that you're crying tears of boredom, here's an assortment of pictures from my iPhone. I know you're just so thankful you stopped by today.

This is evidence of the hottest day in the history of Houston, Texas, which happened in August (the 20th, I think). It was BEYOND. I got to host some friends from out of town that day and, bless their hearts, it was just so horrid. It wasn't actually 120 degrees but for the temperature gauge to even draw close to this is insane in the membrane.

These are the chips that I became addicted to this summer. However, I came down with a stomach virus after putting them in a taco salad and it cured my addiction.

My dad called me a few months ago to tell me about this huge trout he caught. I said, "Oh, good, Daddy! Are you going to cook it for us?" He might have used a minor expletive to express his state of flabbergastedness at my suggestion. It may have sounded something like "Heck no! That was a career trout!" Here it is, folks - Dad's career trout.

Here's my mom trying on some Willy Wonka sunglasses.

There was a clothes basket sitting by the laundry room door, just waiting for mama to tackle it. Inside was Annabeth's special blanket - AKA Giraffe Babies - which had suffered a baptism of the most unfortunate kind in the night. The house had gotten very quiet and I didn't know where Annabeth was. This is how I found her.

It was the most adorably tragic sight I'd ever seen.

This is a light fixture at a local hamburger joint.

I just love art.

My guys playing Guitar Hero.

This is the day Annabeth let me put pigtails in her hair. She will not let me do a ponytail (so ironic) but I achieved this by telling her she would get to wear two bows.

This is the day she wanted to stroll her baby dolls down to the school to get Jackson. It appears that she's had a haircut but she really hasn't.

Curtis, AB and I went to the Zapp Hall antique show this week. We had lunch at Royer's at Zapp Hall and it was incredibly yummy.

This is the shrimp BLT. It has become legendary in my memory, much like Goode Company's BBQ chicken sandwich at the rodeo.

Thanks to the orange lei, Annabeth fell asleep flanked by her lamb purse and baby doll.

Have a great weekend, people!

Dot Mom

2011-09-28T16:19:00.000-04:00

Many months ago my friend Paige, who is the director of women's events at LifeWay, told me about this new conference for moms that they were putting on in Birmingham. She asked if I'd like to do a breakout and I feel sure I responded with my oft-given answer, "But I don't speak." She was kind enough to offer to put me on a panel, which was a little more up my alley.

The conference, Dot Mom, finally happened last weekend. Y'all, it was a blast. They are doing it again next year and I really, really hope to attend.

I can't say that my participation in the panel amounted to much more than head nodding or head shaking, but what I received from attending the worship times, main sessions and breakouts was tremendous. We heard from Angela Thomas, Angie Smith, Vicki Courtney, and Priscilla Shirer in the main sessions. Melissa Greene, who was in Avalon, led worship. On Friday night she did a mini Avalon conference for us and I decided I need her to sing "Adonai" to me every night before I go to sleep. That wouldn't be weird, would it? Sophie and Melanie, AKA Boo Mama and Big Mama, were the emcees of the event. They were darling and so fun! I felt like a proud little sister watching them on stage. I heard amazing things about all the breakout sessions and I wish I could have gone to every single one. I got to sit next to Angela Cottrell in our panel discussion for moms of kids under 13 and listen to the incredible wisdom with which she answered the ladies' questions. I could almost see when she would hear the Holy Spirit give her something to say. It was awesome.

I walked away from this conference feeling free and encouraged as a mother rather than feeling like I wasn't good enough. Honestly, the last thing I needed was to bring home a long to-do list that I cannot live up to. Instead, it was like I took off a heavy backpack and came home with a bounce in my step.

A huge added bonus was that my dear friend Heather came from Nashville and I got to see her for the first time since her family moved away in July. I'm so thankful she came! We got to have dessert at Cheesecake Factory on Friday night with Robyn (hostess with the mostest) and Fran. I will not soon forget when Heather sweetly coerced the valet guy to take a series of pictures of us. Nor will I forget that Heather ordered two pieces of cheesecake to sample and later confessed that she didn't like cheesecake. Bless her, Lord. Then we had a minor/major scare when a man in camo sat at the table next to us and we saw that he had a gun in his jacket. We left speedily. I feel certain that we burned as many calories laughing (as well as running away) as we ate in dessert.

A girl can dream, right?

Here are a few pictures that I either took with my phone or stole from a friend. At the end is a recap by David Lowe.

Who knew the Duggars would make a surprise appearance?

Sophie, me, Melanie and Angela

My mom sent these flowers to my hotel room and I almost cried! I felt so close to her the whole weekend. I love you, Mama.

Fran, Robyn, me and Heather. Thank you Mr. Valet Man.

LifeWay Women, .MOM Event Birmingham AL 2011 from David Lowe on Vimeo.

Chicago - Where It's Really Fall

2011-09-26T11:17:00.015-04:00

When it rains, it pours, y'all. (Unless you're in the worst drought that your city has seen since the 1700's.) What I'm trying to say is that I've gone out of town two weekends in a row without my chil'run (as Annabeth says with a growl). That was so crazy, but I'm not leaving again until November.

Curtis and I flew to Chicago on Thursday, September 15, for a board meeting with As Our Own. We had all afternoon to walk around Michigan Avenue and do the things that tourists with just a few hours do. We missed out on the architecture tour but we'll be back next year and we'll prioritize it then.

