I can't wait to get this. Just the trailer had me dying laughing:
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Memories
I love hearing about Christmas traditions that people not only grow up with but also the ones that they build into their own families. I especially like the ones that are a bit different...something I had never heard of. It reminds me how unique each family is. Here are some of my favorite memories of our Christmas traditions, what are yours?
1) Every year as children we knew that we had to listen to Paw-Paw read the story of Jesus' birth before we could open even one gift. Oh it was so hard to sit still while looking at all of those presents just inches away! Paw-Paw is gone now but we have continued that tradition with someone new reading it each year. Now it is my children who find it so hard to sit still!
2) When I was very young...no older than 5...I made an ornament that my mom kept. Over the years it started to fade and it wasn't quite as stunning as the day I had made it, but it became a joke in our house that I always wanted that ornament front and center on the Christmas tree. Each year I would proudly display it in the front only to find the next day that it had been moved to the back of the tree! This was an ongoing joke between my mom and I. After I married Larry he received a Christmas gift from my mom and inside was that ornament so that he could have it front and center on his Christmas tree! Now Larry and my kids are part of the joke and know that each year my ornament has to go front and center! Here it is since I know you are wondering what such a beautiful ornament would look like!
3) Shrimp....yes I said shrimp. My family is from New Orleans so we have always had shrimp on Christmas. My cousin Khara and I look forward to seeing each other each year at Christmas and always say "I'll meet you by the shrimp!" Our family does a buffet type table but it isn't uncommon for me and Khara to have chairs up to the table so we can just stay by the shrimp and eat! OOOHHH and I can't forget my Aunt Jan's stuffed artichokes. YUM!
4) Each year I spent Christmas Eve with my mom, step dad, and my mom's family and then I would hop on a plane Christmas morning to see my dad. Those are bittersweet memories because it was so great to see my dad but reminds me how hard it was to live between two parents who lived in different states.
5) As a child I always had my own little Christmas tree in my room with my own ornaments. Many of them show something I was interested in...a tennis player, a guitar, the characters from Sesame Street, etc. When Larry and I got married we kept the ornament tradition. We have an ornament from our first Christmas together in 1991when we were 16 years old, one from our first apartment together, and a pregnant lady the year that I was pregnant with Clayton. Now the boys have their own little tree in their room with a cub scout, M&M's, spiderman, etc. That tree also has ornaments that they have made which will no doubt be front and center on their trees when they are adults!
What is amazing about that list is that 33 years later those traditions are still a part of my life and now a part of Clayton and Evan's lives. Even the travel is now a part of my life again! One week from today we are headed back to see family and looking very forward to it. Save me a spot by the shrimp!
1) Every year as children we knew that we had to listen to Paw-Paw read the story of Jesus' birth before we could open even one gift. Oh it was so hard to sit still while looking at all of those presents just inches away! Paw-Paw is gone now but we have continued that tradition with someone new reading it each year. Now it is my children who find it so hard to sit still!
2) When I was very young...no older than 5...I made an ornament that my mom kept. Over the years it started to fade and it wasn't quite as stunning as the day I had made it, but it became a joke in our house that I always wanted that ornament front and center on the Christmas tree. Each year I would proudly display it in the front only to find the next day that it had been moved to the back of the tree! This was an ongoing joke between my mom and I. After I married Larry he received a Christmas gift from my mom and inside was that ornament so that he could have it front and center on his Christmas tree! Now Larry and my kids are part of the joke and know that each year my ornament has to go front and center! Here it is since I know you are wondering what such a beautiful ornament would look like!
3) Shrimp....yes I said shrimp. My family is from New Orleans so we have always had shrimp on Christmas. My cousin Khara and I look forward to seeing each other each year at Christmas and always say "I'll meet you by the shrimp!" Our family does a buffet type table but it isn't uncommon for me and Khara to have chairs up to the table so we can just stay by the shrimp and eat! OOOHHH and I can't forget my Aunt Jan's stuffed artichokes. YUM!
4) Each year I spent Christmas Eve with my mom, step dad, and my mom's family and then I would hop on a plane Christmas morning to see my dad. Those are bittersweet memories because it was so great to see my dad but reminds me how hard it was to live between two parents who lived in different states.
5) As a child I always had my own little Christmas tree in my room with my own ornaments. Many of them show something I was interested in...a tennis player, a guitar, the characters from Sesame Street, etc. When Larry and I got married we kept the ornament tradition. We have an ornament from our first Christmas together in 1991when we were 16 years old, one from our first apartment together, and a pregnant lady the year that I was pregnant with Clayton. Now the boys have their own little tree in their room with a cub scout, M&M's, spiderman, etc. That tree also has ornaments that they have made which will no doubt be front and center on their trees when they are adults!
What is amazing about that list is that 33 years later those traditions are still a part of my life and now a part of Clayton and Evan's lives. Even the travel is now a part of my life again! One week from today we are headed back to see family and looking very forward to it. Save me a spot by the shrimp!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Larry's test
We had a frustrating day on Wednesday. Larry's scope went fine. The doctor came to talk to us before we left and with a big smile told us that his blood test had been negative so it looked like good news but she biopsied to be sure we weren't missing anything. We will get those results at his appointment on January 7th. She also mentioned that she saw evidence of acid reflux and we told her that heartburn was a very new symptom for him that had just popped up recently. I told her that we, of course, don't want him to have Celiac but at the same time we were disappointed to not have any answers. She told us that all of his symptoms are anxiety related and basically said he needed to live with it and move on with life. HUH? I couldn't believe that she in no way wanted to consider anything else and just wanted Larry to live with it. If he could live with it do you think we would have gone through all of this?!
