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. ;)

6 Years of Being Surrounded

Look who is a smiling SIX year old?? Nope, not the cardboard self-portrait of Mrs. Butley (though look at those lips!). It's OWEN!


Who knew he'd still have the baby cheeks at 5 years after this?


Reflecting on our life as parents and on Owen's personality (a WHOLE 'nother post in itself), I well up with gratitude at the network of support we have. There have been many days where I felt like we were going at this alone, but I was SO wrong. For every moment of Owen's existence, he has been surrounded.

To our friends in Pasadena who helped us to welcome him home from the hospital, thank you for being there for us in our first years as parents. (yes, Joe was our only "family" at the hospital until my mom arrived. Hysterically funny to me now that he and Michael were my only support team and I was happy as a clam!)



My teacher friends, our seminary community, our relatives, and our church family all encouraged us and loved on Mr. Owen since day 1. So many of you are still an integral part of our lives that I kick myself when I doubt God's future provision for us...look at what we have been given thus far! To my knees with gratitude!


To our family in Texas who rejoiced as the moving van and little blue car pulled in the driveway with the 3 of us (plus Joe), we love you! Through toddler tantrums and potty training, the relatives got introduced to daily life with Owen at such a crazy age. And even still, they cried tears as we loaded up the truck again.



To our friends in Fresno who welcomed us, thank you for jumping in to our lives in what could have been such an isolated adventure. Our neighbors at the apartments, Miss Nazeli, our coworkers, our friends at church, Bert and Rae (via LA road trips) and our dear Peter and Jen...we look back with nothing but fondness for each relationship we made in Fresno. Owen remembers Fresno for the sun, the pool, and our friends. They are some of his first articulated memories, and for that reason, Fresno will forever be a part of our family.










And now back "home"...another cross-country trip in a moving van and little blue car with 2 kids (and Joe)! Owen is now spoiled by grandparents, worn out by cousins, entertained by small group couples, nurtured by teachers, adored by a sister, and loved by neighbors and school friends.










So, if you're reading this and you love him half as much as I do, THANK YOU for helping us to surround and polish this little gem we were given 6 years ago.

To the Lord: your word says that you "surround me with songs of deliverance" and that for those who trust in you, your "lovingkindness will surround him." May Owen never walk alone!
Happy Birthday to my favorite 6 year old!




PS:
For those of you who can't remember what Mrs. Butley really looks like: