My Mom

Today is Mother's Day. A day to celebrate your Mom and thank her for all the amazing things she's done for you. I can't even begin to know where to start in thanking my Mom for all that she has done and been for me. She's an incredible lady.

I am sure she still deserves many thanks for doing things like changing diapers, washing clothes, cooking amazing meals, being everywhere important all the time, cheering me on, the list could go on and on and on.

I think this Mother's Day, I'm most thankful that my Mom is my friend. She laughs at me, she encourages me, she listens to me, she loves me - no matter what.

Mom - You are without a doubt the very best! I love you so much and admire the amazing person you are. Thanks for being you! :) Happy Mother's Day!

Well, I'm kind of tired

What a day it's been! Certainly nothing to complain about, just lots of really good stuff all in one day.

I started the morning with a baseball game. Then I made my way to Mayfest to watch some performances and spend some time with a cool kid named Parker. Then I went to another baseball game. Then I went to dinner with some more cool people. Then I spent some time with Will and Allie. Then I went to Walmart with Will. Then I played with Will and Allie some more. Then I ran 1.75 miles. Then I did some laundry. And that brings me to right now! Crazy!

It's been several weeks since I have seen Will and Allie and I honestly kind of wondered if they would really remember me. I mean, I knew they would remember me, but I just worried that it wouldn't be the same as when we were hanging out about once a week. Just seeing them made my heart happy, but hearing a "Will Story" really made me smile. My parents had taken them to Chick-Fil-A for dinner and as soon as they walked in Will ran over to the booth we sat at one night and told them, "this is where I sat with Aunt Emily." How crazy is that? That happened three months ago, and, he was totally right! I love that kid! Allie is growing like a weed and talking so much. My favorite thing she said was, "purp" for the color purple. It was really cute.

They weren't really cooperating in the picture department, too much playing, but here's an attempt:














Now, about the running 1.75 miles. I'm pretty sure that is the longest distance I have ever run in my life. I'm convinced it was made possible by my brand new shoes:


That's right, after my little breakthrough the other night, I convinced myself that I could go even further if I had some better shoes. In a couple days, I will be able to unveil something else these shoes can do, it's pretty cool! (I really need to get a life!) :) Seriously though, the shoes were great and I feel like I could have gone even further if it hadn't been 9:30 and the fact that I was already back at my house. Maybe tomorrow!

They brought gifts of Jumbo Jacks, Egg Rolls, and Curly Fries

My sister is the keeper of all family traditions. She keeps record of every holiday activity, food, and memory. Every year there is one tradition that is debated for a good couple weeks before Christmas, the Christmas Eve meal.

I honestly can't recall what we did for dinner before Christmas Eve 2000. We always go to church and then come home and we each get to open one present. That year, however, was different. We were going to be flying to California early on Christmas day so "Christmas Day" was going to happen on Christmas Eve. We went to church and in order to give my parents a few minutes to "prepare," Josh, Ashleigh, and I stopped at Jack-In-The-Box to get dinner. And that, my friends, is how a Christmas tradition is born at my house. According to Ashleigh, it just wouldn't be Christmas without our traditional Christmas Eve meal.

So, while families all over the world will gather around the table tonight to enjoy a special meal, we'll be having Jack-In-The-Box. :)

Merry Christmas! I hope yours is filled with fun, family, and many thoughts of the real reason for the season!

Look, Mom!!

We had a guy come to school today with all different kinds of reptiles to show us. He had lots of different snake species, a couple of huge turtles, and even some alligators. All the kids got to "pet" both a giant snake and a little alligator. It was pretty interesting.

Now, for as long as I can remember my Mom has hated snakes. I'm not even talking like just a little bit. If there is a snake on TV, she has to turn her head. I can only imagine what she might do if she were to actually run across one. Since I had the opportunity to get my hands on a snake today I thought it might be funny to give my Mom a special Christmas gift this year. I was going to frame a big picture of me holding the giant snake. I just know she would love it. :) I won't do it now, because she is probably reading this and I don't want to get coal for Christmas! But, I thought the picture turned out funny.


I was actually looking at the camera and smiling, but then the lady shoved the snake's head right at my face, and that is the moment that was captured! It was just a bit frightening!

Thanksgiving and The Rolls

I had a really great Thanksgiving on Thursday. I spent the day hanging out with the family, watching a little football, and eating great food!