She said he probably had IBS. I told her that he had already been diagnosed with that and been medicated for it and it didn't work. She said medications don't always work. OOOOK...... So then I asked how she would explain Evan's symptoms. I told her they were clearly food related. I could give him certain foods and expect a reaction in 12-24 hours. She said our foods are highly processed and we need to start cooking from scratch and buying organics. (Insert shocked look on my face that says "come back to the real world where time and money aren't exactly in abundance"). I then explained that one of the items that bothers Evan is an Organic pasta sauce. She then replied that we still can't know what is in it.
It was at that point that I realized that she in no way wanted to help us find answers so we said "Thank you very much" and got out of there. So what does all of this mean? Well, first we want to wait for the biopsy and see if anything comes back. To assume that Larry's symptoms are anxiety related is not completely out of the realm of possibility. There is no doubt that he has been under a great deal of stress in the last couple of years. At the same time we have not in any way eliminated all possibilities including food allergies so I will not accept "live with it and get on with life" as an answer at this point. After we get the biopsy results Larry and Evan will both be going back to our primary doctor who specializes in allergies and we will be asking what the next step is. I assume he will test them both for food allergies.
In the mean time I'm also not completely ignoring her comment about over processed foods. One of the foods that is clearly an irritant for Evan are frozen biscuits. I plan on making some from scratch this weekend to see if he still has a reaction. Also, about 5 months ago the Lord blessed us with a wonderful brand new bread maker so I am going to start making many of our breads from scratch to see if that possibly helps. If not, it sure can't hurt and it really isn't that time consuming to throw the ingredients in the machine and hit START.
So her comments weren't completely lost on us but the delivery of them and the lack of care for the seriousness of the symptoms was bothersome to me. In the end we are not a whole lot closer to having an answer. Frustrating.
She said he probably had IBS. I told her that he had already been diagnosed with that and been medicated for it and it didn't work. She said medications don't always work. OOOOK...... So then I asked how she would explain Evan's symptoms. I told her they were clearly food related. I could give him certain foods and expect a reaction in 12-24 hours. She said our foods are highly processed and we need to start cooking from scratch and buying organics. (Insert shocked look on my face that says "come back to the real world where time and money aren't exactly in abundance"). I then explained that one of the items that bothers Evan is an Organic pasta sauce. She then replied that we still can't know what is in it.
It was at that point that I realized that she in no way wanted to help us find answers so we said "Thank you very much" and got out of there. So what does all of this mean? Well, first we want to wait for the biopsy and see if anything comes back. To assume that Larry's symptoms are anxiety related is not completely out of the realm of possibility. There is no doubt that he has been under a great deal of stress in the last couple of years. At the same time we have not in any way eliminated all possibilities including food allergies so I will not accept "live with it and get on with life" as an answer at this point. After we get the biopsy results Larry and Evan will both be going back to our primary doctor who specializes in allergies and we will be asking what the next step is. I assume he will test them both for food allergies.
In the mean time I'm also not completely ignoring her comment about over processed foods. One of the foods that is clearly an irritant for Evan are frozen biscuits. I plan on making some from scratch this weekend to see if he still has a reaction. Also, about 5 months ago the Lord blessed us with a wonderful brand new bread maker so I am going to start making many of our breads from scratch to see if that possibly helps. If not, it sure can't hurt and it really isn't that time consuming to throw the ingredients in the machine and hit START.
So her comments weren't completely lost on us but the delivery of them and the lack of care for the seriousness of the symptoms was bothersome to me. In the end we are not a whole lot closer to having an answer. Frustrating.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Little Things
You don't have to read far in the Bible, Old Testament or New, to know that we serve a God who can do BIG things! Even today we hear stories of those things...the person who shouldn't have survived, the one who you thought God would NEVER reach, and raising support tops my list of BIG things God has done! Everyone likes to tell those stories, and for good reason, they inspire awe. We truly have an amazing God.
Today, however, it was the little thing that caused me to be amazed by my God. Sometimes we almost expect him to be in the big things. Big things are his job. But some of my favorite awe inspiring experiences have been when God does something that makes me realize that despite His GREATNESS, he cares about the smallest details of my life.
I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to be teaching in a Kindergarten classroom. I had wanted to work with special needs kids, and Kindergarten wasn't necessarily my first choice of places to serve, but was the place where there was a need. I wanted to make the most of the opportunity that the Lord had given me and yet I must admit that I was a tad disappointed and had to apologize to the Lord for not fully letting go of MY idea of where I wanted to serve. Well I got there this morning and one of the parents asked if I was subbing. I told her that I was new but that I would be in the room weekly from now on. She replied that she wanted to let me know that her daughter is autistic!!! I could not believe it. What a joy to have this sweet little girl in class with me and what a blessing from the Lord to put me in just the right place even though it didn't look like I thought it would! Each of the children was so precious and I truly enjoyed talking to them and getting to know them all. In fact another little girl is the daughter of friends of ours so imagine everyone's surprise when she was dropped off this morning! Our God is a God of big things but its when he does these little things that I get to see how wonderfully personal He is.
