the crumptons

Kick

2011-04-29T15:25:00.006-05:00

(posted by Philip)

When I was younger, I would get on Sam's frozen food kicks. Barbecue sandwiches, burgers, etc. Now I'm on an Internet ad-modification kick. Observe:

This one started it all. I've had enough of personalized ads telling me I'm scrawny or puny. This battle had to be fought.

The rest are in no particular order, but I do have to thank Facebook.com and Weather.com for giving me all of my starting material. The "Abilene Bucket List" (via Facebook ads) is also a never-ending resource for my new kick.

intimacy with the Father keeps you out of the ditch

2011-04-27T13:15:00.004-05:00

Today while getting ready, I started thinking about all of the things I want to do, do differently, do better, and the like. It started to feel heavy and insurmountable, and as I've grown closer to the Lord, I know His burden is always light. He told me to make a list of things that I could remember that have changed over the years. It looked something like this:

*I no longer drink cokes at lunch and dinner (meaning everyday)
*I exercise regularly
*I enjoy coffee
*I don't like salt on my tortilla chips
*I enjoy raw onions
*I enjoy reading much more
*I don't enjoy the majority of news shows
*I don't enjoy much TV at all, really
*Washing dishes doesn't bother me
*I fold clothes automatically out of the dryer
*I vaccuum much more often
*I clean much more frequently
*I try to look "put together" and beautiful for my husband
*I eat healthier generally (i.e. whole wheat pasta, fresh veggies instead of canned, whole wheat bread, etc(
*I feel worthy, rich, humble, and free!
*I have enmity toward dishonor (sarcasm, humor, etc)
*I see people as just people (no fear of man or intimidation)

Although not complete, it helped me remember things that I have wanted to change in the past- and have succeeded by situation or desire.

I feel like I have have so many things I'd like to reorient in my life- thinking patterns, habits, etc that feel quite overwhelming when I think of them amassed before me. God tells us to renew our minds; to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed. Our minds are subject to overload because that is where battles take place. All the time. To renew our mind by the Word of God is to take back ground that is rightfully ours.

The key to making changes in our lives successfully comes from being led by the Holy Spirit. Leaning into His chest and knowing what He is saying. Listening to that gut feeling that not-so-ironically is a good physical place for our spirit to reside. Even in decisions like eating a certain way or behaving a certain way. We are led from a place of intimacy. No more being steered into the same old patterns and ruts! It's time to relax, listen, and be led into the new thinking, new routines, and new glory! So be it!

You want to honor God? The greatest way to honor anyone is by your presence!

Intimacy with the Father makes you the perfect person- everything you have ever wanted to be.

HS-HS-U-U!

2010-09-12T09:31:00.002-05:00

Last night we went to watch a friend play football against Willamette from OR. We won!

This was my first game since college, Philip's first HSU game ever and the boys' first football game ever. We only made it to the 3rd quarter, but we had so much fun! We'll definitely be back to root on the purple and gold!

This picture was the best taken, by the way. Deron was really into the game, but getting tired and silly, Jude was just tired, Daddy was tired, and I was desperate for a family shot! ahh well..

1st day of Kindergarten!

2010-09-12T09:13:00.003-05:00

Breakfast of Champions

My Kindergartener!

Ice Cream to celebrate!

this is for you Erin!

2010-08-22T15:42:00.002-05:00

I don't know how many of you are seamstresses in hiding. I wish I had the talent, the time, the ambition to make beautiful things out of gorgeous fabric and decorate my home (or myself!) with them. I love seeing the creativity come out of seemingly nowhere!

Recently I came across this blog of a woman who had an itch to stir up her creativity. 365 days, $1 a day to spend on a thrift store find. She then recreates it to her liking as a dress or top of some kind. I can sit here for hours reading her blog! So awesome!

Erin, you could so do this! (But I totally understand if you want to wait until all 3 kids are in school. :) Love you, friend!

Jude turns 1!

2010-08-13T14:45:00.004-05:00

August 6th marked our little beetlebug's 1st birthday! It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but so fun! I had to convince myself I wasn't letting anyone down by not planning his party 6 weeks in advance. And truthfully, his invitation was non-existent (which really kinda saddens me because I am making a REAL effort to try to make his babybook as complete as Deron's is *his is awesome* before the new baby comes and also just because he's a 2nd child doesn't warrant less amount of pictures or a hardly filled-out book!). I sent his "invitation" around on facebook, people! *sigh* oh well. I can laugh about it now.

My sister and brother-in-law came out to spend the weekend with us, which was so fun, and my parents drove out Friday night, getting here at midnight when they had to leave the next day right after the party. Such committed grandparents! I love it! We woke up early Saturday morning to start preparing, and I decided that morning I will never ever throw a morning party again. It really wasn't terrible knowing there were only a few hours to get everything together, but it was just an unnecessary hassle. It was fun having a lot of our friends over to the new house though! We had the party outside on the patio, which being in August you might rethink, but it was shady and cooler than you'd think being at 10:00am. If it hadn't rained the night before, it would have been perfect.

The cake was beautiful and delicious, kudos to Albertson's (who gives you a free 1st birthday cake)! And Jude devoured it like I've never seen. It might have been the best 1st birthday cake eating ever. He was covered. And we hosed him off after I thought his sugar intake was reaching critical levels. After most everyone left, I laid him down and he crashed for a good 3 hours. I think the party was successful. Here's to another fabulous year!!

shout out to Curtis (our Dodge Caravan)

2010-08-09T20:30:00.008-05:00

updates

2010-07-24T08:12:00.002-05:00

So we've been in our house for over a month now, but it still doesn't feel like home just yet. It doesn't smell right when we walk in the door, there are still boxes in the workshop, and I've only cooked a few meals since we've moved in. I'm really anticipating the moment when I can sit on the couch and sigh a happy sigh that I am home and relaxed. A big thing that I think will help is getting some window coverings for all of the windows in the living room- it's a bit exposed. We're saving for just the right shades, probably roman shades to give it some warm texture. Anyway, there are still plenty of projects to do, I just have to keep motivated to finish them and not get overwhelmed!

My days currently seem to be spent keeping bug from trampeling beetlebug as they wrestle or chase each other or wrestle some more. I didn't realize there would be so much wrestling! I'm glad we got plush carpet... Thankfully, Jude seems to love the attention his brother pays him and slams right back at him, he just (obviously) doesn't have the muscles to fight back. Deron carries him around the house all the time and is really great to keep him out of things if I ask him to. Deron might be feeling a bit under appreciated at times, since one of his favorite games to play is "second little baby".

Jude can climb up on the couches now and hasn't fallen off yet, he's very careful to swing his legs over the edge when getting off. We have 2 steps that go down into the boys' side of the house and I wanted to make sure he could do those just fine, and he does! No worrying here! He has taken a few steps and will stand for long periods of time, but walking is still in the very near future. He still has the sweetest countenance ever!

I had a voice lesson this week for a new student and remembered how much I love teaching voice. I can't wait for this next year to come around and see all of my students again! We have lots to learn and lots to accomplish this year! Yay! I ended the year with 10 students and at least 2 on a waiting list, so hopefully I'll grow my studio this year to accommodate more.

Philip is still as busy as ever. We're trying to figure out how he can have a day off without still having to work those hours on an EXTRA day just to get everything done. That makes no sense. Is that normal? People should be able to have a day off, right? Oh well, we're figuring it out. I would love to get up to my grandparent's lake house sometime this summer, but we'll see if that happens.

In other great news, we're expecting again!! I'm only about 9 weeks along, but I'm at the stage where I can't make it through the day without a nap. My body just shuts down about 1pm and I can't help it! My nausea is waning a bit, thankfully, but I just want to sit around and be sleepy! haha... We're really excited and have a sonogram Monday to "see how many are in there" as Philip keeps saying. :)

There you go! I know I left a ton out, but there's a little!

I am blessed...

2010-07-23T08:47:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I heard a brief comment from a speaker at our church who has very spiritually-minded and awesome children that he has them speak a few things over themselves every morning. It touched me deeply and I decided to do the same. So I sat down and asked the Holy Spirit to help me make a list of things I want my kids to know about themselves. I draw on these things then all day long, when they need correction or not, to remind them who and how awesome God made them!

I am blessed.
I am happy.
I am nice and fun to be around.
I am a helper.
I am anointed.
I am rich.
I am good-looking.
I will look for the greatest possible good that could happen in me and in those around me.
My words are pleasant and bring life.
My tongue is used to encourage and lift up.
Rebellion, deceit and dishonor are far from me and will not influence me.
I will call on the powerful Name of Jesus to give me authority and power in all situations.
God's peace will be where I walk and His joy is what I proclaim!

grandpa's 90th birthday bash!

2010-07-16T09:38:00.003-05:00

This year my grandpa turned 90! (And my grandma is right behind him.) In true Houseworth-family tradition, we had a good excuse to all get together and party! We had fun seeing cousins and aunts and uncles from Portland to Colorado to New Jersey and Texas, of course. Here are a few pics of our few days of celebrating, but there are definitely more on facebook, if you're interested.

We loved seeing each other and honoring grandpa, but some of the coolest part was a table full of memorabilia from his days in the Air Force. He was a Lt. Col. and flew Fighters. They had his uniform, all of his medals, log books dating back to the 40s, drawings, pictures, and so much more! What wonderful history!

(The great-grandkids showing off their El Fenix tatoos.)

slowing down

2010-06-05T10:04:00.002-05:00

I had a major revelation this week. I tend to overcommit myself. It's not anyone's fault, but my own. I have so many exciting things I want to do, but I just don't have the time or the energy to do them!

Among the things I want to do and have semi-committed myself to doing in the past couple of months include:
-training for and running a 5K
-eating "clean" as much as possible
-teaching summer voice lessons
-painting, remodeling, updating our new house
-getting back into a 5-day-a-week gym routine
-trying to make more money having a part-time job
-playing league tennis
-worship leading as much as possible

and these are on top of the housewife/mommy/nurse/housekeeper roles that I'm already fulfilling (and take top priority).

If I could, there are even more things I would add in a second to my list of desires. Traveling, reading, blogging, late night get-togethers with friends, and more would fill my time completely up! But the truth is, even with trying to do all of these things, I'm finding I'm more and more unhappy doing the things I love. I'm starting to cut things down. Don't let me disappoint you if I've committed to do something for or with you. I would LOVE to, but it's just going to have to wait.

Maybe when the kids are all in school and I have more time during the day to play. Maybe then I can take up tennis again. Or every year pick one or two things on my list to delve into. Or maybe when the kids leave for college. We'll see.

But one thing I know. My life looks a lot better when it's not filled to the brim with STUFF to do. Even stuff I love to do. Sure, there are things we need to get done, like the house, but I can do that if I'm not doing 20 other activities that day, and the kids don't suffer.

So I'm paring down. And I'm excited about it.

it's (one of the) most wonderful times of the year...

2010-06-05T09:56:00.002-05:00

The older I get, the more I like summer. Not just because of the pool, the relaxing warm showers after the pool (and the long naps the kids take after the pool), the sno-cones, the lazy Sundays, the vacations, and my birthday.

I love all the tennis!! This weekend is the French Open finals. Next month is Wimbledon. then August and September is the US Open. I love it!

80's TV

2010-05-29T22:14:00.006-05:00

With the death of Gary Coleman this week, I began thinking about all of the hours I spent watching fabulous television as a kid. What great memories and fantastic TV!! Anything on air today pales in comparison to these awesome shows. The wit, the humor, the one-of-a-kind storylines! Genius! Some of my favorites are:

Be still my heart! What a handsome man this guy was! And he got to watch those kids every day! I wanted a live-in babysitter just like Charles! Oh... love him!

She was the epitome of cool. Spunky. Fashionable. (I mean, who else would think of tying bandanas around your knees?!) Had an awesome dog. And a cool voice.

Ok. Can you think of another show that has a better plotline than this one? Two guys who's apartment building burns in NYC and the only place they can find to rent is a women's only building. So every time they go home, they have to dress in women's clothing. All the women know them as women, but they lead lives of quiet desperation. Love it!

This one is Out of This World. Literally. Evie here can stop time by touching her fingers together and then talk to her dad who is an alien through a crystal that lives on their livingroom coffee table.

To be honest, I loved this show. I'm not sure why, really. And I feel like it wasn't on for very long, to my dismay. Plotline is simple- a dad, who also coaches basketball at the high school, and mom have 10 kids. And the funny-ness ensues. I wished there was more to enjoy.

Ah.... Small Wonder. Where the daughter is really a robot. But not everyone knows it. That's pretty much it. It was wonderful.

This is a classic, obviously. Everyone has seen an episode of Who's the Boss, right? I just loved when Tony and Angela finally fell in love (toward the end of the running...), but man it was good TV.

And Perfect Strangers. Another classic. I'll leave it to wikipedia to explain it's simple premise:The series chronicles the rocky coexistence of Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot). A Wisconsin native, Larry, who comes from a large family with numerous brothers and sisters, has just moved into a new apartment in Chicago, and is experiencing his first joys of newfound privacy when Balki, a hitherto unknown cousin from a Greek-like island in the Mediterranean called Mypos, drops by to live with him. Balki, a shepherd by trade, interprets what little he knows about the United States by relying on his own recollections of American pop culture, which are often out-of-context ("America... Land of my dreams, home of the Whopper").

Of course there are ones I have left out like The Wonder Years, Growing Pains, and the ones I watched sometimes but didn't really care for, like Night Court and (gasp) Cheers. But who doesn't wish all of the CSI and Law & Order shows were replaced for more of this! (Don't flog me for that comment. :)

our new house!!

2010-05-24T18:56:00.002-05:00

This morning we closed on our new house! I'm so excited to get in there and update it like crazy and get our stuff in there! Living out of bins and with 90% of your stuff in the garage is not a great long-term situation. (By the way, one of the FIRST things to go are those awnings. It makes the house so dark inside! We need sunlight, baby!)

This is the back of the house. The picture was taken in early spring, so the lush St. Ausgustine grass hadn't come out yet (but I knew it was there!) Direct your attention at all the windows lining the back of the house! Yay!! The addition on the right side of the picture will be our studio.

I am SO excited to have people over here and watch ministry take place and friendships grow! This is such an inviting backyard. And it has a wonderful patio area. The trees are huge and allow shaded sunlight through to the whole yard. Helloooooo morning coffee! I have a feeling Deron will learn to climb trees in that one of the left.

As we start getting things updated and doing work, I'll try to keep this updated. Before/after pics are so fun!

let me try to explain...

2010-05-13T20:49:00.008-05:00

So here we are halfway through May. Ok, let's catch up.

Early February I went to TMEA for the first time. Spent time with my mom and sister and saw around 60 (then I lost count) old music friends that weekend. It was interesting seeing so much "networking" with teachers, and there really wasn't a ton I was able to take back with me (being a voice teacher), but it was nice checking it out. NATS will probably be more up my alley. Oh, and this meant Philip was a single dad with a baby and a 4 year old for 4 days! He did SO awesome!

Also in February we looked at a house. It was a nice house, but after seeing the inside, not one we were interested in. But little did we anticipate, it started the ball rolling to where we are today. In a matter of weeks, we decided we wanted to buy a new (and bigger) house, put ours on the market, it sold (in 10 days), we moved out, found the house we wanted to purchase, and signed a contract. Right now we are living in our first home that my in-laws still own waiting for our new house to close in about a week and 1/2. Whew! We're so excited!! Among many things, it has a FANTASTIC bathroom and closet, backyard and a finished out workshop that will function as a our office/studio!

Speaking of studios, my voice studio is at 10 students and has been all semester. I'm loving teaching these kids. I feel like I've found my niche- at least until my dream comes true... :)

Mid-March, Philip and I took our yearly MFE (Marital Fulfillment Excursion) to Colorado Springs. It began by heading to Irving to drop off the kiddos and getting a massage, driving back to Abilene to be at our awesome church Sunday morning, then leaving that night. We hiked Garden of the Gods, rode horses in Pike National Forest, sang tunes and got bees thrown at us at the Golden Bee, and spent lots of time reading, praying together, worshipping together, and getting a vision for our family and our marriage. We had beautiful sunny weather in the 60s all week, and started snowing the day we left. Oh! We also got upgraded to a suite! Sweet!

March 30th Deron turned 5 years old! We had a bowling party at Primetime with many of his friends. He has grown into such a handsome, loving, silly, and intelligent kid. He loves his brother and loves to play with him! Deron is reading very well now, hardly gets caught on any words, and does math in his head easily. I love that he will randomly tell us he loves us and gives us big hugs. He's still really into Thomas, tennis, and bowling.

April was really all about moving. Packing, sorting, looking for a new house, and all that goes on with that. I also got real close to fulfilling another dream of mine, which is to play in a tennis league competitvely. I got connected with a woman and her team, but after practicing with them and realizing the time it would take, decided that right now is probably not the right time. This was a hard decision for me, since it is something I really want to do. But it just not for now. And that's ok. Hopefully next season we'll be more settled and I'll get to do it!

April 30-May 1st was the women's retreat at Miller Ranch near Lawn, TX. It was beautiful and such an anointed time of worship and teaching. We all received Devi Titus' new book The Table Experience. Get it. You need it. God's been growing more of a gift of prophecy in the last several months (I think because I've asked him for more!). It's such a privilege to co-labor with the Father in such a personal way. Words of wisdom, knowledge and visions for people have deepened my faith in His Word and I have seen such a new manifestation of His power! He really loves people. I'm starting to see His heart for us. And it only gets better! More of You, God! That's what I want!

This last week we've been visited by Pastor Lincoln Serwanga. He's originally from Uganda, but pastors a church in London, England. He has brought such impartation to our church, Philip and I as a couple, and me as a worship leader and as a person. There is a lot happening in our church right now, many many wonderful things. Growth in miracles and signs of His Spirit, breakthroughs in worship and adoration and love! I am so thankful to be a part of a church that welcomes God in all of the ways He shows up! We cherish being in His presence and love seeing Him set people free every single week! God, I can not thank you enough for what you have done for me. You have shown Yourself so mighty in countless ways. I love knowing how much you enjoy me. I love knowing how much You can't wait to be with me. Thank you for your incredible love. Thank you for your endless love. Thank you for your powerful love!

Jude is now 9 months old! Ca-razy!! He is so mobile! Pulling up and "cruising" is nothing to this little guy anymore. I do believe at the end of the month he may be walking. Deron was over a year when he started walking! Several weeks ago, Jude bit into an extension cord that was plugged in to my hairdryer (that I was using at the time!). It popped, sparked, flamed, smoked, and smelled. I threw Jude off of it and examined him. With screaming baby in hand, I frantically called Philip because my judgement was hindered. I didn't know whether to call the doctor's office, call an ambulance, do nothing, or what! He calmly said, "Take him to the ER. I'll meet you there." Turns out, I really believe by God's infinite grace he only got 2nd degree burns on his hand. Poor thing, they hooked him up to heart monitors and was entagled in cords for quite awhile. After they determined he was *mostly* fine, they wrapped his little hand to what looked like a club for a hand. He wore that for a couple of days, then his doctor said just put neosporin on it and have him wear a sock on his hand. Within a week, his hand had almost completely healed to where you couldn't see any signs of burning unless you knew what you were looking for. Praise God who is the ultimate Healer! Now his hand is completely normal. No signs whatsoever. Yay!!

hard habit to break

2010-01-16T21:30:00.002-06:00

Boy, I've been out of the habit of keeping a blog. And it shows.

Things are good! Tonight I got my 8th student in my voice studio. I'm so blessed to have found a job that I USE my degree, and I LOVE! Really, you should try it. It's very rewarding. Last week I had 5 students, this week, 8! And probably more on the way! What's even more special about this number is that it reaches a goal Philip and I have had for years for a monthly income. God is so good to remember our requests and honor them when we honor Him!! Praise Him for His provision and endless love!

Jude is cute as can be. He's 5 1/2 months now, rolling, scooching, grabbing, and sitting (until he loses his balance). He has the cutest laugh and loves smiling so huge at everyone! We're finally figuring out a good schedule, too. If you remember, he started sleeping 10 hours at night at about 2 mo. Then he got sick and the time change happened and it totally messed him up. He started waking up 2-3 times at night again and kept that going until last week when Philip and I decided that was enough of that. We tried crying it out (sorta) during the night, but he would wail and scream so hard... Then last week I was talking with a few moms that made me realize that now since he's waking at about 4am, he probably is legitimately getting hungry, since he goes to bed at 8. So, the last few nights I've gotten up, fed him, and he goes right back to sleep for several hours.

Also, we're in the process of weaning. I love breastfeeding and think it's absolutely the best thing for a baby. But there just comes a time when, well, it's just time. I have peace about it. And it's almost been 6 months. Deron went 8 months. The thing is, I just don't think I'm making enough to satisfy him completely. So, we've been playing around with supplementing and such, and he's been SO happy! He's also eating cereal and veggies! What a big boy!

Isn't it funny how the big milestones in life have to do with food and poop? Think on that.

I'm still working out at least 4 times a week at my awesome gym (I love it there). I really love the people I'm around, most of them encouraging and interested in you. I've had so many people tell me how good I look and how I've lost weight (I wish...) since I came back after having Jude. Truth is, I still have about 8 pounds left to get back to pre-pregnancy, and it's proving quite difficult. I'm not obsessed, just wanting to find something more. I've started little by little to start running in addition to my normal classes during the week at the gym. Even if I get there 30 min. early, I can knock off a few miles and challenge my heart. It feels great to have a new challenge!

Deron is at his new school (at our church). He's loving it, making new friends, and surprising his teachers. He's such a smart kiddo. And he's reading now as well. I'm so proud! And he's such a sweet big brother. And Jude laughs and smiles and talks to Deron like he wants to be just like him. It's great!

Well, there's an update for you all. Blessings!

a year in review

2010-01-03T22:07:00.002-06:00

goodbye 2009, it was a great ride!

January - I started my last semester of college and spent it student teaching. I realized I did not want to be an elementary music teacher (kudos to those that are!) and did not want to be a working mom either. So much stress! Deron had to stay in daycare and I hated to leave him there all day! We also let everyone know we'd be welcoming another little Crumpton into our family!

February- More student teaching. We had the annual Valentine's Banquet at the church- always a fun event.

March- Deron turned the big number FOUR and we found out our little jelly bean was a boy! We let everyone know his name in a birthday card to Deron at his party. I made a train cake that turned out really "Eastery".

April- I was student teaching at a high school in town and liked it a lot more, but still realized that teaching in a classroom was really not something that excited me.

May- Graduation!!! Finally, 9 years after starting (with a few "out" years in between, I finished my degree! It was amazing to have my grandparents in town who had never seen our house. And most of my family. I felt so supported and honored. We also received a van as a graduation present which put my mommy worries at ease!! (We'd been with only one car for over a year and a half, and I did not know how we would handle traveling anywhere with 4 people and all of our STUFF!)

June- Deron and I spent the majority of the month at the swimming pool, soaking up rays and keeping occupied! Philip took the first summer class ever. Philip and I also took our yearly "getaway" weekend trip just the two of us to Dallas. We had a wonderful time without our wonderful bug, eating at great new restaurants and exploring.

July- I turned 27. Geez. I never want to be a person who is ashamed of her age- I think it's silly. But it just amazes me that I'm already there. Philip took more summer classes, so we couldn't go on vacation. :( I had a wonderful baby shower in Abilene with tons of special friends. I'm still so honored that Erin and Tamara came out from Dallas!

August- Our beautiful beetle bug, Jude, was born. Right on time (thank you, planned c-section). He is the biggest smiler you've ever seen and such a cuddler. I can't imagine our family without him now. Deron started pre-school at Cornerstone Christian School where I taught music for a semester a year or so ago. He made some great friends and really started excelling in reading and math. I also started teaching private voice lessons to high school students in Abilene. I found out that this is what I want to do. I love it for so many reasons! By the end of the semester I have 5 students.

September- At 5 week postpartum I started -slowly- working out again at the gym (where before I was student teaching, I was working out 5 days a week). I was so anxious to be back! I had done BodyFlow (yoga/tai chi/pilates mix) several times a week up to 2 weeks before Jude was born, and I really think that helped recovery immensely. Philip started his last semester of school with a whopping 16 hours, working full-time at the church, preparing for his senior composition recital, co-leading a Connect Group at our church, and trying to be an attentive daddy, hubby, and partner. We knew it would be the toughest semester yet, so we just bit it and moved forward with infinite understanding and grace. We also attended a marriage conference in Colleyville by Pastor Jimmy and Karen Evans on financial intimacy. It revolutionized our outlook on our finances!

October- Pretty much the same... rehearsals for Philip's recital started taking up several evenings a week on top of schoolwork and homework and studying. It was really hard with a newborn in the house to stay on top of everyday things, but we kept going. We made a commitment to have a weekly date night a year and a half prior to this, so that was an easy consistent getaway for us every week. Thank you, Jesus!

November- Philip had his senior composition recital which turned out wonderfully! I was so proud of him for his talent and excellence! And some of my family were able to come out to support him, which was awesome. Also, the HSU orchestra premiered a work Philip wrote, which was a total blessing. He had submitted the score just with the intent to get it read through! Jude got sick for the first time this month, with double ear infections, a staph infection, and a weird diaper rash. Since then (and still), he has not slept through the night. It had been a typical 10-hour stint for months! *sigh* We're working on that now. Deron also caught a yucky stomach bug.

December- Deron finished up at Cornerstone, I went on break from teaching, and Philip GRADUATED!! We held a nice reception for him at our church, and he received enough money to buy a nice computer he's been wanting to build. (In fact, as I write this, he's researching and salivating over the parts he's bought and I think I see a leg-twitch of excitement.) I am so proud of him in so many ways, and want to brag that he graduated with a 3.99 GPA. (He only received one "B", and that was because when he dropped out, he had such a high average in one class that with missing everything else in the semester, he still ended up with a "B". We decided he shouldn't take it again just for the prestige of a 4.0). What a smart guy!! I also got the opportunity to lead worship at our church at the beginning of the month, but got a yucky stomach bug so it had to be postponed until this month. This is a dream for me, and I'm so fortunate to be a part of a church where the leadership wants to stand with you and facilitate you reaching your highest potential and dream! I received for my graduation present a guitar (I lovingly call Firebird), which I am so excited about it helping my dream of leading worship come even closer. Philip and I also celebrated 6 awesome years of marriage to each other! We're anticipating a nice long trip to celebrate just the two of us in February. Yay!! Jude started rolling over and scooching all over the floor. Christmas was a great holiday, with lots of snow (even my first blizzard warning!), and new traditions with our own little family. It is so special to create these times with my husband and our sons. I've absolutely LOVED having a husband around. It's wonderful having him here to play with Deron so I can attend to Jude, and seeing their relationship blossom. He's such a loving and great daddy! And finally, New Years Eve was spent with great friends, and ended with communion and "speaking forth" things for the New Year. Our new season. We welcome you, 2010.

As Pastor Jaycee from YFN always says.... "The best is yet to come!!"

a new season

2009-12-27T21:27:00.005-06:00

Wow. What a whirlwind has happened since October...

November held Philip's Senior Composition Recital where he premiered 7 new pieces ranging from voice and strings to choral to electronic to saxes and strings. It was so amazing to hear his talent and get to "show him off" to our family and friends. He has such a gift.

The end of November we headed out to my parent's house for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun meeting our new nephew, Mason, who is just about 6 weeks younger than Jude. There were 6 kids under 7 in the house for 2 days! Whew! The funny story from Thanksgiving was that I made the turkey, since I have for several years now, but never for my family. So I did it this year (I use Alton Brown's recipe... YUM), but I forgot to bring our probe thermometer that stays in the meat with the cord that comes out of the oven to the reader. So I had to use my parent's normal meat thermometer. Fine. Until I realized two hours into cooking that it was not reading. So I pulled the thermometer out to check it, and the whole end of it had broken off INTO the bird! We didn't know what to do! Call grandma, call my aunt who's a nurse, call poison control! My sister-in-law ended up calling poison control and they said as long as we just eat around the red liquid, we should be fine. And we were. And the bird was delish.

December 12th, Philip graduated summa cum laude from HSU!!! His graduation was something so incredibly special: not just because it's a wonderful accomplishment and it's been a hard road, but this completes a long season of restoration in our family. Three years ago we decided it was time to go back to school and finish what we had started. Also, it marked a completion in God restoring what the enemy had stolen from us way back in our "retro-hippie phase" as we lovingly (or not so lovingly, really) call it. As soon as he walked across that stage, we both felt a HUGE burden lifted. No more weekends literally filled with homework, nights coming home from work at 6 and studying until bed, no more school or working on Fridays(!), etc, etc. I don't really know if anyone really knows what it's like. Feeling like a single parent, having double the amount of work to do just to make the sacrifices you have to because you've made the decision that it's just going to have to be that way for awhile. What an amazing and glorious day graduation was. To those contemplating dropping out of school for whatever reason.... don't. That's all I have to say about that. Your education is so important. No, it's not the most important. But it is important. And definitely worth it. We're just so excited to start a new season....

December 13th, Philip and I celebrated six wonderful years together! What a great weekend it was! Lots of celebrating goin' on. I sure love that man. And I know he does me. And that is a wonderful feeling.

Christmas came next. We'll start with the BLIZZARD that blew into Abilene on Christmas Eve. Yes. Blizzard in Texas. Weird. We had about 6 inches of snow and lots of wind. It was so fun to play in and a great day for it all to blow in, since we didn't have anywhere to go. Our communion service at our church got canceled, but we decided to do it as a family anyway. What a special time! We read the Christmas story out of Deron's Bible and explained again about who's birthday we were celebrating. Then we read the Last Supper out of his Bible and talked with him about the sacrifice Jesus made for us so we could have abundant life. His little heart is so moldable. It was awesome to see his mind and heart turning, thinking about the things of the Kingdom. Then we prayed together as a family, under the lights of the Christmas Tree and decorations. What a sweet time... then we watched a G-Force and had ice cream. It was cute. :)

Christmas Day was exhausting. Beginning super early (thank you, Jude, who still is not sleeping more than 3 hours at a stretch *sigh*), we got up and opened our presents to each other. Notable gifts include an incredible wall hanging that says "Be still before the Lord"- I've been wanting decor that has scripture on it to adorn my house with the Word!- and a new Harry CD. Philip got a great t-shirt that he's been wanting that says "I heart Katy" :) and a mousepad that says "My name is Philip and I am a Ninja".... you have to know him I guess... oh, and a binary clock. Look it up. Deron and Jude got lots of toys and clothes and books. Typical.
We forged the icy roads after that and had Christmas and lunch with Philip's family which was fun! Then we took off for Irving and finished celebrating there. But of course, what is a get-together with my family without some singing? This time, my sister printed out some Victoria motets for us to sightread just for fun. Are we weird? It WAS fun! I like telling people of the family reunion we had about five years ago when my aunt borrowed a few octaves of handbells from their church and we all played them for fun. Anyway, the day after Christmas we went to visit Erin and Clark and their kiddos (with one more on the way!!!!) at their new house in Dallas (conveniently right across the street from Northpark Mall and Maggiano's!) and then went to pick out my graduation present with my mom and uncle.... a new guitar!! I've never had one before and have always wanted one of my own for many reasons. Anyway, it's a Takamine, gorgeous and easy to play. It has a rich, mellow tone and is now my very own!! I'm very excited!

We are back home now and are enjoying it immensely. I can't wait to get back in the groove and see what awesome things God has in store for our family and me!

One thing I do know though, I am making a huge effort to spend more time in His presence. Not just quiet times, not just prayer, though these things are important. I want to abide in Him. I want to be constantly near to Him. Anyway... more on that later...

Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

spelling

2009-10-27T17:20:00.002-05:00

Deron is quickly learning to spell. He's quite an impressive speller, if I do say so myself. He's definitely surprised Philip and I both several times. What a smart kid we have!

Last week bug was in the bathtub and he shouts, "Mom! Come look! Popsicle!" I came in and saw this attempt. How cute is this?!

pumpkin patch time!

