An explanation

I thought you might appreciate an explanation for my extended absence.... which is different from my previous extended absences...and who am I talking to anyway, if you actually read this blog, then I'm sure you have come to expect extended absences from me. So as I was saying (or over-saying as the case may be), the reason for my prolonged absence is that I have a NEW JOB! I was at my old company for going on 14 years and due to a variety of circumstances which can only be credited to the creator of all circumstances, I decided to move on and move forward. This is my second week at the "new job" and everything still feels a little awkward. Not bad mind you, actually really great considering that change of any kind is always hard and after being in the same place for THAT long it is even harder. I don't see how people change jobs every 3 years - I don't know if I could do it. I consider myself a fairly free spirit but man I realized what a hermit I can be in some ways too. Getting out of that comfortable skin that I had been living in so long...a challenge for sure.

One of the best parts about my new job is that I have the opportunity to pick Jackson up from school every day. There is something about seeing him running out of the gymnasium door where the sea of car-rider kids wait for their number to be called. He comes bounding out, backpack flying behind and then he looks, his eyes searching the line of cars for that familiar silver shape. There are few tings (aside from that first sip of coffee) that have give me such a palpable sensation as his reaction when he finally sees me and I wave. If I could bottle up that look on his face and the sparkle in his eyes...ugh - I could live an utterly fulfilled and happy life!

Yesterday when I picked him up I asked about his day and had no idea the story that I was about to hear. He had art class and I said "so tell me about art - what did you do?". As close to word for word as I can remember it - this is how the conversation went:
"well mama....say like that your legs didn't work and so you were retired and you lived in Mexico..."
"wait honey start over what did you say?" (because surely I didn't hear right since A. You don't know what it means to be retired and 2. why would we be living in Mexico)
"I said - say that your legs didn't work and you were retired and you lived in Mexico."
Biting my lip to keep from laughing out loud - partly out of humor at how serious he was and partly out of sheer confusion I said "uh...okay - go on"
"so you're retired in Mexico and your legs don't work so you have all the sisters take care of you"
(okay right because NOW the story is making sense!?!?)
"and since the sisters were taking care of you, I wouldn't have anything to do to help so I would go to the silversmith and get a 'milagro'..." (okay are we even talking about ART class anymore - I'm confused!?! He has A brother - not sisterS and while I have one sister, I'm pretty sure she doesn't plan to live in Mexico with me. He used words like 'retired' and 'silversmith' that I don't think he even understands and words like 'milagro' that I'm quite certain I don't understand! PRICELESS!)
"...and then I would get a milagro in the shape of a leg and put it on the miracle tree and then I would bring the other milagro to you and everyone would say 'wow it is a miracle'..."
Through a bitten lip to keep from bursting out laughing I said "so that was what you did in art class??" (you know - just checking to make sure I asked what I thought I asked)
"yeah...we're gonna finish tomorrow."

And with that - the story was over. I resisted the urge to call the school and ask for the phone number of his art teacher....and her parole officer who should know about her recent drug relapse.

Kids - I tell ya...if it isn't the look on their faces that melts your heart it is their stories that leave you in stitches. Either way - it is really good and really cheap therapy when you are feeling a little out of sorts...like me.

NOTE - I did go home and check that he wasn't completely in left field and "milagro" does mean "miracle" in Spanish. Not that it explains his Mexican retirement plan and strange injury tree - but I'm just saying.

First Day of College

Just thought I would go ahead and admit how long it took me to make this first day of kindergarten post since he might be in college by the time you read it. It was an awesome milestone and being the perpetual crier that I am, I was very surprised and proud that I didn't even shed a tear (cue the flying pigs). The only time I got a lump in my throat was when I heard the principal come on the intercom for the morning announcements and pledge of allegiance. We were walking back to the car and we could hear him on the outside speakers. Just made it all seem so real and so "old". But no actual tears (cue the devil's home freeze over). Truth be told there were probably two reasons for my ability to keep it together, one was that I was WAY too busy taking an obsessive amount of pictures to cry over later (I'm only subjecting you to the highlights) and Jackson could not have been more excited. When I went into his room to get him up, he was already awake and said to me "mommy this is the day that I've been waiting for"...I don't know where he gets his dramatic tendencies (ahem).

