Egg Hunt 2010: Take 1

As is the tradition of this time of year, we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior by stuffing brightly colored plastic eggs full of instant teeth-rotting materials, "hiding" said eggs in 2-inch grass, and encouraging our young ones to get as many and as much as they can faster than anybody else so that hopefully they will become the "winner" of the prize egg.

At least, that's the lecture that my husband gave to me when we ended up on the Easter aisle at Wal-mart the other night at the end of a luxurious date. Love my man. :)

In good fashion with the commercial agenda, though, I packed up E this weekend and traveled to my home town for a really sweet little egg hunt that one of my high school friends' mom does each year. Last year, we weren't able to make it, so I was really looking forward to the "reunion" aspect of this little emerging tradition. And I wasn't disappointed. My mom even blocked off her very full tax season schedule (gasp!) to be able to be there. Trust me...it's a big deal for her to do that!

Looking at all the cameras, one-by-one, and saying "Cheese"

(none of the other kids care)

Look at all these kiddos!

Surveying the land of eggs

"Mommy, whatcha doin'?"

*love*!

The Gift of Giving

Each year, my parents are way generous givers at Christmas. Each year, we always talk about it and about how we should instead organize a family project and do something "really meaningful" with our money instead of just using it to give things to each other. Implying, of course, (though definitely unintentionally), that giving gifts to each other isn't as meaningful.

And sometimes it's true. If we're honest, many times gifts aren't all that meaningful. Sometimes they're given out of obligation. Sometimes items get regifted in an effort to save money. Sometimes, the gift becomes the idol, and the sacrificial, selfless meaning behind a gift is entirely lost. Been there, done that for sure!

For some reason, though, each year our whole family is back around that Christmas tree giving gifts to one another. I think I know why...and it has something to do with the fact that my parents truly take pleasure in finding those gifts for their children that reach out and connect with us, that show their children that they truly take delight in us, that speaks that they know us both on a deep, heart level and also on a lighter, what-kind-of-things-make-you-smile level.

One of the things my parents seem to delight in giving to us are those rather "necessary" things (necessary being a relative term, of course) in life that just are sometimes a bummer to spend hard-earned dollars on. Like...

When I was in high school? Cool clothes.

In college? Expensive shampoo and conditioner.

As a wife? Starbucks!

And as a mom? Diapers. Always diapers.

This past year, my parents gave me a gift that would otherwise be beyond my budget but has since motivated me to do something I haven't been able to do as a mom: running. Now, ask me in high school if I would ever jump up and down over a jogging stroller and I would've given you the perfected, classic eye roll. Today.....well, that thing is priceless to me.

Thanks, mom and dad, for understanding and living out for me the picture God gives us in Luke 11:13 of how a (don't take the evil to mean more than what the scripture implies) parent willingly gives good gifts to their children. Maybe we'll make it around to a family project one day...but because that's what God lays on your heart, NOT because it holds more meaning!

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” -Luke 11:13 NIV

NYC!

As a delayed 5-year anniversary gift to each other, we flew up to NYC on Saturday for some sight-seeing, a Broadway show, and a one-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria. It was one of those trips - seriously - where everything just seemed to go right...though we weren't able to do EVERYTHING on our list, we had a magical time together and were able to see and do so much with the 24 hours we had.

NY has a pace that exhausted me after a short 24 hours. In the South, I would never hesitate to stop a stranger to ask for a picture. In NYC, the only people who are standing still are the people you would never trust to hold even a dollar for a minute. Sooooooooo...we have lots of crazy pictures where we zoomed the camera out as far as it would go, I stood on my tip-toes, and L held it back as far as his long arms would reach in order to get our faces in front of whatever scenery we were trying to capture. What we ended up with was actually quite a memorable array of some of our best moments from that day and a half - looking back, they really do capture our time there.

To be honest, this was actually the first trip that I've taken post-baby that I was able to let go of being "mom" for a day and step into the shoes of just giving myself over to being with my man. And to be even more honest, I wasn't specifically praying for that to happen - it just did. One of those things that God gives you that you don't even know that you need. For that reason, though, I think NYC will hold some pretty special memories for the two of us - a place that belongs to just L and I and isn't shared with the feelings and responsibilities of parenting. Don't read what I'm not saying! I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a mom. But there's a tendency for me to get sucked into it, to invest the best of my care first and foremost to the 2-year-old with the most immediate and tangible needs. I felt a little like a "newlywed" for a day in NYC - as if I had the freedom to offer L my best without having to worry about whether or not E's needs were being met (side note: Thank you Nana and PopPop!!).

