i'll let you fill in the blanks

it was just fun to wear a tool-belt - really, you should try it if you never have. the secret is to place things in the pockets so that they stick out, that way everyone can see how handy you must be, carrying all that stuff!
here is the finished product - it's a piggy bank. i guess it is a 'texas-bank' if you want to be particular

pssst - i have a secret - you have to take the tool-belt off before actually sawing or you will get a pocket full of sawdust! (no - i did not learn by experience - richard quit laughing long enough to tell me before i started)

a picture is worth a 1000 words

if a picture is worth a 1000 words, these must total 4000. with that many words already spoken, i will keep my extras to a minimum . . .

"let's go mama!"

"two steering wheels - two feet - it is all coming together!"

i know - i know - i KNOW, nathan could teach me a thing or two about safety (he has his helmet on). we were JUST going to the corner and back. i KNOW most accidents happen near the home. i know. i promise it won't happen again!

"mama, how did you sit on here and reach? that is SO amazing! maybe one day when i am big"

do you ever need a reminder

do you ever have one of those days that God uses to remind you of a few things? things like patience, driving etiquette, patience, gratefulness, or patience?

i had one of those days today. actually it was only a span of about 1.5 - 2 hours, but it was lesson enough to last me for a good while!

i was that "idiot driver" that went straight from the left-turn-only lane. i couldn't tell where i was supposed to go, it was an intersection of multiple streets and off-ramps and on-ramps and toll roads. oh - it IS very confusing! (turning left (E) onto louis henna from I 35 frontage road for you locals) it wasn't just a turn only lane, NO, even that wouldn't have been AS bad - this was a L turn only lane AND the lane to the right of me could go LEFT also!! yes - that could have been a BAD wreck if the guy in the silver pickup next to me wasn't paying attn for idiot drivers!! (thank you God for being w/ us, and thank you to everyone who looks out for what other people might do unexpectedly)

"Whew - off of the road and safely into the Target parking lot." the first spot in the row was open, so of course i went to pull into it. it was one where at the end there are . . . here is a picture of the situation.

Seems easy enough? no, not today - or i wouldn't write about it. i just COULD NOT seem to miss that curb. it seriously took me 2 or 3 times (maybe 4) to back up and reposition at it to pull back in before i got it straight enough to miss that darn curb. the whole time, people are lining up behind me. (thank you God, that none of them honked at me angrily as this would surely have NOT helped the situaiton any!)

"OK - out of the car. it has to get better." i was there to buy a pair of soft leather shoes for nathan. there were only two boy styles. two - dos, deux, due, zwei! that is it! should have been easy . . . but they were both cute. (the dog ones were lighter blue - baby blue)

so, i just picked them both up and began to ask random people which they would've picked. well, i asked two sets of people, one said dogs, the other said cars. i felt like such a ditz, so silly, to not just decide and go on with it. but i set them in the basket and decided to ask someone else - a tie-braker, if you will. shop - shop - shop . . . "ooo, i found a soft baby blanket, much like nathan's ABSOLUTE favorite." so i picked it up, but there was a dirty mark on it. "it is the last one, what do i do? oh, here is another soft one, and it is cheaper. but maybe they will give me a discount on the one with the mark. it will probably wash out, and if not, he won't care anyway." i picked them both up to get the price after a possible discount, and if it became cheaper than the other i would get it. shop - shop - shop . . . on to the check out.

"ooo, found a short line, must be my day!" waiting on one person in front of me, as many more people get in line behind me. "oh NO! i forgot to put one of the pairs of shoes back!" i quickly began asking the lady in line in front of me and the cashier which ones they liked. "ok, cars it is! richard will like those i am sure." i appologized to the cashier for giving her the other shoes to have to put back later. "oh, the blankets . . . " so i proceeded to show her the mark and ask about a discount. and after the appropriate 'managerial consultation', "10% off " was the verdict. "mmm . . . not enough" the other was still cheaper, so i picked it and appologized again about now giving her a blanket to put back also. all the while the line behind me got longer and longer. (thank you God, that they were all very cordial, and understanding with me.)

this is where the story comes to a close. i had been:

1-the "irradic, not paying attention (i was, but it would not seem like it to other drivers), idiot driver" in the turn only lane

2- the "doesn't know how to drive" driver , holding up the line in the parking lot

3-the "can't make up her mind, is that the biggest problem you have" undecisive shoe shopper

4- the "looking to pinch every penny, doesn't she know i have to get somewhere", "why do i always get in the slow lane" & "why did you bring it to the register for me to have to put back, do you think i don't have better things to do" slow, demanding one in line to check out

through it ALL - not ONE person honked at me, showed me obscene gestures, scoffed at me, rolled their eyes at me, huffed in exasperation with me - or in ANY way showed me that i had been a test of their patience. NOT ONE.

