whoa, life...slow down a little!

Blogging has fallen down on my priority list.  Waaaay down.  Friends, I don't think I've ever been so busy in my life.  This week is our big garage sale, so we're getting ready to sell almost all of our stuff.  It's freeing and fun...except for coming up with prices for things.  I don't love that part and negotiating with people over prices.  Not fun!  I'd really appreciate your prayers! 

One thing I LOVE about Waco is that you can get just about anywhere in 10 minutes.  And traffic is basically non-existent.  I hope I can remember how to drive when we get back to Atlanta in a couple weeks.  I NEVER have to think about what time of day it is here or padding my trip for traffic.  In 2 years here, I think I've encountered 2 or 3 aggressive drivers.  It's one of the many things I love here. 

But it gets better...our neighborhood (while occasionally sketchy but always exciting!) is set up in blocks.  Which means I can constantly drive new ways to get places and see new houses.   These 3 doors are my favorite front doors in Waco.  They make me smile when I drive by, and I'm so thankful for these nice owners!  Maybe a turquoise door is in my future!!

I thought it was a great idea to snap pictures of these houses until Zach asked me, "Mom, is this legal?"  Then I felt slightly stalkerish, but it was worth it to remember some of my favorite views of Waco!!  I mean, something's gotta make up for the cars with male body parts hanging from back bumpers that I have to look at in the carpool line at Z's school!  :-) 

For mother's day, we visited some of my favorite spots in Waco, and it was a BLAST!!  We went to the farmer's market and got crepes.  If you haven't been, you've GOTTA go!  We also went to Homestead and walked around and enjoyed some outside time together.

It's bittersweet to leave here.  Such precious friendships and community.  This place is so dear to our hearts, and we look forward to getting to come back!  But it's sweet to look forward to Atlanta (traffic and all)! 

fro yo, baby birds and arabic...

This post is about as random as they come, but I want to capture these fun memories!

We got an app on our ipad that teaches some arabic basics. 

Z wrote his first arabic words/letters the other day.

Last night we went out on a family fun bomb with Mikayla.  She's about to get married, so our time with her is really getting short.  We have a really silly song on our computer left over from KidzZone days called "Disco Duck."  When the kids hear the music, they know it's fun bomb time.  The loud cheering and the RUNNING out of bed to get shoes on is one of my very favorite things!!

I'm super-excited to announce the newest members of our family...the BABY BIRDS!!! 

Catie said, "I'm so happy about the baby birds.  The mommy bird must be SO excited."

Hugs and love to you, friends!

a little bit of fun!

The boxes are packed!!  I'm super-happy to have that job done.

Here are a few things that have made the last week A LOT more fun!

My mom sent me these cute things in a package.  Lots of places to write all the lists I'm trying to keep up with right now!  They're making all the to-dos a lot more bearable!!

Zach-attack surprised me with a note on the kitchen floor one morning.

A mommy bird built a nest on our front porch wreath.

Can you see her sitting back behind there?

Check out her beautiful eggs!!

I hope your day is full of enjoying the little things!

Have a great day, friends!

our baby's not a baby anymore!

Our little guy turned 3 on Monday! 

If you couldn't tell from yesterday's post, I've been at my limit lately, so I was really happy that his birthday dinner request was pizza and strawberries.  (And race cars!) 

My mom sent Jacob a Cars cake pan.  The cakes turned out SO cute!  I didn't have the 14 hours to ice them perfectly, so I decided they were just right without icing! 

It was a wonderful family time!!  And a great chance to love and affirm our precious, fun, busy, hilarious, joyful, silly, adorable 3-year-old boy!  We love you, Jacob!!!

the rock in the midst of transition

Phew!  It feels so good to just sit in the quiet house tonight.  We're right in the midst of so much transition!  Packing up our house is taking my brain to the edge of keeping track of details!
 

