40 Acres

So, I was on my way home tonight from a fun evening with friends (thanks Thad and Kristen), and I was listening to a Caedmon's Call cd. Good stuff all around, but the song "40 acres" came on, and it really spoke to me. I've been way to focused on the negative lately. I keep seeing everything here as the opposite of what I had, and loved, in TX. Instead, I am deciding to try and remember that out here I am surrounded by things that were actually made by the fingers of God. The grass, the trees, everything. I'm going to try and look at it as an opportunity to not be surrounded by things made by man and "of this world" and really see God every day. I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to try. I think remembering that, and knowing that my kids will grow up surrounded by these things will help me find a reason to be here. I know God has a good work in store for us here, and I hope I find it soon. In the mean time, I'm going to try and get back to looking for the blessings in life instead of the negatives. Wish me luck!
Out on these Texas plains you can see for a million lives
And there's a thousand exits between here and the state line
About the last time that I saw you
You said call me Pandora, call me a fool
And I'm thinking this view it could do you some good
So drop these scales and take a look
*There's 40 acres and redemption to be found
Just along down the way
There is a place where no plow blade has turned the ground
And you will turn it over, 'cause out here hope remains
'Cause out here hope remains...
Out here the Texas sky is as big as the sea
And you're alone in your room like an island floating free
Your spirit's hanging in a bottle out on a tree
You say that you're the black sheep, I say you're still family
So throw that bottle to the waves
They'll bring you in to me and from the shore you will see
*
Out here the Texas rain is the hardest I've ever seen
It'll wash your house away, but it'll also make you clean
Now these rocks they are crying too
And this whole land is calling out for you
*

Date Night = Blessing

Today's blessing is...my husband's sweet thoughtfulness. Really, this should be yesterday's blessing, but it was WAY too late to post last night, so here we are. Ty and I hadn't had a date night in... well, I can't remember our last date night, so that tells you how long. Anyway, all he told me was that I needed to dress up. Yay! I love dressing up, and it just so happens that I'd saved a nice dress when packing up my seldom used clothes for the move. Of course, I was crossing my fingers, hoping it would fit since not much else of mine does. Luckily, I squeezed into it, and felt great about it. So we get in the car to take the kids to our good friends, the Neely's, to watch them for our surprise date. When we get there, they're all dressed up too! Stacey's Mom (who is one of the bravest women I know) kept all 4 kids while we went out on the town. I was so surprised and delighted to have our friends come along! We hopped in the car and went downtown to Mi Cosina for dinner (yum), and then to the Bass Hall for a show. While I can't all together recommend the show we saw, I love going to the theater and haven't been in FOREVER, so I'm not complaining. The night ended way too soon (it was a Tuesday after all), but I'm so thankful that my husband knew I'd been dying to do something like this for a long time. We'll have very few chances for things like this pretty soon, so it was so sweet of him (and our friends) to work it into our busy schedule. What a blessing!
P.S. I know I probably broke the photographers' code, but I just couldn't see myself with my camera around my neck, so I didn't get any pics. Stacey's mom took one, so if it's good, I'll post if when I get it.

Day 10

Wow! So many blessings, so little time. I honestly thought it would be hard to think of a different blessing every day, but surprisingly it's really been easy. Even though I'm sure many of them will seem kinda similar, there are blessings all around us if we'll just see them. Today, I'm even having trouble deciding what to pick! We had a wonderful time hosting some friends for a cookout. It's so great to be surrounded by people you love and who love you back. So, I think I'm going to go with friendship. What a wonderful gift from God! Isn't it fun how He made us to be friends with one another? He knew we'd need people in our lives to help us, support us, and encourage us, so he made us with the desire to have friends. And when you find those friends, you can truly see how God intended this life to be. So...my pic doesn't really have anything to do with friendship, 'cause I let MY friends do most of that. So instead, here's my favorite pic of the 17 or so I took. (P.S. they were all of the flowers and Anna).
Ooo! As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that I can take a pic of the blanket Brandi and Nick gave us! So sweet, and we will cherish it forever!

Day 9

Today's blessing is clouds. What an amazing difference a few clouds can make on the temperature outside! We've gone from down right oppressive 100+ degree temps to very livable (and I would even say pleasant) ones in just a day. Of course, I still wouldn't want to be one of those dedicated individuals who works outside for a living, but it makes sitting by the pool even more enjoyable than usual. Come to think of it though, today is the first day I've gotten sunburned while at the pool, which is odd considering it was the first time we haven't had the sun blazing down on us. Hmmm. Well, anyway, I can still marvel at how God made the weather to work just right so that moisture and air makes clouds, and they travel across the country and the world giving rain to the earth. It all works in complete harmony. Who else but God could have come up with something so exactly perfect? By chance you say? I think not! What a blessing!

Day 7? Anyway, it's another blessing!

Today's blessing...funny faces! I really have no idea what is going through Anna's head at this moment, but I cannot stop laughing at this picture! Mostly because this was toward the end of an entire day of me cracking up at my daughter. She is getting so expressive with her face (obviously), and she's trying to use "big people" phrases and words. It's funny to think about how she perceives what I say and hear her version of what I said. She's taken to telling me to be quiet when someone is on the phone (even the silly 8 year old on his cell phone at the playground), telling me to "stay right there" while looking down at me over the top of her nose (just like I do), and saying, "can't" instead of "don't want to" for everything. "I can't take a nap right now." "No, I can't want it." I can't like it." So silly, but that's what I love about her. We were talking about whether or not Abby has a chance of NOT being silly, and we decided it was either that, or she'll be the aloof one who always sits in the corner, acting like she doesn't know us. I really hope it's the former. What a blessing to have 2 sweet little girls who make me smile every day!

Blessing?

Ok - so I just realized that my camera is in still in the baby's room, and since she's finally fallen asleep after fussing for 10-15 min. I'm not about to risk waking her up to go in and get it. Plus, I wasn't too happy with any of my pics today anyway. So, I think I'll pick something that wouldn't really make a great photo. Wanna guess? It's not in your house, but you use it all the time. In winter you'd forget about it, but in summer it's your best friend. Got it? It's the AC!!! That's right the good old air conditioner. Keepin' things cool. Man oh man, it's hot out there! Can you imagine being someone who can't afford/flat out doesn't have an AC unit right now? This is the 16th day of 100+ temps this year in DFW! Even though I complain about Ty freezing me out all the time (I'm wearing a sweater right now), I feel so blessed to be protected from the heat and so nice and cool! So what about you? Can you name a blessing in your life? Share it!

Day 6

Today's blessing...Sprinklers!

Today's blessing came fairly early. We were having to test the sprinklers to make sure they were all working. Anna was outside with me, and immediately ran over and stuck her arm in the water! Well, she was already pretty wet, so I let her run around some more. She loved it! She would tell me, "all done," and then when I'd go to turn them off, I'd turn around and see her running in them again. Finally, after the grass had gotten a pretty good soak, we had to call it a day. She had so much fun, thought, it was sad to turn them off. If the stranger man who was testing them wasn't there, I might have jumped in too. As it was I'd already gotten sprayed when I was walking across the lawn to see if the zone on the side of the house was on when the guy turned them on right where I was standing. I don't think he meant to, and it took me a little by surprise too (especially since I was holding my camera)! What a blessing to be reminded that it is the simple things in life that can bring you the most joy!

Day 4 (I think...I'm already off!)

Today's blessing...the best Doctor in the whole wide world...Dr. Baker! Ok, this is a picture of a picture, and probably not the best one I'll ever take, but I thought it might be a little creepy of me to take my camera to our appt. and ask if I could take a picture of her. Am I right here? None the less, she is SO my blessing of the day. Her clinic was built about a block away from my house only a few months before Anna was born. I was randomly paired with her because she was new, and boy was I lucky! At a time when I was feeling totally unprepared and lost, she listened and talked with me patiently, held my hand every step of the way, and gave me some very needed encouragement. It might sound silly that she would say, "You're doing a good job," but I really needed to hear it. Hopefully, someday she'll read this and know what a joy she has been in my life. Yay for God putting the right people in your life at the right time! What a blessing!

Blessing...

Today's blessing is...my hydrangea plant!

Ok, I know that I've already used a plant, and technically I didn't take this picture today. But it's a different plant, and it's still a blessing so there! This plant has more endurance that most people I know. It has almost died at least 2 times. At least 2 times, I've told Ty, "Just forget about it!" 3 times now, it has come back, and it's one of the more beautiful plants in our landscape. This thing just won't give up! It has survived being totally scorched, almost scorched, and dug up/replanted all 3 times, and now look at it. It reminds me that as a soldier of Christ, wearing His full armor, I can endure all of the trials this life has to offer. When I'm finally done with the fight, I'll get to go to a place where I am free to bloom in complete harmony with God! Isn't it great how God can use a little thing to teach you a big lesson? Ok, for those of you who are the technical types and might chide me for using an old picture, here is one I actually took today. I would have used it, but I've already said "cuteness," and I'd like to reserve using each of my children for days when I really can't think of anything else. ;) Well, that's all for now. Have a blessed week!

Day 3

Today's Blessing...cuteness!

Today's cuteness is courtesy of my good friend Kristeen who got this adorable cow towel for Abby. It came with matching slippers which were just a "little" to big. Anna has snatched those up, which is fine with me 'cause now she can stop wanting to wear mine all the time. Today was kind of a rough day (Abby was very fussy), but seeing her looking so cute after her bath really helped smooth things over. Thanks Kristeen!

Day 2

Today's blessing:

Friends you can have fun with. I am having so much fun with these gals (and guy, Carter)! I wish all my friends could not work and go swimming with us, but we have such a blast playing in the water. What a blessing to have friends you can kick back, hang with, and know that you are loved by no matter what. I am so thankful for these girls and all my precious friends! My favorite shot of the day is this one of my sweet friend Amber swimming with Anna. She was so sweet to let Anna splash her over and over with the water. Isn't it great that God designed us to seek out and bestow friendship upon each other?!

365 Days of Blessings

Well, as I've been trying to think of something other that what I really want to post about to post about, I had a great idea! Lots of people are doing the take a picture every day thing. I thought, "Why not take it a step further?" I am going to look for a blessing every day, and take a picture of that. This way I'll spend every day focused on all the wonderful things God is giving me and gt picture practice in one. I may not post every single one, and most will be straight out of the camera. Some will be small; some will be big, but each one is a blessing just the same. So, day 1... my rose bushes! They have been with me since my first day in this house. Honestly, they were one of the only things I liked about this house at first (we called it "the poopy house"). When we finally moved in, the bed they are in was full of weeds, some shoulder high! But these things just kept on growing and booming. They have greeted every Spring and heralded every Fall with me for 5 years. Isn't it marvelous that our God can make something mighty like the ocean, and then something delicate and beautiful like the rose? What a blessing!