We had our first day of school breakfast - the requested "triple stack" pancakes

Then we went outside to take the obligatory first day of school pictures. These are just a few of the ones before his smile started to take on that "I'm smiling because I have to" look.

We woke Gavin up at the very last minute and he couldn't quite decide what all the fuss was about with pictures and pancakes but everyone seems so excited so he thought - hey I'm game for whatever.

Then it was off to the school and into the cafeteria to wait for the teacher to come get them (the standard morning routine). Jackson has a boy from his baseball team in his class and was excited to have him to sit next to while he waited.

Then Mrs. McNulty came and took the class down the hall and back to her room. Once there, they put stuff away in their lockers and Jackson showed some chivalry by helping his lockermate Ashley put her backpack away. Mrs. McNulty started the day with a little playdough and Jackson was excited about that. I tried not to linger too long since CLEARLY he didn't need me.

I could hardly WAIT for the end of school to pick him up. Normally he will be a "car pick up kid" so I let him follow the usual instructions of going to the gym (all the while his camera crazy mom snapping pictures). Then I just walked into the gym and got him. I was so proud of him and he just handled it all like a pro.

The first day of school has turned into the first week and he absolutely loves it! Thanks Mrs. McNulty - you're the best!

Meet The Teacher

I know school started last Monday but is anyone reeeeeally surprised that I'm running about a week behind on posting pictures on my blog.... uh yeah - didn't think so. At any rate, last week we had "Meet the Teacher" for Kindergarten and it was great.

Jackson got Mrs. McNulty and she seriously is the sweetest teacher. She told us that her grandson was named Jackson so she knew she would remember him. When we arrived, she had a "Treasure Hunt" word game for the kids to play to get to know the room including their lockers, their cubby, and table. It ended with a little treat bag in her library section.

Jackson was so excited about the whole thing and it was cracking me up that he kept referring to it by the "full" name - "Bridlewood Elementary Broncos". He really couldn't wait until Monday to have his first day of Kindergarten. Pictures and a post on that coming soon...but be warned the pictures were slightly borderline obsessive....okay yes - obsessive - but again is anyone reeeeeally surprised - uh yeah I didn't think so!

The Minor Leagues

Normally I have long sinced moved on and am eagerly awating the first football game of the year but for the first time in a long time, it is about to be September and I find myself still interested in baseball. Our team has a chance to make it into the playoffs...try explaining "the Wild Card" race to a 5 year old sports junkie (another post for another time). We seem to have a good minor league system and have developed some good young players. As I undertand it, the minor leagues of baseball are set up as follows: Single A - Double A - Triple A - Big Leagues (Majors).

With that long and seemingly unrelated opening, I spent some time in the "minor leagues" myself this past weekend. No not baseball - photography. A dear friend of mine is pregnant with twins and on bed-rest at a local hospital. She has brilliantly survived six weeks of this and aside from the obvious limitations, I got to thinking that one thing she would be missing is getting some maternity pictures taken. So I offered my ultra minor league photography skills, which I assured her were somewhere in the Single A category...although one could argue that my camera, in more capable hands, could bat clean up in the majors - but enough with the sports analogies. I took over a hundred pictures and I think we really hit a home run on a few of them (okay sorry - last one I promise). Below are a handful of my own favorites.

(Keep in mind that these are just image captures and haven't been edited for the best quality)

And now a word from Andy Stanley

My husband and I not too long ago led a video Bible study on direction by Andy Stanley with our church small group. For me he has a way of narrowing it all down and speaking both directly and really practically to my heart. I ran onto this summary of his latest book and I can't wait to go get it! I love to read but my life right now leaves very little time for pleasure reading...except for books on tape due to the ridiculous amount of time I spend in my car. I'm going to see if this one is out on tape and if not I may have to just get it anyway and make the time to read it. I don't know about you but there were some words even in this short summary that I really needed to hear!!