I was told to get the Chicago Mix at Garrett's - cheddar and caramel. Whoa Nelly, I did not see myself liking that, but it was delish.

We woke up bright and early on Friday. I ordered breakfast for myself, which may be my favorite thing about traveling. It's such a treat for a mama whose mornings fly by at 90 mph.

Our board meeting was from 9-4 at Moody Church, which is a faithful supporter of As Our Own. The sanctuary is absolutely gorgeous.

We were really inspired hearing our friend Ralph talk about his vision for the ministry. It was also our first time to meet the other board members in person. They were wonderful!

After dinner, Ralph took us up to the top of the Hancock building for dessert. It was gorgeous up there. (If you've been there, maybe you can guess where I took this.)

We flew home on the first flight to Houston on Saturday morning. We wanted to leave enough time to rent a car and drive home if something weird happened with our flight. Sunday was only our second service at BCF, after all. (Again with the raining and pouring.)

Welcome back to Texas! This was on a very fast and busy freeway interchange in the middle of the city.

Here's the Sis enjoying the spoils of Chicago.

And the Sir, showing you his popcorn.

When they were all done, Jackson had eaten only the cheddar popcorn out of his bowl and Annabeth had eaten only the caramel out of hers.

I had been to Chicago a couple of times when Melissa was a student at Moody Bible Institute. This was Curt's first trip to the Windy City. He fell in love with it and said he wished that we had gone to grad school at Moody after he finished at Houston Baptist. That would have changed so much about our journey, but I couldn't help feeling the same way momentarily. It's such a great city. I'm glad we have a reason to go back on a regular basis.

Enough

2011-09-22T11:02:00.003-04:00

I'm honored to have my sister, Melissa Fitzpatrick, as a guest blogger today. Her post took my breath away. Be blessed. ~Amanda

Ten years ago, before transferring to Moody and moving to Chicago ever even entered my mind, I was a little sophomore at Baylor University. One fine central Texas day I went down with a friend to a place cleverly called Waco Hall to listen to an increasingly well-known “upcoming” musician. All I knew about the musician I had gleaned from the signs scattered on walls around campus: he had really good hair.

The musician was Shaun Groves. And if I remember correctly, he had just released his first big record Invitation to Eavesdrop. I knew, even then, after just a few minutes listening to Shaun sing, that he had a special voice. Something about him was unique. I sensed that he was a person who both thought and felt deeply about faith and the world. What I most certainly did not sense is that in less than a decade I would be bouncing around East India with a tiny group he was leading.

But in the third world together we were destined to be.

April 2009 to be exact.

On one of those blistering 125-degree days in Kolkata, Shaun and I got to talking. We were on the bus doing what theology nerds do best . . . taking ourselves far too seriously and talking about some Bible verses. We were throwing around phrases like “the new perspective on Paul” “the kingdom” “inaugurated eschatology” and whatnot. We discussed how necessary it is for us to have a holistic understanding of Scripture’s voice about wealth and poverty. We were ranting and complaining how it simply won’t do to quote one or two verses from the gospels; we need to understand everything we can about poverty and wealth in the entire canon. Only then could we really understand the Church’s mission concerning wealth and poverty. But then we got to talking about a couple of verses in the book of Proverbs. Specifically these:

Proverbs 30.7-9

Two things I ask of you;

deny them not to me before I die:

Remove far from me falsehood and lying;

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is needful for me,

lest I be full and deny you

and say, “Who is the LORD?”

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God.

Interesting verses, right? We both suspected that these verses are crucial to the Church’s conversation concerning wealth and poverty. Shaun swears that, among other things, our conversation about these verses has something to do with the song “Enough” on his new record Third World Symphony. I imagine he is grossly exaggerating but I really don’t care since it happens to be my favorite song on the album.

Enough by shaungroves

These were fun times, good conversations.

But nothing could have prepared me for the moment, just a few hours later, when the ideas in this conversation would become a human being. Kiran is the real reason Shaun wrote "Enough."

Nothing could have prepared me for Kiran, a Compassion student who lives in one of the slums of Kolkata.

On April 30, 2009 seven members of our team crammed tightly into the home of twelve year old Kiran Mallik. The home she shares with her four other family members. Three of our team members simply couldn’t fit inside. The tiny little shack was about the size of a twin bed, approximately the size of my spare powder bath.

Here is a picture of Kiran standing outside her house.

We couldn’t stand up inside the little house so with knees and thighs touching, we kneeled around on the floor. We sat captivated by Kiran as she revealed to us who she was through a translator. She told us how much she loves Jesus, how she loves to study and hopes to become a teacher someday.

And then she paused.

And she asked us, with a soft and sincere smile on her face:

“How do you like my house?”

Looking helplessly at one another, we collectively cheered:

“It’s beautiful!”

“Yes, it’s beautiful!”

She beamed in agreement and with satisfaction.

But the thing is, I really couldn’t see beauty.

What I saw on that hot April day was a flimsy little box of a house roofed with plastic paper, rocks, and sticks.

Later as we walked around the slum, Kiran would start to cry.

Tears of joy, she said. Tears because she was just so happy she had God.

Then she would literally burst forth into songs of praise. This is the stuff of the Psalms or maybe even the book of Acts. I saw these things in an Indian slum.

And all I could think about was stuff Kiran didn’t possess.

The dark, scary place we were walking around.

All Kiran could think about was that God was with her.

Where I saw tremendous lack, Kiran saw an extravagance worth displaying.

