His Mercies are New Every Morning

I have nothing earth shattering to report today but did want to say that I'm feeling much better today. Got some great news yesterday that I, unfortunately, can't share yet but the prayers I asked for a couple of weeks ago are in the process of being answered. 

I've also kicked my pity party to the curb and am now ready to watch Baylor whip up on UConn this weekend. In addition, we actually finally have our parking pass that should have accompanied our season tickets. It wouldn't have been a big deal except that I was given the first, second and third degree about this stinkin' parking pass. And I was basically called a liar at one point. That really irked me. But it's all resolved now. Thank you, Jesus!

Anyway, I'm going to enjoy a wonderful weekend with my man and my girl (and the puppy posse) that will involve more football than I care to imagine at this moment, fattening food and a new dessert recipe that I'll share if it turns out well. I hope you do the same. Or some other variation of fun :-)

Thank heavens His mercies are new every morning.

P.S. I also plan to upload pictures so you won't have to continue reading copy heavy posts. Sorry for making your retinas bleed...

Pity Party

Last evening I headed home to let the dogs out and then Tay and I went to church for the Wednesday meal before going to our respective classes. I mean, really, how can one NOT go to church on Wednesdays when there's a meal with no regard for any diet under the sun or calories waiting for you?

Along with an ice cream sandwich for dessert.

Not me - especially not now that I've convinced myself calories don't count when consumed inside the church building. If only they would unlock the doors three times per day - every day - for me...

But I digress. Yet again.

Anyway, we went home and Tay immediately presented Davey with the Dallas Cowboys poster she purchased for him at the school book fair. Spent her own money. Every penny of it. On her Davey. Sweet, huh?

I thought so too...

Anyway, I'd been in kind of a melancholy mood all day and let's just say it continued to go downhill. For no reason whatsoever, I began throwing myself a bit of a pity party and the evening ended with me crying into my pillow while my man was no doubt wondering what the @#$%^& was wrong with me.

Nothing.

And everything.

Right, girls?

So today I have a headache - big surprise there, I know - and we also have a combination Open House/Book Fair/Grandparents' Day this evening. And a big appointment later this afternoon. So if you have a few spare minutes, I promise a quick prayer would not be wasted on us today.

Oh, and I'm still melancholy. Yet another surprise...so if you find my sanity - or just some happy pills - in your backyard or out and about while running errands, please let me know and I'll fetch it right quick.

It Happened on a Tuesday

Yesterday rocked along quite nicely and I even got a pleasant surprise when Dave's softball game was rained out. We love going to watch him play but we were all a bit tired after a hectic weekend. 

While Dave worked, my mom and I attended the Just Give Me Jesus revival at Baylor. It was awesome and Anna Graham Lotz is amazing! If this event comes to your area, I highly recommend attending. Life-changing, for sure.

Anyway, Tay and I got home last night and I threw a chicken casserole in the oven and was putting on my tennis shoes to do a quick 5 miles before Dave got home when it happened. My baby girl - my precious bug - came and asked me if she could use the telephone. She needed to call her girlfriend, Sophie.

WHAT?!?!

How could this happen?!?! My little one was all grown up.

Could this be happening already? Apparently so.

Not only did my generally shy child pick up the phone and clearly ask to speak to her friend but she then proceeded to talk non-stop for the next 20 minutes. Then Sophie called her back and they spent another 20 minutes on the phone. 

Seriously?!?!

She was rather annoyed with me when I told her it was time to get off the phone and have dinner. But she did it without arguing. As she put the cordless phone back in our bedroom, she asked if she could "ever call her again or is this it?"

And then my mother apparently invaded my body because the following came out of my mouth:

"Of course you can call her again. Talk to her every day if you want but there are limits as to the amount of time you can spend on the phone."

Then Dave came home and was on his cell with a friend from work within five stinkin' minutes of walking in the door. That's when it hit me...

I am no longer the most popular one in our home. Not even close. I'm the one who makes sure the others are fed and clothed appropriately for their social commitments. 

How did this happen?!?!