This is still a thought-in-progress. I am looking forward to being back home with our family back together. But I am wondering about the glimpse God has given to us this weekend of the importance of a little "getaway." A time for me to focus my eyes 100% on the man God has blessed me with and to be able to offer him all the love I have in my heart for him without any hindrances. A time for romance to blossom a little more. A time to remember walking down the aisle toward the man of my dreams. A time to be thankful that I have a mate with a common vision and purpose in life. A really really GOOD time!!

Waldorf Astoria

First trip on the subway

Staton Island Ferry

Lady Liberty is back there somewhere!

Lombardi's Pizza

The Lion King on Broadway!

Times Square

We were MASTERS of the subway

Central Park

On our way home...

Bathtime Sonatas

This post is dedicated to Nana. She is hard at work this week with her job, and feeling a little under the weather today. E misses her, and decided to sing her a few songs tonight during bathtime.

We love you, Nana! Enjoy!

Warm Welcome

Tonight I drove to my parents house to see E for the first time in FIVE days. I was prepared for the worst - i.e., hiding from me, crying because my coming meant Nana and PopPop leaving, etc., etc. That day is coming, so I just wanna be sure I'm as prepared as possible for it.

However, today was not that day. Tonight as I walked in the door and turned the corner, E broke into a huge grin, opened up her arms, and started yelling..."In.....DI....AAAANNNNNNAAAA!! INDIANA!! INDIANA!!! IIINNNNDDIIIIAAAAAANNNNAAAA!!!" Jumping up and down, bouncing all over the room, she was so excited about seeing her long lost friend that she forgot to notice her mama standing right there. It was a whole 90 seconds before I even got a glance. Had to beg for a half-hearted hug and kiss.

And I have to admit...as much I as would have loved a trumpet fanfare at my arrival, I so enjoyed watching her take delight in the 100-lb puppy that smacks her around all day every day. He's caused quite a tear or two in our house, as he sometimes forgets how to manage his bulk around her, but he's made a forever-impact on our hearts. Not ten minutes later, she was perched on top of him eating a cracker and watching Barney as he lay soldier-still on the floor. Why can't dogs have the lifetime of a human??

Lay ME Down

L has been in Egypt now for six days. He has tried and tried in vain to establish an internet connection so that we could converse via Skype. Though I can receive his texts, he can't receive mine, so we've had kind of a one-sided conversation since he left. Every little bit helps though.

Thinking about the physical distance that has separated us for this short time, I am reminded of some of my favorite Sandra McCracken lyrics, from a song she penned after long stretches of being apart from her husband; words that resonate with how I feel often times when L and I are apart:

All the miles between us
they say that’s just the way it goes
time is no friend to lovers
stretched like the line that hangs the clothes
but we walk the distance another day
the rope is thin but does not give way

And I can hear the band of angels singing now
like a story from the page is read aloud
but this is not make believe...

I’d rather have the mystery and the madness and the rains
cause hell’s the only place you can be free of all love’s pain

I have no claim on the future
so here I lay me down
and God is a friend to lovers
he makes the bone, the flesh, the ground
and he walks with us, make no mistake
and holds us when our hearts, they break

So, here I lay ME down. ME and all my wishes for that warm spot to return to my bed (the one that doesn't shed, anyway). ME and all my desires to share my day-to-day experiences with my soulmate. ME and all my desires to have a co-laborer to cook dinner, wash dishes, do laundry, and rake leaves. ME and all my desires to be wrapped up into the arms of the one I love at this very moment. Here I lay ME down, knowing that God is walking with me, purposing these moments, and providing for my every need.

Birthday Cake

There's one requirement that I have for a birthday - something that, for me, "makes" a birthday. That one thing is a cake. Can be an ice cream cake, cookie cake, brownie cake, muffin cake, cheesecake, or regular yellow cake...it just has to be some kind of cake meant especially for me, for my birthday. So...the cake is kind of special to me.

Today while running errands, I went by my favorite local bakery to pick out my birthday cake, hoping they would have one of my all-time favorite cakes: German Chocolate. They did! I bought it, went back to the car balancing E on one hip and the cake in the other hand, and we loaded up and carried on with our errands.

Jumping back into the car after our next stop, I threw my bags carelessly into the passenger seat, realizing a moment too late that my cake was probably underneath those bags. Panicking, I grabbed the bags and searched for cake damage. Then I started searching for the cake. I could not find the cake. Though Indiana was in the car, I doubted he would have time to eat a whole cake and leave not a single crumb in less than 10 minutes, so I started to retrace my steps back to the bakery.