For as long as I can remember there has been one part of Thanksgiving that I enjoy far above anything else. The Rolls. I don't know when homemade rolls made their first appearance at our Thanksgiving table, but I know they are a must. For the past several years my sister and I have volunteered to make the rolls, because if we don't, nobody will. Usually "we" volunteer but Ashleigh is the one making the magic happen. Not this year, my friends, not this year. I definitely put in a little elbow grease to make the rolls happen this year. And they did happen, even if someone only put in half the yeast. I'm not going to name names, but it wasn't me! :) I'd share "The Rolls" recipe, but let's be honest, making them is way too much work. Here are some pictures of the experience.

This is the "roll bowl." See, I told you we've been making them for awhile, they have their own bowl.


This is the warm water and the yeast dissolving, just half the yeast, mind you.


This is usually the point that I get bored and give up. Here I am taking a little break. I did persevere though.


This is the dough once about half the flour has been added. Look at me stirring furiously.


Here I am kneading the dough.


Here I am with proof that I was working hard. I even have flour on my face. :)


And here's the finished product, before being baked and after.




As if "The Rolls" weren't excitement enough for one day, it also snowed! It was a very cold Thanksgiving, but it was pretty cool to see the snow falling as we ate. Since this is Texas, I bet I'll be wearing shorts at some point later this week.

Thankful

I've mentioned a time or two on this blog that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I just think it's so great that our entire country takes a day to stop our busy lives, spend time with family and friends, and just be thankful. Really the only downside to Thanksgiving is that someone has to die, the turkey. I digress. For me, Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without thinking through some of the hundreds of things I have to be especially thankful for this year. Since this is the place where I think out loud, here are some of my thankful thoughts...

My family will hopefully always be at the top of my list.

My Mom and Dad: I'm thankful for their encouragement, their generousity, their wisdom, their love, their friendship, their godly example. I am especially thankful that tomorrow my Dad is going to come over and beat up some wasps for me and maybe change some batteries in my smoke detectors! And, I'm thankful that my Mom is going to go through the trouble of making Stove Top Stuffing for me because she knows that's what I like best.

My brother, Josh: I'm thankful for his sense of humor, his intelligence, and I'm really, really thankful for his family! Kelley has been a wonderful addition to our family, I can't believe they've been married for 5 years already. And, I think my love for Will and Allie is well-documented here. The four of them, they make my life really fun, and I'm thankful for that.

My sister, Ashleigh: I'm thankful for her honesty, her teaching wisdom, her listening ear, and her ability to forgive me when I drive her crazy! :)

My Grandmas: I can't think of two better people to be the foundation of our family. Both of my Grandmas would do absolutely anything for any one of us. They are kind, they are generous, they are constant. They have taught me the value of being thankful. I'm so very thankful to have the influence of two very wise and very loving Grandmas on my life. You guys are the best!!

These are some people that I haven't known that long, but this year, I'm just down-right grateful for them:


Apparently, God likes to use kids to change my life, because last year these four did just that. Two of them were in my class last year and the other two were just a bonus! In a crazy way that I would have never imagined these four kids and their families have become some of my closest friends. I'm thankful for their encouragment, their time, their wisdom, their laughter. I'm just thankful for everything about them. They make my life so much more fun, more exciting, and a lot fuller!

I could probably go on for a long time about everything that I'm thankful for...all my other friends, Diet Coke, Peanut M&Ms, flying insect spray, my house, my car...but I don't want to bore you.

I'll close with the thing that I'm most thankful for this year. I'm thankful for my Savior. I'm thankful that He's a good God who loves me, who cares about me, who has every little detail of my life figured out. I'm thankful that He continually offers grace and mercy to me. It is a grace that is a mystery to me, but beckons me to live, to not take any day or any opportunity for granted.

I have so very much to be thankful for. If I never experience another blessing, I think the overflow of thankfulness my heart is experiencing right now could get me through. I am blessed indeed.

I love pictures

I sort of have a thing for pictures. I really like looking at pictures and I love taking pictures. A couple years ago I believed so strongly in my love for taking pictures that I bought a crazy nice digital camera. At the time, it had an unheard of amount of megapixels and was more camera than I would ever know how to use. And sadly, I rarely use it. Today I decided that should change. I was granted the priviledge of watching Will and Allie today and I decided to have my fancy camera handy just in case something happens that is worthy of taking a picture. A quick trip to the park provided just the opportunity. I took about 100 pictures and there are really only about 2 that I think are "good."

This is a picture of Allie on the swing. She loved it. She would just laugh and laugh every time I pushed her. I really like her a lot.


And here is one of Will. Most of the pictures I took of him were of the back of his head, he just moves too fast! I'm not sure what he is thinking about, but it looks serious.