Now I know why all of my friends are having second and third children - they need someone to hang out with now that their little ones have moved on to greener pastures. (Please know that I'm totally kidding with that statement.)

However, I did find out this morning that a good friend of ours is 8 weeks pregnant. And I am so happy for her. Truly. She has gone through a lot to make this happen. I wish her only the best.

She's only one of a SLEW of our friends who have just had a child or are expecting. And I'm happy for all of them, y'all. Please know that.

But, I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. Seems that ticking clock is very real. And palpable. And unrelenting. In a mocking kind of way. And now I'm left, once again, asking...

How did this happen?!?!

It all happened on what appeared to be an ordinary Tuesday...

Let the Games Begin!

Softball - this sport has been a bone of contention between my man and I at times. You see, when we first met, he was playing on a men's rec team. Before I knew it, he'd joined another rec team and was playing four nights a week. He would go to the fields directly from work and I was lucky if I saw him back at the house before 11pm.

Don't get me wrong, Tay and I ventured out to many a game and had a great time. She was very small at the time (think 2.5 to 3 years) and she particularly loved the snack shack. My independent little miss was so small the ladies working at the concessions stand couldn't see her little head over the counter. It was (generally) a good time to be had by all.

Until the nights began to add up and we saw Davey less and less. Then came the injury. Caught between second and third, a runner on the opposing team decided it was smarter to take out the knee of the person who was standing on second (that would be Dave) than to get out.

In case there's any confusion - he was wrong. But he didn't suffer the consequences. Dave did, though.

What was initially thought to be a meniscus tear was found to be a torn ACL through exploratory surgery. A surgery that took place at Scott & White (where he worked at the time) where you have to block out a certain amount of OR time. When time is up, you have to get out.

Which led to a knee that was "patched up" and not completely fixed. And eight weeks off of work.

Awesome, huh?

Well, not as awesome as the fact that we've now changed insurance and the knee that needs to be actually fixed can't be because none of the doctors in this town know - or believe - the history.

But I digress.

Anyway, my man was told to hang up his cleats forever. And I admit to being slap happy giddy about it. I won't lie. 

So imagine my surprise when our Sunday School class was looking for another player (on a day when Dave was working) and I actually volunteered him. It was clearly the Holy Spirit overtaking my body because that's just not rational thinking on my part.

Or was it?

You see, I think it's fabulous that Dave now has a group of Christian men to play with. He enjoys it a great deal and we now have something to do every Tuesday night. As for the possibility of another injury?

Well, I'm praying that because he's playing on the Lord's team, he'll be protected. That and I'm also banking on him being a bit older and a lot smarter this time.

Stay tuned to see if that hypothesis holds up.

In the meantime, we're having a blast at the softball fields.

See?

Look, he's actually on base!

Cute catcher, huh?

Our Sunday School teacher, Michael, is the pitcher.

And as for Taylor?

Well, some things obviously never change.

She was so excited to go to Davey's first game she could hardly stand herself. I thought it was so precious that she wanted to root the team to victory. But I later found out that wasn't quite the case.

For, you see, she's hiding a special little something behind her back. A treat, you might say. Or perhaps you could call it the real reason she wanted to attend.

What is it, you might ask?

Why, a pickle, of course! Not just any pickle either - it's a "softball pickle."

Clearly, while some things change dramatically, others never do. 

Puppy Posse

So, what has the Puppy Posse been up to this summer?

Well, other than getting the shaft on the blog, they've been trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to stay cool in these 100+ degree days. They've been luvin' on Taylor every chance they get and snuggling in the bed with Dave on his days off.

They basically just tolerate me. Until the vacuum comes out. Then they go into attack mode :-)

They help Dave grill, check on Tay in her room and frolic with her in the floor. They go get the mail with Dave and/or Taylor and bark at the mailman. Loudly. And with regularity.

Same goes for the trash men. Every car that goes up and down our street. And anyone who enters "their space."

They continue to provide countless hours of joy, endless messes for me to clean up and a comfortable pillow (if you're Taylor).