* Direction–not intention–determines our destination.
* You don’t have problems to fix; you have directions that need to change.
* Our problem stems from the fact that we are not on a truth quest…We are on a happiness quest. We want to be (as in feel)happy. And our quest for happiness often trumps our appreciation for and pursuit of what’s true.
*Choosing the right path begins with submission, not information…Specifically, submission to the One who knows where each path leads, as well as where it doesn’t lead.
*Don’t trust your heart, trust God with your heart.
*God’s will for your life will always line up with his law, his principles, and his wisdom.
*It is next to impossible to hear the voice of wisdom if we are not really listening for it to begin with.
*What gets our attention determines our direction and,
ultimately, our destination.
*…the principle of the path in 3 words:attention, direction, destination
*The things you give your attention to function as the directional beacon for your life.
*When we resist God’s will for our lives, we are in essence resisting God. When we resist the priorities he has established for us through Scripture, we resist him.
*Knowing doesn’t make the difference. Doing does.

July Trip Part 2

Yes there was an actual part 2 to our trip and just pretend that these posts were only a day apart (you can do it - try). We left Great Grandma Kelly's and went out to the farm...where my other side of the family lives. This is a true family farm and has been in our family for 6 generations. I have been going out in the summer for harvest since I was a kid and I have only missed a couple of summers. I was talking to a colleague here in Dallas and said I was "going to Kansas for harvest" and he said "oh - what kind of festival is that?". Silly city people....harvest is not a festival it is HARVEST as in 'harvesting the crops'. Honestly that comment is part of the reason I go out there. It is a part of who I am, who my family is, and that kind of life and those kind of people....simple, smart, hard working, don't complain...that is what I want my kids to see - THAT kind of life. Honestly though, one of the main reasons I go is to spend time with my family. We are a close knit group and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my vacation then investing in my own heritage. I just love to listen to my Grandma and Granddad talk, laugh, tell stories. I am one of the few lucky people at my age who still has healthy active grandparents....and I just want to soak myself and my kids in every ounce of them that I can!

This year the "soaking up" included a new favorite game of Jackson's that is as entertaining to watch as it is to play...Old Maid. Granddad's facial expressions and overall card dramatics were priceless and we ended up playing it every night. We didn't get to ride horses this time as they are down to one horse and due to some sort of illness, it isn't a riding horse anymore. They were just starting to cut the wheat and although it was a little wet still, it looked like it was going to be a good harvest this year...if they could just get it out of the ground. We rode in the combine with my cousin and one of his kids who is close to Jackson's age. She had a 4-H calf that Jackson helped feed - Gavin on the other hand kept his distance. His kind of cow was the stuffed kind which he tried to guard against sharing with one of the other cousins. We also got to go to one of the cousins baseball games, which Jackson could NOT stop talking about and of course we brought our glove in case there were any foul balls. We got our now mandatory picture in the wheat and overall just had a great time! These days the trip does leave me feeling a little tired - like I need a vacation from my vacation but then I look at these pictures and I wouldn't have it any other way! I miss them already!

July Trip ~ Part 1

I decided that the sheer number of pictures, stories, etc that I have from this trip requires me to break it up in parts (otherwise, let's be honest, I might not get a post done about it). I do want to point out, even if I break my arm patting myself on the back, that I am actually blogging about something in the SAME month that it happened! Are you proud or what!? Once slice of humlbe pie - table 4 please....ummm pie - wait I think I'm loosing my train of thought.

Back to the trip. It was just the kids and me and we left on Friday morning at about noon. Our first stop was at their Great Grandma Kelly's (about 6 hours). They did great on this leg of the trip but after 6 hours in the car (with only one very short potty stop), Gavin was ready to be out of the car - for sure! We had a fun time though at the house, at a local park, and then at a little water area adjacent to a park only a block from her house. Quite a fun filled 24 hours!