Last night I was looking at my desk and I noticed this picture:

This picture has been sitting on my desk for about three years now and I see it all the time. I guess I am just so used to seeing it that I don't notice it. This is a picture of Tyre, Demontrey, and Kedarion. Three brothers that I met while I was in college. More than anything else I experienced during my four years at Baylor, these kids changed my life. Waco is an interesting town, the wealthiest people literally live across the street from the poorest. There really aren't many "nice" parts of town and you can easily find yourself somewhere you shouldn't be. My freshmen year I ended up at an apartment complex that definitely qualifies for the "somewhere you shouldn't be especially if you're a Baylor student" category.

While scared out of my mind, I was there on purpose. Myself and a couple other naive, nice-looking, Baylor students had descended on this apartment complex in hopes of putting together some sort of Backyard Bible Club kind of thing. We thought that maybe, just maybe there was something we could teach the kids that lived there. In reality, they taught us. They taught us what it's like to be 3, 5, and 7 years old and have to take care of yourself. They taught us what it looks like to live next door to a drug dealer. They taught us what gun shots sounded like. They taught us how to cope with never seeing one parent and never knowing the other. They taught us what a priviledge it is to have a car. They taught us how joyful an experience a Baylor football game should be. They taught us how exciting it is to get to go to McDonalds. They taught us so many things.

Somehow throughout four years of college, my roommate and I became particularly attached to Tyre, Demontrey, and Kedarion. We started bringing them to church with us. You should have seen some of the looks we got! The kids obviously dressed themselves, in clothes that hadn't been washed, maybe ever. I also wish you could have seen the way their faces lit up every time they learned a Bible verse. I remember one Sunday we were driving home from church and Tyre had been working so hard on Luke 1:37, "Nothing is impossible with God." He was sure he was ready to say it and this is what came out (I can still hear his voice), "Nothing is important to God. Lukus 1:37." After a brief explanation that EVERYTHING is important to God and congratulating him for being so close, he tried again. And, he got it.

Just looking at that picture last night I was reminded of the impact they made on me. I was reminded that I want to approach life with their joy, their energy, and with their belief that they could accomplish anything. I was challenged to stand up for injustice and to live out Matthew 25:31-40. That picture reminded me to be Jesus to the people God brings my way. Pictures, they can be powerful.

Every kid should experience this

When I was a kid there wasn't anything better than going to McDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese and getting to play in the ball pit. Somewhere along the line though people got smart and realized those things were a breeding ground for all kinds of nasty stuff. Now it's nearly impossible to find a good ball pit to jump around in (with good reason), unless of course, you're 2 years old and have people in your life that like for you to experience such things.

My Mom found the famous ball pit balls not too long ago at some store so she bought some for Will to play with. We started out kind of small and Will did love it. Somehow though, this just wasn't quite the same experience I had as a child.


He was just about beside himself today when the number of balls tripled and he got his very own ball pit contraption. It was cool and I have to admit, I had a pretty good time myself!! :)

Happy Birthdays!

This is a busy Birthday week for my family! Today, Ashleigh turned 23! That's crazy to me. It pretty much means we are all adults now, but I don't really feel like an adult. My parents are out of town so we celebrated her birthday by going to dinner at La Familia. Josh, Kelley, Will and Allie all came too so it was really nice to seem them! Happy Birthday, Ashleigh! I hope this is your best year yet!

Tomorrow, little Allie turns the big 1! I can't believe it has already been a whole year since she was born. For me, the last year went by very quickly. At this time last year every time the phone rang I would hope that it was news she was on her way! She did a nice job by making her debut at a reasonable hour, unlike her big brother. Allie has got to be the cutest little girl I have ever seen. She's got the sweetest little laugh and a smile that will make you melt. She walks, claps, waves, smiles, talks, and so much more. I also heard a story tonight about how she has already figured out ways to get Will in trouble. They are going to be quite a pair!

Here is a picture of Allie, 1 year ago:

Much appreciated

The first six weeks of school has officially come and gone! Boy, it went by quickly. This has already been an interesting year for a lot of reasons, but I feel like today was a much needed turning point.

I had a meeting this afternoon at my sister's school so when I was done "meeting" I headed down to her room to see how things were going for her. I hadn't visited her classroom since about a week before school started so there was lots of stuff I hadn't had a chance to see. Let me just say this, she has a gift. It was so refreshing to sit in her classroom and be so inspired by all of her great ideas. As if just sharing her ideas was not enough (I left with a whole page full-front and back), she went through the trouble of making me a bunch of stuff to use in my classroom right there while I waited!!