Today, however, it was the little thing that caused me to be amazed by my God. Sometimes we almost expect him to be in the big things. Big things are his job. But some of my favorite awe inspiring experiences have been when God does something that makes me realize that despite His GREATNESS, he cares about the smallest details of my life.
I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to be teaching in a Kindergarten classroom. I had wanted to work with special needs kids, and Kindergarten wasn't necessarily my first choice of places to serve, but was the place where there was a need. I wanted to make the most of the opportunity that the Lord had given me and yet I must admit that I was a tad disappointed and had to apologize to the Lord for not fully letting go of MY idea of where I wanted to serve. Well I got there this morning and one of the parents asked if I was subbing. I told her that I was new but that I would be in the room weekly from now on. She replied that she wanted to let me know that her daughter is autistic!!! I could not believe it. What a joy to have this sweet little girl in class with me and what a blessing from the Lord to put me in just the right place even though it didn't look like I thought it would! Each of the children was so precious and I truly enjoyed talking to them and getting to know them all. In fact another little girl is the daughter of friends of ours so imagine everyone's surprise when she was dropped off this morning! Our God is a God of big things but its when he does these little things that I get to see how wonderfully personal He is.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Some Updates
I just wanted to follow up on a few things I have discussed in this blog:
1) I found a place to serve at church. While I thought it would be in special needs or in 5th grade, apparently the Lord had other plans. I will be serving in Kindergarten. It probably isn't the first place I would have chosen but I certainly have plenty of experience so I am expecting it to be a great year!
2) Larry will be scoped on Wednesday. He will be sedated for this procedure. This is my friendly reminder so you can pray! We really want some answers and quickly. Both Larry and Evan are continuing to have "issues". I discovered this week that Evan can not have biscuits. Lets just say the side effects were not pretty!
3) Larry is back in Philadelphia this weekend. This is his last conference! He will get home Monday, wrap up that conference and then start in his new position on the 15th.
And a quick praise....
We recently found out that our dog has heartworms. The vet suspects she had them when we got her. When she was tested a year ago her test was negative but he said that it can take months to show up in a test. So...they said they would send the results to the makers of her heartworm medication to see if their guarantee would cover the cost of her treatment which was a whopping $400! They thought they might only pay for 1/2 since we couldn't know for sure if she had them before we got her. Well we just heard from the vet today that they have agreed to pay for the whole thing! What a blessing!
1) I found a place to serve at church. While I thought it would be in special needs or in 5th grade, apparently the Lord had other plans. I will be serving in Kindergarten. It probably isn't the first place I would have chosen but I certainly have plenty of experience so I am expecting it to be a great year!
2) Larry will be scoped on Wednesday. He will be sedated for this procedure. This is my friendly reminder so you can pray! We really want some answers and quickly. Both Larry and Evan are continuing to have "issues". I discovered this week that Evan can not have biscuits. Lets just say the side effects were not pretty!
3) Larry is back in Philadelphia this weekend. This is his last conference! He will get home Monday, wrap up that conference and then start in his new position on the 15th.
And a quick praise....
We recently found out that our dog has heartworms. The vet suspects she had them when we got her. When she was tested a year ago her test was negative but he said that it can take months to show up in a test. So...they said they would send the results to the makers of her heartworm medication to see if their guarantee would cover the cost of her treatment which was a whopping $400! They thought they might only pay for 1/2 since we couldn't know for sure if she had them before we got her. Well we just heard from the vet today that they have agreed to pay for the whole thing! What a blessing!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A day of celebrations
Celebration # 1 was discovered during lunch when Evan came rushing up to announcing that he FINALLY had his first loose tooth. Sure enough it was quite loose. How we got anything done the rest of the day I do not know. He proceeded to spend the next 3 hours wiggling his tooth and asking questions like "What if I loose it after it falls out?", "Will it hurt when it falls out?", "When you loose a tooth does another one push it?" and "Will there be blood?" This made our afternoon lessons go VERY slowly! He had to stop every few minutes and check in the mirror to see if it was wiggling more than the last time he checked. He decided that he should carry a sandwich bag everywhere he goes just incase it happens to fall out and he needs a place to store it. This is what he looked like all day...be sure to notice the bag ;).
Celebration #2 came this afternoon as Clayton went to his last day of speech therapy! He has been in therapy since he was 2 with only a brief break between the time that he "graduated" the first time and we discovered that he needed to go back for his R sound. This was a great acoomplishment for him although he seemed a little bummed because he really liked his therapist this semester! Here is a picture of him with his therapist:
I guess the next celebration will come when that tooth finally falls out! Besides all of the celebrating we are packing Larry for his trip to Philly tomorrow and listening to a rather strong thunderstorm outside in December. Go figure!
