Above all we can imagine

Back in November Justin accepted a job offer from BP for the Houston campus. We have been working on getting ready for the big move to Houston in August. Since the beginning of the year we have been preparing our house to be ready to be sold as well as looking for a new house/job for me/school for Claire/church for all of us and numerous little things that go along with a family relocation. The first of the big things that God provided was a job for me. I am still excited about the prospect of the job and all that it will involve come August 11. Then He provided a school for Claire there at BP, Justin's work, so that he can go and visit her on his lunch break, be close to her and spend some daddy/daughter time that is so precious. Now, once again, God has provided again for us in a new home. We went house hunting this week in Houston. FINALLY. I say finally because since the day we got the offer (not accepted but got it) I have been scouring the internet and tv for houses. We were specifically told not to talk to a realtor, and I followed the rules but searched seemingly endlessly for that one house that could be ours. We looked at budget calculators, followed the stock market, and of course the new tax laws in order to make sure that we were doing the right thing for our family. We had settled on older homes because we liked the charm and character they had to offer as well as the fact that typically they were more "economic" and we could do some work ourselves. I enjoy remodeling and renovations and although Justin doesn't like that, he's able to see the potential and profitability of them in the long run. We have taken several trips to Houston to look at neighborhoods, houses on the market, etc to get ideas as well as internet forums, etc. You name it, I've done it. At the beginning of July we were given the go ahead to get a real estate agent to help us find a home. YIPPEE! We were so excited. I again was searching daily to see updated listings, which homes we liked, ones that went under contract. The real estate agent contacted us but still seemed in no hurry. That really frustrated me because I had been waiting since November and it just wasn't happening fast enough for me. She explained how older homes while a good deal and potentially profitable may not be our best option due to the relocation possibilities in our future with BP. We decided that we wouldn't rule out older homes but would include newer ones as well. I wasn't too sure at first especially since most of my research had been on older homes but I trusted her judgment. We emailed back and forth a few times about what we were looking for and we gave her very little information in order to keep our options open and really find something that would fit. All we told her was 4 bedrooms, at least 2 bathrooms, and around 2000 square feet. We preferred a gas stove, and we had a baby grand so we would need a place for that in addition to a living room or den/game room. We went looking on Tuesday for the first time. We viewed 7 homes and all of them were spot on. But we also knew they weren't the right one for us. Especially since at the end of the day, Justin was leaning on one house and I on another. I was worried one of us would have to compromise. I prayed that evening on the way home that whatever happened we would have the peace of Christ in our hearts and that He would lead us to agree without compromising. Wednesday we went back to look some more. We started off looking at 2 houses in an older subdivision that we both absolutely loved. Mature trees, beautiful homes, each unique, and yet unified as a subdivision. Our dream subdivision. It also happened to be a subdivision that had a lot of sentimental value to me due to memories as a kid. I was just sure we'd find our dream home here. Both homes while beautiful, were not what we were looking for. We knew immediately. It was disappointing. We so wanted that subdivision and even as we left I mentioned we should keep praying that a home would list soon there that would work for us. We saw 2 more beautiful homes, but again ones that just weren't THE one for us. The 5th home of the day was a surprise. It was next door to a house that we'd looked at on Tuesday. I asked why we hadn't seen it Tuesday and the real estate agent said it must have been a mistake--she wasn't sure. When I stepped out of the car I noticed the price had dropped and immediately started thinking of why it might have dropped. We had seen some houses that needed some work and I was assuming that was the case with this one. We walked inside. Justin immediately pointed out that this layout was different than any of the other houses we'd seen and would be perfect for the baby grand piano. We walked in the kitchen (my first stop in every house) and i was trying to pay attention to details. I liked it, but still wasn't set on it. We were about to leave and i mentioned how that the only thing that was missing was a fireplace. Justin had specifically requested a fireplace to me months ago as the only MUST in a house. (Why a fireplace in Texas is a must? i don't know, but to him it was so I put it at the top of the list) His response was that it was okay with him because it had everything else we were looking for. We left and debated about it. He was sure immediately. There's this thing about his gut feeling. When he gets them, they're 99.9% of the time right. He doesn't get them very often, so I've learned to pay attention to them. I started rethinking the house in my mind. I wasn't crazy about the house, but I didn't dislike it either. As I rethought it, I realized that it was the best one we'd seen for the price and had all the things we really needed and lots of things we wanted and even better yet a lot of things we hadn't known we wanted! We decided to talk it over at lunch and then go back for a second showing that afternoon. At the end of lunch we were pretty peaceful about it and ready to go back and see it. We looked it over the second time in a few hours and immediately as we walked in, I had a peace about it, knowing it was the one for us. God had given me the peace of mind to know this was His doing. We looked for every problem and couldn't find any. I mean not one problem. Another neat fact is that about a month ago I told Justin that in the new house I wanted to paint the kitchen green to match our dishes and the "apple" theme. We have red apples in this kitchen and I am tired of the red, but still love apples, so I figured I'd switch to green. This kitchen is green. I couldn't believe it! We signed all the paperwork for the offer, but wanted to go home and pray about it some more and get some counsel and sleep on it to make sure it wasn't an emotional decision, but a godly one. We asked the real estate agent not to submit the offer until we gave her the permission to do so. She understood. The next day we submitted the offer. We heard back from the seller and they countered. We still were really not satisfied with their counter so we countered back to them at the end of the business day on Thursday. We were prepared for their counter since we really didn't think they'd accept ours. Friday morning we got an email saying they had accepted our counter! We were ecstatic! We never talked about the scenario that they would just accept our counter! We were sure they would counter back again. Praise the Lord for all He's done in this blessing. He truly went above all that we could ever ask or think or even imagine. I know He says He will, but I am always surprised at just how good God can be. To sum things up, we are moving into a furnished apartment for a month before we move into the house. So we leave Beaumont August 16th and will be in Houston until mid September. Then we'll move into our new house and wait for His next step for us.

