we support the captain

Today was a sad, sad day for Texas Tech University. Head football coach Mike Leach was fired - the winningest coach in Tech history, not to mention unconventional and entertaining. If only someone would fire the people who really need to be fired (ahemGeraldMyersandthecorruptadministration). Wreck Em'!

Merry Christmas!

We are so excited to be with family over the next several days which means our Christmas will be full of food, laughter, games, togetherness and celebration in honor of Jesus. Our Christmas expectations have changed at the last moment as Paul's Grandma passed away last night. So, there will be a trip to Arizona in the coming days as well. We made the decision that we would look for ways to give presence in addition to presents this year...it looks like God has given us tangible ways to do that!

May your Christmas be full of JOY!

family picture

So, because Jonas was scared, pictures with Santa turned into a family event.

The Star showed up too - right above Santa's shoulder...


and Jonas is way more interested in the bowl of candy next to us...

Labor of Love

song by Andrew Peterson

It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town

And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love

Noble Joseph at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
In the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night

So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love

the Season

I would like to share my thoughts on Christmas, "the holidays", and anything else that comes to mind. Some are deep, some not so much.

- I think I may addicted to sugar. Like, I am totally fine with eating cookies for lunch or dinner or both. This doesn't normally happen during the other 11 months.

- It bothers me when we (and by "we" I mean people) refer to giving gifts or getting present as "christmas". For example, "our church is helping to provide christmas for those who won't have one." I kinda thought that Christmas had already been provided a long time ago. A news station in our town holds a "Christmas is for Kids" campaign every year. That bothers me. I am all for giving (and getting) gifts. I actually think in some ways it is a way to celebrate and worship Jesus. I am even good with Santa (more on that in a bit). However, something doesn't sit right in me when the act of giving "christmas" is what Christmas is all about.

- I have begun to love cooking. This has been a new thing over the course of about 2 months. In fact, I really really want to get fancy cooking stuff and even take a cooking class.

- Santa. It has been an on-again, off-again discussion between Paul and I regarding what to do about Santa. We are giving Jonas a "Santa" gift this year and will probably continue to do so. But, we are still undecided on how to balance the fun of Santa with the truth of Jesus.

- We hosted a Holiday Open House/Housewarming Party a few weekends ago. It was sooo much fun. It was a blast to have our dear friends in our new home, some for the first time. It was fun partnering with Paul on decorating and cleaning and cooking for the party. It was fun to get out all of our Christmas decorations and find a new place for them in our new home. I love how it turned out.

- We have been conversing about family values for about a year now. The other night we saw The Blind Side. That movie made me think, and I am not quite ready to write my thoughts on it. But, one of the values we have is to be relationally open (see previous thought)...that is why we had so much with the open house.

- Jonas has been so much fun lately.

- We are finished with our Christmas "preparations". Done with shopping. Done with wrapping. Done with shipping. Now, we are just enjoying the season. I've been baking some, which is more fun than a chore. We've played some board games in the last few nights. We've sat and enjoyed hot chocolate and a good TV show. After such a whirlwind August - November, where we had about 2 weekends that didn't have "to-dos" on the calendar, we are enjoying Christmas.

And now for some pictures.


decorating our home...




open house spread

the little lollipop looking things are actually cake pops...so fun and so yummy!

snowing at the Maney's

18 months

On November 20, Jonas turned 18 months. We are really loving this age. There are some trying moments (like when he throws a huge fit in the middle of a store or restaurant or something), but we love that Jonas interacts with us so much.

At 18 months, Jonas...

-weighs 21 lbs, 13 oz...still a lightweight
- is 32 inches tall
- still wears 12 month pants and some 18 month shirts
- naps for about 3 hours a day...we have a great sleeper!
- communicates with some words as well as pointing while saying uh, uh
- says cat, dog, all gone, outside, more more (it sounds like mo mo, and he does the sign for more), da for daddy, mama for mommy, snack, uh oh, ball, what's that or shhh (and listens for what it might be), buh for bird, bye bye
- loves to play ball
- loves his trucks and usually makes the "truck sound" while playing
- really likes to be outside
- runs and will race us
- has a lot of older friends that he loves to keep up with
- likes to be pushed around on his riding toy
- loves to read books and will even "read" to himself sometimes
- has a fascination with big machines...trucks, semis, trains, cranes, etc
- doesn't like to ride in the little seat of a grocery basket...he would rather ride in the front with all the stuff
- is really social. He likes going to school so much.
- will pick up when we ask him to help us clean up toys or any mess, really
- likes to sleep with his feet propped up against the side of his crib. I'm not sure how his feet don't fall asleep
- laughs and has a completely captivating smile
- loves dogs and will let us know if he sees one
- loves to snuggle in the mornings while he drinks his milk
- gives lots of kisses, hugs and pats
- wants to do things by himself and is really fascinated with the way stuff works
- has already gone on his first camping trip with dad


camping with friends


18 months...