Celebration #2 came this afternoon as Clayton went to his last day of speech therapy! He has been in therapy since he was 2 with only a brief break between the time that he "graduated" the first time and we discovered that he needed to go back for his R sound. This was a great acoomplishment for him although he seemed a little bummed because he really liked his therapist this semester! Here is a picture of him with his therapist:
I guess the next celebration will come when that tooth finally falls out! Besides all of the celebrating we are packing Larry for his trip to Philly tomorrow and listening to a rather strong thunderstorm outside in December. Go figure!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Rear View Mirror
Moving away from home for the first time in my 30's has been an interesting experience. On the one hand it has been liberating. I feel like I'm going away to college and realizing for the first time that I can handle life on my own. It's also been a great bonding experience for our family and a great time of growth for our kids. We've enjoyed all of the fun that comes with being the new people in a city, meeting new people, experiencing new things, laughing about the things that are so different here than they are back home (like the Razorback obsession, or the fact that a couple of people are "y'all" but a whole bunch of people are "all y'all"!).
At the same time we have gone through periods of difficulty in adjusting. Recently we realized that after a year in Little Rock we still had very few really good friends. Although the ones we did have were a blessing, we were still having a hard time getting connected at our church of 6,000 people. We were in a small group with some wonderful couples but the relationships there weren't as strong as we'd hoped they would be. And basically we started to feel lonely and homesick. We started to spend our days looking back and saying "Don't you miss....how we knew everyone at Calvary....how close our care group was....the way Dave did worship....our friends...our family....our life."
Larry and I are both in BSF this year and really enjoying it. Through our study of the life of Moses we realized that we were being the Israelites. We were in the desert, aka Little Rock, saying "Why did you bring us here? Life was better in Egypt." aka St. Charles. After sharing this with a friend she gave me an analogy that made so much sense. She said that we can glimpse into the rear view mirror of life for a little while but if we keep our eyes fixed there we will crash. We realized it was time to start looking through the windshield again or we were going to crash.
We met with Lance, one of the pastors at our church, to talk to him about this. He was such a blessing to us and really helped us to put some perspective on our situation and give us some great ideas and tools to move forward. To start we decided to find a new small group. We truly loved the people we were with but felt that it would be wise to get in a group with people who we are already connected with and strengthen those connections. It just so happens that there is a group on our street at the home of a FamilyLife staff member. It seemed like an obvious place for us to be. Our old group was so wonderful and supportive of us when we told them our decision. We are truly thankful for their place in our lives. We will start with our new group on December 9th.
The other thing that we are going to do is really dive into serving at church. We've dabbled in it but not gotten seriously connected. Larry is going to stay where he is which is playing guitar for children's ministry, but start serving weekly, and I am praying right now about where God wants me. I'm making contact with the special needs part of our children's ministry and there is also a need for a mentor for a 5th grade girls group. Hopefully in the next week or 2 I will have a permanent place to serve as well.
We are feeling good about these changes and along with some other adjustments we hope that we can make the most of our time here in Little Rock...living life through the windshield and enjoying the glimpses in the rear view mirror.
At the same time we have gone through periods of difficulty in adjusting. Recently we realized that after a year in Little Rock we still had very few really good friends. Although the ones we did have were a blessing, we were still having a hard time getting connected at our church of 6,000 people. We were in a small group with some wonderful couples but the relationships there weren't as strong as we'd hoped they would be. And basically we started to feel lonely and homesick. We started to spend our days looking back and saying "Don't you miss....how we knew everyone at Calvary....how close our care group was....the way Dave did worship....our friends...our family....our life."
Larry and I are both in BSF this year and really enjoying it. Through our study of the life of Moses we realized that we were being the Israelites. We were in the desert, aka Little Rock, saying "Why did you bring us here? Life was better in Egypt." aka St. Charles. After sharing this with a friend she gave me an analogy that made so much sense. She said that we can glimpse into the rear view mirror of life for a little while but if we keep our eyes fixed there we will crash. We realized it was time to start looking through the windshield again or we were going to crash.
We met with Lance, one of the pastors at our church, to talk to him about this. He was such a blessing to us and really helped us to put some perspective on our situation and give us some great ideas and tools to move forward. To start we decided to find a new small group. We truly loved the people we were with but felt that it would be wise to get in a group with people who we are already connected with and strengthen those connections. It just so happens that there is a group on our street at the home of a FamilyLife staff member. It seemed like an obvious place for us to be. Our old group was so wonderful and supportive of us when we told them our decision. We are truly thankful for their place in our lives. We will start with our new group on December 9th.
The other thing that we are going to do is really dive into serving at church. We've dabbled in it but not gotten seriously connected. Larry is going to stay where he is which is playing guitar for children's ministry, but start serving weekly, and I am praying right now about where God wants me. I'm making contact with the special needs part of our children's ministry and there is also a need for a mentor for a 5th grade girls group. Hopefully in the next week or 2 I will have a permanent place to serve as well.
We are feeling good about these changes and along with some other adjustments we hope that we can make the most of our time here in Little Rock...living life through the windshield and enjoying the glimpses in the rear view mirror.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
We are Thankful...
Erin: I am thankful that my husband is the man of my dreams and my highschool sweetheart who I love more today than I ever have. For 2 healthy, funny, sweet boys, the opportunity to homeschool them, and a curriculum that we love. I am thankful for family that are only 6 1/2 hours away so we still get to see them more than a lot of people get to see their family. I am thankful for warm winters, new friends, a great new church home, and God's provision to keep us here. I am thankful for friends back home, a church family that we miss and love, and great memories of our time there. I am thankful for a Savior who I love because He first loved me.