And it hit me. I had put the cake on top of the car when I loaded E into the seat. Surely I didn't drive off with it still on the car. As I passed by an intersection near the bakery (while back-tracking), there it was...chocolate cake and bakery box smeared across the highway. I had driven off with the cake on top of my car.

As a last-ditch effort (and because I had nothing to lose), I parked and went back into the bakery for the second time in 15 minutes, and started in on my sob story, laughing out loud at myself and how ridiculous it sounded. Not only did the bakery have an extra cake in the back, but they also packaged it up and gave it to me for free.

I know it's pretty trivial, but to me, I got two clear messages from God in that moment.
1) He is the giver of all good things. Instead of me buying my own birthday cake, by walking me through such a crazy half-hour, it turned out that God gave me a birthday cake instead. So much more meaningful, and reminded me that he cares for even the seemingly insignificant little things that put a song in my heart.
2) Slow down. For some reason, God keeps bringing up the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, reminding me that those who steadily work toward their goals are the ones who finish first and finish strong. This lesson is permeating my personal life and my work life, reminding me over and over again to keep pressing forward one step at a time. By moving at Hare-speed, I am leaving things unfinished and vulnerable to destruction. Thankfully for us, God is ready and waiting to give us a brand new "cake" even when, by our own design, we have destroyed the first one.

Instant Gratification

We kick-started our Family Times tool today with a little note that I stuck in E's lunch bag. Like I said yesterday, I really have no expectations for how much she is going to glean from these things right now- the point for me is mostly to go ahead and begin habits that she grows into, and to not wait until she's already formed habits of her own that don't allow for opportunities to reflect on God's providence and provision for our lives.

But on the way home tonight from dinner, I heard these little words coming from the back seat,

"Mommy, I s-h-a-r-e with Bo. S-h-a-r-e. Special. Share with Bo. Sweet. Share, sweet."

And about halfway through agreeing with her that, yes, sharing with Bo was really sweet - it hit me. The note. Why didn't I start this the first day she was alive?!?!

Blessing Near Brasstown Bald

My parents finally did something this summer they've been wanting to do since they first met each other almost 30 years ago: they bought a house in the mountains on a lake. God's blessing over their lives, mixed with a downturn in the economy, gave them an opportunity for an incredibly sweet purchase in the North Georgia mountains, and we made our inaugural trip this weekend.

I am so blessed to have the parents I have. Not only have they passed down a spiritual legacy to the next generation, they are now also adding to that a physical legacy of a "resting place" - a place where friends and family can meet for many years to come.

Though it was a short visit, the weather was beautiful today, so we journeyed over to Brasstown Bald - just a short car ride away - to take in the view. It was well worth it! Because it was such a clear, beautiful day, you could see the skyscrapers in Atlanta off the south side of the tower. If you look closely in the last picture below, you can see the shadows of the big city in the background - towering over the mountains in front of it. The best part is that everything that man created in that city doesn't even compare to the beauty of God's natural creation in the rest of the picture!!

Time Flies By

I was thinking the other day that it just seems impossible how fast time has flown by this past year. Every time that E and I meet someone new, they always leave me with the same parting words: "Don't blink, because before you know it, she'll be headed off to college."

If the warp speed continues, I can easily see why they all say it.

I pull my video camera out every chance I get. I shoot pictures at every turn. I've even started blogging every little detail that I can manage to remember. And then I stumble across something like this, and I think...WAIT!!! That can't possibly be almost two years ago, can it?

I always think about my friend G when I clean out the refrigerator.

When I was interning at a church during college, I lived with G. She was, hands down, one of the best roommates I've ever had. On the first day I moved in, she gave me a list of "Things to Know About Living Here," which included how to park in the driveway (no lie) and how to avoid the wrath of her devil-cat (wish I were joking). I have so many fond memories of that brief moment in my life, like...

-Buying ice cream from the grocery store, ordering pizza from Dominoes, and sitting on the couch stuffing our faces while watching the "Biggest Loser."

-Coming home to find my sister, who was visiting me for the week, squatting on top of the kitchen counter, wearing oven mitts and holding a broom, terrified of the "devil-cat" who was hissing and spitting at her from the middle of the kitchen floor.

-Constant conversations about how I used to leave kitchen cabinet doors open and accidentally burn the burner covers on the stove.

-Sideways glances from her when L and I would sit too close together on the couch.

-Her laugh. It's one of my top five most favorite laughs in the whole wide world.

-Unashamed jealousy over the fact that her mom's favorite thing to do was show up unannounced and take her on a shopping spree.

But my all-time favorite memory of G has to be the realization that there was a leftover covered casserole dish in her refrigerator from the Thanksgiving the year before. Mind you, I moved into the house during the summer. We threw that whole $15-dish away, we never even opened the lid. I think we sat in the middle of the kitchen floor and laughed for a half hour. So, every time I clean out my refrigerator and stumble upon a tupperware container that was shoved into the back and forgotten about, I think of my friend G. And I smile.

From the Mouth of Babes: The Five Pillars of Islam

We had dinner with some of our very best friends tonight, who have three boys, the eldest of which is 9 years old. He's a kid that is so wise beyond his years, and has a humongous heart for the Lord. All of the boys do.

Tonight we were sitting around the table and H (the nine-year-old), was giving us a lesson in Islam, sharing with us some of the things he's been learning about the five pillars of Islam in his class at school. As I tuned in to what he was saying, I learned this:

1. Muhammad is the messenger of God

2. Muslims must fast during the month of "Ramada"

3. They have to give "Iams" to the poor

4. They pray to god ("little g") five times a day

Honestly, I got so tickled I didn't even hear what he said the fifth one was. I was also praising the Lord for the obvious Godward-ness of this little one's heart.

E had some really sweet times with the boys too. She absolutely adores their youngest son to pieces; they've even come up with their own little nickname for each other. My heart melted tonight when I turned away from cooking to spy one of the boys stroking E's hair and reading a book to her on the floor. I'm looking forward to E having three "big brothers" to be there for her through this life, and I love that E has such incredible examples of the heart of a Christian boy.

Refrigerator Art

I received today from my daughter the very first of what I am sure will be many years of refrigerator art. I am actually most impressed by the fact that she chose to color more than two seconds on the same piece of paper. Typically when I color with her, she considers a page to be "finished" after a couple of scribbles.

I used to think my mom was crazy for stockpiling years and years of "junk" from my childhood days forward. But now I'm starting to feel a little sentimental myself...

The Purple Dinosaur

E is really into (gasp!) Barney right now. The extra-large talking purple dinosaur is not my first pick for a TV show, but it certainly rates higher than some of the other ADHD-inducing children's shows that are out there these days.

E certainly seems to like him. And I will admit, I've learned to appreciate the fact that she is learning songs, colors, feelings, numbers, animals and many other appropriately-educational concepts that we get to carry over into our playtime together.

Take for instance, the 45 min-long car ride today that was filled from start to finish with rounds of, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "You are Special," "Do Your Ears Hang Low," and other silly songs that bring out the biggest grin imaginable on that sweet little face. Even when it's Barney-inspired, there's no doubt that God gave her the sweetest little smile and one of the best laughs ever.

And, oh...the fun memories we will get to share with her and her teenage boyfriend one day about the times when she couldn't get enough of the "I Love You" song. You see, folks, even Barney comes back full circle. :)

She's A Talker

It seems as though E is quite developed in her language for a 22-month-old. She has a pretty extensive vocabulary and can use it very proficiently not only to name things she sees but to also recall and request things that she doesn't see but apparently wants to have. The more she is able to say, the easier it is for me to meet her needs and the more we can actually communicate - so I'm definitely loving the jabber.

Aside from the many English words she knows, she also has lots of "E" words. She flows freely between using both languages, even changing mid-conversation. I caught this video just a few nights ago by hiding the video camera in her room when I put her down for bed.

(Obviously, though, I didn't hide it quite well enough. When I went back in the room later to retrieve the camera, I had to turn on the hall light to help find it. E had figured out where it was, took it, climbed back into bed with it, and was clutching it tightly to her chest...fast asleep.)

In the Kitchen

I'm not an especially good cook. My husband is actually the more adventurous cook between the two of us. I usually stick to the "tried and true, easy to do" stuff, well, for the obvious reasons.

I got a recipe from a friend of mine, M, a few weeks ago, and our little family has enjoyed it immensely. It's so simple, so delicious, and has now been approved by three separate generations - E eats almost as big of a helping as I do.

So enjoy! Thanks M - this is really one of my favorite recipes ever!!!


*Crock-Pot Chicken Nachos*

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans
1 can corn
3 cans Rotel (drain 2 of the cans)
1 pkg cream cheese
Tortilla chips
Lettuce
Salsa
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Guacamole

Put the first four ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. 30 minutes before eating, chop up cream cheese over the top. When ready to serve, break apart chicken and mix everything together with forks. Serve on top of chips with toppings as desired. Serves 6-8. (We like to use leftovers to make quesadillas!)

The Choir

I love going to a church with a choir, for the simple reason that I love watching people truly worship. Nothing gets me more excited about how awesome our God is than to watch other people truly celebrate it, live it, feel it, until it overflows so much that I can’t help but catch that feeling too. It’s incredible.