Claireisms

Claire told me the other day, "When I get a dress, necklace, and earrings on, I'll be married!"

Then tonight, as she was going to sleep, she said, "I wish I was a superhero to save people from their monsters. In Jesus' name, Amen!"

the month of May

Has it been a month already?? WOW! So much was happening this past month, it just flew by! Justin graduated May 18th and we all celebrated his wonderful accomplishment. My parents flew down to attend the longest graduation in Lamar's history and Claire was very good during the whole thing. Claire finished up at her day care here in Beaumont at the end of May and her friends and teachers threw her a going away party. It was so sweet, but Claire really had no idea what all the hubbub was about. It hit her on the way home how much she was going to miss her friends and she started crying. She is such an emotional gal. Gee, I wonder where she gets that from? =) As soon as we got home though, the girl from across the street came over (1st time ever) and asked if Claire could come outside and play. It was a reminder that God cares even over the little sparrow and how Claire's need for a friend could be fulfilled so quickly. A week later, I finished up the school year uneventfully (Thank you Lord!) and so now we're into summer! A few stories I want to document though so that I don't forget them later on.

Sunday, Claire and I were in a department store getting ready to check out. I was getting her a yellow shirt that said "Gymnastics" on the front since that is so Claire. She was walking through the store holding it up to her like she was wearing it already and dancing around (as usual). We were standing in line and a lady comes up behind us. The following is my best recollection of their dialogue.

Claire: Hi! How are you doing?
Lady: Good, How are you?
C: Good. Do you like my shirt?
L: Yes, it's very pretty.
C: All of Mommy's friends are going to like my shirt.
L: I'm sure they will.
C: Where do you live?
L: Thomas Road in Beaumont
C: I live in Beaumont too! That's in TEXAS!
L: Yes, it is in Texas.
C: What are you buying today?
L: (starts pulling out her things) Some straps for my luggage, and these suitcases.
C: Are you going on the ark?
L: The ark?
C: Yes, the ark is a BIG BOAT!
L: Oh.
C: That's where we used to live--the ark! It was a real zoo in there!
L: What was on the ark?
C: 2 Elephants, 2 giraffes
L: Oh. Who else was on the ark?
C: Oh this guy named Noah.
Me: It's time to go Claire. Say goodbye.
C: Goodbye. It was nice talking to you!
L: Goodbye.

I couldn't believe it! I mean, it was the first true conversation she had with an adult. She reminded me so much of Grandpa being able to just see someone in the store and strike up a conversation with them so easily. I'll admit at the time I was a little nervous. The cashiers were snickering and amused the whole time. The lady loved it (she must have been a grandma). Claire thought nothing of it. I mean she enjoyed it, but she had no idea what she'd done. On the way out to the car, I started chuckling to myself and claire asked why. I told her because she is so precious. And ya know what? She absolutely is!

Today we also took our first family trip to the movies. We saw UP. It was good. I was surprised by how moving and sentimental it was. I cried at several parts (what else is new?) But the funny thing was at one point Claire got down off my lap and buried her head in the seat next to us bawling. We asked her what was wrong and she said she missed her cousins. But it was at a really sad part in the movie, so i'm not sure if it was really the cousins that had her upset. She sure is a person who picks up on emotions so quickly and they really matter to her. I hope that doesn't change as she gets older, but I do hope that she will be able to control them a little sooner than I was.

Happy Mother's Day!

What a day! I was allowed to sleep in this morning when Justin got up with Claire! What a treat! Then as soon as I came out of the bedroom, Claire shouted, "Happy Mother's Day!" Then she gave me a vase with beautiful flowers in it. Next came touching, thoughtful cards from her and Daddy. Justin made a wonderful chicken penne alfredo lunch that was so yummy! I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's day! Thank you!

60 years!

Yesterday we attended Justin's grandparents Diamond Anniversary Celebration. They've been married for 60 years! They were married May 3, 1949. Crazy! It was such an event to celebrate. So many marriages these days tend to end or not even begin prematurely. So it is quite an accomplishment to stay married for so long! They were so cute and so honored! I have to say even though I don't spend a lot of time with them, that the more I got involved with the party, the more excited about it I became. We looked up anniversary jokes, found interesting facts about 1949 and the whole family pitched in and we came up with Sixty Plus Reasons We Love You for them. We ended up with about 100! It seemed everyone in the family enjoyed it. It was really nice and also a nice goal for Justin and I to one day, Lord willing celebrate 60 years! That would be August 3, 2062! WOW!