The radiant joy Kiran effused challenged the “lack” I saw.

Her intoxicating presence told me she lacked no good thing.

This was one of those remarkable moments when fixed values start to move. A paradigm shift, if you will. I had to start deconstructing and reconstructing meaning; I had to start trying to make sense of things again. Clearly I had been missing something major about basic life questions. I started posing new questions: What does it really mean to be blessed? What does it mean to have enough? Can I really trust myself to answer this former question?

Being in Kiran’s presence was something of a dream. Surreal. I felt like I was bound in chains in a dark room gazing out a window at a little girl skipping in a field of sunflowers at the brightest point of the day.

It wasn’t that Kiran was proud of what little she had. That would have been admirable, indeed. But that wasn’t it. It was the very idea that Kiran had absolutely no idea she had little. No one could have convinced Kiran she was “suffering,” not without performing some kind of lobotomy anyway. She was rich and full, living off of a couple of Compassion meals. She knocked me off my white horse. I wasn’t the one doing the liberating anymore. I never was. Maybe I had been bound all along.

The remarkable thing about the Proverbs text I mentioned before (30.7-9) is not that it mentions living in the middle of two extremes: poverty and wealth. The astonishing thing is that it links spiritual infidelity to these two extremes. In other words, living off of just enough, that which is necessary, is spiritually advantageous. At least according to the wisdom writer.

Kiran’s effortless joy, her tremendous wealth in living off the Lord alone, not only reverberates the sounds of the ancient sage; it takes the shape of a cross. Her abundant life is nothing short of cruciform. Undeniable power in perceived human weakness. And not even the thickest darkness can obstruct this kind of light. It is the overwhelming penetrating light of the cross. I was blinded by it because I couldn’t stop staring at Kiran.

My vision will never be the same.

If I close my eyes and focus long enough, I can still hear the sound of Kiran’s voice. She is singing, “Lord, I lift Your Name on High. Lord, I love to sing Your Praises.” The cadences of her voice are still in my heart.

“Oh God, what do we see and hear?

Your kingdom coming.”

Let it come to us.

BCF - The First 2 Weeks

2011-09-20T17:34:00.026-04:00

In my mind the width and depth of this post should reflect how profound and exciting the first two public Sundays of Bayou City Fellowship were. I'm giving up on trying to match that in words because there's no way I can measure up to it.

God displayed His incredible kindness and power to us as we launched our church. My mom described that first Sunday really well on her blog right here. We had plenty of nerves on the day of our dry run, which just consisted of our core team and extended families. But I think that across the board we were all really joyful and at ease on our launch day. It's weird to say that it was fun, but it really was.

When people started arriving - and kept arriving and kept arriving - it was surreal. We had absolutely no idea how many folks to expect, but we certainly did not anticipate the crowd that we had. So many dear friends came, even from out of town, to cheer us on. That meant so much.

There's a statistic that says the average church plant has 50% fewer attendees on the second Sunday than on the first. Since I knew we had a lot of folks that first week who were only coming to encourage us, I tried to prepare my heart and mind for a much smaller crowd the second week. I was truly fine with that but I did not want it to discourage our team.

On the second Sunday I arrived a little frazzled, having not prepared very well for that morning. All our clothes needed to be ironed, which is never good. I'd intended to get us donuts on the way to church but the Lord whispered to my heart, "Give them cereal right now!" Ha! Our core team met to pray and after that the stress of the morning turned into peace. I hung out around the kids' check-in tables and got to meet some of our new families, which I loved.

Eventually I walked over to the chapel and I couldn't believe my eyes. People came back. It was not quite as full as the first week, but definitely in the same ballpark. This was not about numbers, but we were encouraged to have people to serve! (I may break out in "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast.) Along the way there have been more than a few "Are we crazy?" moments. When I saw our group, I knew that we were not crazy. We heard God in this. And then I freaked out a little because my husband is a pastor and I am a pastor's wife and do we have any idea what we're doing and we must be crazy! Ha!

Two really special moments that I will always remember are my Aunt Gay sitting with me on the front row on our launch day and later, Curt's family members calling one by one from Missouri to see how everything went. I got emotional when his grandpa called because I know he will probably never make it down here for a service, but he's so proud of his grandson. When Grandma Wanda, who is with Jesus now, saw Curtis for the first time as a newborn, she said, "There's our little preacher." Grandma was with us in our hearts on that day.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers as BCF launched. We had so many phone calls, messages, gifts, and texts from friends and family that it was almost exactly like we'd had a baby. Curtis and I may or may not have some baby weight we need to lose.

Both sets of our parents have been beyond amazing. We would not have survived the ups and downs of this process without their support and encouragement in our calling. My sister and Colin have been a huge blessing to have with us. I would never have imagined that God would move them back home in time to be a part of everything.

And can I just say that our whole core team has blown us away? When I think of them, I think of the word grace. We do not deserve to get to serve with such humble, supportive, powerful, loving, enduring, believing men and women. Last week Curt was having terrible nightmares and when some of our team found out, seven families prayed over us every hour through the night. Can you imagine? We didn't know until late the next morning - after a good night's sleep!

I cannot wait to get to know the people God is calling to be a part of BCF. I have loved looking across the chapel at all the unfamiliar faces and knowing that a year from now, God-willing, these will be individuals whose stories and hearts I know.

Our little team that has spent the last 6 months building this church has experienced Jesus Christ together in a powerful way. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to introduce the lost to this same mighty, faithful Savior, welcome prodigals home, and serve His bride.