Larry: I am thankful for a wonderful wife who sacrifices so much to be the best mom, wife, friend, etc. that I continue to grow deeper in love with each and every day. I am thankful for two awesome boys who are the best of friends. I am thankful for the many ways that God continues to surprise us. I am thankful for having such an encouraging family that we are able to see regularly even though we live in another state. I am thankful for our good friends back home and our new friends here. I am thankful to be able to serve God using the gifts that he entrusted me with.
Clayton: I am thankful for Bella. I am thankful for a mom, a dad, a home, and 2 geckos. I am thankful for good friends, and that Christmas is coming soon. I am thankful for toys, a comfy bed, clothes, food, my Sunday School teachers, and the Bible.
Evan: I am thankful for toys, playing outside with Bella, and Bella kisses. I am thankful that I have lots of rocks to collect in my back yard (note from mom: remember we live in Little ROCK...there is a reason for that name). I am thankful for watching movies, going to play tennis, and my family.
Bella: I am thankful that I'm not living on the streets anymore, and that food sometimes lands on the floor. I am thankful for the few times that I got to sleep on mom and dad's bed when they weren't looking, and for the squirrels that I'm going to catch someday. I am thankful that Clayton and Evan love me, and that mom hasn't gotten rid of me, even though she threatens when I am naughty. I'm thankful for treats, kisses, treats, a warm place to sleep, treats, and toilet water.
PSALM 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
Larry: I am thankful for a wonderful wife who sacrifices so much to be the best mom, wife, friend, etc. that I continue to grow deeper in love with each and every day. I am thankful for two awesome boys who are the best of friends. I am thankful for the many ways that God continues to surprise us. I am thankful for having such an encouraging family that we are able to see regularly even though we live in another state. I am thankful for our good friends back home and our new friends here. I am thankful to be able to serve God using the gifts that he entrusted me with.
Clayton: I am thankful for Bella. I am thankful for a mom, a dad, a home, and 2 geckos. I am thankful for good friends, and that Christmas is coming soon. I am thankful for toys, a comfy bed, clothes, food, my Sunday School teachers, and the Bible.
Evan: I am thankful for toys, playing outside with Bella, and Bella kisses. I am thankful that I have lots of rocks to collect in my back yard (note from mom: remember we live in Little ROCK...there is a reason for that name). I am thankful for watching movies, going to play tennis, and my family.
Bella: I am thankful that I'm not living on the streets anymore, and that food sometimes lands on the floor. I am thankful for the few times that I got to sleep on mom and dad's bed when they weren't looking, and for the squirrels that I'm going to catch someday. I am thankful that Clayton and Evan love me, and that mom hasn't gotten rid of me, even though she threatens when I am naughty. I'm thankful for treats, kisses, treats, a warm place to sleep, treats, and toilet water.
PSALM 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Love Dare
I am very slowly doing the Love Dare from the movie Fireproof with a group of friends. I can't recommend this book enough. Each day that I read it I gain more knowledge in how to be a better wife. Day 10 really struck me and I wanted to share part of it with you. I hope you are encouraged:
If someone were to ask you, "Why do you life your wife?" or "Why do you love your husband?" --what would you say?
Most men would mention their wife's beauty, her sense of humor, her kindness, her inner strength. They might talk about her cooking, her knack for decorating, or what a good mother she is.
Women would probably say something about their husband's good looks or his personality. They'd commend him for his steadiness and consistent character. They'd say they love him because he's always there for them. He's generous. He's helpful.
But what if over the course of years, your wife or husband stopped being every one of those things. Would you still love them? Based on your answers above, the only logical response would be "no". If your reasons for loving your spouse all have something to do with his or her qualities--and then those same qualities suddenly or gradually disappear--your basis for love is over.
The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's unconditional. The truth is this : love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.
.........But you will struggle and fail to attain this kind of marriage unless you allow God to begin growing His love within you. Love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7) does not come from within. It can only come from God.
If you are wondering what the "Dare" part of that days devotional is it is to do something out of the ordinary for your spouse--something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage. Since none of their suggestions (besides washing the car) is out of the ordinary for me I'm open to suggestions from any creative minds out there!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Too late to be blogging....
Larry left yesterday for a conference in Philadelphia, PA. I've decided it was easier to be without him when he was gone frequently. At least then I got into a routine of having him gone, but he hasn't traveled without me since May and saying good-bye to him on Wednesday was like the first time all over again. I'm utterly exhausted because I can't sleep without him, and when I do try to go to sleep suddenly every noise in the house is amplified. Hence the reason that I am blogging way past my bedtime!
To stay busy we are doing a 400 piece puzzle that Larry bought us before he left. We have recently become addicted to puzzles and you will often find anywhere from one to all four of us at the dining room table trying to fit "just one more" piece in. I also had a baby shower to go to tonight so I got a baby sitter which was a nice break.
Larry had some down time this afternoon so he got to be a tourist. He saw the Liberty Bell, the US Mint, and Independence Hall. He also had a cheese steak which probably doesn't seem like a big deal except that I LOVE cheese steaks! Domino's pizza makes my favorite. I was so jealous and he informed me tonight that he even took a picture of it! What a brat!
OK I'd better try to get to bed or I am going to seriously regret it tomorrow. I'll look forward to a good night sleep on Monday night!