April recap

Wow. April has flown by. So much has happened this month! Justin is only 3 weeks away from finishing school! He competed in the IEEE Region 5 conference with his team in robotics and individually for his paper/presentation on supercapacitors. His team tied for 11th place (with 11-25th places) but his team still did fairly well based on what they had to work with. He won 2nd place individually! This is such a huge success for him. All seniors had to write a paper/presentation as part of a class grade last semester. All the engineering faculty read the papers and chose the best 2 to compete at the Area level. Justin's was one of the two chosen. At the Area level, Justin also placed well enough to go to Region 5. And there he won 2nd place! This was up against schools such as University of Colorado, University of Texas, Texas A & M, Louisiana State University, and many more. Very well known and large schools. What an honor for Justin to do so well! We also celebrated Easter this month, and Claire went to church with Memaw and Papa. She sat in big church and did very well from what I understand! We have been diligently pressing on in home improvements and have finished the master bathroom as well as much of the landscaping/yard work to be done. Even today we were able to take Claire to Rogers Park here in Beaumont and the sprinklers were on. When we got there, Matty and Uncle Matt were already there, so Claire joined Matty in getting wet! They have such a ball together. I love how they play together so well...honestly better than brother and sister. They hardly ever argue. Matty has been in baseball games and we have made every effort to make as many as we can. Claire likes to go and has learned how to maneuver on the bleachers very well. She also likes to pick us flowers (weeds) and cheer on the Indians! School stinks for me, but I am almost done. The Lord has truly blessed us this month and we praise Him for all the seen and unseen blessings!

Da Bears!

Since we are moving to Houston this summer, I have to switch jobs. I sent out my resume and a cover letter to 5 school districts in the area and 13 schools. After several responses, interviews, and communication, I selected a school to work for. I won't give the name of the school for personal and professional reasons, but I will say my new mascot is the Bears. I am so excited! I really felt the Lord's peace about the school I am going to and am already praying for my future students. One more piece to the puzzle that will be our new life and the Lord truly is showing Himself mightily. There are only a few "big" pieces left to fit and I know that He already is carving them out for us.

Claire went all week at school with no accidents, praise God! We are so proud of her accomplishments! She also is learning the states of America and knows where our family lives. Good thing we mostly live in states that are pretty easy to pick out...Texas, Michigan, and Florida.

Justin is feverishly working on the robot as competition is next week and lots of work is still needed to complete it. He will be going to competition without a cheering section, but we will be cheering him on here at home.

Boo Hoo Matty

We went to Matty's baseball game today. In the 2nd inning, he got hit in the face with a pitch. It hit his upper lip and swelled immediately. Poor Matty. We left the game, but he was ok. Claire and I saw him later on and he was feeling much better. Before the game, Justin and Papa went to get wood for the cabinet they're building for the master bathroom. They were working very hard on it. I'm sure they'll have it finished in no time.

Blogged Down

I have been wanting to post for a while now, but it seems so much has happened, I felt that I wouldn't do justice. So, I've decided to just start back up and leave the past in the past. If it gets brought up in future posts, so be it.

Today we worked outside in the yard on the front flower beds. They have not gotten worked on since we've been in the house--4 years. So it was certainly time. Claire had fun out there digging with her little pink shovel in the dirt. What 3 year old wouldn't? Justin and I did not have fun, but we were productive. He trimmed back the shrubs from excessive overgrowth and I raked out the flower beds from the leaves, etc that had been collecting underneath. While we were out there, a neighbor's dog came to see what was going on. He had been let out to go potty. Claire asked why he was out there so we explained. She then asked, "Why does everything go potty?" So I turned into teacher mode and said that it was all our waste coming out. Sort of like taking out the garbage to which she responded, "Why do we have waste?" At this point Justin turned to me and exclaimed, "She's at this stage now, isn't she?" I said to Claire, "Well, because we're not perfect!" Claire asked why we weren't perfect. Sin was basically my answer and then I told Justin that I had never related going potty as sin before. Claire was content with that answer or else was distracted by something else because no other questions came. I'm sure this was just one of many "Why?" conversations we'll have. It was humid after yesterday's rain so we didn't work out there too much longer than necessary. Then we came inside and Claire and I made ChiliMac. Yum. She helped me the entire time which was nice. I think she'll be an excellent cook someday. We then ate and relaxed until Justin went to work. Claire and I took a nap and then hung out the rest of the evening here at home. While we were relaxing with Justin, she was playing a Dora Candy Land computer game. It froze up on her and she called for help. I tried to help, but was unsuccessful. Justin came in and asked if I could minimize the window. Claire said, "Mommy, minimize it!" We were shocked that she repeated such a big word. It seems like she's growing up right before my very eyes.

Photo Tag!

Here's how you play!
1. Go to your 4th folder where you store your photos.
2. Select your 4th picture (no exceptions)!
3. Post the picture with an explanation and link it back to your tagger
4. Tag 4 people (or as many as you want) to do the same!!


So the picture above is of course Claire. It was taken in February 2006 so she was 4 months old. She is a stomach sleeper. Always has been. I remember this outfit though specifically. My parents bought it for her before she was born. Hence the white (we didn't know what gender we were having prior to her birth). They bought it in Hawaii for baby. It was one of the special outfits that she wore to church early in life. I love how babies sleep. How precious and vulnerable they look. How happy and comfortable.