2009-10-10T19:17:00.005-05:00

Here is documentation of our trip to the pumpkin patch! Deron's school got cancelled Friday and Monday because of several cases of swine flu (thankfully only in older grades), and his class was supposed to go on a field trip. I was so sad for him-probably more than he was- that I decided we'd all go that evening. It was a quick trip, but fun anyhow. We got some great pictures!

My favorite!

Not sure what all the hand raising was about.

Pledge to the Christian Flag

2009-10-06T14:02:00.001-05:00

This afternoon Deron and I were playing school. He then recited the Pledge of Allegiance spot-on. He then sang "My Country 'Tis Of Thee" and went on to recite the Pledge to the Christian Flag and to the Bible and then sang "I May Never...(march in the infantry, ride in the calorie, shoot the artillery)".

I thought I'd post his version of the Pledge to the Christian Flag.

I pledge allegience to the Christian flag of the United States of America. One nation, crucified, risen and coming again. Full of life, liberty to all who believe.

hehe

playtime

2009-10-05T15:47:00.002-05:00

from the bellybutton

2009-10-05T15:34:00.002-05:00

This morning as we were getting ready to take bug to school, he says bear is hungry and he needs to feed him when we get in the car. Philip and I look at each other with a mixed look of panic and hilarity not quite knowing what this will entail. We ask him, "Just HOW are you going to feed bear, Deron?" "Oh, just from my bellybutton, just like mommy."

(Philip and I then turn to each other with a new mixed look of relief and more hilarity.)
"Oooooh, ok," we replied.

Then as he sits down in his chair in the car, he pulls up his shirt ALL the way and sticks bear right on his bellybutton. He tells me that bear is very hungry and he has to feed him all the way until we get to his school.

When we get to school, he tells me bear isn't quite full yet and he'll hand him to me once he gets to his class. Because I didn't want to start off on a bad foot and his class is the first inside the building, I said that was fine and we proceeded to walk across the parking lot, with his shirt completely pulled up and held by his chin. The teacher standing at the front door laughed and the principal that we passed laughed and then his teacher laughed as she told him bear needed to stay with mommy.

I'm glad we shared joy around this morning. :)

Dedication Sunday!

2009-09-22T17:57:00.007-05:00

Last Sunday our church held baby dedications. It is such a sweet time for our friends and family to pray over our new little ones and commit to helping us raise them in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, none of our parents could be in town (totally understandably though- Philip's parents were in Germany, mine we had seen almost every weekend for 6 weeks, and we had just driven BACK from Dallas where they live from the conference). We had lots of spiritual family around though to help us celebrate!

Amity and Ella (born 2 weeks before Jude)

Why, oh why must I be so gushy when it comes to certain things? I really wanted all 4 of us to be a part of this, but I should have just left the bug in his class. Philip spent the whole time cajoling him and trying to keep him from squirming and whining over everyone praying. *sigh* Oh well. I'm learning!

Here are a few cute pictures when we got home! Don't you love the bowtie!!?

My cutie!

Marriage Seminar 2009

2009-09-22T16:03:00.004-05:00

This year, again, we traveled to Dallas to gain wisdom and spend a little time devoted to our marriage. I can't stress enough how important it has been for us to invest in one of the most important relationships we have. I hope to someday pass on all of the awesome stuff God has taught us about marriage!

Deron's new favorite game: playing school. These are the centers he's laid out in the hotel room: puzzles, drawaing, books. So cute! Often I play Auston Keith Gray while he plays Ms. Chaconne. Once while I was in a coloring center he said, "Now I'll come over here and sit and watch you." When asked what teachers do, he replied, "Oh teachers? They don't do anything. Except talk. And sit."

The group. We all just met up at the church.

Our great friends, The Blaines!

The Pizookie from BJs. Yummm.

My parents watched the kids in the hotel while we were gone. Their house is being remodeled and this particular weekend they were ousted from their bedroom (and the rest of the bedrooms!)
Smiles for grandma!
Caught a smile!
The two boys. Quiet. Asleep. Ahhhhh...

just for fun. 6 weeks

2009-09-22T15:56:00.003-05:00

A jude-tastic photo shoot. He just learned to smile! You'll be seeing more smiles from now on. :)

Labor day at the zoo

2009-09-09T17:22:00.007-05:00

I got to take the boys to the zoo Monday for Labor Day. Here are some fun pictures of our adventure...

Check out this guy's tongue!

And... a gratuitous Deron picture.

"Yes, Sir!"

2009-09-09T16:30:00.003-05:00

Deron's been in school for 2 1/2 weeks now. He's learned 2 Bible verses, discipline, and a multitude of songs. I'm having so much fun seeing his pictures everyday displaying his skill of coloring in the lines and cutting in a straight line! I wish I was in his class! How much fun to do crafts all day and get stickers and stamps just for coloring and learning to glue bits of construction paper on to bigger pieces of construction paper! Not to mention all the fun songs! Yesterday bug was sitting at the table with Philip and I at lunch and he just started singing, "I wanna see, I wanna see, I wanna see Jesus lifted high!". Oh, to make a mommy and daddy proud!

We had a few incidences of hitting/pushing the first week of school. When discipline really started to be implemented, he came home with green dots!! Yay!! This was daddy's reaction. So sweet!

39 things Every Mom Should Know

2009-09-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

I have seen across the cyber-world varying opinions on this article. I, for one, enjoyed it and actually felt a bit better about mommyhood after reading. Those who know me know I don't believe in karma and I hugely dislike halloween, but some of the other points I've learned on my own and wish someone had told me! :)

39 Things Every Mom Should Know
from Parents Magazine...written by Kacy Faulconer

1. You never have to go to obnoxious kid-themed restaurants. Ever. I wish someone had told me that.

2. Don't make birthday parties a huge deal.

3. Do your chores while kids are awake. Using up naptime to wash dishes or clean the bathroom is truly soul-crushing.

4. Put Band-Aids on everything your kids want you to. Why not?

5. If the kids are awake, bite the bullet and be awake yourself. You'll waste so many hours trying futilely to extend early-morning snoozes that it's not worth it. If you are sick, pregnant, or it's the middle of the night, ignore this advice.

6. Just throw away the poopy underwear.

7. Don't beat yourself up if you have to use a bribe.

8. Teach your kids not to pee outside unless you're camping-- you'll be glad you did. But if other people's kids do it, don't judge teh parents too harshly-- it's all about karma. (If you're in the midst of potty training, all bets are off. You've gotta do what you've gotta do.)

9. Buy cheap shoes when kids are little. Feet grow faster than you think.

10. Don't forget about board games. You'll suffer through way too much Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, but Connect Four and Battleship aren't half bad. And Clue rocks.

11. Embrace their quirks.

12. Know this: That stain won't come out. And it's okay. (The sooner you accept this, the better.)

13. At some point it will be February. Things will seem bleak. You will think about vitamins, glasses, more exercise, more sleep, more chores, less TV, more rules, fewer rules, and organic food. Just wait. Things will get better when the snow melts. Know that it will happen again at the end of summer, right before school starts. It's the circle of life, baby.

14. Always get boys' haircuts at barber shops instead of hair salons.

15. Answer this question: What is the worst thing that can happen if your kids sleep in their clothes?

16. Never stifle a generous inclination.

17. Try to like what they like. It kind of sucks when it's Bob the Builder, but the payoff will come when they discover Lemony Snicket.

18. Teach them to pump on the swings ASAP.

19. If your child falls asleep occasionally without brushing her teeth, don't wake her; baby teeth do eventually fall out.

20. I know you are supposed to use natural consequences to punish bad behavior, but sometimes it's hard to think of natural consequences. In these cases try threatening your kids with clipping their toenails or some other activity they dread. I've had great success with this one, but you must find your own.

21. Get used to the word zerrissenheit. It means a state of disjointedness, and it's the new normal for most of us. At least you can feel fancy because it's German.

22. Buy kids deodorant before they need it.

23. Teach your children to make their own breakfast-- and allow enough time so they can do it without pressure.

24. I can't stress this enough: Use duvet covers on your comforters and forget about the top sheet. Not only will you thank me for this advice, but your kids will thank me as well when they are learning to make their bed.

25. Remember clogging lessons are not in the best interest of the child.

26. Don't administer a punishment that hurts you more than it does them.

27. Always pack wipes. If your kids go somewhere without you, send along wipes. It's like having a mom with them.

28. Do not allow the word wienies in your home.

29. Dress your little girls like, well, little girls.

30. Make sure your kids know how they like their eggs and burgers cooked. You don't want them to feel stress when ordering at the diner.

31. It's fine to brag about yourself to your kids.

32. Buy quaint wooden toys and hand-knit stuffed animals, but don't expect your kids to play with them.

33. Just say "No" to any toy or doll that comes with packets that have to be mixed with water.

34. Teach them to like cool music. Why suffer through The Wiggles when you could be enjoying Wilco or counting along with Feist?

35. Don't buy the most expensive school-picture package. It's a waste of money.

36. Give out awards for actual achievements.

37. You're never too old to dress up and decorate your house for Halloween. And it's more fun for everyone if you are into it. It also entitles you to more candy.

38. If the school year, new babysitter, or karate class gets off to a rocky start, don't totally stress out about it. Instead, think of the improvement that can be made by the end of the year.

39. Independence is a wonderful thing. For everyone. So is together time. Make sure you have a healthy dose of both.

1 month old

2009-09-08T22:19:00.006-05:00

We've hit the 1-month milestone! (Actually, tomorrow will be 5 weeks, but hey). Our littlest man has grown quite a bit, now really fitting into those 0-3 month clothes, and even some 3-6 mo. This makes me happy, since Deron had some awfully cute clothes, but since their birthdays are on opposite sides of the summer, a lot of his old stuff will be out of season.

Anyway, he's begun one of my favorite things: cooing. And we're also getting into somewhat of a schedule. This also makes me happy. Schedules are this mommy's best friend. When things are out of whack, it seems to make everything and everyone, well, out of whack.

Enjoy some new pictures!

disclaimer: ok, for those of you who clicked on this picture to get a close-up of our cute feet, let me assure you that I KNOW it is time to get a pedi. Sue me for being on my feet a lot and not adequately preparing the bottoms of my feet for this picture. The opportunity arose, and I had to take it.

rachael ray

2009-09-08T22:18:00.002-05:00

The past week and a half I have made 5 Rachael Ray recipes and have 1 more on the schedule for this week. I've also printed out 2 more to try maybe next week.

I have this newfound joy for Rachael Ray's stuff. We used to be die-hard Alton Brown fans (and still are), but I found that more often than not he liked including either hard-to-find ingredients or there was a lot to buy for one recipe. With needing to shop on a budget, but still wanting to cook good food for my boys, and ENJOY what I make (since I do really love to cook), I turned again to Rachael. I don't mind "slaving away" for up to an hour making something delish, so it's not that her recipes are often pretty easy to whip up. I've just found that they are quite yummy and don't cost a lot at the grocery.

Since I've had so much fun trying out some of her recipes, I thought I'd share them with you as well.

Mexican Lasagna - this was really easy and really tasty! Philip especially enjoyed it. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces instead of ground chicken and omitted the corn for my love. I also just used the flour tortillas I had in the fridge and all worked out very yummily!

Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce - very good. Definitely on the to-make-again stack. To me it is basically a chicken parm recipe (which is a staple at our house) without the tomato sauce. On the link it includes a recipe for Cheesy Risi e Bisi, which I kinda flubbed on and made white rice with parmesan.

Spicy Pork Roast with Rosemary Potatoes - I just realized this isn't RRay, but it was good anyhow. I had a pork roast, which I've never cooked before, and found this recipe. The sweet and sour sauce was a little strange, and we liked the taste of the pork without it better than with. Good to know.

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps - I made these for lunch yesterday. I don't often cook Asian, so it was a stretch, but I thought it sounded interesting. I left out the water chestnuts for Philip again, and used powdered ginger (since I already had it) instead of grating ginger root myself. All in all, it was really great. I haven't done lettuce wraps ever, so it was fun! Philip's first comment when he saw it on the table was, "Aww! It's so cute!" haha.. made me smile.

Fennel-Pepper Spaghetti - I saw her make this on her show last week and it completely intrigued me. The fennel seeds are supposed to give the illusion of sausage (smells like it!), and the heartiness of the peppers and onions gives a good texture with the noodles. We had this last night and I did again for lunch today. Fantastic! Philip thought it better as a side dish, but I thought it was a great change to your typical meat and tomato sauce. I will definitely be making this again.

On the to-make list:
The Only Pizza You'll Ever Want Again: Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato, Broccoli, Ricotta, Mozzarella and Basil - on the docket for this week! The broccoli is an interesting touch, but we'll see how it really tastes! I'll let you know.

Chicken Cacciatore Subs - anything on bread is yum

Mini Chicken Sausage Meatballs with Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce - my love has a love for gnocchi, so he's pumped about this one. I've never cooked gnocchi before (and I don't even know where to find it at the grocery!), so it'll be a fun one to try!

30-love

2009-08-31T21:06:00.004-05:00

Saturday we took the boys out for a little tennis. Deron's doing well! (He just needs a racket that's not bigger than he is.) It was such a beautiful morning and I can't wait to be able to REALLY play once I'm all healed up! And Philip's even taking tennis as a P.E. this semester, so he's brushing up on his game too! Sweet!

Aunt D came to town (and first day of pre-k!)

2009-08-30T22:36:00.004-05:00

Last week Aunt D came to town! She was a HUGE help and we just plain had fun, too! While she was here, Deron started Pre-K, and Philip started his first day of his LAST SEMESTER!!!! (Please rise for the Hallelujah Chorus...) I actually woke up feeling quite pitiful, so my wonderful hubby urged me to stay home. So sad! He took some sweet pictures of their trip up to school though. He's done well academically (I had NO doubts)... the things they're learning he already knows, but it's good for him to review. One fun thing he is learning is Bible verses! Last week he just spouted off Genesis 1:1 to me at lunch. Let me tell you what a proud mama I was when I heard the Word coming out of my babe's mouth! Yes! It's Monday and he's already learned this week's verse- John 1:3. By the end of the year they will have learned around 26 verses! Unfortunately, I think that might be more than what I can quote- I'm excited to learn along with him.

Diane's visit was mostly just filled with normal stuff we do around here. We went to church together, hung out on Monday while I didn't feel well, Tuesday we ran errands and stopped at Starbucks for a nice sisterly chat with the baby (who got lots of ooh's and ahh's, I might add), and went to the pool later that day. 2 nights in a row she also took the 2am feeding!!! I felt like a new woman getting to sleep 6 to 7 hours straight with no baby in the room! Thanks, D.

It was great spending time with you, sis. I love you!

the early weeks

2009-08-30T22:13:00.005-05:00

Sorry it's been so long. Life has been a bit different, needless to say, in the past 3 1/2 weeks! (Truthfully though, I've been trying my darndest to upload some fantastic videos of Deron playing his new favorite game, "America's Got Talent", but our uploading speed is painfully slow, and I think our computer gets so tired with such a huge file that it just throws in the towel and quits.) So, I have tried, but you'll just have to let your minds go wild about the cute game he's made up. Sorry. :)

The first week home was, well, boring. Don't get me wrong, it was great to have my love around most of the day to help out and have yummy meals brought to our home by caring friends for a few nights. And Deron got to spend every morning with his grandmama, including his first fishing trip, which helped tremendously! But I'm not much of a homebody and since I was taking exciting medicine, I couldn't drive myself anywhere. I got so bored seeing the one living space in our house and only being able to stand for 5 minutes at a time.

That was one facet. Emotions were the next train that hit me. I don't know if this was really the case, but I don't remember the rollercoaster after Deron was born. I was not prepared! Crying for no reason, disheartened at anything difficult, frustrated and glee-filled all at the same time... yikes. Thank goodness my husband is as awesome as he is. I really think he knows me better than myself sometimes. He would just hug me and make me realize that my hormones have just taken a huge hit, and I'm normal. Thanks, honey. I love you.

Here are some pictures!

first bath (bug sorta thought it was cool... not really)

pre-work lovin'
I love how tiny Jude looks in his arms!

first family photo
(can you believe it took me 2 weeks to get one with all 4 of us in it!?)

first Sunday at church together!

The arrival: Jude Owen Crumpton

2009-08-09T11:32:00.014-05:00

So here's the story, I know I love hearing the details, so here it goes!

Wednesday night we took Philip to my mother-in-laws house as usual so we could have our usual weekly date night (no sense in not having one the day before such a BIG day!). We had a nice light dinner together dreaming of what our new little one would look like, sound like, act like, etc, and came home. My parents shortly thereafter came into town and stayed with us overnight. 3:30 am came quite early the next morning, and Philip and I got up, dressed, and headed to the hospital. We were checked in and I was prepped in a storage closet of a room (seriously). It was rather humorous, gray paint stripped off the metal door of the bathroom, an old extra laptop on a cart in the corner of the room, big plastic storage bins mounted to the wall, gray linoleum instead of hardwood floors like the rest of the wing. I was surprised I had a clean bed. But they apologized and said they were completely full- only having one birthing room open, reserved for someone that might come in in labor. We understood, knowing we wouldn't be there for long.

I got wheeled into the OR a couple hours later, making the comment, "how can you not get nervous coming in to a room like this?" with all the white, sterile machines, two giant chrome lights above a single tiny table in the middle, doctors and nurses buzzing around with masks already on their faces... I leaned over for my spinal which didn't go in properly, was quite painful and got Philip queezy. He had to sit down and be brought juice to regain his stomach. The anesthesiologist took over (for the nurse anesthetist) and succeeded without much pain on my end (thankfully). Then began the strangest procedure I've ever experienced in my life. If you have never had surgery while awake before- there's nothing like it. I knew what was going on down below the curtain, but could not feel a thing! I kept telling Philip (who was fine now, and holding my hand), "This is so weird! So weird!" I was talking to the doctor and nurses the whole time, asking them what was this sound and that, etc.

Then it came. The most wonderful, heart-capturing sound God created: my baby's cry. I hadn't heard it with Deron because I was under general anesthesia for the c-section. There is no way to explain the joy I felt hearing Jude's cry: absolutely amazing. Instant tears flooded my eyes. They held him over the curtain so I could see him and he immediately stopped crying. We looked at each other for an hour-long instant. A beautiful moment. Then they cleaned him up, weighed him (7 lbs, 9oz), and gave him to Philip to show me again. Then Philip left with Jude and the nurses to the nursery for more cleaning as they finished sewing me up. I continued to make small talk with the staff as I laid there on the table. We talked about how we hated Walmart and loved Target and wished there was a Super Target in town. The nurses all commented on my tan and how cute my toes were, also. YES! That's what a woman wants to hear when she's naked, cut open, and just had a baby. Thank you pedicure!! haha...

Recovery was, recovery. Then off to the nursery to see my newborn Jude. They wouldn't let me have him in the room yet because he was breathing fast (normal, but watched in c-section babies). Philip was filling me in on how calm he was during the first exams, laying there interested and peaceful. His countenance we knew before we had ever seen him. They finally brought him in my room around 1pm. Everyone had gone to eat lunch or let me rest, so I got some time to spend with Jude all alone. This was so special! I fell in love all over again!

The rest of the day was spent, on my end, trying to stay awake and somewhat coherent (the morphine was doing a doozy on me!) while we had many visitors and family come meet Baby Jude and congratulate us. The first night was actually great! We decided to have Jude stay in the nursery and come in for feedings. This allowed Philip and I to get some MUCH needed rest during the night. Day #2 was great as well, getting a shower, eating real food, and getting more rest. We got to come home yesterday (Day #3), and are enjoying our new family of 4. It's so much fun!

Here are pictures of our week. Enjoy!

Pre-surgery (we were excited!)

The first time I got to see him.

Philip showing him off to big brother!

Showing Jude to the grandparents and brother.

Getting to hold him for the first time!

Footprints

Hey Jude!

Holding my two sons

Brotherly love. He seriously has been this affectionate since he came!

Ok, this is a funny one. I was really excited to have real food again and have taken a shower. I was "woohoo-ing". It was a great chicken salad sandwich!

Daddy and his new love.

See his shirt? It reads "I have arrived"....home, that is. :) I thought it was appropriate and cute!

Welcoming Baby Jude to his new room.

39 weeks!

2009-08-05T20:53:00.001-05:00

See you tomorrow, Sweet Baby Jude!

tomorrow!!

2009-08-05T15:27:00.004-05:00

floors swept and mopped : check
dishes done : check
laundry done : check
dusting done : check
bathrooms cleaned : check
ceiling fans washed and dusted : check (happened weeks ago, but still a part of the nesting process)
baseboards cleaned : check (another "had to get done" chore... haha)
yard mowed and edged, flowers watered, birdbath filled : check
garage cleaned and organized : check
trash taken out : check
everyone's bags packed : check
pedicure : check
carseat in van : check
van vacuumed and washed : check
date tonight : 6pm

It feels a little strange. Almost like leaving for vacation. Is everything really ready? I think it is. I feel like I'm forgetting things, but really, who cares? I have 16 hours until I am holding my new bundle in my arms! I am so terribly excited I just can't stand it! I see Deron getting excited too. He's been counting down the days on the calendar since last week. And Philip- oh, his heart is jumping for another little boy to hold!

So, tomorrow, while you are sleeping soundly probably, we will be getting ready and heading up to the hospital to begin yet another new chapter in our lives. Yay!!!

If you are wanting to visit us, please do! (Philip has announced that we will be having various themed parties in our room every 2 hours. Silly hubby...) Feel free to call his cell or mine to make sure I'm not zonked out. (Being ANYWHERE at 5am can take it out of ya.) Watch facebook for updates, or if you are lucky enough, you might even receive a text when little Mr. Crumpton makes his arrival!!

told you

2009-08-03T15:07:00.001-05:00

told you he wasn't sleeping.
yes, that's Thomas underwear on his head.

but it sure made me smile. :)

my last Monday with only 1

2009-08-03T14:31:00.003-05:00

3 days left... if I make it.

Today I'm incredibly tired. Went to the grocery store this morning and it completely depleted my energy! After lunch I started feeling contractions again (but this is the only time Philip has said that this is what he remembers right before Deron was born... the face, the "sick" feeling, just general discomfort). With all of the "this is it" moments I've had, I'm just finally waiting it out. Thursday is the day at the latest, and that's just fine with me. :)

But with the wondering today, I had to get a few things done! Laundry got started again, dishes got cleaned, floors need to be swept and mopped still, bathrooms cleaned, important calls made, shower taken.

But I'm just too tired now. Must relish the time the bug is "napping". He's not actually sleeping, since every 10 minutes I hear, "Can I get up now?!" But having the only sound in the house be the AC is definitely welcome.

And here I blog...

8 days and counting!

2009-07-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

Went to the doctor yesterday. Not really any new news, still at 3cm, everything looks great. He did wonder out loud whether I would actually make it to next Thursday, but we will just have to see! I have had several "is this it?!" moments, usually at night, but then we go to bed and nothing ever progresses. Maybe it's time to finally pack the inevitable hospital bag. It's strange though, I feel like since there's this preset date, I can put everything off until the day before. Not smart. I do though plan on getting a pedicure Monday or Tuesday of next week, just to be early. :) I have a whole bunch of stuff coming in, probably today, of the remaining "needed" stuff off my registry. This is extremely exciting!!! Not many things better than getting packages in the mail! And once they come, I will feel very ready for the new Mr. Crumpton.

Deron continually warms my heart how he talks about babies. He met our friend's new little Ella Claire last week in the hospital and was enamored at her. He held her (with daddy's help) so still and gently. How do kids know when something is so fragile? I can't wait for him to see his own little brother and see them look at each other and eventually play together! Only a few more days....

life with a 4-year old

2009-07-27T15:22:00.012-05:00

Oh, life is interesting with a 4-year old in the house. I thought I'd dedicate this one to him. The video of the little girl is stolen from Eric Whitacre's blog where he mentions that this is what it feels like to live with a 4-year old. I had to laugh and agree. Those of you who have one (or have had) will totally understand.

Everything is "Why" or "When" or "How". And every sentence begins and ends with Mommy or Daddy. (Example: "Daddy, why are you drinking coffee, Daddy?")

Last night conversation as I was putting him to bed:

Mommy: ooh!

Deron: Mommy, why'd you say "ooh!"?

Mommy: (In an effort to sound smart to a 4-year old) Because I'm having a contraction.

Deron: What does contraction mean?

Mommy: It means Baby Jude wants to come out.

Deron: Oh dear.

But amidst all the questions and head-strong discussions (that really just remind me of... me), he's such a sweet kid. I love this bug.

What?

2009-07-20T21:52:00.003-05:00

Philip is posting. Weird.

I love my wife. Katy is the most beautiful, captivating, graceful and compassionate companion I could hope for.

27 and 37

2009-07-20T21:39:00.006-05:00

Sunday I turned 27! It was a fun weekend. My parents drove out from Irving to celebrate (and bring a twin bed). We filled our time Saturday feeding ducks, playing at the park and the mall, buying some new books, going to a birthday party, and eating. I had planned on enjoying my birthday dinner at Perini Ranch: the best steak Philip and I have ever eaten (also I've read has catered at places like President Bush's ranch in Crawford several times). But, unfortunately, we didn't think about making reservations and didn't have time to wait for a possible outside table in an hour or more. Oh well. Next time maybe. I did get a pretty cool new digital camera that I'm excited about! Oh, and thank you sweet sis, for your blog post dedicated to me! It was super sweet!!

Sunday was a busy day! There was a guest speaker in town this weekend from California speaking at our church, at the prison here and other various places around the area. His name is "Big Al" Aceves. He is the co-founder of the Mongol Nation (or Mongol Motorcycle Club) in Southern CA. Talk about hard-core guy. Addicted to heroin for 35 years, killed people for a living, etc, etc. I've hardly heard a testimony as extreme as his. Yet now, he's one of the most tender people I've ever met. Truly a witness to God's mercy and encompassing forgiveness. I love it!

Sunday night I went to the Bible Study our women's ministry is doing. We are reading Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson. This book is amazing! It is one of those that really will change the way you think, act, treat people, treat yourself, hold yourself, and relate to God. Seriously. It's about changing mindsets and ways of thinking to bring you to a place where you know you are part of the royal inheritance that is part of the Kingdom. Read it. And read it over again. We're only about halfway through the book study, but it has enlightened me in so many amazing ways- I can't wait to read more!!
In baby news, this week I'll be 37 weeks along! Only 2 1/2 more weeks left. Whew! We're almost there! I've been having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, some quite painful, but nothing extreme I guess. The cycle has begun though of everyone finally delivering their little bundles of joy! Missie had her son last week, and Amity is scheduled for Friday, another friend at our church next week, Valerie sometime very soon, etc, etc. It's all very exciting! And we are ready.

very cool

2009-07-15T12:51:00.000-05:00

This made me smile today!! I have no idea what they are singing, but it's cute!

lesson learned

2009-07-13T14:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Philip decided he wanted to grill some sausage. No big deal. He cranks up the grill, slaps some sausage on and goes inside. Several minutes pass and I see billowing black smoke under the porch. We casually walk outside to see flames shooting out the back of our year-old propane family member about a foot and a half. Philip turns the gas off and we are smart enough to not open it up until the flames die down. Thanks, fire education in elementary school! Thankfully, I have a very prepared and cautious husband that keeps the grill the recommended distance away from the house, or we would have quite another story to tell today!

The fire completely charred the food (obviously) and killed the lining that was inside.

Needless to say, we did not have sausage for lunch yesterday. A bit of advice: pay attention to your grill and what you are cooking.

Pregnancy Photoshoot

2009-07-06T14:47:00.006-05:00

A great friend of mine, D'Nae Reber, offered to take our sweet family out for a pregnancy photoshoot. At the shower, there were several pictures, as well as a collage of them, decorating the house. It was so special to me to have documented such amazing pictures for such a sweet time in our family's life! There were many many to choose from, but here are a few of my favorites...

Jude's Shower

2009-07-06T14:24:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday I was so wonderfully blessed with a beautiful baby shower for the new little one. My mom and sister came out to Abilene to celebrate, and we had so much fun together! I think one of the best parts to the shower though, was getting to see some more old friends! Baby Jude got almost everything he needs to be all set (minus a few of the bigger items), and I've now spent my weekend washing clothes and preparing his little room for his big arrival in 4 short weeks!! Here are just a few pictures from the shower and our girl's day together.

My beautiful hostesses!

Traditional cake pose.

Erin drove in from Irving!! How great it was to see you!

Tamara also drove in from Dallas! She was my best friend and college roommate.

The blessing blanket- a staple in the baby showers around our church.

My great friend Amity and I. Her sweet little Ella is due July 24th. Almost there!

As you can see, silly runs in the family.

Mom, Di and I getting pedicures the next day. I neglected to tell you the Zookini's story: we ate there for dinner the night before and that night Deron threw up throughout the night and had diarrhea all day the next day. Thank you, Philip, for watching him while we got pampered!

33 weeks

2009-07-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

A couple of weekends ago I went to visit my family in Irving, since my grandparents were in town from Arkansas (for a dental appointment nonetheless- I just think that's hilarious). My mom and I and one of her friends took my niece, nephew, Deron, and her friend's 2 grandchildren to a really cool water park in Valley Ranch. It was fun for the kids- even though bug almost pooped in the pool... *major phew!*

That night I caught up with a couple of old friends, Kara and Kristin! We had fun talking about our kids and jobs and future. Boy, how our conversation has changed over the years! It was great seeing you girls! And you others, who know who you are... you'd better be ready in the fall for another reunion!

3 years ago...

2009-06-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

3 years ago I was part of a miracle.
3 years ago I was tired of waiting.
3 years ago I gained an experience that I had no scope of how it would impact others.
3 years ago I held my little boy for the first and last time.
3 years ago I was the center of my Savior's attention.
3 years ago I experienced a love that I had never felt before.
3 years ago I received the Healing that He freely gave.
3 years ago I understood a deeper meaning to His Faithfulness and His Love.

Though hard, I want people to know through the experience we had losing Jedidiah, there is a path of healing and even restoration through our Father's love. How deep is His love for us and how vast beyond all measure? For us, we celebrate His life and rejoice (really!) that He never had to enter this earthly world, but is living in the presence of an Almighty and Ever-Wonderful God.

Jedidiah means "beloved friend of God". We named him this for that specific purpose. While I carried him, I felt his spirit so close to his Maker's. It was strange, but awesome. Now, we still remember him and are excited to one day meet this amazing close friend of God's.

There is another child waiting for us as well, but Jedidiah will always hold a specific special place in our heart. We're proud of him. I'm proud to be his mommy.

For those of you who have gone through a miscarriage, LET Him do a work in you. It is a unique loss, no doubt, but His concern for you and your emotional healing is important to Him. God desires you to thrive and grow! There is sadness, but there is JOY. Don't choose sackcloth and ashes for a lifetime. Resist the urge to depress yourself into a pit. Grieve and receive His healing...

Willow

2009-06-23T16:42:00.003-05:00

So here it is! We had some amazing friends of ours come over this past weekend and offer to paint Jude's room. I was a little unsure of the color at first, but it works really well, especially without the harsh overhead fan light. (Who really needs FIVE light bulbs overheadin a small bedroom?)

I finally picked this bedding a few months ago and am really glad I did! If you haven't heard the bargain story, here it goes! I had waltzed in to a children's boutique in town with about an hour to kill before taking Deron to the pool a few weeks ago, not really expecting to buy anything at all... just look around at what they had. They do have some mighty cute things in the store, but as for most boutique-kinds of places, all quite pricey. I strolled to the back of the store where the clearance items were placed, and what did I find?? None other than all of the Kidsline Willow Bedding and accessories that you see in my pictures (plus a changing pad cover) 40% off!! Needless to say, I called my hubby at once and shared the joy!

That meant that I could be guaranteed some pretty awesome stuff for a nursery for this little one, that we didn't have to pay shipping, AND it was WAY less than expected! How 'bout that for favor?! So thank you, mom and Vonnie (mom-in-law) for blessing us with all of this wonderful stuff! I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of nesting, and intend to enjoy it for a long while!

Jude's room so far!

His soon to be napping place.
I can't wait to sit here in this cozy corner...

to my love...

2009-06-22T16:02:00.003-05:00

I adore you, my sweet Philip.

You have made me an inexpressibly, incomparably, and uncompromisingly happy woman.