All in all, I guess things are status quo. Which is a great thing. You know, when you're a member of the Puppy Posse and all.

Happy Long Labor Day Weekend!

Ready or Not, 4th Grade, Here Comes Taylor!

Last week began a very important school year for Miss Taylor. She is now a 4th grader (still trying to figure out how she's getting older while I'm not aging a day) so that means it's her first taste of ruling the school. The elementary era will end for us in May before we begin the intermediate chapter of Miss Thang's schooling.

While I'm so excited to have third grade behind us (remember with me, y'all - it was ROUGH!), it was bittersweet last Wednesday when she began her last year at Woodway Elementary. We love this school and will be very sad to move on. Well, I will be. I imagine Tay will be frothing at the bit to change schools. I remember being so excited to move to the next step - amazing how our perspective changes as we get older, huh?

Another change we've already experienced is that parents just aren't that cool in a public setting anymore. To be fair, Dave lost that status a few years ago because he kept threatening to drop her off in his cutoffs, boots and straw hat. I can't really blame her for that one. I, on the other hand, remained in the cool category until this year. Apparently there will be no more walking her in on the first day of classes.

Dave laughed at me when she told me this last Monday. I think his exact words were "And there it is."

Let's just say compassion was not one of the main attractions when we met...

Anyway, I was very sad about this turn of events. Until I saw the stinkin' parking lot last Wednesday morning!

At that point I decided it was all good. I pulled right up to the curb, dropped her off, whispered 'I love you' so I wouldn't get in trouble if one of her friends heard me, and headed off to work. We're still working on the whole 'hurry up and leave before I get in the actual building when the teacher on duty has already gone inside for the morning.' 

But that one's non-negotiable. I sort of have this fear of someone snatching her right before she entered the hallowed school hallways. Granted, given her 'tween attitude of late, they'd bring her back but I'd be a mess in the meantime.

Wow, I have certainly digressed...and I now present to you photos from the first day of school. Taken in our driveway because I was threatened within an inch of my life if the camera made it on school property.

Shoes, courtesy of Maw Maw

Super cute necklace, courtesy of Nana and Boppy

Outfit and backpack, courtesy of Davey :-)

Me? I just provided the face. Can't deny this child, can I?

Disclaimer: Seriously, I wouldn't even deny her anyway. Don't go getting any wild ideas. Regardless of my attempt at witty banter, I love this child more than life itself.

Arise and Walk in Newness of Life

Ok, so I think I've finally figured out a way to retrieve my pics and not spending days watching them upload. While that might have been a fun pastime over the summer months, fall is in full swing and this mama is busy, busy, busy.

And, while I did not quite need another challenge for this season of life, I've taken one on anyway. I began studying for the GRE this week and am very excited about finally getting this out of the way as it's been hanging over my head for the last year.

You know it's time to get on with it when you see students walking to class on campus and get jealous, right? I told my man that last week and he promptly told me I was nuts. Perhaps I am but I like being a student.

Now what you've all been waiting for (a girl can dream, right?) - Miss Taylor's baptism pics from a few weeks ago. It was held at the local YMCA so that's why it took place in a pool. Pretty cool, right?

I'm ready - how 'bout you?

A little spiritual talk before the festivities began in earnest.

Here we go...

Arise and walk in newness of life. Isn't that an amazing gift?

The man looking on

Even when playing with friends, that 'tween attitude face just can't be helped sometimes.

Boppy, Brother Sam, Tay, Aunt Anna and Nana

Hiding when it was time to go :-)

This was an amazing day for our family as we'd all joined Brazos Meadows Baptist Church together that morning. It was truly a gift I wasn't sure we'd ever receive but God had other plans. I love it when that happens!

In addition to the regular back-to-school activities, we have entered what I pray will be a life-changing month for our family. I can't go into detail now but do hope you'll say a little prayer for my unspoken request if it comes to mind.

We are so excited to see what He has on the horizon for us and I hope you're looking forward to what waits just over the ridge for your life as well. 

Happy Tuesday!!