4 people I'm tagging.
1. Walker
2. Stacy
3. Christina
4. Susan

Charleston Chew

Claire decided today that Charleston Chew is her favorite candy bar ever. Good thing is, Memaw's favorite too so they have that in common. We surprised Memaw today with one and a visit from us. I am feeling SOOO much better from yesterday. What a turnaround! Thank you Lord! Today also I heard 2 spontaneous prayers from the backseat. "Thank You Jesus, for making such a sunny day for us to go to the park!" and "Thank You Jesus for making us happy!" I can't express what joy bubbles inside me when I hear things like that especially from Claire. Lord, please keep her heart tender towards You all the days of her life. I know that You can control our hearts just like You made Pharoah's heart hardened against the Israelites. I praise You for Your power in our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen!

I was sick Thursday. I just felt horrible all day long. I didn't even go to celebrate Justin and Meme's birthdays. Justin took Claire to Ryan's to enjoy the birthday celebration. (His most favorite place ever, said incredibly sarcastically)

Falling Down

I have the craziest dreams. I won't bore you with them, because as someone once said, "Dreams are only funny to the one that had it." I will simply say that I had a dream last night that Claire and I were in an accident. It was scary, but we were both fine. I was mindful of the dream as I went to pick Claire up from school. On the way home, I missed a left hand turn that I usually make. "No big deal, I'll take a different way home," I thought. I took the next turn and there was a train just starting. I remember as a little girl waiting for trains with my mom. We used to count the cars go by. I started up with Claire...1...2...3...50. I stopped. The train seemed endless and Claire had stopped counting long before 50. The truck ahead of me turned around. Several cars turned around behind me. I stuck around. I didn't have a time restriction, and I was enjoying Claire's tales of the day. Finally, the train ended. I waited until the railroad crossing arm went up. I watched the SUV on the opposite side of the tracks start to come my direction. I looked both ways one more time just to be safe. Nothing coming. I started going. BANG! Something hit the top of the car and I was instantly flashing back to my dream. The rear-view mirror hits my left wrist and I say, "Oh my gosh!" as I hit the accelerator. I hear Claire in the back seat say, "Oh my gosh!" and I'm thankful that she's ok. Apparently the railroad crossing arm came back down and hit my car. It broke in several pieces and me? I just kept driving. I call Justin and was silent. I didn't know how to tell him. My windshield is cracked the entire way across. The rear-view mirror is on the passenger seat, but we're fine. Thank you Lord for Your protection!

Interesting Inauguration

I had the privilege today of watching President Obama take his oath of office and become the 44th President of the United States. I do count it a privilege to have witnessed this not because of his personal beliefs or promises, but because I see it as ordained by God and an authority over me. I also am proud to be part of a country that allows a person of any race, ethnicity, belief, etc. to become whatever they want to become. It gives me hope and a deeper appreciation for living up to your dreams whatever they may be. Claire has said that she wants to be an astronaut. I don't have any reason to keep her from aspiring to be such. How awesome it would be for her to witness God's creation in our galaxy! Although the inauguration was big news in the whole wide big world today as Claire would say, Justin's birthday was big news in our household! Claire got him an armband for the iPod Touch, so of course, I had to get him the actual iPod Touch. He was pleased with it and has lots of neat little widgets for it now. On top of that, we got to have a date night. I took him out to Poblano Grill (thanks for the idea, Lori!) and then we went to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop. What a great movie! It's been a while since we've been to the movies, much less to see a good one, and this one was well worth the wait! It was funny, romantic, cute, family friendly, but mostly funny! We had a great time laughing! So Happy Birthday Sweetheart! Hope you had a great one!

No school today since it is MLK day. Justin was sick so he called off work. I had a lot to accomplish so I still took Claire to school for just a little while. I dropped her off, got some supplies at Lowe's and got groceries. Then we ate lunch, and I got to work. I put up a ceiling fan in our music room. It took me 2 hours and I was really ready to quit, but I stuck with it and it's finished. It looks good too! Then I started to fix the drywall in the master bath. Never done it before and not too sure how to do it, so I just did one little section and am waiting to see how it turns out. If it's okay, then I'll do more. Otherwise, it's up to Justin or someone else. We'll see. Then I went to get Claire. She came home and we had an enjoyable evening as a family. Justin really didn't feel well so the two of them got some bonding time while I got loads of laundry done, sheets changed, dishes done, Claire bathed, and closets reorganized. I really got a lot done today! Sometimes I think that if I could just have days like today everyday, I'd have a spic and span house. Then I realize that if I had days like today everyday, I would do so much in one day. Ah well, such is life right?

Everything we Need

Today at lunch, Claire and I were the first ones at the table. Memaw was finishing up getting last minute things ready in the kitchen. Claire and I started talking about how everything was on the table. She said that we had everything we needed. I said, "You're right! But who gives us everything we need?" She answered Jesus. I followed up with, "Jesus is everything we need, isn't He?" She responded, "Thank you Jesus, for giving us everything we need." I looked up at Memaw to see her response and she was just standing there. I saw a look of pride and gratefulness on her face. Claire continued, "Thank you Memaw, for making lunch for us!" A smile broke across both of our faces. What a joy she brings into our lives. This morning in the sermon, Pastor was speaking about the saddest thing about atheism. He was quoting from another source and made the statement that the worst thing about atheists is that when they feel grateful, they have no one to thank. Truly Claire displayed this at lunch. Thank you Lord, for being everything we need and for being there to accept our gratefulness. On another note, Justin has been sick today with the beginnings of a cold. Hopefully he will feel better soon. Claire tonight since we've been home from church as well has had a runny nose. I keep telling her to catch it but unfortunately it still keeps running away.

