Good News

Like most people, I like to make a list of goals/resolutions at the beginning of each year.  It's always nice...err...it's interesting to look back and see your progress, or lack there of.  One of my goals was to read more.  And I don't mean more blogs, news pages or cooking magazines.  I'm already "good" at that.   I mean books.  The kind you have to commit more than 5 minutes to.  I have to confess, I've never been much of a reader.  In high school I was always in the advanced or AP English classes, but  I'm pretty certain that I never actually read an entire book.  Literature is not my thing.  I'm what you call, a good skimmer.   BUT, being a skimmer has no permanent value.  I'm also very very good at starting books, and... that's it.  

And cozying up with a good book?  Usually my idea of cozying up with a good book turns into a cozy nap.  Even if the book I am reading is good I still have a hard time staying awake during all of it!  Terrible I know.   And would you believe that I married someone who LOVES to read?  In the words of Lloyd Christmas, I am one pathetic loser.  So back to my goal.  My goal was to read 6 books this year.  To some of you that sounds pathetic.  For me, a big deal!  I can now say I have successfully finished 1 book.  Never mind that the year is half over.  One.  Unless you count the Growing Kids God's Way workbook?  No.  Ok.  I do devoutly read the bible, but I can't say I've finished that this year, nor will I likely.  

So the book I just finished (which has taken me a couple of months as I left it on an airplane and had to reorder - I do hope it blessed someone!)....is called Good News for Those Trying Harder by Alan Kraft.  I loved it and will likely read it again!  It was so insightful and awakening to why we just don't feel like we're living the Christian life right...because most of the time we are focused on ourselves and what we can do, not on Jesus.  The picture on the front is perfect too - a hamster in a spinning wheel working hard and getting nowhere.   I think every page was filled with Godly wisdom & excellent examples.   It was an easy read, and really just an honest and sincere book, gently convicting the wayward heart.  If you are looking for something worthwhile to read, read this! 

Although I didn't specify what type of genre my 6 books had to be, I do want to read all Christian books, at least while my goal is only 6. If I am going to take the time to read (which is a big deal for me) then I want them to enrich my life in a way that grows me in my relationship with the Lord.  I already have so many distractions or should i say- am easily distracted.  My attention span is just barely more than that of my almost 3 year old. I think solid times of reading will help in that area too! 

On to my next book, the Unexpected Journey.   Oh, and I have been summoned to read Total Money Makeover...thanks Bill! :)

a night out

I'm sure you're probably thinking, oh how wonderful - a night out for them.  But oh noooo, no, no.  A good learning experience though.

Let's start out by saying that there are some good restaurants around here.  GREAT barbeque.  The best is almost an hour away from where we live.  Coopers, it's called Coopers and it is amazing TX BBQ.  They even have a catchy jingle.

Bill had called me around 4pm and had mentioned that his boss was going to Coopers.  Ooh I thought and said, can we go?  Half joking because it was a wednesday night after all, and it was far away, but half salivating over the tastiest beef ribs and the creamiest of potato salads I had ever tasted.  Mmm.  At about 4:30pm Bill called back and said, do you really want go?  Why yes, I do want to go.  Oh did I mention that a trip to Coopers also means a trip to the Prime Outlets where one of my favorite retailers, Jcrew, rents space?  

Me: Do you think it's wisdom to go?  I mean it is wednesday, you have to work tomorrow...but it's not like the girls and I have any plans for tomorrow, we're practically on vacation.  Plus we're the parents, the kids can be flexible around our plans!  Yeah.  

Bill:  Yeah, I think it will be fine.  

So as you can tell, so far we have been persuaded by the lusts of gluttony & shopping.  While we were driving we should have known it was going to be a bad night because Claire spent most of the car ride practicing her high pitched squeals.  The kind that actually pain your ear drums and make you cringe.  She proceeded to do exactly that while we were in the restaurant eating.  We tried all sorts of things to distract her; food, toys, cell phones, water, etc.. Nothing worked.  We left in a hurry.  We got looks, all sorts of looks on the way out.  I tried my best to half-smile and walk out with some dignity and had wished I was wearing a t-shirt that read: I'm not a bad parent, really.  

For some reason we still thought it was a good idea to head to the outlet shops.  And I had fun.  We bought some pj's for the girls (on clearance!) and I managed to find a couple of things.  I thought it was time well spent :)  

The drive home proved to be a disaster.  We thought Claire would just conk out but rather she took turns between screaming and crying.  She was so over exhausted that she couldn't even fall asleep!  An hour later we arrived at home at 10pm, and that is when Sophie took her turn at whining before bed.  It was a full night.  We were all exhausted.

Thankfully we made it home, all alive. The girls went to bed & slept in the next morning.  Even I got to sleep in some.  Poor Bill actually had to get up and go to work.  Lesson learned here.  We are crazy, our kids are crazier.  Don't take them out to a restaurant an hour away (just because you're salivating over the food) on a Wednesday night!!!    

The Last Few Weeks

It has been busy around here!  A week after returning from Boston, we had some good friends make a stop in San Antonio to see us.  We had such a great visit with them.   Sophie and Claire adored their son Brody!  

Claire really wanted to hold Brody's hand :)

The week following included a 5 nights of VBS at our church here.  I must confess I was a little reluctant to go through an entire week of it (especially because it was at night time) and wondering if I had made a mistake by signing up to volunteer.  Claire screamed the entire first night in the nursery, most of the second as well...but by God's great grace, we all adjusted to the schedule.  Not only did we adjust, but it was a true blessing to be a part of it, to even have the opportunity to plant seeds in the lives of little ones.  Sophie has still been asking this week if we're going to VBS :).  


Other than VBS, friends in town, the only other news is that it's hot here!  For real, hot.  So in honor of hotness, we've spent a lot of time at...you guessed it - SeaWorld!  Their water park is awesome!!  We even spent some time there on Father's Day.  Sophie and Claire have such a great daddy!  Although he could have gone off to play golf or something - he chose to spend the afternoon splashing around a toddler pool with his family.  That's is just one reason he's great, there are countless others!  

East Coast Trip

May was a busy month for us! Our last week of May was spent on the east coast visiting Bill's family. We were fortunate enough to see almost all of his extended family which also meant a lot of time spent in the car. From Boston we drove to Connecticut to visit Bill's grandparents & aunt, the girls had a great time there. We spent Friday relaxing in Boston which was also my 29th (eeek) birthday. It was a beautiful day that included starbucks, a walk, girls playing at a pretty park, pedicure, dinner with more family, and an amazing chocolate cake! Not to mention a really great birthday present from Bill's parents that won't be used until we return to Ky, but I am anxiously waiting to use my new sewing machine when I get back there!!!

For the weekend we went to Cape Cod. Ahhh, Cape Cod. I loved it. Not to sound like a travel magazine but it just has such a nice feel to it. You're on the coast, yet there are luscious trees everywhere, beautiful flowers, beaches, quaint shops, clam chowdah, oysters, lobsters -- it's just so... east-coasty. (I know, I have a way with words right?) I had been there once before but only for a day visit, so this was such a nice way to spend the weekend. Especially because we were there to celebrate Bill's grandmother's 95th birthday. It was a wonderful celebration, and the rest of the weekend was just as nice. It is always great to spend time with family that we don't see often.

We spent the last couple of days back at Bill's parents home in Boston. It was a really wonderful trip. Great people, great place to visit - when do we go back??? Just kidding. Texas is great. It has been uber hot since we've been back but I have to say I'm adjusting well to the increase in heat. That's probably because I've been inside most of the time though so it may not count.