Dreaming in Color

Yes, I'm starting to think about colors. This house is done with mostly yellows (hubby's least favorite color) and punches of orangey-rust (my least favorite color). Needless to say, we'd like to move away from the tropical palette and make it "ours."

This morning after dropping D off at school, I picked up a pumpkin spice latte then headed to Home Depot to buy weed killer. I do lead a glamous life, don't I? :) While I was there, I just had to browse the paint section. Selecting paint colors takes some time, as I don't particularly enjoy the actual painting process, so want to make sure that we'll be happy with the color. So now I'm looking at the paint chips* in the sunlight, and will be evaluating the evening version. Now I just need to wait for a good paint sale.

And hooray for neutral berber! :)

*Home Depot has a new line with the primer and paint in 1 - not sure about the paint itself, but I do love the super-sized samples, and they even provide the clip ring right there. Thought that was a nice little feature - inexpensive but definitely handy for the consumer.

Kids and Church

"Kids are spending a very small amount of time in church activities, and many of those activities have very little theological, biblical, or spiritual content. As a result, we have a generation of young people who believe that there is a God, but they don’t have any particular god in mind.

We should be exhorting each other, helping each other, equipping each other. Christian young people should be drawn into the church, but not in a way that isolates them with other young people."

Some excellent points - and practical encouragement for parents - here.

A few further thoughts/clarifications:

- I just want to say that it's not the church's responsibility to train the children - that falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents. The church, however, is a valuable partner in reinforcing the teaching that the children receive at home. And realistically, there are going to be times that a child does not want to talk with their parents, and a pastor, youth leader, etc. can help bridge that gap when necessary... we're all one body! (Romans 12:4-10)

- Furthermore, every moment spent inside a church shouldn't be devoted to deep study. God created us as social beings, and fellowship with the believers is essential. Simply talking with someone, learning about their struggles and sharing some encouragement, is one expression of God's love. And doing that in the "safe" environment of the church is one way to establish a strong foundation in Christ - we just have to make sure that we are also comfortable getting out into the world to share the message, too.

Catching Up - Zoo Trip

We went to the zoo a couple weeks ago - and obviously I have yet to post any pictures...

We saw the flamingos right when we walked in, and our daughter excitedly announced that her shirt matched them! :) The kids loved seeing the baby orangutan right there. They also had a neat exhibit with native plants, butterflies, and hummingbirds that I loved. And aren't those cement "trees" absolutely hysterical?! We had a lot of fun, but it was HOT (as evidenced by our son's neck in the 3rd pic) so are looking forward to going back when it cools down a bit. We went ahead and purchased an annual membership, as our kids are at a good age for repeated visits, so you can rest assured that there will be additional animal fun in our future!

Friday already?

Whew! This week has really flown by... Our life is still a bit chaotic here as we're not yet in a real "rhythm" but we're making baby steps. I've actually been quite busy, too - between a Southern Living at Home party, MOPS Girls' Night Out, and an upcoming Bunco night I've turned into quite the Social Butterfly!

The church hunt continues. Heading to another one this weekend. We really appreciate your prayers on this, as it's definitely the one major issue that is preventing us from feeling like this is home. I'd also appreciate your prayers for me personally - without getting into all of it, I've definitely been stretched with this whole settling in process, learning to fully rely on the Lord and also share Him with others.

Anyway, the weekend is nearly upon us. Depending on the weather (we've been having a lot of brief but intense thunderstorms the past 2 weeks or so), we may head to South Padre tomorrow. Other than that, I'm just hoping to get a bit more organizing done inside and perhaps come up with a plan of attack for our over-planted back yard...

And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19, Amplified

Monday Madness

Well, I obviously didn't get those pics posted last week as I had intended, but here they are for your viewing pleasure. First off, there is our darling daughter whose fashion sense makes Lady Gaga seem quite mundane. Next is our son proudly sitting by his specially designed shoe box - creating by suspending a storage bin on a bungee cord. I'm thinking there's HUGE potential for the infomercial market...