She actually went to school to be a teacher so she totally knows what she is doing and she is really great at it! I'm so proud of her and can't wait to see how the rest of her year turns out! So, thanks Ashleigh for all your inspiration, it was much appreciated!

I saw a boat

Earlier this evening I was doing some major multi-tasking. I was vacuuming, listening to my iPod, and thinking about my lack of blog material. I mean, seriously, I haven't posted anything new since last Sunday. So, I was thinking really hard and then my sister sent me a text message and suddenly I have enough material for several posts. :)

Ashleigh's message was simple, "I'm buying a car!" I sent her one back, "Cool! What kind?" Then she called and filled me in on all the details. She "bought" the car but she is the third person in line to actually take delivery. I am way impressed with her patience, because I would have totally given in and settled for something that I could have driven away in right away. Things got very interesting with her next statement:

Ashleigh: "After we leave here we're going to grab some dinner and then go to the lake to play with Dad's new toy."
Me: "What new toy?"
Ashleigh: "Dad bought a boat!"
Me: "He bought a what?"
Ashleigh: "He bought a boat!"
Me: "A boat, like what people ride in?"

I need to provide some background. For the last several years my Dad has been very mildly obsessed with sailboats and sailing. For Father's Day this year my Mom gave him sailing lessons. So, this summer he spent about 10 hours one weekend taking sailing lessons and it honestly wouldn't shock me if he had decided to buy some small sailboat. I was just a little shocked that I hadn't heard anything about him buying a boat and suddenly we're going to the lake to ride in one. Imagine my surprise when I find out this is what he bought:


Another great moment came when I realized the "lake" we were going to go to was really just a very small pond in a nearby neighborhood. He has also decided that his remote control speedboat is a lot more fun than really sailing. I have a feeling we'll all be getting our own for Christmas!!

Since it was too late to take the new boat out on the "lake" we decided to just go eat. They came and picked me up and then we had to make the toughest decision ever, where do we eat? My Mom said she wanted Italian and suggested either Olive Garden or Margie's. Now, I had never even heard of Margie's but let me assure you, it is a fine establishment. I mean what place isn't that boldy advertises this:



That'll teach me not to take indoor plumbing and air conditioning for granted! I kind of felt like I was in the middle of a Mob movie or something, but it was good and we laughed so much that I'm pretty sure people were pointing and staring. Oh well. Besides the fact that they had indoor plumbing and air conditioning my favorite moment was when my Dad tried to open the door. He pushed hard a couple times and we started to question whether or not they were even open, then we realized there was door knob that just needed a little twist. We were laughing before we even made it to our table.

Because I want to remember them, here's a couple more funny moments (probably only funny if you were there):

1) Ashleigh's talking really fast (because she does that), looks at me, and says, "Your pupils are huge!"

2) Mom, Dad, and Ashleigh are enjoying their salads and the waiter comes by to check on them, he asks, "How are your salads?" I (who does not have a salad) responds, "very good." I think I was actually crying from laughing so hard when we all realized what I said.

Good times. Congratulations on your new car purchase, Ashleigh! Welcome to the world of car payments and insurance. And, congratulations on your boat purchase, Dad! Welcome to the world of, you know I'm not really sure what world that falls into! :)

Quite a day!

Yesterday was quite a day! In one word, it was full. Yesterday was the first day of the Fall baseball season and I got to spend all day yesterday at the ball fields catching game after game. It was really fun to watch some baseball and hang out with friends. I may have spent a tad bit too much time in the direct sunlight, but my bright red head is already looking better.

Once I got home from the ballgames I got to spend some quality time with Will and Allie. Seriously, could the day have gotten any better? Allie was her usual cutest-kid-ever self. She's very into copying your facial expressions so I had a good time teaching her a really great smile. I think Will has learned the power of saying just the right thing to get what he wants. First of all, if he is talking to anyone else about me he calls me Aunt Emily, but if he is talking to me and needs to say my name he calls me Miney. That was his name for me before he could say Emily and I guess it stuck. It makes my heart smile every time I hear it. So, anytime he wants me to do something for him he calls me Miney. It's very cute.

Will and I were getting ready to go on a quick walk to the park and while I was trying to change his diaper we were talking about his sister Allie and what he likes to do with her. This is a portion of our conversation:

Me: Who's your sister?
Will: Allie's my sister
Me: What do you like to do with Allie?
Will: I teach her how to say Miney.
Me: (I couldn't respond, I had melted into a puddle on the floor)

He continues to amaze me. We had fun at the park, but Will was disappointed because we forgot to bring "hamburgers" for the ducks. I guess the last time he went to see the ducks he had some hamburger buns for them. I assured him that next time we wouldn't forget. Here's a self-taken photo of us at the park (I told you my face was red)!