To stay busy we are doing a 400 piece puzzle that Larry bought us before he left. We have recently become addicted to puzzles and you will often find anywhere from one to all four of us at the dining room table trying to fit "just one more" piece in. I also had a baby shower to go to tonight so I got a baby sitter which was a nice break.
Larry had some down time this afternoon so he got to be a tourist. He saw the Liberty Bell, the US Mint, and Independence Hall. He also had a cheese steak which probably doesn't seem like a big deal except that I LOVE cheese steaks! Domino's pizza makes my favorite. I was so jealous and he informed me tonight that he even took a picture of it! What a brat!
OK I'd better try to get to bed or I am going to seriously regret it tomorrow. I'll look forward to a good night sleep on Monday night!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Prayer for Upcoming Test
Normally we would put something like this in our newsletter but we aren't sending out another newsletter until January and we need some prayer warriors in December. For a long time now Larry has suffered from "intestinal issues". That's a nice way of saying it! He has seen 3 doctors for this problem. The first really didn't say much except change your diet, the second told him to eat more fiber, the third diagnosed him with IBS. Through some friends here in Little Rock we found another highly respected doctor so Larry decided to give it one more shot. This doctor sent him to a gastro enterologist. On December 10th Larry will be scoped, from the mouth, which Larry seems relieved for :), and this doctor seems to be rather suspicious of Celiac Disease. Larry has almost every symptom and to top it off it is hereditary and Evan has symptoms of it as well. Here is a definition of celiac disease:
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.
We should know more in December and if for some reason he does not have celiac his doctor is going to test him for food allergies and intolerance. Our main prayer is that we would finally have some answers for Larry and Evan. If they are diagnosed with Celiac disease we will need some serious prayer for the significant diet changes that will need to be made, but we'll deal with that when it comes!
We will keep you updated. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.
We should know more in December and if for some reason he does not have celiac his doctor is going to test him for food allergies and intolerance. Our main prayer is that we would finally have some answers for Larry and Evan. If they are diagnosed with Celiac disease we will need some serious prayer for the significant diet changes that will need to be made, but we'll deal with that when it comes!
We will keep you updated. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Soaps galore!
We are so excited that our friends Cathy and Scott Dreher are adopting a child from Ethiopia! In order to help with the funding of their adoption Cathy has created a site from which she can sell her beautiful handmade soaps. Check it out at www.topazbathgems.etsy.com, they make great Christmas gifts!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Beauty
I have been awed this week by the amazing colors on the trees here. There have been times when I could have gotten in an accident because I was staring at the trees that line the highways! One day the boys and I took a drive and stopped to take pictures of some of our favorites. I wish I could show you how beautiful our highways are but I figured that wouldn't be too safe so we stuck to parking lots! Here are a few of the trees that caught our eyes. My favorites are the ones that fade from one color to another. Beautiful!
God's excellence is woven into the fabric of the world around us. You can see it in everything. -John C. Maxwell
God's excellence is woven into the fabric of the world around us. You can see it in everything. -John C. Maxwell
Monday, November 3, 2008
Bad Words
On Sunday Clayton won an award for being the best behaved in his class. I was a little surprised that they even give those awards simply because all of the boys in his group seem to be well behaved. I asked him if anyone misbehaves and he proceeded to tell me about a boy whose dad has to be in class with him because he says bad words. After some investigation I'm thinking the boys has Tourette Syndrome. So I ask Clayton what kinds of words he says and Clayton replies "The S word." Then Evan says "Does he say the H word?" I'm figuring the H word is hell but I ask "What is the H word?" They both look at me and say "Hate!" :)
So I tell my friends this and they say "So what is the S word?" Well I never thought about it, I just assumed it was the bad S word that I knew, although I must admit that I was a bit surprised that Clayton even knew what the S word was. So tonight I said "Clayton, remember when you told me about the boy in your Sunday school class who says bad words? What is the S word?" He replied "Stupid....AND Shut up!" LOL! I tried so hard not to laugh and thanked God for the innocence that they have right now because I know it won't last forever!
So I tell my friends this and they say "So what is the S word?" Well I never thought about it, I just assumed it was the bad S word that I knew, although I must admit that I was a bit surprised that Clayton even knew what the S word was. So tonight I said "Clayton, remember when you told me about the boy in your Sunday school class who says bad words? What is the S word?" He replied "Stupid....AND Shut up!" LOL! I tried so hard not to laugh and thanked God for the innocence that they have right now because I know it won't last forever!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Mountain Climbing
Yesterday we climbed Pinnacle Mountain with my in laws. My mother in law said climbing a mountain was something she had always wanted to do so she was looking forward to it. As we approached the mountain we pointed it out to her and she thought we were joking! I'm not sure what she had in her mind when we said "mountain" but apparently it was something much smaller than Pinnacle! Once we finally convinced her that we were telling the truth we got on the trail. Shortly up the mountain my mother in law started seriously regretting her decision! She needed to stop for a rest:
And she stopped again:
And again (this is her saying "Come on Erin, let's go!" trying to make it look like she's waiting for me!):
And again:
I have many more pictures of her stopping but you get the point! We laughed quite a bit at her and kept promising that it would be worth it at the top. When she got to the top she agreed that it was well worth it but wondered if there was a wagon she could ride down on!
Luckily going down was much easier and now she is thrilled that she did it. We even saw a tarantula on the way down!
So who reading this is going to come visit us in Little Rock and climb it with us next time?!