sometimes the Lord tests OUR patience, to grow it in us. sometimes He uses you to test others and shows you THEIR understanding patient response to show you. sometimes He shows you His face, in those around you to remind you to ". . . be watchful and thankful" Colossians 4:2. today, i was the "bad driver" to remind me to be careful of, aware of, and understanding of the "bad driver" on another day.

day at the park

today nathan and i met some friends at the park. we had such a fun time. God really blessed us with a beautiful day and great discussion and friendship building. we even met a woman and her son at the park and began talking w/ them, only to find that one of the ladies who would be coming to join us knew her from her son's school. what a small world!

here are some pictures of nathan playing. and this is big!! look at them and see if YOUcan tell what the BIG DEAL is w/ today's events.

oh yeah! if you said, nathan's hands are touching the playground equipment - you would be right!! i didn't even sanitize it first!! (pinky swear) the clorox spray remainded tucked inside the diaper bad the ENTIRE time!

he did so good. testing it out first, but after he got the feel for it, he was climbing up and up and up. down was very tentative, but man that boy can climb!!!

expanding horizons

as MANY of you know - and if you didn't already, now you will) i REALLY LIKE to cook! i just like everything about it (except the dishes) i like to try new recipes - i like to rely on time-tested ones. i like to make quick weeknight dishes - i like to spend the better part of the day preparing a plethora of appetizers and side dishes and a feast to share. i like to make vegetarian - exotic - pork/chicken/beef - mexican - italian - you name it! well, yesterday i took the plunge and expanded into a new realm, personally. usually i leave the grilling to richard. he really enjoys doing it and is great at it. well, i wanted to fix fajitas and we all know the best fajitas are grilled. it is just something you can't duplicate in the house. so while he was sleeping/getting up for work . i did it . . .

and at the risk of sounding like i am bragging - those were some DARN GOOD fajitas!!

oh - there is no limit to where i can go from here!

ps - i really like cooking for other people - so invite yourself over anytime - just give me notice and there will be food!

my heart sings with joy

i want to shout to the world (via cyberspace) that God has blessed me with a husband who is wonderful!! he gave me the VERY BEST mother's day gift ever - in the history of the world! what was it you ask. a necklace? a ring? a piece of art? something i collect? something to wear out? an expensive dinner? NO - it was none of those things. it was a weather radio.
yes, you read correctly - a weather radio. he is SO thoughtful and (oh i don't even know the word!) concerned, in-tune, protecting. . . all of them all wrapped into one! he had remembered me telling him a story about one night as i turned off the tv to go to bed (he was at work) the last thing i heard was "tornado watch in effect until 6AM" for the county we live in. "OH NO!" i thought. how could i sleep at all w/ him not home, and nathan sleeping soundly in this crib ALL the way on the other side of the house and a possible TORNADO knocking at the door?!?
well, we never did get that tornado. but richard remembered that. and knowing how much i value good sleep - got me a gift to help me sleep better. the radio will automatically come on if there is a severe weather update for our county or the ones immediately around us (as i programmed it to). a truly wonderful gift for so many reasons:
1- he heard my concerns and responded
2- a mother's day gift to help me in my role as mother
3- he appealed to my flare for practical gifts
4- he cared about my sleep - and now i can sleep better
5- he honors God's plan for his role in the family to protect and provide for us (even when he is away)

mother's day is SO NOT about the gifts - it is about the love a family has. it is about the roles that God created us for and how we honor Him in living those roles out.

nothing poetic here

i really want to post some pictures from our WI excursion. being - that it is almost an entire month later . . . (not quite, but i am feeling a bit hard on myself about not keeping up) here is very little writing and a scant spattering of the bountiful and wonderful pictures we have to commemerate the trip.

here we are visiting our grandma (nathan's great-grandma, and let me tell you, she is GREAT!)

here we are visiting with my little brother (who is over a foot taller than me, but my little brother none-the-less). we had an AWESOME visit! truly a blessing and a gift from God! (well i wasn't able to edit the picture the way i wanted to to put it on here, but it was a nice visit!)

here we are at "oscar's" which has THE BEST frozen custard EVER!! really does it get any better than custard and cheese curds at the SAME sitting?!?

mama and nathan at his party at my parent's house

nothing beats a little cake-action with the grandparents!some toys are just so cool you can't wait to get them out of the box of off of table, you just want to sit on them NOW! (and pose for the camera)and after it is all said and done, this little party animal needed a good long nap! "mama, i am so tired i am just going to curl up in a little ball w/ my butt in the air and my face in my blanket and fall asleep!" (note the pillow is off to the right corner of the picture and the pacifier is next to him) all he needed was a place to lay!

we had a GREAT time visiting. really enjoyed seeing all who we did, and sad that we couldn't see everyone while we were there. Lord willing, we will be back, just don't know when yet.