_______

These are some pictures I took on our dry run and launch days.

This is the chapel within the school complex.

Everything else takes place inside this building.

Setting up the check-in station for the dress rehearsal. Like everything else, this area has already evolved. Those amazing peeps are Robbie, Ashley and Dana.

Annalee, me, Erin, Lisa, and Cassi. These are some faces you'll see in the kids ministry. Cassi runs the show and she is awesome.

Our first experience with tear down.

Launch day!

Look closely and you'll see our first 4 guests sitting down.

Ernest and Debra opening up the service with the Word.

Curtis welcoming everyone.

Here we go!

BCF - Launch Day!

2011-09-10T15:32:00.004-04:00

I can't decide if I feel more like our baby is being born tomorrow or if our baby just took her first steps. Curtis looked at me last February and said, "I'm nine months pregnant with a church." So technically that means our baby is just now sitting up. At any rate, our core team has spent the summer praying, seeking God's will, planning, and preparing to serve our city. The day we have been looking forward to since our vision dinner on March 26, 2011, is upon us!

Bayou City Fellowship launches tomorrow morning! At 10 AM! At Houston Christian High School! In the chapel! We are ready for you, peeps!

I can hardly believe this day is here. There is so much I could say about the process but it all boils down to this: God is faithful. And my husband is a pastor. Who woulda thought? Well, his grandma called it on the day he was born. But that's another story.

If you are in the Houston area and you don't have a church family, we would love for you to visit. If you're not a Christian but you're seeking answers to spiritual questions, we'd love to have you. If you're someone I went to school with back in the day and you're thinking about coming, please know I would be over-the-moon excited to see your face tomorrow. Or at any time, for that matter. Everyone is welcome, whether you have half the Bible memorized (wow) or whether you're not sure you even own one (we have one to give you).

You can visit our web site for more details: www.BayouCityFellowship.com

We will be ready to receive kiddos at 9:30. Since it's the first Sunday, it might be a good idea to come early to get your littles checked in. Cassi and Captain D and their whole team (which includes me every other week!) are excited to meet them.

Houston Christian High School is located on Beltway 8 at Kempwood, between I-10 and 290. The parking lot entrance is on Kempwood rather on than the feeder road. When you park, there will be signs and friendly faces to show you where to go.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

It's Annabeth's Turn

2011-09-02T10:16:00.018-04:00

Annabeth was really bummed when Jackson started school and she didn't. That morning as we walked out the door, she said, "Where's my pack-pack!?!?" and I sensed the potential for a meltdown. We had to break the news that her school didn't start for another week.

I completely expected Annabeth to be devastated that her brother was gone all day, but she does not seem to mind. She likes having the whole house and all the toys to herself. I thought she might be bored and therefore more of a handful, but that has not been the case.

It took two days to learn that the first hour after Jackson gets home from school is volatile. The power struggle between my kids is something to behold. Brother wants to tell sister what to do and what she can and cannot play with. Homegirl is no longer having it. For now, I'm trying to avoid the power struggle by having Jackson go straight into the game room to watch a movie and rest. If Annabeth can be calm and sweet, she can join him.

I've enjoyed getting out and doing things with Annabeth that I would not normally do with two kids in tow. The grocery store isn't too bad if I can bribe her with a Dum Dum to sit in the cart. For some reason she really resists the carts.

On Wednesday we got to spend some girl time with my sister. We picked up lunch from Zoe's Kitchen and took it back to her adorable house. (I had the chicken roll ups - so yummy!) We had a sweet time together. I still get giddy about having spontaneous sister dates.

Annabeth dropped her nap the minute we moved her into her big girl bed. I'm still holding out a little hope that it might come back. Last weekend Curt got to her nap both days, but when Monday came she refused to sleep again. I'd had visions of taking a long nap every single day while she slept and I was really disillusioned when this happened. Once I accepted that she was not going to sleep, I turned down the monitor in her room and I slept anyway. (It seems like the ongoing theme lately is Mama's tired.)

A couple of days ago, I thought I heard Annabeth yelling "Poo poo!" during her rest time, which sent me running up the stairs at the speed of light. I opened the door to find her staring at her leg and crying "Boo boo! My boo boo hurts. Kiss it, Mommy." Upon inspection, I found that this boo boo was actually pizza sauce.

Annabeth went back to mother's day out on Tuesday morning. It was nice not to be nervous or emotional about it at all. Although I did get a little lump in my throat when I picked her up and we walked past Jackson's old classroom. It was weird not having him there.

This is our fourth year at this preschool and I feel like an old pro now. I remember my first day to take Jackson at age 2.5. I was a couple of months pregnant and just getting past the morning sickness. I had on some frumpy workout clothes-slash-pajamas and no makeup, but all the other moms were dressed up and perfectly put together. I was mortified. I never really saw that happen again, but I realized the irony on Tuesday when I put on a sun dress to take Annabeth. But it was only because it's been melt-your-face-off hot (truly, it was like 110 degrees) and nothing else would do. And I was meeting friends for lunch at a tea room.

Annabeth's teachers are incredibly warm and kind. Yesterday one of them got down on her knees and welcomed AB with a hug. There are lots of little girls in her class, as opposed to last year when she was 1 of 3. It is a very ethnically diverse group and I'm glad about that.

Here's the sis before school. She looked so cute.

She reminded me of a turtle with her big ole back pack.

After school we had our third annual Back to School play date with Missy and her kiddos.

Cookie cake!

Ellison and Annabeth put on princess shoes and started jumping up and down. We think they might have a future in tap dancing.

Dear Me

2011-09-01T14:53:00.006-04:00

Dear Me-Two-Weeks-Ago,

I know it feels like there is a sack of flour hanging from your heart. The profundity of changing seasons fills your mind every minute. Big things are happening all around you, namely, the new church starting soon. But at this moment your vision is tunneling rapidly onto one thing, one little person who gets bigger by the day. Church? What church? you say. Your son is going to kindergarten and there is no room for anything else in this moment.

On the night before kindergarten, you won't know who is more nervous - you or the boy? Is the boy nervous because you're nervous? Is he manifesting anxiety passed down by your DNA? Is it all your fault? Chill out, woman. When you wake up on the big day there will be peace. You will wonder why you made such a fuss. But you will want to crawl in bed at 5 PM because you are exhausted from all your fretting. Peace, peace, I say.

He is still the same boy you've known all along. He will wake up too early because he's so excited about school! When you lock eyes with him at pick-up each afternoon, his face will light up like a flash of lightning. He will remind you of Moses, who had to veil his face because it was so bright after having been in God's presence. You fear that he will not have the same enthusiasm with which he has greeted everything in life from Gymboree classes at 12 months old, Monster trucks at age 2, swimming at age 3, mixing his own instant oatmeal at age 4, to preschool at age 5. But you know him better than that.

Dear me, don't be afraid. He is going to love it. He is going to thrive. He is ready. And so are you.

8 Days In

2011-08-31T11:32:00.005-04:00

Every time I start to blog, I feel like taking a nap or going to bed instead. This is because I'm waking up at 6 AM now. By 8 PM I could go to sleep but that feels lame. So I stay up and eat too many Julio's chips and try to find something nice and British on Netflix. Most nights I give up. Last night I watched Daniel Deronda. By 10 PM I'm toast.

God knows how much I hate waking up to the sound of an alarm clock, so He's been waking me up on His own at 5:45.

My new journal has owls on it. I hope I will write some wise things in it.

It took Jackson 7 wake-ups to ask if he had to go to kindergarten again today. That was pretty good, I think. He requested another date at Splashtown instead.

He loves school and has absolutely nothing to say that he doesn't like. He told me that thinking of something to write during writing time is hard. I understand.

Will You Run for Her?

2011-08-25T14:29:00.003-04:00

I WILL RUN from As Our Own on Vimeo.

People run for lots of reasons. We give you 10.

We’ve chosen 10 girls to be featured at 10 races in 10 cities across the nation. Their stories give reason to our running. You can make a difference for countless girls just like them—simply choose a half marathon, join the As Our Own Racing team, and raise awareness and funds.

Will you run for her?

Houston friends, will you run for Aashi? Aashi was born in the red light district in India. Ninety-five percent of girls born there become enslaved. Girls who don't get out early will likely never get out at all. Her mother found a safe, healthy future for her daughter and allowed her to be rescued out of the district at 15 months old. Aashi is now five years old and lives in the loving care of As Our Own. She is learning to play the guitar, she loves song time at school, and she dreams of being a doctor when she grows up. By setting a goal for yourself to run or run/walk a half-marathon for Aashi, you will help Aashi reach her goals.

Not in Houston? Visit AsOurOwn.org/run to learn more and join one of our 10 teams.

Select and download a training guide to get started!

I Will Run features races all the way from Oregon to Florida. Click here to join one of the teams!

_______

About As Our Own

God has opened the door in India for As Our Own to rescue girls before they are exploited, giving us the privilege to care for each one as our own—for life. We are building strong communities and training leaders to break cycles of exploitation for future generations.

Kindergarten Superstar

2011-08-23T10:07:00.024-04:00

Jackson had a great first day of kindergarten. Thank You, Lord! Here's the recap.

On Friday morning we went to Meet the Teacher at his school.

He was nervous and didn't want his picture taken. As we walked inside the school he told me his teeth were chattering. Bless his heart. I love his innocence in that he wasn't embarrassed to tell me.

He looked like he was about to cry when his teacher greeted him. But finding his seat and seeing the room made him more comfortable. Plus, there was a little trinket on his desk from the teacher and that totally put him at ease.

We walked back to the car and he yelled, "Mommy! I'm not scared anymore!" He was all smiles.

The date I've had on my mind for a very long time finally came.

I woke him up and whispered "Good morning, kindergartner!" We snuggled for a few minutes and he was already at Level 10 excitement about the day.

Jackson's signature was required on one of the forms, which I thought was hilarious. He signed it right before he left. So very official!

First day pic inside.

First day pic outside. My camera fogged up and failed me on its most crucial day!

We walked Jackson to school as a family. It was crazy and fun to see all the other families doing the same thing. Curt and Annabeth waited outside while I walked Jackson into his classroom. The teacher greeted him at his seat, I said, "I love you, buddy. Have fun," and walked out. But of course I stopped and watched him for a few seconds from the corner of the room. He was having a lot of trouble hanging up his backpack on the back of his chair, so I went back and showed him what to do. Then I left!

We went back home and there was a truck in front of our house delivering two new mattresses - one for Annabeth's big girl bed. What a day! You can see in this pic that our hair succumbed to the humidity. Thank God Curtis is taking Jackson to school from now on.