I love your touch.

I love your smile.

I love the "pokies" on your face when you don't shave for a few days.

I love the little hairs that fluff on the back of your head when you rub the gel out of your hair or when you've been resting with your head on the couch for awhile.

I love the way you love chips and salsa every day at lunch.

I love the tenderness of your hands and the strength that they represent.

I love the music that your heart writes- the melodies, the harmonies, and the way you want them to express something besides just music on a page.

I love how meticulous you are about budgeting and taking care of our finances.

I love how you prefer one particular pencil above all else and how it bugs you when the laptop cord isn't properly taken care of behind the laptop.

I love how you always plug your phone in, even if we're home for 10 minutes.

I love how soft your feet always are and how they handsomely don a little flipflop tan line these days.

I love how excited you get talking about really technical aspects of computers and how knowledgeable even you make me feel eventhough I still have little understanding about them.

I love the way you look at me across the room and tell me I'm beautiful.

I love that you are 6'1" and can (under normal circumstances) pick me up and hug me.

I love how you leave me notes often, and you know that I love when they're hand-written.

I love that you look for ways to show me that I am special to you.

I love that you will give me a back scratch anytime I ask for one before going to sleep.

I love how you work so dad-gum hard every single day of the week, but hardly anyone ever knows because you don't complain.

I love how you always thank me for cooking for you, and that you usually like it!

I love the silly little songs that you sing that no one else gets to hear but me.

I love how you prefer Homemade Vanilla icecream above any other flavor.

I love how boyishly-giddy you get about computer parts.

I love how you wipe the tears from my eyes when I cry, and the hair out of my face when I'm upset.

I love your shoulders and how they always look so big and strong.

I love your hugs and how they envelop me completely.

I love that you will hold me without question, and you know those times so well.

I love that you support my dreams and goals and that you want to see me pursue them.

I love that you talk with me about your feelings about things and want to communicate with me.

I love that if I ask for your attention or time, you willingly give it.

I love the way you care about our marriage, and will invest time, money, and effort to make it the best it can be.

I love the way you check on Deron every night before we go to sleep, whispering in his ear how much you love him and kiss him on the face.

I love that you smile every time we talk about Jedidiah.

I love how cuddly you are with me and Deron, and love watching you smother Deron with kisses and hugs while he squirms and giggles hopelessly.

I love how talented you are at playing piano, and how it always makes me swoon.

I love how you understand me, sometimes better than I realize.

I love how you insisted years ago to have a quiet time with me every single morning, and you won't let us sleep in past it.

I love how you know proper Old English and will easily use it in Boggle.

I love that you love your coffee black.

I love that your voice is the lowest in the choir and you're proud of it.

I love how straight and white your teeth are.

I love how look for ways to bless me and make me happy.

I love how you'll come home with flowers if you know I've had a hard day.

I love how hard you are to beat in most any game, but you do so with grace.

I love sharing memories with you like my "rag-of-muffins", the candle wax picture, the early mornings at BCBS, the U.S. Open every summer, "conservation mode" in the summertime, Howie, the maroon suburban, playing scrabble, the State Park, date nights, just to name a few.

I love love love you, Philip Crumpton. You have made me such a happy woman.

earning minutes

2009-06-10T08:15:00.003-05:00

So, I feel pretty responsible and creative today (actually, yesterday)! This is the story: We have Super Mario Galaxy, a really fantastic game for the Wii that our family (including me, thank you) have played and beaten completely (I'm talkin' getting all 121 stars on Mario AND Luigi- if you know the game) THREE (3) times. Don't call us losers. It's a great game! Highly entertaining and replayable! Plus, it doesn't help that Deron always wanted to watch us plsy it. Anyway, a friend had borrowed it, thankfully, for awhile and it was out of our house for several months.

Well, the game has made it home, and our charming 4-year old knows it. So, utilizing my powers of creativity and with a desire for him to learn the ways of earning things he loves to do (and teaching him responsibility in duties around the house, thus me getting some help getting chores done), I incorporated a reward system.

I cut out little pieces of paper and labeled them 5, 10, and 15, for the amount of minutes he can earn playing the game. He has a little box he can cash them in whenever it's "game time". Yesterday we began this and he has responded SO well! Far beyond my expectations! Yay!

He earned 5 minutes for jumping up and running to the car when it was time to leave for the gym in the morning, 10 for being an impeccable child (except for a little whining at one point) at the doctor's office, and 5 more for sorting the silverware while we were putting dishes away.

This morning he woke up asking if he could earn minutes! Not much else could make a mommy happier than a child willing to help do stuff around the house!

Crazy Eights

2009-06-01T15:34:00.002-05:00

You know you love 'em... I was tagged by Kara.

8 things to look forward to:
1. Seeing my brand new son in several short weeks.
2. Getting his room ready for him.
3. Watching Deron grow into being a loving, protective, and wise big brother.
4. Cheering my husband on as he walks across the stage in December!!
5. Getting a bigger house and a bigger car.
6. Experiencing signs, wonders, and miracles in and through the Kingdom.
7. Traveling all over the world with Philip.
8. Owning a puppy.

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Worshiped at our amazing church.
2. Saw some friends whom we haven't seen in months.
3. Got kicked in the bladder, ribs, and gut.
4. Was kissed by the two most wonderful men in my life.
5. Ate the best combination of food at Outback. (Alice Springs Chicken and Ribs)
6. Devoured the best signature creation at Coldstone. (Chocolate Devotion)
7. Relaxed and read a little in 5 Love Languages of Children.
8. Wished my hubby an early "Happy Birthday!"

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Paint my toenails.
2. Not get tired doing laundry.
3. Travel, travel, travel.
4. Have more of a knack for cooking organic and healthy.
5. Keep our house cleaner longer.
6. Stay awake during movies these days.
7. Make my thumbs greener.
8. Lead worship as a career.

8 shows I watch:
1. LOST
2. World News Tonight
3. Local News (only on KTXS - the only I can handle)
4. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
5. sorry guys, we only have antenna, so our channels are now down to 2. hehe
6.
7.
8.

People to tag:
1. Amity
2. Diane
3. Erin
4. Ashley
5. Missie
6. Jenn Z.

3:12pm

2009-05-29T15:12:00.004-05:00

I just got done looking through all the old posts I've made on this blog. What fun memories! Sometimes you truly forget how much kids grow. It's fun and at the same time a little sad. I am so thrilled for August to come. Today Jude had hiccups. How amazing is that?! Deron had hiccups a lot in my tummy, and when I look at pictures of him as a newborn it makes me yearn for the day this new bundle will arrive. I can't wait to watch through tears my Love holding our little creation in his big arms. And I can only imagine the insurmountable joy that will overtake me when I see my Bug hold him for the first time and point out features all over his little body.

Trimester #3 has brought old friends back. Primarily heartburn and gas. But we have some new arrivals: uncomfortable sleep and smushed tummy syndrome. But again, it's all worth it. I'm so glad to be pregnant with a healthy baby.

New cravings:

ice (of all forms)- I eat it constantly and love it endlessly!

Cheetohs. Yum.
Cookie Dough.
(Not your well-balanced diet, huh.)

At least I'm going to the gym again. Yay! I've missed it actually. Primarily I've been hitting up BodyFlow and just working on the elliptical on off days. I tried BodyPump last Tuesday and got really sore, unfortunately. It's just too easy to push myself and I don't want to overdo anything. As Philip keeps reminding me, "This is my baby too." I feel like I'm being a lot more careful this time around at least. With Deron, I helped move my in-laws and did a lot of heavy lifting (stupid). Oh well, 4 years of wisdom helps a little I guess. I'm just so glad to be back in a gym schedule. I need to try out water aerobics again, too. The old people are fun!

"Marital Fulfillment Excursion 2009"

2009-05-25T11:54:00.008-05:00

Pre-trip pictures:

Philip stressed. This is what we were hoping to eliminate on our trip.

So we noticed on our trip out that this is the 3rd year about this time we've taken a 2-day getaway just the 2 of us. How cool of a tradition- and we didn't even realize it!

May 2007 - surprised Philip with a 2 night stay in a hotel (with jacuzzi-in room, I might add), we also went to a Harry Connick, Jr. concert. SO fun!

July 2008 - stayed in another nice hotel for 2 nights and attended a marriage seminar at Gateway Church in Southlake. After that, we met up with my family and drove to Arkansas for a few days on the lake

May 2009 - were blessed with another great hotel, this time in Arlington. This time we learned a lot about traveling and how we like to spend vacations. We got in late Friday night and I was craving chocolate (which didn't surprise my sweet husband). So, we found a Wal-Mart (I said it was late - otherwise, I keep my distance at all costs!) and picked up some Ben&Jerry's to take back to our room. Yumm! The only sad part were the hoards of small children that people had in tow at midnight! Seriously!?! People! Children need SLEEP to function properly!! Anyway... we had fun staying up late and eating our yummy ice cream!

Saturday morning was blissful. Waking up on our own leisure, cuddling and talking for no set amount of time. We got up, had our coffee and unexpectedly missed breakfast- oh well. It was wonderful. I did have a desire to drive into Ft. Worth to walk through the Japanese Gardens again- it had been years. So we had lunch in Sundance Square at a lovely Italian restaurant I highly recommend called Taverna. The food was great, the atmosphere elegant, but not haughty. Then we drove to the Gardens and took a nice walk through them. I think Philip liked them even more than me! If you haven't been, you should go. I recommend going in March or April when it's not so humid, but there is enough shade to keep most of it cool. Here are a few pictures:When we left there, we went to see the new StarTrek! Amazing! I had pretty high expectations since I have heard nothing but great reviews- even from non-StarTrek-loving people.After going back to our room to freshen up, we drove out to Dallas to sample a restaurant my brother recommended called Cafe Madrid. It primarily serves tapas, which I had only heard of- but still had no idea what they were. It also had a very cute outdoor dining area which I desperately wanted to wait for, but after 15 minutes of waiting, we decided to just eat inside. The tapas were delicious and different! A few notable ones were fried goat cheese covered in sauteed onions and honey, grilled mushroom (yes, a single huge mushroom head- this was my favorite), meatballs in an almond sauce (my 2nd fave), spinach and cheese croquettes, and marinated artichoke hearts (these didn't impress me as much as I had hoped). When we left I again had an urge for chocolate, so we found a Marble Slab close to our hotel that we took advantage of. Oh, how I miss Marble Slab. Sorry, ColdStone fans, Marble Slab is waaaaay better. :)

Sunday morning we decided to drive on up to Southlake and go to Gateway Church. It was so wonderful to get to church at 10:30, enjoy a wonderfully inspired service, and LEAVE! Usually, quite literally, we are the first ones to arrive on Sunday mornings, we are both running around like crazy to get things ready for the service and practice all while making sure our little bug isn't getting into anything. Then the services, for Philip at least, can be much more work than worship, unfortunately. This is something we're praying for transition... It was so relaxing and sweet to be able to SIT with my husband and worship! Yay!

After lunch we drove back out to Highland Park and ate at yet another brother-recommended Latin cafe called La Duni. Now this place... incredible. Loved it! Fantastic atmosphere (except the tables are a little crowded to me- we kept getting distracted by the interesting people's conversations around us! Sunday's they only have breakfast and brunch, but we got sandwiches that were divine. And if you go, order a berry lemonade and experience the party in your mouth! It takes the whole meal to drink this thing. And since their pastry chef was named #1 in Dallas, we had to try a slice of her award winning Venezuelan Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake. And you know you need to expect a lot when a 12" cake costs $85. This aint no Albertson's birthday cake. It was decadent. Yumm... I can't wait to go back and try their coffees.

Then we drove up to Northpark Mall just to waste a few hours, but it turned out to be a jackpot! First, I quickly was drawn into Papyrus. For a year now I've been keeping my eye out on some specific pens called LePen. If you're not a stationary/art/pen person, you might not understand this fetish, but I just love these pens! They write beautifully and are completely worth the $2 they cost each. :) Well, anyway, I found some- in a variety of colors and got 'em! Along with some new stationary of course.

Philip needed some new tennis shoes, so we began our hunt to find him some good ones. FootLocker, zip. FinishLine, yes! NewBalance are the only brand that he knows fits really well, so we were trying to stay with those and not pay an arm and a leg for them. Before we left FinishLine empty handed, I browsed the clearance rack "just in case"... Score! Wouldn't you know, we found the EXACT pair he wanted, in a 14! (a rare size, obviously. Yes, he has big feet. And I love 'em.) AND they were discounted. AND they were "dotted" to be an additional 30% off! Now, that is what I call favor!

After our jaunt to the mall we headed north to McKinney to attend a friend's wedding that evening that was just too cute. The preacher forgot to do the groom's ring vows- she was standing there holding the ring on his finger and he went on to communion! She nudged him and asked him, "what about this ring??". So funny! Congratulations, Chris and Melissa!
After the wedding, we drove back to Irving to stay with my parents and drove back this morning with our darling bug. What a great trip! Next year I've already decided on Colorado. Yay!

27 weeks

2009-05-16T09:30:00.003-05:00

I had another sonogram last Thursday, everything went great! Let me just say, this doctor who I go to solely for ultrasounds is a fast one. He doesn't dilly-dally around or really explain too much (unfortunately). After the last one I had with him at 21 weeks, I knew I'd have to request the pictures that I wanted or I'd get another that no one can decipher! (not even his office workers who are trained could tell what we were looking at)! You're guess is as good as mine... I think it's his face, the circle being an eye cavity, but it's just a bad picture.

This time, literally as soon as he put the thing on my belly, he said, "looks good!" and started measuring everything. The whole thing only last about 7 minutes, and I was trying to stall him by asking questions. Oh well, I know our little Jude is healthy and growing perfectly, so I'm happy. Here's a picture!

I told you guys I would change my mind as far as bedding goes. For some reason, I just wasn't settled with the monkey theme. I just don't think it'll be Baby Jude's personality. Does that sound weird? If it were Deron, definitely the monkeys, but Jude just seems like he'll be more docile, more sweet, serene and snuggly. So, when I saw this online a few weeks ago, it clicked. Plus, it's organic cotton and cheaper! 2 great points! So anyway, the deer is what we're going with. Some people love it, some don't as much, but as my mom would always say, "to each his own!"

This little guy is really moving around a lot and his kicks are getting harder and harder. I don't quite remember that with Deron. Bug had hiccups at least twice a day everyday, but his "kicks" felt more like nudges. This little dude has some force behind them! Isn't it strange how every baby is different. God is so creative. Understatement of the day.

Cutesies

2009-05-11T14:21:00.002-05:00

This is what my bug did during the graduation ceremony. I thought it was so funny! Thank goodness for grandmas!
Soft serve ice cream is so hard to eat in a cone! It melts so fast! By the time he was actually done doing damage to this poor ice cream cone, he was amazingly filthy. Ahh, to be a kid again.

So I think my son is the smartest kid ever. Really! He just turned four and has learned to write his name, as well as every other letter in the alphabet. He is sounding out words and reading them (and loving that he's doing it!). He also just started drawing people. Amazing!This was his first (ok, the first was on the magnadoodle) drawing of a person. I've never seen him draw anything but letters, numbers, or train tracks on paper before, so this really surprised me! He calls it his rendition of "Baby Jude". :) The circles under the face are his neck, belly, and booty. haha... My mom saw this and asked if he could draw baby Jude kicking. So he drew the little figure around where the stomach is and a little leg sticking out. That is now baby Jude's baby Jude. And he's kicking.

Yes, this cap might come before we know it.

the graduate

2009-05-11T14:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I've done it. It's over. Done and done. A combined 11 semesters of college (plus a little summer school now and then). I thought I would be more emotional about it all, but really, school is still in our life until December- when Philip graduates. Then we can REALLY party. Still, I am elated. Here are a few memories from Saturday.

Deron telling me "I love you" in sign language.

Me and my almost 90-year-old grandparents who drove in to Dallas from Northwestern Arkansas. They're awesome!

There I am! It's official!

The gorgeous roses my love got me for my accomplishments. They are stunning! He's so proud of me!
I sure love that man.