Are you two playing nicely?

Play-doh is messy! But, Claire got a set of play-doh and molds for Christmas, so we pulled them out today. Justin and her played for a while at the kitchen table and had so much fun! They made all sorts of monsters. She did very well going potty today even through a tough day. We didn't really do anything else too exciting, but sometimes it's nice to just have a good day. We played, got some housework done, spent time with Memaw and Papa, and time with each other. One thing that Claire has started lately is saying to us, "Are you two playing nicely?" It sure is cute, but I'm not really sure where she got it from. And the answer is always yes. She also counts to 20 but always skips 14, 16, and 18. We are convinced that she knows the correct way to say it, but just doesn't want us to know, or just thinks it's cute. Either way, it sure does become bothersome.

On our way home yesterday, here is the conversation Claire and I had.

C: I can't hear you!
M: What?
C: I can't hear you!
M: Why can't you hear me?
C: I can't hear you!
M: Oh, well. (I realize she's just playing a game) I can't hear you either!
C: Can we see Daddy?
M: Can we see Daddy?
C: Look at the light!
M: Look at the light!
C: Car?
M: Car? (I start copying everything she says just to see what she'll do)
C: Can we turn right here? (towards Memaw and Papa's)
M: Can we turn right here?
C: please?
M: please?
C: Sure!
M: Sure!

It stuns me how quickly she figures puzzles/logic out. It didn't take her long at all to use the situation of me copying her to go the way she wanted. We did not go the way she wanted, but the fact that she figured out how to get me to say yes so quickly is pretty smart I think. Last night I went to dinner with a couple girlfriends and had a great fellowship time. It really made me think about the last weeks with Claire and how frustrated I've been and to just get over it. She's normal. She's who she is and she'll mature and not frustrate me so much in the future. I wish Justin could have evenings like I did and someday he will. Lord, help me to be patient and know that Your timing is the only timing that matters--not mine.

"Not Again!"

Claire stayed home with Justin today all day. How fun it is for the 2 of them to get daddy-daughter time together. He is much more patient with her than I. When I got home from work, we were deciding how we were going to spend our evening as a family. Claire started to throw a fit and so we warned her of time-out. She slapped the floor to show her discontent with the discipline. So I started counting as she hit "1....2....next time you hit, it will be time-out...do you understand?" "yes ma'am" was her reply. About 10 seconds later, another hit came. Mind you her fit had stopped long before this, but the attitude remained obviously. "Okay, Claire...let's go to time out for hitting." So she gets time out. About 10 minutes after time out, the same exact scenario plays out. I mean, EXACT. So I put her in time out again....as I'm walking out of the room, she's upset and crying and then we hear, "NOT AGAIN!" Apparently, she came to the realization that she was back in time out for the exact same attitude issue as before. She returned to crying and then got out of time out with her usual apology and request for forgiveness, hug, kiss, and reminder that love is always here. I was thinking about it though, how silly of her to be put in time out for the exact same thing that she'd been put in time out earlier. WHAM! It hit me. How often do I do the same thing? Perhaps not with hitting the floor or needing an attitude adjustment that time-outs help with, but don't I behave the same way over again after it didn't work before? Lord, please help me to be conscious of my actions and show me how to adjust my attitude before a "Not Again" moment.

What a long day! School started as usual and then I took advantage of my new lunch time and went to lunch with Justin. We went to a Japanese place we hadn't been before and was pleasantly surprised. It was really good! Then I got back to school to work on some stuff before going to the hospital. When I walked in our building I noticed water on the floor and a wet-dry vac being used. Hmmm..... Well, apparently 3 of the students thought they would play a practical joke on their teacher (not me!) and pulled the safety shower in the room....that wasn't enough apparently and rigged it so that it kept running......while everyone in the building was at lunch! The teacher had 2" of water in the entire classroom, chemical storage room, and adjoining classroom. It was a mess to say the least. Thankfully, the school has cameras in the hallways and found out who the culprits were. It at least provided an unexpected ending to the school day. After school we had a faculty meeting that lasted until 5:30. I rushed to get Claire, through a drive-thru and onto Puggles by 6 pm. Whew! We enjoyed Puggles together and when it was time for me to go to choir, Claire chimed in, "Have a good singing!" It warmed my heart to hear her encouragement and certainly not her tears! Choir is always an uplifting time for me and tonight was no exception. Even though it was a long day, I know that God was with me through every moment helping me along. Thank you Lord!

Check-up!