Curtis sang to Annabeth to make it less traumatic for her that she wasn't also going to school. She was bummed at first.

Then I went to the BooHoo/Yahoo Breakfast put on by the PTO. These were the decorations (party horns and Kleenex) and they made me laugh. I did not cry, by the way. :)

My mom spent the whole day with us and we had a blast together. We went to Memorial City Mall and had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. (Their Chinese chicken salad is amazing.) My sister was able to join us and we got to celebrate her first day of class at Rice University. She is starting her doctoral program. We call her Aunt Sassa Smartypants.

Soon I got a text from my dear friend who works at Jackson's school and she reported that she'd seen him with big smiles and he seemed to be doing great. That was a huge blessing. The day might have seemed 10 times longer if I hadn't heard that.

Annabeth scored a Tinkerbell dress and some princess shoes from Bibby. Here she is holding the shoes and having a snooze.

Since AB was asleep in the car, we drove through my mom's old stomping grounds in Spring Branch. This is her old house.

Here's Abey as Tink! She loved her dress. She did not love the wings.

We walked to the school to pick up Jackson in the blazing heat of the day. Mom was such a trooper. Jackson walked out the door with a smile on his face and gave me a huge hug. He was thrilled to see Bibby there. He told us he loved everything about kindergarten and his teacher. He said, "Bibby, you should have seen it!" He also told me he loved it more than recess at his preschool, which was a big statement for him. Our favorite thing he said was this: "My teacher asked who wanted to be a kindergarten superstar and I raised my hand!"

You can see that Annabeth is wearing her Cinderella shoes. That's because she really, really wanted to wear her Tinkerbell dress to pick up Jackson and I wouldn't let her. The shoes were a compromise (she rode in the stroller). If we were a month in I would have let her but, have mercy, people, not on the first day.

We were a bit overheated so I got an ice pack out of the freezer. It was a ministry.

The kids were ready for the traditional first day of school treat - ice cream cake!

Yum-o!

Mom gifted the kids with gummy lizards and some other, um, unique candy that was a huge hit.

Y'all, I was absolutely exhausted by dinner time. The adrenaline wore off and I hit a wall. I can't imagine what the evening was like for the kids and especially for the teachers. I managed to make breakfast tacos for us and then God gave me grace for the rest of the evening. We put the new mattresses on the kids' beds (Jackson's was at least 15 years old), took down the crib, rearranged some furniture, and said goodnight to the kids. They pretty much grew up overnight. I probably would have emoted excessively about Annabeth being in a big girl bed if it hadn't been overshadowed by kindergarten. But I liked it that way. It was like ripping off the band aid.

Here's my little Tink before sleep. In true Jones family fashion, she has on Christmas pajamas.

Her bed has some random stuff on it right now because I plan to have a quilt made out of her baby bedding. Knowing me, it probably won't happen any time soon. The box spring won't be delivered until tomorrow.

I was grateful that Jackson woke up excited about day two. He got to open a card from his old babysitter, Miss Sara. She is so sweet!

Second day pic outside.

I was much less frazzled during picture taking time and anticipating the camera issues.

When I started this blog five and a half years ago, I could not imagine the day I would take Jackson to kindergarten. I can't believe we have come this far. Thanks for taking this journey with us.

Let Me Have It

2011-08-18T23:55:00.010-04:00

Okay, let's hear it. Mamas, teachers, and internet peeps, what is your advice for Curtis and me as we send our firstborn to elementary school?

I took this picture today after Jackson's pre-meet-the-teacher hair cut.

Things My Babies Say

2011-08-17T22:37:00.005-04:00

Annabeth, age 2.5:

"I need my feep fops." (Which I have not been able to locate for weeks.)

"Oh no! My Tom!" (On the occasion that one of her Toms falls off.)

"Hi _______! I tee teed!/I poo pooed!" (When greeting someone.)

"Look! A church!" (When passing an office building.)

"That's funny, Mommy." (When I spoke a blessing over her that she will love and succeed at cooking, in Jesus' name.)

"I need my pink dress." (When she wants to wear a pink dress.)

"Is that Cideredda?" (When identifying Cinderella.)

"I scared." (When she doesn't want to.)

"Come 'ere, Deckham." (When she's talking to our dog, Beckham.)

"Is this Mommy's truck/Daddy's truck?" (When we go anywhere.)

Jackson, age 5.5:

"Bibby, if I go poo poo will you get me a new toy?" (Because he's been around a potty training toddler too long.)

"Where's the Wii ma-rote?" (When looking for the Wii remote.)

"Can I choose the restra-not?" (When he wants to choose the restaurant, which is always McDonald's.)

"How many days until I start kindergarten?" (Five.)

eNormous

2011-08-15T12:05:00.022-04:00

Last night I was fishing for compliments from my husband (don't hate, you do it too) and here's what I got: "Babe, your heart is enormous." We laughed really, really hard and then I waited for him to tell me my brain is equally enormous. I'm still waiting.

Well guess what, Curtis Jones? I figured out how to import pictures from my iPhone to my computer. So clearly my brain IS enormous.

Prepare yourself for some exciting pictures, people! Although if you follow me on Twitter (@AmandaMoJo) (MoJo is for Moore Jones) you have probably seen a lot of them. A few may have been on the blog before but I've slept since then. So just go ahead and cut your excitement in half.

This is how I found Annabeth one day while she was watching Tangled for the 99th time.