Jude Owen Crumpton

2009-04-26T16:47:00.005-05:00

We have decided on a name for our new little addition coming August 6th (or 7th)! Jude we have had picked out for a long time for our next boy, but Owen just came in the last few weeks. I'm absolutely in love with these names!! To us, meanings of names are so important. It's like you speak a person's destiny over them every time you call them to the table or to watch out for something or even when you discipline them.

I really got into the meanings of names in college when a friend of mine who was dean of the junior high summer camp I was counseling at spoke into us the meanings of our own names and had been praying it over us prior to the camp. It meant so much to me and opened my eyes to the depth that is in a name...

Jude:
Inherent Meaning - Praised
Spiritual Connotation - Full of Love
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Owen:
Inherent Meaning - Distinguished
Spiritual Connotation - Pleasant to Look Upon
2 Samuel 23:4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.

I have felt great lately. The process of registering and trying to find room for this new bundle is beginning, and I couldn't be more excited! Here's the bedroom theme we've decided on for little Baby Jude. Are these not the cutest monkeys you've EVER seen?! I have run into some hard decision-making this go-round though. It seems like I'll make a decision about something and then think and rethink and toil and travail about whether that's really what I want. Is that normal? I was even hesitant about putting this picture up because I don't know FOR SURE. But, yes. This is it. Final. Decision made. I think.

For those who haven't seen this, Deron thinks he has a baby in his tummy as well. It's pretty darn cute! He calls him his baby Jude. He likes to feed him and tells me when his baby is getting too full or hungry or tired. Obviously he's not as far along as I am, but he's having a terrific 1st trimester!

Deron's birthday party

2009-04-26T16:34:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Deron's 4th birthday party held in our backyard. It turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day, which I was SO happy about! Not even any mowing was needed because of the rain like his 2nd birthday party (see below).

I tried to have lots of stuff for the kiddos to do so the parents could just relax and enjoy each other. Here's the bubble "station".

The "low-rider" Easter train cake as I like to call it. I wanted to make it bright colors, but you can not add enough food coloring to make dark colors! It still turned out pink!

His new scooter!

in other words.... I love you!

2009-04-26T16:23:00.003-05:00

Fly me to the moon
Let me sing among those stars
Let me see what spring is like
On jupiter and mars

In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby kiss me

Fill my heart with song
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

Like my facebook status said today, I hope everyone someday can feel this kind of love. In a typical week Philip and I usually say goodbye to each other come Monday and say a brief fleeting hello come Friday evening and throughout the weekend. God has been so faithful, gracious, kind, and loving helping us grow during all that we've done the past 2 1/2 years especially.

I am convinced I'm married to the most loving man on the planet. I love you so deeply, my sweet Philip.

thoughts on student teaching #6

2009-04-26T16:13:00.004-05:00

Well, I've had my last observation, I'm finished with having to write weekly summaries to my professor, and I only have 7 days left being in the classroom. I've had a great experience student teaching and I am endlessly thankful that the high school venue wasn't as stressful as elementary. Not that the teacher doesn't have a mountain more to take care of, she just didn't let me take care of it all. That's ok by me. Sure my days were sometimes slow, but I had energy at 4pm like I hadn't had for 2 months before that!

Overall I've discovered that I'm just not sure teaching in a public school music program is really my thing. At the end of the day I find my mind drifting to so many other things that would fulfill my life much more than teaching. This is always something I've thought deep down inside, but had to experience for myself. I have realized though, that I do love privately teaching voice lessons. That's something I'm excited to start in the fall. We'll see how much it fits with a brand new baby and all that goes with that.

Now on to the most anticipated event happening regarding my schooling EVER. Graduation! In 13 days and counting!!!!

my Spring/Summer 2009 favorites!

2009-04-13T14:55:00.010-05:00

So Jennifer posted this blog and I thought it was such a fun idea, I wanted to do it too! All credit goes to her! Do it yourself, it's fun!

My list is going to include things that I love and things I want to get reacquainted with... here it goes.

1. The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind by Bill Johnson. I started reading this book around December, had to read the first chapter again, and then still haven't finished it. Not because it's a hard book to get through, but because all of the pure gold and wisdom that is presented needs rereading and meditation! I am so excited to give God every ounce of me so that His Kingdom can flow straight through me to people. Who wouldn't want to have "access to a life of miracles"? I sure do! Bill Johnson is also the senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA where JesusCulture is from. What an awesome church! Readin g and watching their testimonies of how we all should be bringing God's power to earth is faith-building and inspiring!

2. Ice Cream with peanuts! Ok, call it a pregnancy craving or whatever you will, but the other night we had a 1/2 gallon of Hot Fudge Sundae Bluebell ice cream in the freezer. I was not impressed by the lack-of chocolate. I mean, if the title is "Hot Fudge Sundae", there should be at least 1/3 hot fudge to every bite of vanilla. So after topping it with my own chocolate syrup, I added a handful of dry roasted peanuts from the pantry. O-M-Goodness were my tastbuds in a tizzy! My mouth had a party that night and we plan to indulge quite often, thank you.

3. Mayan Mocha from JavaCity. I am a die-hard Starbucks fan. I really am. Ever since I personally tasted my first mocha frappuccino in Portland, OR circa 1994 (WAAAAY before it hit DFW), I was hooked. I nearly cried the first time I saw it in a Barnes & Noble, and only driving distance from my house. And then one came to a little town called Abilene while I was in college. And it was a DRIVE-THRU! Hallelujah! Anyway, JavaCity just doesn't compare to me. But sometimes you just need something. A couple of weeks ago, my love and I decided to step in for a mid-morning splurge. I tried a decaf-mayan mocha and was thoroughly impressed! It's not anything extreme, just a mocha with a little extra spice, but JavaCity, you have captured my attention. Now when I am on the northside and need a little pick-me-up, I know where I'll be headed.

4. Billy Joel Specifically this album. His Greatest Hits Vol. 1&2. Growing up, I would listen to this thing over and over. I love me some Billy Joel. PianoMan, the Entertainer, She's Always a Woman, those are some timeless treasures. Somehow the CD's my sister owned got lost, so I haven't been able to hear a lot of these songs except on Pandora. It just saddens me that when our youth group had a "seek and find" game to match funny facts to youth leaders, no one knew nor cared that I could sing every word to "We Didn't Start the Fire". Come on, people! That's pretty amazing!

5. Tide Pure Essentials Laundry Detergent I'll be honest. I don't really know why I love this stuff so much. I'm not terribly concerned with my detergent being "pure" or "organic", but I will make an extra trip to Drug Emporium because I know they sell this "flavor" of detergent. It's just so pure. And so essential. I love it.

6. Gauchos I've been trying for over a year to find some of these cute pants. No luck. Anywhere. Am I completely out of style here? I think they are super cute, modest, and flattering. Now the problem is that if I want to wear them this summer, now I have to look in the maternity section. *sigh*

7. My HSU class ring This has so much significance to me. I'm only a somewhat-sentimental person, but a couple of weeks ago when the provost made his speech to the upcoming graduates about the end being near and congratulating us on our accomplishments and so forth, I seriously shed a tear. This long, tedious journey is almost over. Have you ever walked away from something in your life and then gone back to finish what you've started? It has proven to be lightyears harder managing school with being a wife and mommy, but immensely worth it. I can not describe to people the feeling that comes with finishing something that was started almost a decade ago and has required so much sacrifice and energy.

8. Do-it-yourself ThinMints! http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/03/make-your-own-thin-mints.html I can't remember where I saw this recipe, but I tried it and they are awesome! Seriously! They make a TON and they are cheap! The only thing is, keep them in the fridge so the chocolate doens't melt all over the place. I will definitely keep these made and stocked.

9. Baby BOYS! Another strapping boy! Another crazy tool-loving, short-haired, lego-building, train-obsessed, sports-playing, man of God in training! (Sorry if those generalizations bothered anyone.) We found out a couple of weeks ago the Crumpton name will live on with yet another little man. I've had so many people say to me, "aww, were you hoping for a girl?" or "that's ok, boys are fun!" and "I bet the NEXT will be a girl." Uh, wait a minute. I actually find it a privilege to be able to train up a boy to be the leader in his future home, to learn to submit himself to authority so he can submit himself to his Ultimate Authority, to teach him to love a woman unconditionally and sacrificially, to grow him to worship without restraint and hindrance. What an honor to raise a man who loves God! I'm excited to bring up another boy, as crazy as they can be.

March and April (so far)

2009-04-13T14:27:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday, Deron! My little man turned 4 on March 30th, but we have yet to have his party. It's been rescheduled for this Sunday, because what else, Philip and I came down with pink eye! I haven't had this stuff since I was like 6! The weirder thing is that the bug didn't get it. Just us. Go figure.

Celebrating with his complimentary ColdStone Birthday treat!

His birthday cookies. These are his favorite!

Playing with Gordon and James, his new trains he's been asking for since Christmas.

Easter 2009
(donning my glasses because of the pink eye)
Deron's still in a "too cool for looking at the camera" phase.

I love Spring! The warmer weather, hearing the birds sing to me again all day long. (There is a certain mockingbird that lives in our front pecan tree that likes to get up around 5am and begin vocalizing- every year.) Since Philip's grandparent's used to live in this house and his grandma is quite allergic to most growing things, she laid rocks down in this planter outside the front of our house. And since I just can't have a perfectly good opportunity for flowers go to waste, Deron and I decided to "make our garden grow". ($5 if you can name the operetta that's from) We had fun, and who couldn't pass up $.68 flowers at Lowe's! We got there on a good day!

Yes, he's in his jammies. It was a relaxing day.

What a gardener! He's always loved planting flowers and watering them. Look at that concentration!
Voila! I'm hoping these will branch out and fill in the whole planter. And hopefully they'll flower all Spring and Summer long!

thoughts on student teaching #5

2009-03-28T08:52:00.003-05:00

About a week and a half ago I finally moved over to the high school choir room for my student teaching assignment. I love it. I really do! Yeah, the drama is more intense, the kids are a little scarier, and the talking is louder. But this schedule is awesome! We are on a regular 7-day period schedule, and she has 1st period and 7th period planning, and then lunch right in the middle. Also, she has an assistant director, so she only has 3 choirs she's in the room for, with the intention that she can be called on to help or accompany or whatever, which she often does. Keep in mind though, I came in on a "down" time, since there are no huge trips they are planning for and taking tens of thousands of dollars for (just got back from Seattle over Spring Break, last year they went to Austria, before that they went to Hawaii, etc), or any huge concerts. They are preparing for UIL contest, which is fun for me. I like the polishing process. To me, it's when the music finally clicks with the kids and there are many more "wow" moments for them. That's when it gets fun.

When stuff does pick up, there are tons of afterschool rehearsals and night rehearsals and weekend rehearsals. And stress. I'm sure of it. But what job doesn't have a certain amount of stress?

Anyway, I love getting to know the kids and talking on a more mature level with them. They already know lots of musical terms and how to produce them, so it's far easier to explain things. Obviously. I think my personality just fits with older kids better. We'll see how the weeks progress though.

This week a girl had a seizure and fell off the back of the risers, through the shell that was behind her. It was scary, but everyone thinks she's fine. No history of seizures before. Also a girl got something stolen in class and came to us reporting it, but wouldn't let us know what "it" was. She explained that it was something very valuable and special to her, later we found out that it was her cell phone. Yeah, that's another thing different that elementary school. Most of the time, at least in our classes, cell phones aren't too much of a problem. Kids are (for the most part) engaged and it's hard for them to hide them behind their folders. :)

Anyway, the first weeks have been good. Stay tuned.

mama don't like tour

2009-03-26T21:18:00.002-05:00

Philip left yesterday morning on choir tour. To Houston. It's only 5 days he'll be gone, but it seems like an eternity sometimes! The really sad thing is that they'll be playing at the beach all day Saturday, and... I won't be. Oh well. I always thought it would be fun to go on a choir tour with all the college kids and get to room with my husband! Boo-ya. But that never happened. Another oh well.

It's going all right so far. We text all day long and he sends me lots of pictures, mostly silly ones of himself on the bus making silly faces. Oh, my sweet goof-ball. I love him so much. If you guys only saw the side I see sometimes...

I'm staying so busy though with teaching and mommy-ing and updating my facebook status and updating my blogs. As you can see. Reeeeally productive. I even made Deron his favorite dinner tonight. Waffles. And they were whole wheat. And I even threw in some strawberries. Go me.

Bundle up tomorrow. I hear there's a winter storm of "epic proportions" headed our way.

19 weeks!

2009-03-26T21:15:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd post a picture, since I'm sure you're dying to see... (this was from last week, I'm now 20 weeks. Stay tuned for the big unveiling of the gender! We find out Tuesday!)

wintry air

2009-03-26T21:09:00.002-05:00

So Sunday afternoon after church we walk in to the house and I feel a frigid breeze penetrate my sleeves. It was a nice 70-ish degree sunny day outside, and as soon as I felt the wintry climate in the house, I was worried that my plants were going to keel over. I quickly went to the thermostat and saw that the indicator was pushed all the way to the left side, causing the air conditioner to, no doubt, be running all morning! It was 58 degrees in our cute little abode! Brrr. I asked the bug if he had touched the thermostat on the wall that morning, and he cutely and innocently looked at me with those sweet blue eyes and smiled, "I'm really tall! I can reach that!" It was so cute. Little does he know that he'll be workin' that $40 bucks off for awhile.

3 year-olds say funny things...

2009-03-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

This morning on the way to church, Deron says to us...

"Mommy! Look at the clouds!"
"Ooooh, those are some pretty clouds! Cool!"
"God made those clouds, Mommy."
"You're right. God did make those clouds, honey. What are some other things that God makes?"
"Trashcans."

new wineskin - the home

2009-03-13T15:43:00.005-05:00

Our Pastor has been teaching on new seasons and new wineskin.

Luke 5:36-38
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

Our church is on the verge of some pretty amazing things, one being the purchase of "the" white mansion that sits right next to our property. We now have a contract on it, and are in the option period getting all the details worked out for inspections, etc. There has been tremendous favor on this aquisition, and it's just so exciting to see that property used for the Kingdom! For many years, as prophets and other ministers have come to our church, there have been many words spoken over that property, even some before they knew a white mansion lived next door!

In our personal lives, God has challenged Philip and I to go to a new level in many areas. For me, many principles He's given me have been for our home and to keep it a haven of peace and dignity. I have asked him for a long time to give me some guidelines to follow (because those sure make it easy!). Now, many women have got these down pat. They were taught these things, and it's second nature. I'm not that way and needed help. I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated that I couldn't keep my house clean for more than a day, and I felt too tired and exhausted to put a lot of effort into it. These are so practical, but Erin wanted me to post them, so here you go, Erin!

1. Before crawling into bed, put clothes away - shoes, hang-ups, folded clothes, or in the hamper. I'm notorious for doing the laundry and not putting it where it belongs. Also, I end up with a stack of shoes on the floor right next to where they belong. If I can keep it put away, it's a much smaller job every night!

2. Do laundry on weekends and get it all put away *and IRONED* before Monday. The weekends are when I typically do laundry. Some moms like to have a perpetual laundry system going all week- this does not work for me. Giving myself the whole weekend to get it all done helps me not feel guilty or too pressured, but I know that once Monday hits, I have a much lower chance of completing this task, and then #1 hits.

3. Do the dishes that night after dinner. To me, after dinner, I want to relax. It's been a long day and I'm tired! Who wants to do the dishes? But again, I've learned that if I can just do the small amount (even washing pots and pans) every night, that sure keeps me motivated to keep the sink clean all week.

4. Put all toys away before bedtime. Deron loves his trains and train track. It's so easy to just get him bathed and in bed with all of his toys strewn about the house. When they are left out, I can not relax! We don't have a large living area, so we're constantly stepping over Stanley and the Troublesome Trucks, and legos and blocks. If we all pick up right before bedtime, he's learning a valuable principle and I can head into the last few waking hours at peace. Those hours are special!

5. Only get out one genre of toys at a time. This can be hard. It requires the cooperation and understanding of -an almost 4!- year-old. As I've implemented this though, he's really taken hold of it! When we're ready to move on from a puzzle to the trains, we put away the puzzle first. Then after the trains, we move on to something else. This sure makes pick-up easy. Duh.