The next pic is of our newest pool toys - promotional Motorola beepers! Yes, I dug through my box of childhood fun and have officially passed the majority on to the kiddos. These little beauties are from the late 80s, and my Dad worked for a company that sold this cutting-edge technology. Not quite sure why I decided to hold onto them, but D & A sure had fun playing with them! My daughter and I were both excited when I pulled the Barbies out, and she loooooves the interesting attire (see photo 1!); I am, however, saving the uber-cool table and dishes until she's older. The last photo is a random sampling of my treasures: kewpie doll that I received from my grandparents (that neither kid will go near because of its "scary" eyes), accompanied by a whopper sponge, play phone complete with working rotary dial (the kids were baffled! Too bad I don't have the other piece), sunglass keychain (I used this for my house key when I was in jr. high), plastic giraffe with a green hat, scary clown applique, fun spinning whistle and chinese yo-yo. Ah, the joys of youth!

So much happening...

Man, there are so many thoughts tumbling through my mind that I don't even know where to start. I'll start with what I'm most excited about - finally making some FRIENDS!! Let me tell you, those people that we can laugh, share stories, and cry with are sooooooo dear - and not having any of those particular confidantes around really starts to wear a person down. In my perfect world, I was thinking that we'd find a church quickly, and I'd immediately be surrounded by godly women who couldn't wait to get to know me (OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating just a *bit*). We're still searching. My next plan was to find some moms through our son's school. Well, that's not happening with the drop-off and pick-up schedule. (I'm still hopeful that I'll connect with a few people through PTO meetings, volunteering, etc.) And while I've had brief conversations with a few different people, there was no immediate bonding. And then of course there's the issue that I can't actually communicate with a good portion of the population here simply because I don't speak Spanish.

Anyway, my next strategy was to attend the preschool program at the library with our daughter. That started yesterday morning. And yes, I finally connected with someone!! God totally had His hand on this whole meeting, let me tell you. It turns out that she and her family just moved down here in March. She's from Philly suburbia (on the other side of the city, though) - too funny! She lives at the other end of our street - roughly a 5 minute walk (I've never had a good friend that close!). We laughed over the fact that we both talk too fast for "around here," and that we were both wearing Mary Jane Crocs. As she was talking about her frustration with making friends, it was as though she was peering into my heart. Her oldest daughter is 1 year younger than A, and the 2 of them hit it off immediately. Hooray!!

And more good news this morning when I attended MOPS. The charter church is huge so I was fully expecting a big group where it might be hard to get to know the other ladies. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the group was just over 20 women - a great size! Met several more ladies that I can envision becoming good friends, plus was invited to 2 different get-togethers next week. Considering that my only outings to this point have involved purchasing groceries, I am seriously excited.

Not all is shiny and happy, though. As I mentioned earlier, we have not yet found a church to call home. Hubby and I have been praying a lot about that situation, and are trying not to become discouraged. We're going back to 1 church for a second round on Sunday (as their main pastor was not there the 1st time we visited) and we're cautiously optimistic. This process is not only difficult for us, but for the kids, and we'd really like to be settled somewhere by the end of the month. In other news, our son is still having a rough time at school. He's not wreaking havoc in the classroom or anything, but is continually coming home with warnings for not listening and not staying in his seat. I've already spoken with his teacher twice on the phone and may be headed in next week for a face-to-face meeting. I know God is at work even in this, and I can see she truly has a heart to help D succeed. Still more prayers being offered up!

There are many more things spinning through my head, but I'm now off to cuddle with my hubby on the couch and watch America's Got Talent. I will say that I have some fabulous pictures on the camera that I'm hoping to share before the week is out... And finally, here is a great passage from the Psalms that I "happened" upon earlier today. A familiar selection, but this translation made me think about it in a new way:

If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection.

Because You've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play.

I hold on to You for dear life, and You hold me steady as a post.

Psalm 63:6-8 (The Message)

Friday Funny

I am at a loss for words.