Here she is at her first movie - Cars 2 in 3D. She lasted about 30 minutes.

This is when we took our living room back from the kids. The coffee table came downstairs, the toys went upstairs, and we bought a new chair from Marshall's that just happened to match the 3-year-old pillows we already had. Score!

Here's Beckham J. on his 7th birthday.

One day we had a Chickfila picnic in the front yard. This must have been in June because mama doesn't like to go outside if water is not involved during July and August.

This is where I had my quiet time when we visited Curt's family in Missouri in May.

My handsome daddy cleaning fish on the driveway. This is how I picture my dad when I think of my childhood.

Annabeth putting her babies in time out.

I checked this out at the library for Jackson early this summer and he loved it. One day I heard him mumbling and he told me he was making up a poem. He still talks about this book.

My sweet girl with her purse and her baby doll. Ready to run errands!

As in the picture above, she is wearing some of her brother's old shoes that she fished out of the bottom of his closet. Not only are they hideous with her turquoise bubble, they're on the wrong feet.

My mom avoiding the sun while we had a girls day at the pool.

This is the beautiful leafy plant I bought for my front porch a few months ago. When I got it home I realized it was potted lettuce. It became known as Caesar. I enjoyed it's offerings on a couple of sandwiches before its untimely demise when we were in Florida.

This was when Annabeth got a hold of my lipstick for the first time. She's crying because I sort of overreacted when I found her. But she did a pretty decent job!

This is how Jackson held his nose underwater in the beginning of the summer. One finger in each nostril.

My friend Corey at her adoption garage sale. She's sporting her grandmother's fabulous coat.

On this day Annabeth earned a new nickname - Urchin. Again with Jackson's shoes.

Annabeth and Angela on our church's first ministry day in Spring Branch. We were blessed by the man with the ice cream cart.

I took this after finally perfecting this little corner by the staircase.

The kids playing Wii together. Annabeth didn't know she wasn't really playing.

She asked for these two bows.

Our first Rolo McFlurries.

Watching the last space shuttle launch on my laptop. Jackson asked me if everyone was going to watch him when he flies into space. I didn't have the heart to tell him...

This is my daddy with the DVD players that my sister and I accidentally both got him for his birthday.

Annabeth pushing Ellison in her baby brother's stroller.

This is a picture of a picture of me holding my cousin Zach.

We saw my friend Jenny and her boys at the pool a few weeks ago. I had to get a shot of our kids together. Jenny was my very first friend in kindergarten.

This was Annabeth sleeping in a big bed for the very first time. We were in Wyoming and didn't have a pack-n-play like we thought we would. She was sleeping in Jackson's shirt because her bag was temporarily lost by the airline. I admit I nearly freaked at the thought of the bow collection it has taken me 2.5 years to collect being lost.

The Mister being silly.

Jackson and I had a special date while Annabeth went to day camp. I took him to breakfast at McDonald's and then we went to Splashtown. So much fun.

At the pool again, where we'll probably spend most of this week.

6 more days left of summer...

With Jesus at the Helm

2011-08-14T10:11:00.028-04:00

Five short months ago we gathered some friends together and shared the vision God had given us for a church plant here in Houston. We watched God raise up a solid group of men and women to build the church with us. We cried a few tears when God called a number of friends to stay where they were. We knew we'd miss them but we are all working toward the same blessed goal in Christ Jesus.

Then we took a deep breath and jumped off the big ship where we had enjoyed many years of growth and fellowship with other believers. We swam out into a little boat where the Savior was waiting for us to climb aboard. For a brief moment we felt all alone with Him. Our hearts bore the grief of leaving a place so familiar and so dear.

Minutes later we were interrupted by splashing all around. The ones God had called to build this new church began climbing in the little boat with us. They were excited to be there. They were filled with faith. They were compelled by the call of God. The Lord was at the helm of our little boat. But make no mistake; He was in the big boat, too.

Our little boat expanded a bit with every family, single person, empty-nester, and grandparent that climbed in. We asked God to bring us every part of the body of Christ and every spiritual gift there is. Over the summer we have seen Him faithfully answer that prayer. He is doing this for the glory of His beloved Son. May His name be magnified in our city.

We have been meeting with our core team every Sunday night. We seek the Lord in prayer, in the Word and in worship. We are readying ourselves to serve the city. There is a lot to be done but God is bringing every piece of the puzzle together.

The doors of Bayou City Fellowship will open four weeks from today on September 11, 2011. It is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it. We will worship in the chapel at Houston Christian High School on Beltway 8 and Kempwood at 10 AM. If you are in the Houston area and do not already have a church home, we'd love for you to worship with us.

We are working on our web site right now and as soon as it launches I will let you know. Please pray that we will operate in great faith and that God will use us to bring many people to Christ in the coming months and years. Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement during this crazy but wonderful season of our lives.

The Plumber's Daughter

2011-07-30T01:12:00.007-04:00

In honor of my father, grandfather (call John and get Moore), great-grandfather, great uncles, and second cousins, please allow me to share this sophisticated and genteel piece of photography.

Outhouse in the Tetons

And the companion piece, Urchin in the Outhouse.

Retraction

2011-07-14T17:29:00.005-04:00

Minutes before I published that last post, Annabeth wet her pants while playing at the bathroom sink. I wasn't too alarmed but we then proceeded to regress in our potty training in every single way except for one - she is now waking up dry. But she is suddenly afraid of the same thing that so hindered my son's potty training for 6 months. *Sigh* It's fun times. My dear friend Kristy once told me she was much happier once she decided that undies are disposable. I am definitely in agreement.