So there are 5 that highly apply to me. I'm still willing to hear on cleaning issues, easy to remember principles that will help me keep the bathrooms sparkling and the kitchen floor clean. And these aren't hardened rules, just guidelines to help me be the best keeper of my house and have more quality time to spend with my family (and friends)!

This picture is proof of #1- how wonderful of a husband I have, and #2- to show how keeping a house does not have to exclude the husband! Philip is such a great husband to -without asking- wash out the nasty kitchen trashcan. He knew I hated it and it needed to be done. Thank you, honey! I love you!

thoughts on student teaching #4

2009-03-13T15:28:00.002-05:00

I have 2 make-up days to take care of at the Elementary I am at next week before I move on to the High School I'm assigned to. Last week was a crazy week! My cooperating teacher's daughter went in to the hospital to have her baby, so that left me in charge for the week. We were both anticipating her having to leave for 5 days, and actually this turned out to be the perfect week anyway, since I was in charge of all of the lesson planning and teaching for all of the classes all week. And I got paid for 4 1/2 days of subbing. Can't complain there.

The kids consistently grew more and more restless as the week went on and we got closer and closer to Spring Break. And the weather was changing. And the 4th graders watched "the video" (you know what I'm talkin' about). And TAKS was on Tuesday. Many ingredients to make for an interesting pot-o-kid-behavior stew. Don't think I want to dish that one up again. Seriously, it wasn't terrible, but I was more than ready for a week-long break!

One of the goals that was in our packet before teaching began was to help us student teachers decide if this career was really the one that we want to keep pursuing. After 7 weeks at the Elementary level of music teaching, I can't say I've fallen in love. I can tolerate it for longer amounts of time though. Isn't that a plus? The kids don't scare me anymore, the lesson planning doesn't haunt me any longer, but I just don't think I could do that job day after day and really enjoy it. I'm still sorting out exactly why, but maybe after I'm teaching High School for a little while I'll understand more. I do know this. Teaching takes a monstrous amount of time- outside of school. Especially teaching music to 5-6 different grades. The planning alone can eat up hours of afterschool and evening time that are reserved (in my opinion) to my family, home, and marriage. I just don't think I'm willing to sacrifice those precious hours for making cute little construction paper "crescendo" and "decrescendo" alligators (which I did last week). I realize that the first couple of years, yes, most teachers do end up working a WHOLE lot, and then the years after it's much easier to keep work at work and come home with not much to do. Maybe later I can invest. Just not now.

Oh, and kudos to working moms!

whew!

2009-02-23T19:57:00.005-06:00

We've been up to a lot! First order of business: the Champions Church Valentine's Banquet '09. Always held at the luxurious *formerly* Fairway Oaks Country Club. Here are a few pictures from our evening.

This is my great friend, Amity. We're due probably about 5-6 days apart. Her little boy, Aaron and Deron are also great friends. We're excited to have somem new little playmates to grow up together!
Yay for 2nd trimester!

I know this is a random picture of our food, but I thought it was so funny it looked like a face!

As of today, I'm about 15 1/2 weeks along in this wonderful pregnancy! I'm definitely getting my energy back. It's funny how you never think you will, isn't it? Granted, working all day and such can make ANYONE tired. Kudos to working moms out there. I have a newfound respect and admiration!

I (finally) had my first real doctor's appointment last Tuesday, thinking it would be just general history and physical type stuff, but my doctor saw that we were there and he made a special visit in to see us and give us an ultrasound! It wasn't planned at all, in fact, he even made the comment he was out of practice since all the ultrasounds are done now at a different office. It meant so much to me for him to pay us a special visit because of our history and relationship Philip and I both have with him. What a great doctor! Anyway, here are some 15 week sonogram shots of our precious new bundle. S/he was wiggling around so much and having a grand time. It was heaven hearing the heartbeat, and seeing her/him move around was elating!

Here's a profile view (sorry it's blurry).

It's hard to see clearly in this picture, but the hand is up by the face like s/he's waving! Hi mom and dad!

This is another semi-profile.

In other news, I'm sick of Deron being sick! I knew he'd be getting sick a little more often due to being in school getting exposed to all of the new germs, but once a week? Really? 4 weeks ago it was double ear infections, 2 weeks ago it was a stomach bug, last week it was a combination of weird stuff including minor earache, ear drainage (there's a new one for me), but no "nailed down" symptoms. He just took Friday off and slept ALL day. So you know something's up. I'm ready for that to end. At least flu season is almost over. I'm glad Philip and I are staying well. I sure am being exposed to a lot too, but by God's protection, I've stayed illness-free since school started. Almost half-way there... I can taste the graduation cake....

thoughts on student teaching #3

2009-02-11T16:54:00.002-06:00

I told the kids last Friday that I was expecting another little one in August. Reactions were much varied and mostly hilarious. Several 4th grade boys in different classes shouted out, "I KNEW it! I was going to ask you about that!" I quickly told them that you should never, under any circumstances ask a woman if they are pregnant, but to let HER share her secret. Some of the 5th grade girls squealed and hugged me like I was their b.f.f.e. (Although, these same girls have told me several times that I have the "cutest clothes ever!" and asked me where I shop. - I never knew I could get my day made by a couple of 11 going on 17 year-olds.) The 3rd graders are always my favorite, so charming and still mostly innocent. They were mostly in shock and awe, except for a few that were a little upset that I've waited SO long to tell them. They couldn't stand knowing that I've known longer than them and have kept it from them for weeks! How rude! haha

Today, my first 3rd grade class asked if I had had the baby. Without going into detail, I then had a class discussion on how long it takes a baby to grow inside it's mother. No, it's not one week.

We had the best lesson today in 5th grade. We watched "Joyful, Joyful" from Sister Act 2, because we had learned the "traditional" way to sing it yesterday, and were exploring new ways to sing it. The comments were wonderful! When describing the differences they heard in the different versions, it came up that one kid had heard the traditional version in church. One boy said, "yeah, I've heard it there too. I know 'cause it's slow and boring." That made me giggle.. I was thinking, not at my church! It was so fun to watch them get excited about music. One boy even said I sounded JUST like the "black girl" on the movie... another smile that made my day. Thanks, kids!

Tagged!

2009-02-09T16:03:00.001-06:00

Kara tagged me on this ever-popular survey of "25 random things about me"! Sorry to all my "besties" on facebook. I admit I just copied it over. Enjoy.

1. I started out as a psychology major in college.
2. I love picking bumps. (Gross, I know)
3. I love to dance.
4. I went on a Dallas Chrysalis flight in 1997. (Flight #37 Table of Rutti Tutti Fresh and Fruitti!)
5. Before I met Philip I ALWAYS had a crush on some boy since like the 2nd grade.
6. I'm a pretty great cook if I do say so.
7. I HATE leaving the house without making the bed.
8. I really want to go hiking in the mountains for a week.
9. I can sing you tons of classical pieces, but I have a very hard time remembering the titles- even after years of study, and a lifetime of listening to Classical Radio.
10. 98% of everyone in my family plays an instrument and sings.
11. I love camping.
12. Dark chocolate is far superior to milk chocolate.
13. I used to think it would be fun to move all the furniture around in the house just for kicks. Like the bedroom into the living room and the dining room into the guest room. Then we had a child. I have no desire for that any longer.
14. I like filing.
15. I love when I'm traveling in the car on Saturday mornings so I listen to "From the Top" on NPR.
16. I had a guinea pig named Cosette as a girl. She had a tragic death.
17. I grew up using a Mac. The old kind. Where the disk drive was in the monitor. And it was only black and white. I think the screen was maybe 10 inches.
18. I used to want to be the voice of a character in a Disney movie. I think Ariel inspired me.
19. I took AP Art in High School and scored a 4 on my portfolio.
20. I played varsity tennis in high school and loved it. I still want to play in a league (maybe after the baby...)
21. In college my roommates and good guy friends (including Philip) were discussing our priorities in our future spouses. He completely described me (without knowing it), and it really freaked me out.
22. I want to learn to play the violin.
23. I'd like to go back to school (later) to be a nurse.
24. Once I was so bored in the summer, I began typing the script to Forrest Gump on the computer. Play the movie, pause, type, play, pause, type.
25. I've never been to a jazz club, but really want to go to a non-smoky, weird one. Any suggestions?

"We have to go back, Kate":LOST Premier Season 5

2009-01-28T14:17:00.009-06:00

Jan. 21st marked the legendary LOST party with some of our friends who are equally as into this excellent (and addicting) show. Here are some of the highlights. We all attempt at bringing themed food, this year was a bit stretched I must say. But for those of you who saw, we already have ideas for the Season Finale! Hint: Hot pockets, sandwiches with caviar, potato chips, vodka (pretty sure that one will be left out).

Sawyer on his raft. Nice touch. (Not edible.)

Hanso ice cream pie.

This is "You Taste Like Strawberries" cake.

Jello. I mean the crash site.

A conglomeration of pig-roasted boar bites (or something like that) on the left, shrimpy Mediterranean something on the right and some other stuff.

And you can't forget the Dharma Initiative "Beer" and other assorted boxed goods! Not pictured: MacCutcheon "whisky". Also a favorite!

a Mario love affair

2009-01-28T14:09:00.003-06:00

Thank you, Cindi for blessing your brother with the coolest. shirt. ever. Oh, and your nephew, too. (Sense the sarcasm.) For those who don't know, Philip's shirt is the original Nintendo Mario Bros. cartridge and Deron is donning Super Mario Galaxy. These boys were SO excited when they unwrapped these shirts on Christmas morning. It makes me smile, but knowing my son will probably never wear it out of the house. Neither will my husband. I don't know. I just have a thing I guess. They are cute though.

I just threw this in here because it was so darn cute! Before leaving for school one day, Deron needed to put all of his "friends" back to sleep. So he covered them all with little kleenex blankets. How adorable is this! What a sensitive heart he has!

thoughts on student teaching #2

2009-01-28T13:59:00.003-06:00

With the "Ice Storm of 2009" (what the TV stations have deemed it) occurring here and halfway across the U.S., we got 2 days off from school, which was appreciated. This is only my 3rd week student teaching, but I haven't even had a full 5 day work week yet. I am happy for that though. I am enjoying being there and teaching, but I sure am a tired woman by the end of the day. Then there's the nightly duties of a wife and mom to take care of, not to mention starting to feel like I'm carrying something - a wonderful something- with me all the time.

Friday I arrived at school a little later than planned to my cooperating teacher saying she tried to call my phone, but couldn't get through. (My phone has had the habit lately of turning completely off randomly. It's quite annoying.) She wasn't feeling well and wanted to know if I'd be okay with subbing the whole day. We hadn't discussed lesson plans or anything for that day, so I had 15 minutes to get the classroom set up for the 3rd graders and review all that she wanted to teach. Whew! Have I mentioned her days are nonstop? Only one brief planning time for about 15 mins in the morning and then whatever time you can squeeze out of a 25 min lunch. Oh wait, then there are also those 5 extra minutes (yeah right) that occur in the afternoon. So, it was a rush, but everything panned out fine. I guess teachers are trained to think on their feet a bit. I just know now what shoes NOT to wear next time.

student teaching thoughts #1

2009-01-14T20:43:00.003-06:00

This morning was my first day of student teaching! To be honest, I was a little nervous up until today. I really don't know why. I've observed plenty and feel confident in front of kids, but I think mostly it was not knowing exactly what to expect. You know, the fear of the unknown. ]]

I'm at a local TitleI elementary school co-teaching music. I was actually surprised it was TitleI, thinking that that meant you had to regularly be dodging bullets to get from your car to the office. There wasn't anything particularly crazy that went on today, but I'll be sure to let you know. Jenn sure has a great time with her Kindergarteners. Oh, one fun thing was that when one 3rd grade class was in the room, I walked in and they all gasped and one little girl said, "She's so pretty!" in a whispery voice. I was flattered! That same incident happened a few days ago picking up the bug from his school! Well, I never.

But it was actually an enjoyable day. The kids weren't even angels necessarily, but then again, I am just waiting for my turn to be the boss. It is crazy to me though that my teacher has each class every day for 25 minutes. With picking the kids up, dropping them off, and keeping them in line, you only get about 15-18 minutes of anything productive! Then they go to P.E. which is the same time frame. Crazy. I think it's fabulous they get music everyday, but I wonder what the trade-off really would be if it were bigger increments of time vs. quantity of segments. Anyway...

This is going to be interesting to me as a simulation of a 2 parent working family. We shall see how tired I am at the end of everyday, putting a healthy and warm dinner on the table every night (or most), and oh yeah, growing a healthy, beautiful baby inside as well! Speaking of... I have felt quite well lately, with the exception of yesterday. The "nagging" in my stomach as Amity and I have decided is a great description is gently subsiding, but still making itself known every once in awhile. I can keep it managed pretty well with the aid of a coke and a snack (or meal) every couple of hours.

Thank you all for your sweet comments about this new precious baby and all of your prayers! God is so faithful in EVERYTHING, and I am so excited to see what He has in store, not just for my life, but all of those people around me. His desires are perfect and good for your life and mine. Wait and watch how sweetly He moves.

news news news

2009-01-07T10:21:00.003-06:00

First off, we do have wonderful news!! We are expecting a new little baby Crumpton in August!! I'm about 9 weeks in, feeling okay mostly, but learning to manage the almost constant nagging in my stomach. New Year's Day was a horrible sick day for me, consisted of sleeping almost the entire day with short wakings to "uuuuggghh's" and "ooooohhhhh's". Fortunately it only lasted that one day, probably a combination of what I ate the night before and how late we stayed up.

Yesterday we got our first sonogram of the new little one. I must admit, after two miscarriages, I was a bit shaky. Since we found out I was pregnant, we've been bathing this pregnancy in prayer and claiming health and wholeness to this baby! I even asked God to help me feel the effects of this pregnancy more than before. All the others have been almost TOO easy. With Deron and the others, I felt wonderful the entire time, except for maybe some back pain and general uncomfortableness the last 3rd. So every stomach turn, every craving, every tired spell, I'm praising God for the beautiful life that is growing healthily inside of me. Even this morning, God graced me with Psalm 147:13b "He has blessed your children within you." Thank you, Lord! The sonogram looked great, we saw our little bean wiggling and squirming around, and it brought such peace to this mommy!

Today was also a big day for the Crumptons as Deron went off to the big world of preschool! Since I will be student-teaching in only about a week, Deron needed to start going somewhere all day, and he really is ready for preschool. I thought this would be so hard, tears and all, but he went in so calmly and started playing with the other kids! Yea!

After Philip and I dropped him off, we ran some errands, picked up some *decaf* Starbucks and I'm home now, listening to Frank Sinatra on Pandora loudly, doing much needed laundry, mailings, and general house cleaning, oh and updating the ever-so-important blog. Should I feel guilty? School is a good thing. I might even get to practice nowadays without a little guy begging me to stop! Haha... And reading! I can relax and read a book now, and I can also take a nap! This is going to be nice... for a week. Then, everything changes. *sigh*

He really was more excited than this. Just didn't want to take a picture. Don't 3 year olds realize that the first day of school is a momentous occasion!?

Crumpton Christmas

2008-12-22T14:12:00.004-06:00

I don't really have a lot to blog about. Philip and I were yuckily sick all last week- and I'm talking ALL week. Poor Deron. He heard a lot of "can you go play in your room?" and "what movie do you want to watch now?" last week. BUT, except for a minor sore throat for me, we are back to normal. I had underestimated the power of the cool-mist humidifier. That thing rocks! I had used it for Deron when he was a baby all the time, but not really for us. Let me tell ya- if you're suffering from severe head/sinus congestion, run that baby overnight in your bedroom, and the next morning you'll be almost cured! Breathing through your nose, blowing "productive" amounts out of your nose, it's a miracle invention!

That's about it. Sad. Christmas is this week and we're all feeling "what? are we supposed to be feeling the 'Christmas spirit' yet? is it already here?". I don't know about you guys, but when I was a kid, Christmas break was a LONG break! It was practically summer vacation! (Ok, that's a bit of a hyperbole.) But things actually slowed down. You got up late, watched TV all day, then watched some Christmas movies in the evenings. You went to Christmas concerts and ice skated with friends. Had party after party all preparing you for that. day. This year has been different. I don't feel ready. I feel like it's going to just blow right past me and I'll never know what hit me. Philip and I were thinking sadly that this might be the way you live the Christmas season as an adult. As a kid you always hear of the "hustle and bustle" of it. Sure I had parties and events, but they were all so fun, and hardly stressful. Well, if this is the way adults tend to experience Christmas, I'd like to not partake, thank you. I'll just stay happy-go-lucky and enjoy it all, if I may. I AM always ready for a party though, and to celebrate the birth of the Most Glorious is a pretty awesome reason for one!

