Countdown to 30...A bit about me

If you missed the first segment of my countdown to 30 (or really count up since I started with 1), go here first.

Now for a bit about me...

9) RRL sometimes jokes that I do not have a sense of humor because I really do not like "funny" movies. I'm not a fan of slap-stick jokes and would much rather cry in a movie. I also do not like cartoons much.

10) I could eat breakfast for 3 meals a day. I love almost any kind of breakfast food which is why a certain restaurant with the breakfast menu available all day is my favorite. I LOVE CRACKER BARREL!

11) Occasionally, I like to "accidentally" leave my pearls on after I change into my t-shirt and sweats from my work or church clothes. I think it says a lot about who I really am.

12) I hate shoes. I actually kind of liked the fact that my feet swelled during pregnancy so that I could have an excuse to wear tevas or reefs to work (my favorites). This did result in the famous "I went to work without shoes" incident, though.

13) I love mini-vans and have a dream to own one. I've wanted one since I was 16. They are just so practical and you can fit so many people! Really, if you ask me about my dream car...it would be a mini-van.

14) My favorite book of the Bible is James. One of the first verses that I really memorized was from James (1:5) and one of the first times I spoke in public was on James. It is like an old familiar friend.

15) I'm pretty consistently running about 15 minutes late. This is one of the characteristics I least like about myself, but since I've been about 15 minutes behind for YEARS, I'm not sure how to catch up with myself. As a result of this bad habit, I am frequently saying quick prayers of thanks for things like green lights, convenient parking places and light traffic. (Funny thing is I wrote this before we had a recent debate in our small group about whether God really is interested in such things)

16) I occasionally like to drink milk or juice straight out of the container. For some reason it makes me feel like a sneaky kid (I know, I need to get out more). Don't worry, I only do this at my own home and usually only at the end of the jug. Just to be safe, though, you might want to ask before you pour yourself a glass at our house.

Next 29th, I'll share some embarrassing moments (as if admitting that I drink out of the jug is not embarrassing enough)! Sorry, you'll just have to wait a WHOLE month.

Quick updates

The 29th is right around the corner so my "countdown to 30" installment for August will be here soon...be excited!

In the meantime here are a couple of quick snippets-

1) We went to a family reunion this weekend. The reunion part was so much fun and you should definitely check out pictures on Aimee's blog. The roadtrip part was not so fun. We made the 6 hour trip down on Friday and back on Saturday. Wouldn't have been so bad except for an oil spill and a bad wreck delaying us on the way there and the sub-par biscuits and one-star waiter at Cracker Barrel on the way back (no road trip is complete without a Cracker Barrell stop, but this one was one of my least favorites).

2) Thanks to Remotely Relevant Ramblings, I have a new and more efficient way of blog-reading. I know I'm probably WAY behind on this, but it is so cool to be able to read all of the blog updates on my favorite blogs in just one click. Be sure to follow her lead, though, on a resolution to still click over and comment.

3) As an addendum to my post about having little boys...
"Having boys means near death experiences that will scare the living day lights out of you (to quote my Grandmomma)." We were at a restaurant last night with friends and KJ was playing as we were about to leave. I looked over at him just in time to see him literally strangled by the rope he had been playing with. His face was turning red and he was not screaming for help, just staring at us wide eyed. I stood up and screamed while Ricky ran to rescue him. When they got back to the table, we were all in a shocked silence until KJ said "that hurt my neck" and I burst into tears. Praise the Lord that this story had a happy ending. We pretty much felt like parents of the year and are just so incredibly grateful that this will be a story we can laugh about later (much later). We STILL have a lot to learn about raising boys!

Boys will be boys!

**Updated to add pictures

Yesterday, KJ came running saying "Cbug is eating paper". I have a feeling that KJ actually fed Cbug the cute little scripture cards that we use as bookmarks. Don't worry, I think I recovered most of the wad before it did any damage. Oh, boys will be boys.

Two of my favorite people are expecting their first boys in just a few short months. I get so excited when I find out that one of my friends is having a boy because they are just so much fun! There is no way to possibly prepare them for all that is headed their way, but it has made me think about all that having boys means. I know some of these could probably be applied to girls, too, but I wouldn’t know about that! Also, pretty much everything I’m going to list could probably be found on some sappy poster at Hobby Lobby, but I had fun just thinking about all I have learned and enjoyed about having boys. There are several of my readers who have WAY more experience on this whole raising-boys thing. I’d love to hear from all of you about what having a boy means at your house.

Here’s my wealth of knowledge (from a whopping 2 years of little boys) on what having a boy means…

-You are sure to find rocks in your dryer. This happened to me for the first time last week and SHOCKINGLY…I cried. It was such a milestone (no pun intended) for KJ. The first time he brings home rocks in his pockets.

- Crying at weddings every time the groom walks his momma to her seat.

- Endless games of every kind of ball, frisbee, chase or hide and seek

- Praying that sweat suits will come back in style for teenage girls (Becky told me this at a youth event just after her oldest son was born. I didn’t understand it at the time but boy do I now! Thanks, B!!)

- Building tall towers out of blocks, just to watch them crash...then doing it again.

- Bandaging lots of scraped knees, bonked heads, and smashed fingers (Here is KJ's first black eye a few months ago)

- Being asked, in the sweetest voice, “Please kiss it for me” right before he runs off to try the same trick again.

- Getting funny looks in the nursery or bible class each week for the previously mentioned injuries.

