Excuse me while I lie to myself...

You should be aware that the pictures in this post are not designed to show our full experience with swim lessons. They are designed to ensure that I enroll my kids NEXT summer because my brain will remember these photos...not the actual events that transpired before and after leaving the pool. Also, it was difficult to take pictures while motivating people to put on their suit, get in the car, drying tears, processing fears, discussing why we learn to swim, and handling the pent up post lesson emotions. So much for the lazy days of summer. :)


That being said, once O got in the pool, he was his typical "school persona". When at school, he listens very well, focuses on the task at hand, and aims to please. The coaches at the YMCA were AWESOME, and I would recommend swim lessons there for any beginning swimmer. The lessons themselves were never the issue; it was the emotions that came with them and how to handle those emotions.

O and Coach M. She was patient and calm and she followed up on an off the cuff promise she made to Owen. Two thumbs up!

After two weeks of lessons, Owen looked at me and said, "I thought you said I would be able to swim after two weeks." Hmmmm...am I a liar? What I should have said was, "I didn't realize that you would be carried into the swimming facility, literally, kicking and screaming. I'm sure the stress of such an experience might have limited your ability to acquire the skills necessary to swim or distracted you from absorbing the full intent of the lessons." So, we went back for two more weeks, wanting to end on a high note. Or, I'm a glutton for punishment.

Praise God (literally, for we prayed for a better behind the scenes experience), weeks 3 and 4 were better. Coach C was a gift! I kept wanting to ask him what he was studying in college because he is a natural teacher. The kids connected with him, and he navigated that tricky balance between motivating the kids out of their "safe" spot and pushing them too far where they were too anxious to try new things. Owen did much better these weeks. I guess I forgot what a creature of habit he is, and he finally adapted to the "swim routine". Sweet mercies!



June, on the other hand, LOVED the experience. So much, in fact, that she did spend most lessons in the YMCA child care center. She tried to take her clothes off and get in with Owen every time, so maybe one of my kids will be a swimmer after all. It was a bit distracting for all parties though, so she played with her little friends in the air conditioned play area. She didn't know how good she had it because it is a hot 30 minutes on the side watching people swim while you sit on hot concrete.


The last day, the kids get to go down the big slide. For most of the kids, this is a big motivator. For mine, it's an episode of "Fear Factor."



Did I mention we all got reacquainted with some verses from Joshua, sung in the car, in the locker room, at the pool side..."Be strong and courageous and do not be afraid. The Lord goes with you each and every day. He'll never forsake you. Don't be afraid." It's true...both for Mom and Son.

And here he is on the last day.

Oh, and the delicious irony of Owen...now that lessons are over, we go to this same pool and instead of splashing and playing, he does drills for himself. He picks a skill and does reps until he can go farther than he's gone before. Coach C had lifeguard duty the other day and just shook his head at Owen. He said, "Umm, where was this motivation last month?" Buried deep, Coach, buried very, very deep. All's well that ends well, right?

Our Home

From McKinney to San Diego to Paris to Houston to Fort Worth to Searcy to Athens to Searcy to Pasadena to Fort Worth to Fresno and to Fort Worth...

Your decrees have been the theme of my songs, wherever I have lived.
Psalm 119:54

Praising God, once again, for His faithfulness, forgiveness, and provision,
shown to me through every age and stage of my life.

Catch Us If You Can...

Summer is in full swing (103 degrees) and so are we. Summer schedules (packing, moving, unpacking, swim lessons, grandparent time, play time, popsicle time) are not for the faint of heart. Still, June is taking it in stride.

Yep, that's how she leaves the house. I said, "Let's go to Sushi's." She said, "I be right back." 2 minutes later, she emerges with her shades, purse, princess ball, and a discovered sucker. A diva moment, for sure.

Aside from grandma visits, we've been busy with a list of to-do's and to-go's.

Here's a pic of June smiling, getting ready for "my Bible class...my animals". That's June-speak for our church's vacation bible school. This year was the story of God's passion for us and promise to us, told through the story of Noah. She is still asking to go to class and wears her shirt as soon as it comes out of the dryer.


Owen has gone crazy from two back to back sessions of swim lessons. See how the chlorine is affecting his brain?

This is the tough guy face.
Even after a 2 year hiatus from swim lessons (or perhaps because of a 2 year hiatus), the daily trip to the Y was met by weeping and gnashing of teeth. Fortunately for his coach, he suspended all surliness during the lesson, tried his best, and summoned courage on a daily basis. We'll keep practicing.

Sadly, we won't be practicing here:
Yes, we have moved and will only be at the beautiful Lost Spurs Ranch pool if we trespass. Almost 2 years there (our 2nd longest stay anywhere as a married couple) didn't make for an easy goodbye. Blessings to our friends and neighbors there; you are loved and will be missed.

We packed the apartment in record time and were blessed to have some Gordon time in the process. Alas, the pack-n-play was at Sushi's, so Aunt Nat thought quickly and made a crib-o-boxes for our sweet nephew. Graco, eat your heart out.



June is naturally affectionate and that love for Gordon combined with wrestling moves learned from Owen leads to headlocks of love.
June, distracted by the TV; Gordon, engaged by the camera. He's so stinkin' cute!
McNeese grandkids, so happy together!
Owen calls him G-Money; Gordon cackles EVERY time he sees Owen walk into a room.
This helmet hair led to a summer buzz cut for Owen. Yikes!