Claire had her 3 year old check up today. She is 42" tall. Not bad for 3 years old. She did very well at the check up physically. The doctor asked me how her speech was and I answered, "good". He then asked, "Does she speak in sentences yet?" I was shocked! I said, "Sentences? She tells me stories!" He seemed surprised. He then said, "I guess speech is not a problem!" What a blessing! I really hadn't paid attention to her speech lately as far as development, but apparently it's because I didn't need to. Thank you Lord for that blessing. Emotionally, however, Claire did not do that well at the doctor's. She basically threw one HUGE fit the entire time we were there. Not very pleasant at all. I really was beside myself trying to understand her problem. She just wanted out of there so badly. I tried to reassure her, but she just wouldn't calm down. It wasn't until we met with Daddy for dinner that a normal Claire emerged. It also was Justin that helped shed some light on Claire. She had a colonoscopy done back in July and woke up to tubes, etc. He thinks that experience could have affected her response today at the doctor's. I think he's right. Now that doesn't excuse her fit throwing, but it does help to explain it a little bit. Now how to get over it? Well, hopefully we don't have to go back to the doctor's anytime soon. This morning I also woke up with a full blown head cold. Man, I was miserable all day. Yesterday my nose was stuffed, but today it is so much worse. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I think it is caused because there is no heat in my classroom at school. Yes, no heat. Now in Michigan this would mean subzero temperatures. Well, it's not quite that bad here, but it's still been in the 40's which is pretty cold when you're in it all day long with no escape. Thank you Lord for allowing me to have the hospital to escape to in the afternoon.

Great Strides Forward

Claire had no accidents today! Yea! I treated her to ice cream tonight just because and it ended up being a great motivator to keep her from having any other accidents afterward! I had a good day all around. I love my new schedule at school. We had a meeting after school that lasted until 4 and I still got a lot accomplished. Usually I would have been wiped. Tomorrow begins Justin's last first day of school. Hallelujah! Thank you Lord for all Your blessings and help me to remember these blessings next time I need them.

Sweet Sunday

Today is Sunday--the Lord's Day. We went to church and had a challenging message. The invitation lasted over 30 minutes. Hallelujah! What a pleasure it is to go to a service and know that God is working so mightily. It's also a joy to know that it is a safe place where people are willing to let Him work and not worry about what others may think. This afternoon we had a fabulous roast dinner over at Papa and Memaw's with Mimi and Pawpaw and the rest of the family. Claire enlightened everyone with her jokes from this week. Then we went home and had a nap while Justin went to work. *sigh* Oh, the day is coming when he can enjoy a Sunday afternoon nap too and we all look forward to those days. Then off to enjoy evening church after a while of Youth Choir. We started working on the song, We Will Dance and Revelation. Great songs! Evening service was great too and I'll be honest. Although I thoroughly enjoy morning worship, it seems that evening service is just so much more special. It seems so much more casual and more like a family learning together from God's Word. Thank you Lord for each service You allow us to be a part of.

Funnies

Claire told me a joke today...it went like this

C: What do you call a bear with no socks on?
M: I don't know...what?
C: Barefoot!

She really does like to tell jokes, but most of the time, she gets them messed up....today was impeccable!

What's your favorite joke to tell?

Frantic Friday!

Wow. What a day! School was exciting today as we did the "golden penny" lab. We turned pennies into a golden color (actually making brass) and the students really liked it. It also was very relevant to the curriculum which is always good. Since my schedule is changing on Monday, I told my students that today was the last day that I would be their teacher. They were really upset. I could see it on their faces. I have to say, it surprised me a little. I didn't expect them to be jumping for joy or anything, but I just didn't expect their heartfelt disappointment that I wouldn't be there to help them along anymore. Hopefully I'll still get to see them. I picked up Claire from school and we took a run to Wal-Mart to get a few things. We got there and I realized she hadn't gone potty yet, so we went directly to the restrooms. She did great! We then got a cart and picked up the stuff we had gone there for and of course, a few extras that we didn't! It hadn't been but 30 minutes, so we left. I was looking for a new purse, but didn't really like any of the ones that Wal-Mart had. I remembered I have a JCPenney gift card so I rushed over there to see what they had. We got to Penney's and I go to get Claire out of the car and I realize she's had an accident in her seat. "It's okay" I said, "Just tell me if you need to go!" "Okay, Mommy" So I change her right there and we walk in. As we were walking in, I said, "Claire, Do you need to go potty?" "No, Ma'am," she replied. I thought to myself, "What a dumb question? She just went! Of course she doesn't need to go again!" Plus, every other time that she has had an accident, I take her to the potty, and nothing happens. We went straight to the purses, spent probably 5 minutes picking one out that was on sale, and we start to head for the cashier when her pants start getting darker in the middle of both legs and the darkness is spreading. She had accident #2! I felt bad for not taking her and I know she felt bad for having another "askdent" as she says. I had no clothes with me at this point, so I just went to the cashier to pay and then leave especially since there was no line. So I'm stand at the counter and the cashier is with her friend looking at clothes very close to the register. She says she'll be right with me and I say fine. She comes to the register 3 different times to check prices on clothes for her friend. Meanwhile, Claire notices the gift card display and knocks one of them down that had 3 gift cards in it. I tell her to pick it up. She begins to (very obediently! =) ) and the cashier leaves the register for the 3rd time to go over to the display to pick them up for Claire. I ask the cashier politely not to, and say, "Please don't pick them up. We're trying to teach her!" She responds to me, "I'm not telling her it's okay to drop them but I can pick them up for her!" with a snotty tone in her voice. I was really shocked! I said, "Can I just pay please?" and then pay, and leave. I'm really not in a good mood at this point. I am upset at the cashier, I am frustrated with Claire for her accidents, and I am frustrated with myself for not packing more clothes/taking her more often, etc. We get out to the car and have no more pants/pull-ups/panties for Claire. Remember too, her car seat is wet from her first accident. I take the plastic Penney's bag and cover the seat for a lining from the wetness. Then I put a shirt down so she doesn't have to sit bare-bottomed on plastic. Then she sits down and I proceed to put a sweatshirt over her to protect her from any onlookers, or the seatbelt going over her legs. She is still upset about having her accident and "making Mommy upset." I try to calm her down and tell her that it's ok, but that if she can't start telling me when she needs to go potty or when she has gone potty in her pants, that we'll have to go back to pull-ups. I reassure her that she's learning and that she'll get there and that it's ok. Her having an accident didn't make me upset was all I could get across. As soon as I get in the car to leave, she pulls the sweatshirt out from under the seatbelt leaving her exposed from the waist down. Now I'm really, REALLY frustrated! I redo my little setup. I just want to go home at this point. I call Justin to see if he wants some dinner. Claire is still upset in the backseat. I am still extremely frustrated, but don't want to make Claire feel even worse. Justin, poor Justin, must have been busy at work, because he sounded frustrated too. I just couldn't take any more so I just sat in silence....that made him upset that I called him and wasn't talking. And it honestly wasn't that I didn't want to talk, but that I knew nothing would come out the way I wanted it to. It would either have been sarcastic, mean, yelling, or crying. All of which would just make things worse. So, I'm sorry, that I called and didn't talk. I hope you understand now. After a while in silence, he said, "Well, if you're not going to talk, I'll let you go. Bye." So I started to go home. We ended up getting dinner and taking some to him at work on our way home. I apologized when I saw him, but I still just couldn't verbalize all of this at that point. Claire had calmed down by that point and hopefully, he was able to go back in and enjoy his dinner. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to a peaceful weekend if ever there was a need for one, it's now. However, I'm still very mindful that even though this has been a complaining post, it's not even a drop in the bucket for others. Thank you Lord, for all the blessings that sometimes we cause to be a burden for ourselves. Thank you Lord, for not withholding those blessings because we may cause it to be a burden in the future.