- Feeling like you need to bolt down everything that should not be thrown

- Learning that sitting on the floor is an open invitation to be tackled or wrestled.

- Fine tuning your skills at stain removal

- Laughing until you cry, at least once a day

- Conquering your fear of bugs, and actually LOOKING for them!

- Acquiring important knowledge like whether the truck you just passed was a bulldozer or a backhoe

- Not being ashamed of making random animal noises or singing silly songs in public just to make him laugh

- Learning to pray in new way. (I remember a mom of a teenage boy once telling me that she often stood at her kitchen window where she could see her boys playing in the backyard so that she could watch and pray for their safety. I loved this because her boys were so tough and fearless.)

- Trying to learn when to rescue him and when to let him figure it out for himself.

- Debating each night whether you should wear a poncho for bathtime.

- Being so proud of his “big” accomplishments like going down the big slide, going under the water in the pool, or doing a flip.

- Actually loving the smell of a sweaty little boy because it means he’s played so hard and had so much fun! (And then there are the times when they decide to go swimming with their good clothes on)

- Getting a precious glimpse of what your husband might have been like as a boy

- Growing in love for your husband as you watch him play like a kid again!

- And most of all, having a boy means enjoying the special bond between a momma and her son. It just does not get much better!

I can’t wait to hear what some of you will add…

ABL

I'm on a roll!

I know that you probably do not even recognize my blog these days, with the flurry of posting activity. Don't worry, I'm sure it won't last and the blog slacker you know and love will return.




Here's a little bit of this and that...



- KJ is starting to really get the whole concept of telling us with words that he loves us. I love to hear him say "I love you so much" or to say "I want to hug you, momma". But sometimes he gets a little creative. Here are a couple of conversations with him...
Momma: I love you, KJ.
KJ: Yeah, I love me, too.


(PREFACE: We frequently tell KJ that he cannot play with Mommy's wedding ring because it is a special ring from Daddy that means he loves Mommy very much).
KJ: I love you, Daddy.
Daddy: I love you very much, KJ.
KJ: Where's KJ's special ring go?


- After this post, things have really improved when I go to worship services. I appreciate your prayers and encouragement. I think it is about 50/50 Cbug improving and my heart towards the situation being softened. It is also largely thanks to sweet friends who offer to help. Thanks, HC.


- KJ's imagination is really starting to come alive. He used to just call his stuffed dog, "Dog", his monkey was "monkey" etc. For the first time, though, he has given a name to one of his toys. The little man who sits in his helicopter is named "Friendly". At first I thought he was saying "Freddy", but he corrected me several times and we have established that his name is indeed "Friendly". Friendly sometimes gets in trouble for disobeying his Mommy. I have to work hard to keep a straight face for that one.


- RRL and I have been talking about doing a better job of getting to know our neighbors. Anyone had success with block parties?


- When I got in my car this afternoon the dashboard registered 125 degrees. Once I got the AC cranked up it made it all the way down to 109. YUCK.


- I think it is so cute that KJ has started adding "I think so" to the end of responses when we ask him questions. It makes me think I probably ask him "do you think so?" a little too frequently and he's just anticipating it. For example...
Momma: "KJ, where are your shoes?"
KJ: "In KJ's room, I think so."


-The only thing worse than baby spit-up is the spit-up from a baby who is eating solids...green and orange and all kinds of fun colors. I remember this with KJ, too, so I know it will pass but oh it is so gross.


- I know we are not alone in this struggle, but the price of gas is going to kill me...literally. Last week I filled up for the first time in a very long time (thanks to being out of town and RRL taking the cars frequently for fill-ups) and I just about had a heart-attack. Between that and the fact that our family easily buys between 2 and 4 gallons of milk a week...YIKES STRIPES.

- I am a self-proclaimed sap. The terrible thing is that I seem to always hear a sappy, make-me-cry song right as I am pulling into work. Nothing like showing up for the day with your mascara dripping. Check out these two songs (but grab a box of kleenex first). The first one especially is super cheesy, but you should expect no less from a sap.
1) Crystal Shawanda's "You can let go"
2) Dixie Chicks, "Lullaby"
(I just like the song, this is not an invitation for a political discussion)


- RRL and I are moving towards a time of big transition with his job. Please be praying for our family, for those involved in the transition and for peace. RRL has done (and continues to do) an amazing job of leading us out in faith, but admittedly it is a little scary.


I know this has been random. That's just how my mind works these days.
ABL

Pictures from Ruidoso Trip

As promised, here are a few pictures from our first mission trip (Ruidoso) with the 10th graders.

The family...before KJ's mullet got trimmed!

(And by the looks of it, before the boys had naps that day)

KJ and Mr. C have the funniest little game that they have played together since KJ was very little. No one really seems to know the rules except for the two of them and that makes it so special. Something to the effect of "Is it up there?" I'm glad to finally have a picture of it!

What a great friend!

Oh, precious HB played and played and played with KJ that week. What a God-send!

KJ's sweet friend J0-Jo!

I know this picture is blurry, but it was the best one we got of KJ singing at VBS. He loved to play with the microphone. Here he is singing "fuzzy caterpillar."

Beautiful NM sunset.

This may be one of my all-time favorite pictures. I love to watch KJ with his Daddy!

Cbug really did love VBS (sometimes).

Say CHEESE!

A sleepy little cowboy!

What an awesome group!

Great memories!

ABL