My night

I had the opportunity to watch Will and Allie tonight. It was the first time I've watched both of them, at the same time, by myself. They were great as always, and they even went to bed without any trouble. I think Will is really smart and he is always saying funny stuff but, tonight we had a write-it-down-and-remind-him-in-15 years kind of conversation. It went like this:

Will: Say Hi to my kangaroo!
Me: Does your kangaroo have a name?
Will: Yeah, it's Charlie the Bunny!

I'm not joking either, he seriously said that. Also, Charlie the Bunny does look like a kangaroo!

Will with Charlie the Bunny

Allie has learned to "hug" you when you pick her up and it is just the sweetest thing. I picked her up after putting her in her pajamas and I think I could have held her all night. Then I realized she just wanted me to hold her and not put her in the crib. Either way it was a nice moment.

Allie in the cutest outfit ever

fam-i-ly

20 Years Ago~Gotta Love the 80s
Most people love their family, but how many are blessed enough to really, really, like their family. I am proud to say that I stand with the latter group. I love my family and would do anything for them, but I also really, really, like them. We have been through lots of stuff, but thankfully, we have been through that stuff together. If I had to describe my family in one word it would have to be...constant. They see me at my best and my very worst and the fact that they love me, some days inspite of me, is amazing. Allow me to introduce them to you:

My Dad is the hardest working person I know. He has always done whatever is necessary to give the family not only what we needed, but as much as he could, what we wanted. He is patient, kind, smart, creative, and very outgoing. He is a godly man that shows us all with his actions what it means to follow Christ. He is very wise and in retrospect, I wish I had listened to him more. I don't consider him "old" at all, but, there is some speculation that Mexico still had control of Texas when he was in first and second grade. :)

My Mom, to me, is a good hug. It just feels good to be around her. She also has worked very hard to provide for our family. I don't think I was ever more proud than the day she graduated from nursing school. How she managed being a mother and full-time student at the same time is still a mystery, but she did it with flying colors. If anyone of us has a question, we usually start with Mom. I remember my brother telling me at a very young age that "mom knows everything." She has never led me to believe otherwise.

My brother, Josh, is simultaneously the smartest and luckiest person I know. How's this for smart and lucky; he somehow turned a broken kitty litter box he found by a dumpster into a couple hundred dollars on Ebay. He also ranks very high on my funniest list. He graduated from SMU with a music degree and then went to UT Law School. It is nice to be able to threaten to call my lawyer and really know I have someone to call. If something is made out of wood or could be, he will make it rather than buy it. While I am in no way admitting guilt, he remains to this day the only person I have "pushed through a wall."

Josh brought Kelley into our lives a little over five years ago and because of them I get to spoil and love on two of the cutest kids ever. Kelley is also very smart and extremely crafty. She graduated from UT with an education degree and continues to be a source of great classroom ideas.

My sister, Ashleigh, is well, amazing. She is the most self-less person I know. I don't think there is anything that Ashleigh wouldn't do for somebody she cares about. She is artistic/crafty in a way that makes me really jealous. Ashleigh is a firm believer in family traditions and if we ever even just thought about doing something one Christmas, it is now a tradition. :) She went to Baylor too, so that makes me like her a lot. I believe we are up 2-0 in the Estes Bowl (the name we have given Baylor vs. SMU games). She is about to start her first year of teaching and I know she is going to be the best first-year-teacher there ever was. She is also right up there with Josh on the funny list.

My absolute favorite thing about my family is our ability to laugh. It is like we have some uspoken rule that when we are together our number one priority is to make each other laugh really, really, hard. My stomach is usually sore after an evening together. We are goofy but we are real. I really, really like my family. Not even just most days, but everyday.

5 Years Ago

My favorite thing

I feel extremely blessed to play a few roles in my life: daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and teacher. I try to take all of my roles very seriously but there is one thing I am that is my most favorite thing; aunt. It is hard to put into words the way my day brightens when I walk into the house and Will comes running towards me or how my heart melts when all I do is look at Allie and she smiles. They are two of the cutest kids ever and I am blown away by my love for them. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be so close to them. They are growing up fast. Here are a couple of my current favorite pictures of each them. The one of Will was taken last summer and the one of Allie was taken about a month ago.