John and I are pretty exhausted right now.  But we're also super-thankful.  There's a group of people from our community here heading to our new city.  They're taking 20 crates of our stuff with them!  I'm so thankful for each little touch of the familiar that I get to pack.  And I think of myself on the other side of the world in a few months unpacking these things and making our new place feel like home.  And I smile!  There's the first 12 in that picture.  Aren't they pretty?  Well, they are to me!  :-)  Crates 13 and 14 are almost done.  For some reason, they were the hardest.  Getting rid of things I love isn't always my favorite, but it's doable.  And the reason is so worth it.  Today I went through our kids' stuff, and it was way harder.  I even shed a couple tears.  A precious friend was over here helping me.  (By the way, look what she brought me for my table so that there is a touch of cheer in the midst of the boxes!)

As we worked through the kids' stuff together, she held up this rock...

Zach has had this rock in his treasures for a couple years but decided he could live without it about a week ago.  So I threw it out in the back yard.  Catie FOUND it one day and brought it back in.  So the next time no one was outside, I threw it in another direction.  But there it was inside again.  (John had found it.)  When I shared the undying rock story with my friend, she said, "Have you looked up the verse?"  NO!  I hadn't!  What a great idea!  So she got my Bible and read this to me...

...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  I Peter 2:5

It just rocked my world today and changed my perspective.  As the kids have had meltdowns tonight, as we each deal with transition and the losses differently, this verse has been my rock.  Yes, we're tearing down our house right now.  But God is building us into a spirual house!

Our boxes need to be given to the friends who are taking them over by Friday, so we'd really appreciate your prayers during this time.  Thank you, friends, for reading and for walking with us!!

isn't it ironic...don't you think?

We got back to Dallas last Friday night.  We were tired...very tired!  And we had about a 2 hour drive ahead of us to get home.  sooooo ready for our own beds.  By the time we got to our car, it was 11:00.  We decided we could make it home because those beds were calling us.  At 11:15 a pickup truck swerved into our lane, hit us, and sped off into the night.  Thanks to God's protection and John's great driving, we didn't hit the wall on our right or the other car to our left.  We pulled over, called 911, and waited 45 minutes for the police to get there. 

We stared at each other, laughed a little bit, and prayed and thanked God!!  Here's the front of John's car.  I just thought it was a little ironic that we made it safely to the other side of the world and back and then had a wreck as soon as we were "home."  Reminding me once again that we are safest right where God wants us.  We could die any day/anywhere...and I want this life to matter...investing in my husband, my kids, my friends, my neighbors, the people around me who need hope and healing and Life!

And in other good news, the insurance company called John yesterday and told him that they were going to classify the accident as an uninsured motorist accident, so our deductible will only be $250 instead of $1000.  $250 never sounded so good!  :-)

I'm pretty overwhelmed and tired this week.  I'd really appreciate your prayers as our time here in Waco is getting really short, and we have lots of steps to do.  I'm sad to leave Waco.  It has been an incredibly special season of our lives.  Recently, God gave me this verse...

Psalm 126:6

He who goes out weeping

carrying seed to sow

will return with songs of joy

carrying sheaves with him.

I just love that.  Because there are really fun parts about going out.  But there are also really hard parts.  It helped so much to go see our new home and friends, but it's still hard to leave here and then leave Atlanta again.  But there's a promise...a harvest...songs of joy. 

p.s.  the precious photo of catie's hands is by my amazingly talented friend, Jodi Zorzi!

things I love right now

Here are a few things I'm lovin' right now...

This veggie mix from trader joes.  I miss TJs!!

Since I can't just run and buy this pre-chopped deliciousness, I have to do it the old fashioned way.

But it's SOOOOO worth it!

I just heat up a little olive oil and cook it in the skillet until the carrots are just right.  mmmmm!

This weed...

It's a little stalk full of seed pods shaped like HEARTS!!! 

The kids picked me a few on a walk the other day! :-)

These books...

That was a good one, but I'm really enjoying every book I've read of his!

They have been my very happy down time lately!

This game with the kids...

So now you know some of my latest faves!

Have a great day!!