We also caught up with the infamous Skippy Jon Jones at the Roanoke Public Library. Have you ever read one of those books? Loved by the boy, but they wear my tongue out. Anyone else?


As far as the house goes: fireplace removed, lighting installed, tile laid, floors laid, paint on, odd jobs ALMOST done, 3 more boxes to unpack, one garage to organize (our first!!), and an Arnold open house will be here soon! With that and the unpacking, I'm exhausted but happy. Many a morning, I have to slap on my "fake-it-'til-you-make-it" face

but we are loving the life we've been given and cherishing every moment with friends like you!

June's House Hunt

The house hunting bug was contagious. Who needs a realtor, iPhone apps, and Sunday afternoon drives through random neighborhoods when you have June?

According to her, any good house needs

a welcoming entrance:

A good view:


An efficient kitchen layout:

A place to entertain with friends:
(Embry had an important phone call to take)

A nice porch:

Fortunately for us, our new home has all of that and more. Unfortunately for June, Miss Andrea's playhouse was not included in the purchase price.

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

As posted to our community newsletter for this month:

" Thank you from your CARES team!

It is with sadness that we share the news that this will be our last month here at Lost Spurs, serving you as your CARES team. Since we moved here, almost 2 years ago, we have been privileged to

· Celebrate births, marriages, new jobs, and more with you

· Mourn with you over divorces, death, and foreclosures

· Greet your children at the bus stop and at school functions

· Present local charities with your gifts

· Eat more than 100 meals with you (!)

Basically, we have been blessed to share life with this unique community and we thank you for the welcoming spirit shown to us and your fellow neighbors. We’ve lived in apartments for our entire 11 years of marriage, and there is no place that laughs like you guys! The memories are so rich!

When we drove over the hill last week, I cried when June said, “Dat my home” upon seeing the cluster of buildings here at Lost Spurs. Thank you for the love shown to our children."

As for what's next...a new home and a new job. But before I go into that, let me just cry over this one.

2 on the 2nd!

Happy Birthday to Miss Independent!



You've come a long way, baby! From day one...well, I can't even finish it. My heart overflows with tenderness towards this girl! Unique in a way that brings her Creator glory every day, we had to celebrate!

Getting excited!



Gordon, your cake is coming soon!


Wrestle time with Uncle Lee. I didn't know I had a nickname for Lee until June started calling him "Lee-boy." Now, I realize that I rarely call him anything else. The girl is a sponge for words, so be careful. ;)


Grammie with June's soccer ball.



I requested shoes this budding Imelda Marcos could take off and put on by herself!




This is as far as I went with the theme:



Taste testing. June is a little neat-nick, so the cake smashing thing is not her style.



Now that she has a spoon...and now that you see my back molars...

Hello, Hello Kitty balloon!




We try to keep the parties small while we can, so we had a crawfish boil on Mom and Dad's back porch. Joe was in town from LA and had never eaten a mudbug, and that's reason enough to sling some crawdads, potatoes, sausage, and corn in a pot. Digging in...




More food...bacon wrapped jalapenos.

Blog Silence...

When a kid-focused blog goes silent, it means either

• something has happened to the kids
• something has happened to the mom

Um, both. My sweet 6 year old (see last post) has morphed into a crazy man which has turned me into a discipline diva by day and a crying/praying mess at night. Oh yes, the blog world sees this:



but the pictures don't show the meltdown that happened roughly 30 minutes after these sweet photos were taken. I mean, I could have taken pictures, but then I wouldn't have my hands free for self-defense. Still, I'm trying not to let my memories of Mother's Day dwell on a rage fit (his, not mine) and instead think about a great weekend in Tyler with my grandparents.

Here's my dad with his parents. I'm sure he NEVER pulled any of these stunts as a child, right, Grandmom?




I don't want anyone to ever think that my life is only the pictures I post...smiles and special events. That's not life. And yet, not every challenge we face is meant for immediate public knowledge either. In the blog/Facebook world, I struggle for that balance between sharing and what some might perceive as bragging, being transparent and being too raw. I want people to see how our relationship with Christ transforms ALL parts of our lives, especially the ugly ones. For my child, though, some things are his story to tell another time. Some experiences are better left shared when someone asks to hear our story. As for us, no matter how today looks or tomorrow, I know Owen's story will be one of the transformative power of God. If you're a believer, isn't that your story? How I was...and how I am?

For me, every day is a new one, and it all brings me back to the example set before us. The psalmist said about our God: "He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him."

I'm clinging to that example as we dig in with our firstborn. Not just for him, but for me. I am so grateful that my mistakes are not my identity. The forgiveness, the freedom, the love, the compassion set me back on the right path every day. So, we start today with a fresh start and clean heart and go at it again.

• The good news for Owen, we're in this for the long haul, and he's worth every minute of it.
• The good news for us, this behavior is not his norm. Most days, he makes great choices, works hard at the goals he sets, loves friends and family with a fierceness, and shows a determination and focus that would make any obstacle quiver in fear...and he can beat-box.
  
• The Good News for all parents, the Lord has a plan and purpose for our children and loves them with abandon. I trust in that for me too.

We take our jobs as his parents seriously: to love, protect, and help him bear the image of his Creator. We are praying for wisdom as we do some course correction on some of our bad parenting habits. And hopefully, one day, when Owen is tempted to list all of our mistakes, he'll extend some mercy to us too. ;)