And she stopped again:
And again (this is her saying "Come on Erin, let's go!" trying to make it look like she's waiting for me!):
And again:
I have many more pictures of her stopping but you get the point! We laughed quite a bit at her and kept promising that it would be worth it at the top. When she got to the top she agreed that it was well worth it but wondered if there was a wagon she could ride down on!
Luckily going down was much easier and now she is thrilled that she did it. We even saw a tarantula on the way down!
So who reading this is going to come visit us in Little Rock and climb it with us next time?!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween Fun
The boys had a great time last night! We went to spend Halloween with the Olsons. These are the same kids that we went to the sculpture show with. Karyn and I put together a Halloween feast for the kids which included jack o lantern PBJ's, Chicken "fingers" (notice the pumpkin seed nail), spiders, apple mouths (complete with slivered almond teeth), and red "blood" juice.
After our gourmet feast the dads took the boys trick or treating. If you are wondering what those costumes are it is a cartoon character named Ben 10. Ben uses his watch to turn himself into aliens that fight the bad guys. It was such a cheap and easy costume to make so I was thrilled! They didn't have many kids out at all despite the fact that it was an absolutely georgeous night!
Of course the fun part of the night is always checking out your loot!
After we left their house we went back home where my in laws were handing out candy at our house. We could not believe what we saw! Carloads of families lining the streets of our neighborhood unloading massive amounts of kids out to trick or treat. The streets were packed with large groups of kids and Larry commented "This is what I remember Halloween being like as a kid!" I wish I had gotten a picture of the car with teenagers dressed up sitting on the hood and the trunk riding down the street! We had bought a ton of candy because we'd heard that many people from neighboring communities load groups of kids up and come to our neighborhood to trick or treat. Still, we were out of candy before 8:00. The boys said it was the "best Halloween ever!" Oh, and my mother in law said our pumpkin was a huge hit and got many comments!
After our gourmet feast the dads took the boys trick or treating. If you are wondering what those costumes are it is a cartoon character named Ben 10. Ben uses his watch to turn himself into aliens that fight the bad guys. It was such a cheap and easy costume to make so I was thrilled! They didn't have many kids out at all despite the fact that it was an absolutely georgeous night!
Of course the fun part of the night is always checking out your loot!
After we left their house we went back home where my in laws were handing out candy at our house. We could not believe what we saw! Carloads of families lining the streets of our neighborhood unloading massive amounts of kids out to trick or treat. The streets were packed with large groups of kids and Larry commented "This is what I remember Halloween being like as a kid!" I wish I had gotten a picture of the car with teenagers dressed up sitting on the hood and the trunk riding down the street! We had bought a ton of candy because we'd heard that many people from neighboring communities load groups of kids up and come to our neighborhood to trick or treat. Still, we were out of candy before 8:00. The boys said it was the "best Halloween ever!" Oh, and my mother in law said our pumpkin was a huge hit and got many comments!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Carving Pumpkins
Tonight was our annual pumpkin carving night. Each year it is so difficult to decide what our pumpkin will look like. After much deliberation we settled on a leopard gecko this year to honor Geico and Big John! If you are wondering who in the world Geico and Big John are, they are our leopard geckos.
The fun began with my favorite part...PUMPKIN GUTS! The kids are willing to get spoons in there but they will not use their hands. They say it's "GROSS!"
So I decided to chase them with pumpkin guts!
After we got our pumpkin nice and clean dad sketched our gecko and got to work carving.
So what do you think?
Is there a resemblance?
This is Geico. Big John was shedding tonight, he wasn't camera ready :)
The fun began with my favorite part...PUMPKIN GUTS! The kids are willing to get spoons in there but they will not use their hands. They say it's "GROSS!"
So I decided to chase them with pumpkin guts!
After we got our pumpkin nice and clean dad sketched our gecko and got to work carving.
So what do you think?
Is there a resemblance?
This is Geico. Big John was shedding tonight, he wasn't camera ready :)
Back from the land of the Hoosiers..
You can see that I did not get the chance to update while we were out of town. We had a wonderful trip and stayed rather busy. We arrived in Indianapolis on Wednesday and drove to a suburb called Noblesville to stay with the Williamsons. It was wonderful to be among old friends again! Thursday we headed to Fort Wayne. After Larry's meeting with the hotel staff to discuss the conference we were able to break away to see Fireproof. It was a wonderful and much needed date! On Friday we got started on a full weekend. Friday is Larry's busiest day. He is on the go from about 6:30 am to about 10:00 at night. He spent the whole day setting up the ballroom and preparing for our conferees to arrive that evening. Friday night's conference went great and we quickly realized that we were in for a treat because we had 3 great speakers!
Saturday Larry was up early again to prepare for the day. While the conference is happening I usually stay with Larry and sit with him back by the sound table. I usually bring something to do or read and also listen to the speakers. I never tire of hearing these talks, and come away with something new each time. I also run some errands for Larry throughout the day. Saturday night is date night for our conferees and we go to dinner with the speakers and some other members of our team. That is a fun and relaxed night.