thankful

we are thankful for family and friends, for new houses in familiar places, for being with sisters and moms and grandparents and cousins, for health, for jobs and the ability to our bills, for love and laughter, and for Jesus.

today...

is the greatest day I've ever known/can't live for tomorrow/tomorrows much too long (that song popped into my head when I typed the blog title). But seriously, Today...

- I was just reminded of how much I like the Smashing Pumpkins.

- Jonas went to school. YAY for me! He was sick this week and had to miss school on Wednesday.

- I shamelessly bought a Christmas table runner even though we haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet.

- I also bought a few new things for me. I'm feeling a little guilty about it right now. A few tops, belt (ok 2 belts), and a scarf. Oh and a pair of shoes.

- I am going to make a pot of soup (I think) even though it really isn't cold. Maybe some cornbread too.

- I began gathering a few items for our Christmas Open House in lieu of a housewarming party. I'm excited. And, if you want to come, please do.

- I wanted to take a nap but instead I'm writing this.

- I looked for and was unsuccessful at finding a used children's book that I am going to use to decorate Jonas' bathroom. My good friend, Emily, gave Jonas the book On The Night You Were Born, and it is beautiful. I can't wait to get this little project finished...his bathroom just seems so undone.

- I had a non-fat chai latte from my favorite little coffee shop.

- The dad of a couple of good friends is being released from prison. This is a big day for them, and I'm excited about that.

- I thought about what it would be like to be homeless as I purchased some hats and gloves for homeless children. Please do not read that as me trying to boast. It really humbled me and made me super grateful for what the Lord has blessed me with. Maybe that is why I feel a little guilty about purchasing some items for myself.

- I'm frustrated that Jonas has a milk allergy. His class is having a Thanksgiving feast, and I want him to be able to participate. Maybe I will talk to his teacher about it.

- I've been listening to the Counting Crows. Man, I love them. I might give my right arm to see them in concert.

- I thought about getting my car washed, but then decided I would leave that Paul.

it's a bird, it's a plane...

it's SUPERMAN!


posing for a picture for my fans


got to go...someone's in need of help


off to save the day


saving pretzels from the stack of hay


these ducks held the clue to the treats


In my line of work you've got to keep your bouncing skills up...you never know when you might need them


finally at home walking my dog

pumpkin spice goodness

I really love fall...leaves changing, crisp days, long sleeved shirts and sweaters, and warm drinks. Today, after checking out at Target (in which I lost my wallet only to discover it under my arm...I'm a dork), I decided to use the the $2 pumpkin spice latte coupon I had received. You know, I kinda like that about Target - they track where I spend my money while in their store and then give me a coupon to buy even more. The last time I had a pumpkin spice latte (which I normally look forward to each fall) was about 2 years ago when I was in the middle of my first trimester and was very, very, VERY sick. So, I threw up my last pumpkin spice latte. I was really nervous to try it again. I guess time does heal all wounds because the pumpkin spice latte with soy milk I had today was pure goodness.

and we're back!

I promise to share pics of our new house, but I have to take some "after" photos first. We FINALLY finished the sprinkler system project (in fact, we drove up to our house last night after being gone for the weekend and there was grass!) and have felt the sweet relief of being able to rest and enjoy our house, friends, family, each other.

We had the opportunity to go to Dallas this past weekend (thanks to our friends, Justin & Holly). We had so much fun as a family. We went to the Ft. Worth Zoo, ate at one of our all time favorite restaurants - Chuys, and ended our trip with a visit to the Dallas Arboretum. It was so great!


going into the zoo

Jonas' favorite thing was the birds you could touch and feed





about to ride the train



CHUYs


our car that we named "Bozo"


Dallas Arboretum

in need of a little TLC

This poor blog has been so neglected by it's owner. Can I just say the last month has been insane, crazy, busier than I could ever imagine? Well, I guess I just did. In the past month, we've packed our house, moved into a new one, unpacked all our earthly belongings, left a job, started a new job, been sick, continued to fulfill our "normal" commitments, put in a sprinkler system (and I do mean it was not hired out), fixed 2 toilets, called a plumber (and need to call one again), dialed 911...on accident, attended a funeral, spent more money than was budgeted, and we are still really tired.

