The Worst Christmas Ever?

This could very well go down as the worst Christmas ever! I have none of my special Christmas decorations around me to help me feel all festive, I am away from my family who are all up north or somewhere over the ocean dancing a jig in Ireland. We have all been sick for what feels like FOREVER! In fact we are all so cruddy we aren't even preparing the yummy feast we had planned and been drooling over. The house does not smell like the amazing baked goods that had been talked about. Christmas cards were not even attempted and to top it all off there is no hope of a white Christmas! I am just happy it will not be in the 70's!

So, this very well could be the worst Christmas ever! A Christmas to go down in the books! But it's not. It's not and it won't be. Instead I am surrounded by the decorations and tree that my Rob grew up looking at and I am surrounded by family who are so generous and patient. I am living in a home with people who know how to celebrate the small things and know how to find beauty when everything else looks grim. I am surrounded by family who is just that- FAMILY! Who know how to share the load and not pass judgement when in my delirious state I am slightly less than sweet to my kids, husband or anyone who gets in my path for that matter. I love my family of origin traditions but I am learning to practice and find beauty in the ways of my husband's family.....my family.

Sometimes it is hard to live out that little extra passage in my vows that everyone liked so much. That passage from Ruth that says... "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." It's hard to open up to something new - something not what you wanted. It's hard to accept but I am thankful for Father God who has His sneaky ways of getting us to a point of seeing beauty where we didn't always have eyes to see.

So, we may all have pink eye and coughing up a reindeer or two by Christmas morning but I will be surrounded by some of the most beautiful people I know!

Merry Christmas!

A promise is a promise!

We have two channels that my kids can watch through a fuzzy picture- PBS and Nickelodeon. Since the winter Malinda has seen Debbie the Clubhouse mom on PBS talking about PBS Member's Day at Knoebles, an amusement park in the area. She has been asking us- nay nagging, begging, pleading and using all of her arsenal to get us to take her there. In the Spring we told her yes- Yes, we will take her to Knoebles. Once Summer came she was sure to remind us and although we really waned to take her the money wasn't there or Daddy had to work or something came up.

Fast forward to this week- our last week in PA. She hasn't mentioned the park in a while, she probably figured her parents weren't going to make good on our promise to go. We all needed a break and decided to make Thursday our Family Farewell to PA Day. Little did she know we were taking her to Knoebles. So, we packed a picnic lunch and headed out.

Why oh why did we not go there once a month for the last year and a half??? It was amazing and cheap! We spent less than $30 for all 4 of us to enjoy the day at this incredible park. There were fire trucks to ride, bumper cars, spinning tea cups, a ball pit (which Sam literally buried himself in when it was time to get out. It ended with Rob almost falling in as he grabbed his son by the ankle and dragged him out to the cheers of on looking fathers.) a train and so much more. It was so much fun to see Sam's face light up with each new ride and see my daredevil daughter go on things that made mommy cringe.

The best part of the day for me was knowing that we kept our word. I want our kids to know that when we say yes they can count on us. It's something my dad was insanely insistent on. He never said yes unless he was positive he could follow through with it....instead we got a lot of maybes or we'll sees. But oh when we got a yes we knew it was going to happen! It was a great way to say goodbye to this season.

Farewell, PA......

And The Winner is.....

TEXAS!!!!

That's right people we are headed back to Rob's motherland which if you are a Texan is the only land!

We have known for a while that God is calling us into a new season and that season is to start with a sabbatical. Time for us to focus on our family and allow God to reshape things in us. We have been going hard and fast for 10 years and sense God is redirecting us and it's time to slow down long enough to hear His voice. So, we prayed and looked at several places to go and would you believe it was I, yes moi, who suggested Texas. Well, actually it was the Holy Spirit to me then to Rob- but you get the idea. I don't think Rob knew whether to laugh or cry when I suggested it but he finally is allowing himself to believe it.

We have been so blessed in this time here in PA. We have had a chance to be close to some of my family who I didn't live close to growing up so it was fun to get to know each other. The local church here blessed us immensely with an amazing home and friendship. Rob went back to school and I was in a safe place to face the Great Depression and heal from some old wounds.

We are now excited about this new chapter in life that is just around the corner. Excited to see what God is planning for us. All I can say is that I keep feeling like God is saying that it's the missing piece of the puzzle. Oh and how awesome is it that I will be close enough to catch a Beth Moore study live?! Ohhhh and to go back and visit Ecclesia! Oh and let us not forget the fine cuisine that awaits us and helped Houston attain the honor of being the fattest city for several years running! And you know my in-laws can barely contain themselves over the idea of being full time grandparents....lord help us all! ;)

My hearts aches because to be close to Rob's wonderful family means we are far from my precious family. It will be hard to not be a few hours away but rather a few days away but I know God will help comfort those aches when they come- and oh will they come. Especially in the Fall when I long for the crisp air, wonderful clothes and pumpkin patch playing. But I am assured by my TX family that we can find substitutes within a few hours drive- we shall see.

So, please pray for this move. The timing has been real hazy and I currently sit in a house half packed. (Which is driving me bananas!!!!) Our hearts are ready to go but as I said recently God has us doing just a few more laps before He lets us go.

Thanks for listening, Y'all! =)

Family Nights

We have designated Friday nights as Family night in our house. We started because Rob was going to school at night and this was his one night at home during the week. So, we usually eat pizza and watch a movie. Some nights it's great and others it's another crazy night in our house.

Malinda LIVES for family night! In fact she lives for any special time with anyone who is special to her. I'll talk about her love of girl time another time. So, anyway this past Friday we gather around the table for another round of pizza. Instead of a movie we decided to roast marshmallows in our fireplace and then play hide and seek.

As we are waiting for daddy to roast us the perfect marshmallow, which for me is slightly brown and toasty on the outside and all gooey inside! I ask Malinda if she knows why have these Family Nights. She says to me, "Yes, because we are being the church- we are having church all by ourselves." When I ask her what it means to be the church she said "It's where we learn about God".

Wow! My little girl is getting it! She understands that church is not a place but it's people! It's who we are and when we gather together as a family we are "having" church. As we eat pizza and run around the house. As we spend time together and talk about God we are being the church and my little 3 1/2 year old gets it. That makes my heart dance!