TAKS Thursday

Today was an okay day at school. We had a mock TAKS(Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test for English/Language Arts. They shut the school down for everyone to take this test which is a practice for March when the real test happens. I had 25 9th graders in one room from 7:30 to 2:55. Let's just say it was a long day. The students even had lunch delivered to them. However, they were fairly well behaved for such a situation. After school, I met Justin and Claire at the park and then we went to Memaw and Papa's house to visit. Uncle Matt came over and we watched the first half of the BCS National Championship game before heading home for bed. Claire had a great day and we were really happy to have family time together. We are starting to plan our vacation for this summer but really don't have any good ideas on where to go. Any suggestions?

Mispronunciations

Today was an ordinary day for us again. Seems this week has been pretty uneventful...so this blog is boring. But at least it's another entry. I'm really trying to be more regular about posting. I made lasagna for dinner last night and it makes so much for just the 3 of us that we have leftovers for a couple of days. Tonight on the way home from school, I told Claire that we would be having lasagna for dinner. She responded, "Miss Sonya???" Miss Sonya is one of her teachers at school. It took me a while to figure out what she had said, but then I just chuckled. Another one of her sayings lately is that she was born at the post office. Why she thinks this, I have no idea. But if you ask her where she was born, she emphatically responds with, "The Post Office!" Then, when you try to tell her she was actually born at the hospital, she repeats..."hostible." It's a neverending battle. I do remember however as a little girl saying, "hangabur" instead of hamburger. It just sounded the same to me...so I guess I understand where she gets it from. It will correct itself eventually, but it sure is cute for now. What words did you mispronounce as a child or adult?

Answers to Prayer

This year has been my toughest year teaching so far. There have still been many, many blessings, but I will admit it has been tough. I have learned a lot about myself and others since August. I have never wanted to quit a job so badly, but I know that I am not a quitter and am sticking it out. On Monday when I went back, I learned of an opportunity to change my class schedule around. It was not a very obvious opportunity at first, but I did my best to use it. I received word today that it actually is going to work out even better than I originally thought! I am losing 2 of my classes but gaining 1 class that takes up 2 class periods. I will be working with medical magnet students that have rotations at a local hospital. I will be observing them in their rotations making sure that they are doing what they should be doing. I am so excited for this opportunity. It doesn't begin until Monday, but I am so looking forward to my new schedule. Thank you Lord for taking care of us and knowing what we can individually handle. Justin went to school today to work on the robot. He showed me pictures of it and it looks like they're right on schedule. I know he enjoys working on it, but I know I will be happy to be able to spend more time with him when it's finished! Claire had a good day today and enjoyed getting her letters. She has been interested in the mail lately and has been waiting for a letter to come for her. Today we got a ton of junk mail and so we made it just for her from Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Tricia. Uncle Jimmy got her a card and Aunt Tricia got her a catalog, I mean, a book! She was jumping around saying, "Hip Hip Hooray!" and was so excited! We have told her that she would get letters if she would write them, but she is not interested in writing any letters. She was still so excited just to think that she got letters even if they really weren't what she thought they were!

Christmas....in January?