All this to say, we will post pictures of our new home very soon. And, our sweet 16 month old needs some blog attention as well, so updates on J are coming as well.

For now, enjoy this...


J's 2nd, 1st day of school. It was raining on his actual first day, so we didn't get very good pictures.


Going into our home for the first time as the owners.


Moving day...enough said about this particular picture

Yesterday, I had to pick up a few things at the grocery story. You know things like chips, avocados, yogurt, stuff for a cheesecake, etc., etc. However, this was NOT on my list...

I wasn't even charged for the "Dunk ems", so I am a little suspect on how they made their way into the bag. I have one idea, but isn't he a little young for shoplifting?

20 pieces of info that won't make you a better person

1. i've always wished i were a jetson. showering and getting ready are so overrated. i want to be clean and make-upped and all that, but i don't want the hassle of it all

2. shopping for homeowners insurance is difficult. i think paul and i used 3000 cell phone minutes yesterday

3. i am moving in a few weeks!

4. i have already started placing furniture in my head in the new house

5. jonas is going to PDO 2 days a week this fall. i am nervous.

6. jonas will have to take a nap on a mat as said PDO. thus, i am even more nervous

7. jonas will have music class as his PDO. that will be fun

8. i am starting school again in a few weeks too. that makes me want to puke

9. my class is called Instructional Supervision. i hope i pass

10. i found my keys. they were at the bottom of the laundry basket. it helps to do laundry sometimes

11. my new cell phone also arrived. praise the sweet Lord that i have phone with qwerty. i'm not so good at texting on the other kind

12. my boy will be 15 months old next week. can you say crazy?

13. i think i might be addicted to ice cream

14. i want to take a family vacation. where should we go?

15. mushrooms are growing in my potted tree. they are yellow and gross, and i don't know what to do about it

16. i am really looking forward to this weekend...garage selling, swimming, date night!

17. although i am looking for to some things about fall, i don't want summer to end

18. i like knowing that i will be living in one place for a bit

19. i really should start packing

20. we need to get pictures taken of j-man and the fam

new mercies

Monday was a bad, bad, very bad day...which I already told you about (btw my keys are still missing!). Thank goodness that God's mercies are new every morning! Tuesday brought some unexpected blessings... I had an appointment to get my hair cut AND colored. It isn't a cheap thing. But, I was only charged $40 for the entire appointment! I even told the girl that I had my hair colored and cut, and she said it was $40. Paul got a free sandwich at McDonald's for lunch. And we put in an offer on a house here in Lubbock. Paul called me about 10 minutes ago to tell me that our offer was accepted..no counter or anything!

We decided to put our Houston plans on hold for a while. The job market is not a good one right now (as you probably know), and Paul's been looking for a job in Houston for about 9 months now. So, we made the decision to start house hunting here in Lubbock. We called the realtor last Monday, looked at our first houses last Tuesday, and made an offer yesterday which was accepted this morning. New mercies indeed!

And, I have an adorable son who picked up the watering can and decided to water the flowers - we did not stage this!

it's been a terrible, no-good, very bad day

So, yesterday I lost my keys but didn't know that I had lost them until today. And my phone fell in the pool this afternoon. It is pretty much d-e-a-d, dead. And, we were supposed to meet Paul for an appointment but had no way of communicating with him on those details. And, Jonas is teething and hurts. And,we were late to a lunch meeting...because I had no keys to drive the car to said meeting. And, we are trying to make a BIG decision (more to come on that). And, I get really grumpy when all those things happen in one day.

Us

On July 9, Paul and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. We did so by taking a trip to San Antonio, and this trip couldn't have come at a better time. Last year, our anniversary was a little overlooked due to all the company coming in and out of our house NOT to see us but to meet our little mister. So, we decided it was good for us to spend the money, send the little mister to grandma and grandpa's, and spend three days just being us. It was fabulous!

our anniversary dinner at the Tower of the Americas

view of the Tower of the Americas from the roof of our hotel

remembering the Alamo and about to take a river boat ride

funny sign on the bus

relaxing by the pool and relaxing some more on the river

i love that ring on Paul's finger!