In other news, my fro-yo addiction from last summer is long gone. This is my new love.

I present to you the Rolo McFlurry.

Potty Training 2.0

2011-07-08T15:45:00.025-04:00

We've had some major developments in the Jones family. If you paid attention the title you already know. Two words with the emotional value of two million words - potty training.

*Applies cold wash cloth to forehead*

A few months ago Annabeth was going through a phase of removing her diaper when she was in her crib. This drove me to the edge of sanity and eventually led to the acquisition of Escapeejays, which solved our problem nicely.

I wondered if I should start potty training at that point, but I had sat Annabeth on the potty before her bath 100 times and absolutely nothing had ever happened. I was completely unprepared to deal with my strong-headed two-year-old daughter's will if we could not even have the simplest victory first.

So I banished every thought of potty training. Honestly, the six months it took to potty train Jackson were the most humbling and frustrating months of my adult life - really, my entire life. I had many "What good is a college degree when I can't even potty train my child?!?!" crises. I have never tried so hard at something and been so bad at it.

I was also pregnant, which made potty training extra fun! The last six weeks of the process were Annabeth's first six weeks of life. I just try not to think about how crazy I felt. Jackson will start kindergarten next month and, thank You Jesus, He will not be wearing diapers. Which is how many of you comforted me in my time of need. You were right.

Now back to Annabeth. I had heard some friends speak of a mythical "3 day method" and I wondered if I should look into that. What I had done before had definitely not worked, so I was open to something that might have sounded absolutely nuts to me before.

On Tuesday, June 21, Annabeth woke up dry in the morning. This was a first! I knew immediately that I had to seize the opportunity. I put her on the potty right away and prepared to wait her out. Ten minutes later we had victory. Woo hoo! We made a big, huge deal about Annabeth's achievement and then put her in a diaper to go to day camp for a few hours.

When I picked the kids up we went straight to Target and bought a little princess potty that plays music when the child has a victory, lots of candy, undies and pull-ups. It was kind of surreal to be doing this for my baby, but it was also fun and exciting. When we got home I got out a special stool that a friend had given us when Annabeth was born. Both of the kids were given one at the same time and as soon as Jackson started using his, he potty trained. I swore to save Annabeth's magical potty training stool for this big day, as cute as it was and as much as I wanted to get it out much earlier. (It's like this one.) I put the stool under the big potty and I put the princess potty right next to it. She had her choice, and in the days to come she enjoyed doing a tour of potties around the house. Sometimes ever potty would be sat on before the victory came.

Late that night I reached out to a couple of friends who had potty trained little girls in the last year. They had both used the 3 day potty training method and, as it turns out, there's a web site! Here you go, friends: http://www.3daypottytraining.com. The e-book costs $24, but for us it has been well spent. I spent the evening reading the book and realizing that with Jackson, I had literally done EVERYTHING the exact opposite of what it said to do. Wow. My bad. I think I was so afraid of messes that I prolonged our process with the pull-ups. (But at the same time, every kid is so different.)

The book said to throw away the diapers and any contraband pull-ups in the presence of my child. I took a deep breath. Then a few more. Then I recovered from hyperventilating and we dumped it all in the trash. The most painful part was tossing a whole package of brand new pull-ups.

Basically, we stayed home for three days and Annabeth and I were joined at the hip. I reminded her about every three minutes to stay dry and tell me when she had to potty. We celebrated victories big time and kept things really positive. She took to it quickly and I'd say it worked! Two-and-a-half weeks later, we have an accident every few days but I feel very good about how far we've come.

The 3 day method has the child in undies at night. We tried it for a week but Annabeth and I were both very tired and cranky from waking up at night to deal with it. It just wasn't working for us. She was doing so well during the day that I didn't think using pull-ups for nighttime would cause a set-back. (We call them nighttime undies.) So far things have been good. I also use a pull-up when we go to mommy and me gymnastics because I do not need to give the coaches a reason to dread our presence. Have I mentioned that my daughter is head-strong?

What I was totally unprepared for is how grown-up Annabeth seems now. Her clothes fit differently and she looks older. Her independent spirit has also increased ten-fold. That has not been easy but I keep reminding myself that I am raising her, not maintaining her. She seems proud of herself and I'm very proud of her too.

I'm so thankful to God for giving me this do-over. What had been a very exasperating experience the first time around turned out to be a very positive one this time. It was grace.

Last week I caught myself saying, "As long as I'm still changing diapers I will not..." I stopped and realized that I'm not still changing diapers. After five-and-a-half years I'm actually done. It's hard to believe. I'm certainly glad, but I don't think I was prepared for my baby to grow up in three days. "What a big girl!" has come out of my mouth more times than I can count through this process. You can imagine how it touched me when Annabeth started replying, "No! I Mommy's baby!"

Here's AB watching "Punzel" from her sweet new princess chair. FYI, nothing is actually happening here. :)

Beach Babies

2011-06-30T14:06:00.005-04:00

I love this picture because Annabeth still looks like my baby.

Jackson is like his mama and can't keep his eyes open in the sun.

Vacation pictures have a way of making everything look peachy.

That's why I want you to see this one. Don't go getting any ideas that our family life is picture perfect. Love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

When we do get perfect moments, we enjoy them.