Today I was not ready to go back to work, but I managed anyway. Claire did ok at school once she got settled in. Justin had a good day so I guess overall a pleasant day was had by all. I don't really have anything exciting to write about, but I'm trying to make this a more regular habit. We did get our Christmas present from my brother and his family...Figis fudge and nuts. Mmmm! I, of course, had to dig in right away to test it out for the rest of my family. They are delish! So, thanks! It will certainly be eaten! On another note, I have been challenged lately about the relationship between husband and wife in a marriage. Marriages all around have been attacked or so it seems by Satan. Marriages that I never would have thought would succumb to such attacks. I know that marriage is ordained by God and is held very special in His eyes. I was reminded of that this evening in Genesis 12:10-20 where Abram told Pharoah that Sarai (Abram's wife) was really just his sister in order to avoid danger. Now that doesn't really sound like that bad of a deal, but Pharoah took Sarai as his wife and his entire household because Pharoah was taking Abram's wife even when Pharoah didn't realize he was committing adultery. That is just a reminder to me the importance God places on the commitment between man and wife. Even when we mess up our marriage, God still has a hold on it. Thank you Lord!

Another Day

Today seemed like an ordinary day. Nothing exciting happened. Claire and I didn't even leave the house. It rained and I cleaned out her room. She did get mad at me for cleaning her room. Perhaps a preview of what is to come? She tried to kick me out of her room, but of course, that didn't happen. We had just thrown all of her Christmas presents in her room and hadn't put them away, so today I did a toy purge and put all of her current toys in their proper place. I also went through her clothes again and put away all the ones that don't fit her anymore. Her legs are so long it has become a real pain to buy pants/skirts/dresses/shorts for her. Her arms are also long so finding long-sleeved shirts are also difficult, but thankfully in this Texas weather, not many of those are needed. The problem is not just her legs are long, but that her waist is tiny compared to her length. I have found adjustable waist pants thanks to Grandma and those have become a staple already. I also addressed Christmas cards tonight to those that I have addresses for. Another reminder of another resolution for this New Year--to reconnect to those good friends that I have lost touch with. So I will be hunting addresses this week. Speaking of this week, tomorrow starts back my work routine. Thankfully there are exactly 100 days left of school this year with students. I can do that...counting down from 100. It's not that teaching is that bad...I actually love it. It's just that I have really enjoyed being at home with Claire and Justin these past 2 weeks. I feel like I've gotten a lot accomplished and I feel our relationships with each other have grown stronger individually and as a family. That is what I feel like I miss out by working outside the home. That is why I'm counting down 100 days. I love my students much more than they know and I have thought about each of them several times over the holidays. Not just my current students either, former students included. I hope they all had wonderful holidays with their families and that their family relationships grew stronger also. So here's to another day and another 100 days.

Home Improvements

Since we are planning to move this summer, we will be putting our house up for sale. Because of this, we are starting to improve it here and there in our spare time in order to increase our profit on this house. One thing Justin and I worked on this weekend was replacing 2 light fixtures in the dining room and living room. We got ones that match each other and the hallway fixture we replaced earlier in the year. We realized that our house has some crazy wiring and after 2 days, we got both light fixtures working. Tonight I also took down the paneling that was in our laundry room. I took the moulding off and then the paneling and discovered drywall behind it! Our house is complete paneling and all of the other paneling had no drywall behind it except for the laundry room. What a praise this is as we were expecting to put up some white beadboard to cover up the studs but now we don't have to! We can just paint! I also discovered this also happened in the bathrooms so again just painting is in store! I have to say, I enjoyed ripping the paneling down tonight. Claire also wanted to help, so she did help a little bit. She is a great helper! She also painted today and wanted to spell everyone's name in our family....including Jesus. She is such a sweetheart! Our goal is to get the home improvements done by June so that we can concentrate on finding a new house over the summer and selling this one! What has been your biggest home improvement project you've done?

Little Lessons

I was struck a few months back about how to show Claire what Jesus means to Justin and I. How can a 3 year old understand what so many adults never get? I prayed about it and I started to incorporate Jesus in our everyday life. Profound idea right? What I mean is, I started to verbalize what so many of us often take for granted. For instance, when I got a great parking spot at the mall or grocery store I would say, "Thank you Jesus, for the perfect parking spot!" Little statements at the simplest things. "Thank you Lord, for the beautiful day!" Claire started to pick up on it. I couldn't believe it! Now, she will randomly say things like this too and it just warms my heart to hear her praise God for the little things. Today, we picked up our Christmas card pictures (yes, I know it's January!) and before we got to the store, Claire asked if she could sit on the little couch that she sat on to get the pictures taken. Not really wanting to deal with another tantrum, I said maybe but in my heart I said there's no way! There are other people taking pictures! It will be something else for you to get into! When we got there, there was another lady picking up her pictures. Claire immediately ran over to the little waiting area and starting moving furniture around. As I stood there, I noticed that the little couch was outside the portrait studio and it was empty. Perfect for her to sit on. I motioned to Claire and pointed to the little couch. She just beamed! While I got the pictures of the beautiful family I've been blessed with, she sat content on the little couch. When we walked out to the car, I asked her if she'd thanked Jesus for the answered prayer. We prayed on our way out thanking Him for the little things. I just hope and pray that one day all these little lessons will point her to Him. In that same direction, I just want to thank Him for the family He has blessed me with. I couldn't ask for a better husband, a loving daughter, and amazing extended family members. Thank you Lord, for my family, and please bless each and every one of them tonight and in 2009. May we bring You all the glory that we can because You deserve it and so much more! Amen.