I had that experience this past Sunday at my grandparents’ church. One man in the choir who I just knew was singing solely for His Creator God. I would glimpse up at him during the singing just to peek at God being glorified. It felt a little taboo, but I just couldn’t help it.

Then, right before the preacher came up, this same man from the choir walked on the main stage and grabbed a microphone. And I sat on the edge of my chair in anticipation. To be honest, he didn’t have a voice like Frank Sinatra. And the sound system wasn’t stellar, so when he hit a note really loud, it kind of made you jump in your chair out of shock. But I swear to you – he believed every single word he sang. It was so real, and so focused on Jesus, that all you could do was think about Jesus too.

I love it when choir members “get it” that they are like the angels that are in heaven forever praising God. That they go before us to the throne, and reflect the glory of God in their faces so that we, the congregation members – who woke up late, dropped pancake batter on the floor, let the dog clean it up, realized too late that their clothes needed to be ironed, then showed up at church with a child without shoes on – can be ushered in the presence of God where we are able to leave behind all that other stuff and just focus on Him.

The Terrible Two's

Thinking of this makes me laugh. Out loud. I love this age - it is far from terrible. Granted, she's not quite two yet, and I'm sure I've definitely got more attitude coming my way, but to be honest - I am now in a place where I am humored 24/7 by a three foot tall mongrel. And I love it.

Today, I am noticing that more and more "two-ish" behaviors have emerged in my little one. In order, starting with my favorite, they are:

1) Repeating everything I'm saying. Even the not-so-great stuff. The other day, after knocking over a stack of magazines, she looks at them, looks up at me and says, "Crap." That one I'm blaming exclusively on her father, though. ;)

2) Whole-body tantrums. It's as if their little bodies are not yet big enough to hem in the great emotion they feel when something doesn't go their way, and in an effort to communicate this overwhelming surge of energy, they must fall to the floor and flail like a balloon that has been untied, yet with lots of air still inside. Hysterically funny to me. Not a good idea to laugh, though. Trust me.

3) Clothing preferences. The inability to communicate this one usually leads to #2 above. We had one this morning over jeans (Anybody in need of size 18-24 month jeans? 'Cause we're not wearing them here). We had one the other morning over shoes (Anybody in need of size 6 tennis shoes? Only Crocs here, folks).

4) Obsession with the lovie. Until now, it's just been a prop. Now it's an "I've got to have it or I die" thing. Totally and completely annoying, and is testing this mama's patience more than any of the above behaviors. They nearly ended up in the trash the other day, if not for the saving grace of E's Nana. They might yet still make their way there, though...

A Love For Reading

It's soooo easy to let the TV be a free babysitter. This fact alone is one of the top three reasons we don't have cable TV in our house. It's just too tempting. Still though, we have movies galore, and E is a huge fan of anything Disney. So the temptation is still great to let the film roll while I do laundry, wash dishes, read a book - everything is easier uninterrupted.

Truth is, though, I want to establish a love for reading in E. Not only is it educational, but it's also one of the primary ways that we are able to get to know our God - so it's a rather important skill to have.

Her favorite book so far is Dr. Seuss' "Hop on Pop." She's now asking for it by name, and is starting to "read" a few of the memorized pages. I've been trying to catch this on video for a few weeks now!

Blogger World

I'm enjoying this new blogging phase of life. It's given me accountability to do something I've always wanted to do but never made time for, which is documenting the really great stuff in life.

It all started with my friend G recommending that if I only read one blog ever, I needed to read this one. So one morning, I made a cup of coffee, got E's video started, opened up my laptop to do a bit of Facebook browsing, and decided to check out what "JMom" had written for the day.........and two videos, three cups of coffee, a box of Kleenex, and an hour later, E peeled me away from the computer screen, back into our world and to the life that was happening right before my eyes.

It took me about eight months to gather up the nerve to venture out onto my own blog. I'm a perfectionist, Type A personality to the core, so I stood frozen on the cliff for a long time, trying to think about the perfect way to jump. It's a little nerve-racking knowing that somebody else is going to be reading your mind, literally. Especially when I'm quite comfortable with the fact that, up to this point, I've been described as someone who's pretty hard to read, even by my husband at times. It's a sobering place to be, for sure.

For all of you out there who are getting to know me and our little family by way of the world wide web, welcome. My theology may be a little "off" at times, but only because I have the handicap of peering at a great, big, infinite God through a teeny, tiny, finite pair of human eyes - not because I am intending to fit him inside my own little box. I hope you enjoy the glimpses into our lives, but even more, I hope you are encouraged to get to know this God that offers us the joy and the hope that gives our lives meaning.