On Sunday morning we have a staff opportunities meeting to tell people about joining the staff of FamilyLife. It was a very nice size group which we were very excited about. Many of them felt led to pursue this opportunitiy and will be contacted by one of our HR staff soon to get the application process rolling! On Sunday morning the men and women split up for their sessions and these are often the most powerful sessions. It is not uncommon to find men very emotional after their talk. Larry has seen men leave that session and in tears apologize to their wives and commit to being better husbands. I can speak from experience when I say that the women's talk at our first WTR altered my thinking about what it means to be a wife and mother. At the end of the day on Sunday, which ends right before lunch, the conferees have an opportunity to share what they took away from the weekend. One man said "I am leaving with a wife that I didn't have when I came here." Before leaving they renew their wedding vows:
After the conferees leave we tear down and also look through their evaluations to see what God had done with the weekend. At this particular conference we heard many stories of couples who were separated before this conference and are committed to trying again, couples with affairs in their marriage who are looking forward with hope, and couples who came with a great marriage and have been strengthened with the tools needed to stay strong for the long haul. The thing that was most amazing to us; however, was the number of salvation decisions. 47 people indicated first time commitments to Christ which was about 10% of the conferees in attendance! We were all celebrating big time!
After tear down was complete and Larry finished some paperwork we drove back to Noblesville to spend another night with the Williamsons. Monday morning we got to meet with our friend Scott, who is on staff with Keynote. Keynote is the music and performing arts ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ and is located just about 15 minutes from the Williamson's house. It was great to visit with Scott, tour Keynote's facilities, and get a better vision of what God is doing through their ministry. After many goodbyes it was back to the airport. We arrived back in Little Rock around 8:00 Monday night and it has been non-stop since! In fact my typing time is over...it's back to school for my kiddos!
Saturday Larry was up early again to prepare for the day. While the conference is happening I usually stay with Larry and sit with him back by the sound table. I usually bring something to do or read and also listen to the speakers. I never tire of hearing these talks, and come away with something new each time. I also run some errands for Larry throughout the day. Saturday night is date night for our conferees and we go to dinner with the speakers and some other members of our team. That is a fun and relaxed night.
On Sunday morning we have a staff opportunities meeting to tell people about joining the staff of FamilyLife. It was a very nice size group which we were very excited about. Many of them felt led to pursue this opportunitiy and will be contacted by one of our HR staff soon to get the application process rolling! On Sunday morning the men and women split up for their sessions and these are often the most powerful sessions. It is not uncommon to find men very emotional after their talk. Larry has seen men leave that session and in tears apologize to their wives and commit to being better husbands. I can speak from experience when I say that the women's talk at our first WTR altered my thinking about what it means to be a wife and mother. At the end of the day on Sunday, which ends right before lunch, the conferees have an opportunity to share what they took away from the weekend. One man said "I am leaving with a wife that I didn't have when I came here." Before leaving they renew their wedding vows:
After the conferees leave we tear down and also look through their evaluations to see what God had done with the weekend. At this particular conference we heard many stories of couples who were separated before this conference and are committed to trying again, couples with affairs in their marriage who are looking forward with hope, and couples who came with a great marriage and have been strengthened with the tools needed to stay strong for the long haul. The thing that was most amazing to us; however, was the number of salvation decisions. 47 people indicated first time commitments to Christ which was about 10% of the conferees in attendance! We were all celebrating big time!
After tear down was complete and Larry finished some paperwork we drove back to Noblesville to spend another night with the Williamsons. Monday morning we got to meet with our friend Scott, who is on staff with Keynote. Keynote is the music and performing arts ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ and is located just about 15 minutes from the Williamson's house. It was great to visit with Scott, tour Keynote's facilities, and get a better vision of what God is doing through their ministry. After many goodbyes it was back to the airport. We arrived back in Little Rock around 8:00 Monday night and it has been non-stop since! In fact my typing time is over...it's back to school for my kiddos!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Headed out of town...
Larry and I are looking forward to a fun week. We are leaving tomorrow morning for Indiana. We will arrive in Indianapolis where we will stay the night with Heidi and Chuck Williamson. If you are a Calvary person you might know them. They moved to IN shortly after we moved to AR and we are very excited to see them again. On Thursday we will drive up to Fort Wayne and all of the preparations for the Weekend to Remember will start. The conference is sold out and runs Friday through Sunday. Sunday evening we will go back to the Williamson's house to stay the night. Monday morning we will visit with friends from Keynote, Campus Crusade's performing arts ministry. They are based in Indianapolis. We are excited to see them and tour Keynote's headquarters. Monday afternoon we will head back to Little Rock. My mom will be staying with the boys so I'm sure they will be good and spoiled by the time we get back!
I'll try to post pictures and updates on the conference while I am gone.
I'll try to post pictures and updates on the conference while I am gone.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Fun with Friends
We had such a fun morning! At 9am we picked up my friend Karyn's boys, Devin and Drew. We took all four boys downtown for a sculpture show. It was so cool. The artists loved having the four boys there and every artist wanted to tell them how they created their sculptures. One artist even put the boys on a horse that he had sculpted and took a picture of them for his display. They had so much fun picking their favorites from each display and learning more about sculpture. After the sculputre show we went to a fun park that they just put in downtown. Then after everyone was worn out we met Karyn again and had lunch together. Here are some pictures of our fun...
Captive Audience
Evan's new favorite thing to do before bed is read stories to Bella. He is convinced that she enjoys it. Unfortunately this is her bed time too so she couldn't keep from falling asleep during story time!
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