Here's some family pictures recently taken by a great friend of ours.

happy number five!

2008-12-13T14:47:00.004-06:00

Today, five whole years ago, I started the most wonderful adventure of my life. I got married to the most wonderful, inspiring, handsome, Godly man in the world!

Thank you, honey, for always being a rock that I can cling to. You are truly the man of my dreams, my heart's desire, and my soul's mate. We've grown so much, and I thank God every day for you.
Here's to many many more spectacular years in your arms...

wednesday

2008-12-10T20:29:00.004-06:00

Deron's been sick since Saturday. Yuck. Not sure exactly what started it all, but he started running a high fever (like up to 104.7!) and finally I took him to the doctor Monday. (Which I hate- I won't get on a rant now for all of you facebookies that have heard it already...) Thought he was doing better yesterday, but then today all the congestion started in like crazy. This "bobby" gets so tired when her kid is sick. As I'm sure all mommies do.

Good news now: The semester's over!!! I took my last final ever Tuesday, and man that's a great feeling. I also passed my comps, took my practice ppr exam today and made an 84. Missed it by 1 point! I need an 85 to be able to take the real test, so I'll have to take the practice again. But I wasn't too disappointed since I didn't study at all for it. I am so ready to be able to have more time to spend with... everyone! Yay for Christmas!

I miss church so bad! I never realize how much I love it until I have to miss it. Tonight was the youth's Christmas party, so I hoping Philip will bring me a plate of yummies. :)

thanksgiving

2008-12-02T15:43:00.005-06:00

The holiday was good! It was so nice to have several days off. We were about to hit that peak of exhaustion, but it came just in time. This was year #4 of making 0ur famous Alton Brown turkey (if you haven't tried it, you MUST next year). Never before had I had truly juicy turkey. Yummmmy. But you brine it for 6 hours, which means putting it in the brine at 3am, turning it over at 6am, then finally starting to cook it at 9am. It's not so bad once you get used to it I guess. Not so much different than waking to tend to a baby, right? (no, that's not a round-about way to say I'm pregnant.)

We also made my family's traditional souberage, a cheese dish, layered with phyllo and parsley. And a really great pecan pie that uses 5 1/2 CUPS of pecans! This year my mother-in-law shelled them all from her pecan tree in her back yard, so it was even more special! I just love getting up on Thanksgiving and watching the parade as I smell cooking in the kitchen...

We ate and ate at my sister-in-laws and watched as Philip beat us silly on Brain Academy on the Wii. Then we saw Philip's grandparents at the hospital, Philip discovered an extremely long nose hair, then we took a nice walk together, ate some more and then went home to a cozy house. My parents came out the next day and we had such a good visit with them! My mom even came and worked out with me on Saturday! One step closer to the TV.... If any of you come out this way, call me and we'll go to the gym!!

Monday morning was a rude awakening for Philip and I. We realized that there is a mountain of things to get done this week. One of them being my senior comprehensive exams for music and music ed. Music is score study and verbal exam, music ed is verbal as well (so I thought. It then thankfully got changed last minute to written). This is scary, because it's been how many years since theory or form and analysis or orchestration or instrumental perspectives?? At least 5 years. That's a long time. Anyway, there are 2 MORE comprehensive exams I have to take for education before I graduate, so I needed to take the music ed. portion of that one. Fortunately, I discovered that if I pass that with an 85, I will be exempt from the sen. comp music ed. portion. Is this getting confusing? Anyway, good thing I am married to a music GENIOUS, because we studied things I haven't THOUGHT of in many years off the top of his head, and it turned out to be an incredible review. I took the practice test Monday, scored a 78. Took it again this afternoon, made a 91. Yay. Check.

Still have to study for my score study comp, then take the REAL music ed. PPR test, and then the practice PPR (for teacher certification) and then the REAL PPR. *sigh* I guess they're just getting us teachers ready for all the gov't assessment that happens to students regularly. Have I mentioned this stuff costs money, too? Fortunately, the practice tests are free, but just to be certified, I have to pay $85 or something like that to take the real PPR test, and then just to get my certificate and finger prints and background check, I have to pay another $120!! That's all around the time that I am going to be paying for preschool so that I can basically have a full-time job and not get paid (student teaching). That will be exciting to see how God provides.

Oh well, it's the end of the year. Days counting down. I can smell the icecicles and the fireplaces and the Christmas cookies. I can't wait for those days...

this might be boring

2008-11-19T14:03:00.004-06:00

I just hate going forever without posting. I have a few things I'm excited to share with you guys, but it just isn't happening. In the meantime, here's what's going on with us.

One thing that happened last week was a composition recital that featured 3 of Philip's pieces. One was a string quartet he wrote for a great friend's wedding this summer, a choral piece, and a piano & marimba piece. I may be a little biased, but my man's sure got a talent for writing music! They were amazing. I will post them sometime after we get a professional recording, per his request. You know, artists are sometimes picky about first impressions. (I completely understand.)

As of today, there's only a week left until the blessedness that is Thanksgiving break. Let's all sing the Hallelujah Chorus right now, shall we? It's been a tough semester, but the light is getting much much closer. This December I will have no more classes to take in school (!), then in the Spring I start student teaching, which I'm surprisingly pretty excited about. I keep telling people about the revelation I've had this semester: We resolved in August that we'd keep Thursday nights just for us, a weekly date night (which we've never consistently had). It has been the BEST thing! Even if my love is busy every other night from 8am-10pm and then he has homework and I hardly get to see him except when he crawls into bed, I know that I have Thursday night just for us, no child, no dishes, no finding a babysitter (it's already pre-determined), and I get a meal out! I would highly recommend it, y'all.

For those who are wondering, I am still diligent at the gym. I will not let those flighty exercise whims take control of me! Like I've said before, my goal was to make it routine, and that is where we are now. I actually really enjoy it. And if I get bored with the classes I normally go to, I hit the floor and worship while on the eliptical. I'm sure it's a funny sight. heh. Right now there's a contest going on that for every new person you bring in to try something (they don't have to join), you get your name in a drawing for a 50" plasma screen HDTV. Pretty awesome, huh? Considering ours is like 20" and sticks out from the wall about 2 feet. And, come February, as I'm sure the local stations have been advertising since LAST October like Abilene's, the whole switch to digital TV thing is happening. So we're in real, dire, serious NEED. So I'm recruiting. If you want to try a step class, pump, rpm, yoga, or just sit in the hot tub, let me know. I brought in 3 people Monday night, I'm determined to win this thing. I have until Dec. 22nd.

Deron and I both are getting over "the junk". You know, allergies, sinuses, coughs, runny noses, earaches, etc. Didn't I just get over this like 3 weeks ago? What's worse is that Monday we realized the pilot light in the water heater had blown out, and it needs a part replaced. So, you guessed it, I haven't ventured in to take a freezing cold shower in a couple of days. I thought it would be fixed today, but the part hasn't shown up via UPS yet. Philip is a brave soul though. He actually had things to do, people to see this week. I decided to stay home yesterday. And I guess I'm just too spoiled to take a voluntary cold shower. I'll be headed to my mother-in-laws later this afternoon before church.

sing a new song

2008-11-03T20:36:00.002-06:00

(taken from an email I am sent every week from MarriageToday Ministries www.marriagetoday.org)

Music has a shelf life that is pretty short. I have been reminded of this in the past year because I received an iPod for my birthday. Shortly thereafter, I purchased music for it. I listened to it when I worked out, as I sat on airplanes, drove in the car, etc.

After several weeks of listening to the same songs, I found myself tiring of them. So I downloaded more songs and began again to enjoy my iPod. But for the past year or so, I have found that it is a constant chore to find new music that I enjoy.

We are told several times in the Bible to sing to the Lord a new song (Psalm 33:3, 96:1, 98:1, 149:1; Isaiah 42:10). Evidently, music also has a shelf life related to God. He likes new songs as well.

But why? Why does God want us to sing a new song to Him? And why has He created us to tire of songs as quickly as we do?

Part of the answer has to do with the health of relationships. Our songs to Him are relational. When we sing songs to God, we are telling Him what He means to us and how much we admire Him. We are also thanking Him for His goodness and blessings.

Singing the same old song to God reveals that several dangerous elements are creeping into our relationship with Him. First of all, the issue of rote or thoughtless routine is a major danger. Rather than being dynamic and creative as we always are when a relationship is fresh and new, we just do the same old thing and expect it to keep its shine. Nope! It doesn't and it is a dangerous sign in a relationship that the energy is being diverted elsewhere.

The second danger of singing the same song for too long is that it means we aren't experiencing anything new in the Lord. A daily, intimate relationship with God is exciting. There are constant revelations into His heart and new experiences such as answered prayers and divine blessings that keep our songs flowing from a fresh spring rather than a stale cistern.

The third danger of old songs is that of taking God for granted. God's goodness is unsearchable. His glory is beyond comprehension. To sing the same old song means we simply aren't paying attention. We must be distracted and taking Him for granted, otherwise we would be singing a new song to Him based on the constantly unfolding revelations of His love and beauty.

How does all of this relate to marriage? Our marriages need new songs to keep them alive and growing. Just as in our relationship with God, singing the same song to our spouse means things have become rote—we aren't growing and we're taking each other for granted.

We need to find a new song to sing to our spouse. Romance means finding new ways to tell our spouses how much they mean to us, how attractive they are, and how much we value them.

My challenge to you is twofold: First, come up with a new song for your spouse. I'm not really talking about a melody, even though that would be fine. I'm talking about using some special expression that you have never used before to convey your love to them. By the way, notice their response and what happens to your relationship.

The second challenge is to keep changing the song regularly.

Don't let your relationship become stale as you keep saying and doing things that require no thought or effort. Find new ways to express what your spouse means to you. Stay thankful by constantly expressing your appreciation for the small and large things that are meaningful to you.

Understanding the shelf life of music is important. Keep singing new songs to the Lord and your spouse. It will keep the key relationships in your life growing and flowing with fresh love.

Blessings,

Jimmy Evans

but he's my nerd

2008-11-01T15:52:00.002-05:00

philip's choir sang a concert yesterday afternoon and they asked everyone to dress up. here's my honey. he calls himself the "quintessential choir nerd".

yes, that is underwear. what a hottie.

make an informed decision

2008-10-27T14:27:00.002-05:00

It seems in the last week I have heard more information regarding the elections than in the past year. And I've watched the debates. I've watched the news. This article was the straw that broke the camels back, so they say. I do not think abortion is the only issue in deciding who to vote for. The thing is, if a candidate opposes the fundamental principles that God has written out for us (like homosexuality and murder), it should make you ponder what other things that candidate believes morally and ethically. It makes me quite nervous thinking of a President that does not hold the highest standards of morality to lead our country, one that was founded on Christian beliefs and the reason our original Constitution is still in effect. Make an informed decision and vote for righteousness.

Obama's Abortion Extremism

by Robert George
October 14, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama's views on life issues ranging from abortion to embryonic stem cell research mark him as not merely a pro-choice politician, but rather as the most extreme pro-abortion candidate to have ever run on a major party ticket.

Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. He is the most extreme pro-abortion member of the United States Senate. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress.

Yet there are Catholics and Evangelicals-even self-identified pro-life Catholics and Evangelicals - who aggressively promote Obama's candidacy and even declare him the preferred candidate from the pro-life point of view.

What is going on here?

I have examined the arguments advanced by Obama's self-identified pro-life supporters, and they are spectacularly weak. It is nearly unfathomable to me that those advancing them can honestly believe what they are saying. But before proving my claims about Obama's abortion extremism, let me explain why I have described Obama as "pro-abortion" rather than "pro-choice."

According to the standard argument for the distinction between these labels, nobody is pro-abortion. Everybody would prefer a world without abortions. After all, what woman would deliberately get pregnant just to have an abortion? But given the world as it is, sometimes women find themselves with unplanned pregnancies at times in their lives when having a baby would present significant problems for them. So even if abortion is not medically required, it should be permitted, made as widely available as possible and, when necessary, paid for with taxpayers' money.

The defect in this argument can easily be brought into focus if we shift to the moral question that vexed an earlier generation of Americans: slavery. Many people at the time of the American founding would have preferred a world without slavery but nonetheless opposed abolition. Such people - Thomas Jefferson was one - reasoned that, given the world as it was, with slavery woven into the fabric of society just as it had often been throughout history, the economic consequences of abolition for society as a whole and for owners of plantations and other businesses that relied on slave labor would be dire. Many people who argued in this way were not monsters but honest and sincere, albeit profoundly mistaken. Some (though not Jefferson) showed their personal opposition to slavery by declining to own slaves themselves or freeing slaves whom they had purchased or inherited. They certainly didn't think anyone should be forced to own slaves. Still, they maintained that slavery should remain a legally permitted option and be given constitutional protection.

Would we describe such people, not as pro-slavery, but as "pro-choice"? Of course we would not. It wouldn't matter to us that they were "personally opposed" to slavery, or that they wished that slavery were "unnecessary," or that they wouldn't dream of forcing anyone to own slaves. We would hoot at the faux sophistication of a placard that said "Against slavery? Don't own one." We would observe that the fundamental divide is between people who believe that law and public power should permit slavery, and those who think that owning slaves is an unjust choice that should be prohibited.

Just for the sake of argument, though, let us assume that there could be a morally meaningful distinction between being "pro-abortion" and being "pro-choice." Who would qualify for the latter description? Barack Obama certainly would not. For, unlike his running mate Joe Biden, Obama does not think that abortion is a purely private choice that public authority should refrain from getting involved in. Now, Senator Biden is hardly pro-life. He believes that the killing of the unborn should be legally permitted and relatively unencumbered. But unlike Obama, at least Biden has sometimes opposed using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion, thereby leaving Americans free to choose not to implicate themselves in it. If we stretch things to create a meaningful category called "pro-choice," then Biden might be a plausible candidate for the label; at least on occasions when he respects your choice or mine not to facilitate deliberate feticide.

The same cannot be said for Barack Obama. For starters, he supports legislation that would repeal the Hyde Amendment, (http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2007/12/21/sen-barack-obamas-reproductive-health-questionnaire) which protects pro-life citizens from having to pay for abortions that are not necessary to save the life of the mother and are not the result of rape or incest. The abortion industry laments that this longstanding federal law, according to the pro-abortion group NARAL, "forces about half the women who would otherwise have abortions to carry unintended pregnancies to term and bear children against their wishes instead." In other words, a whole lot of people who are alive today would have been exterminated in utero were it not for the Hyde Amendment. Obama has promised to reverse the situation so that abortions that the industry complains are not happening (because the federal government is not subsidizing them) would happen. That is why people who profit from abortion love Obama even more than they do his running mate.

But this barely scratches the surface of Obama's extremism. He has promised that "the first thing I'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act" (known as FOCA).(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf0XIRZSTt8) This proposed legislation would create a federally guaranteed "fundamental right" to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, including, as Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia has noted in a statement condemning the proposed Act, "a right to abort a fully developed child in the final weeks for undefined 'health' reasons." In essence, FOCA would abolish virtually every existing state and federal limitation on abortion, including parental consent and notification laws for minors, state and federal funding restrictions on abortion, and conscience protections for pro-life citizens working in the health-care industry-protections against being forced to participate in the practice of abortion or else lose their jobs. The pro-abortion National Organization for Women has proclaimed with approval that FOCA would "sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws [and] policies."

It gets worse. Obama, unlike even many "pro-choice" legislators, opposed the ban on partial-birth abortions when he served in the Illinois legislature and condemned the Supreme Court decision (http://www.nrlc.org/news/2007/NRL08/PresidentColumnPage3.html) that upheld legislation banning this heinous practice. He has referred to a baby conceived inadvertently by a young woman as a "punishment" that she should not endure. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbZJYWjkAPo) He has stated that women's equality requires access to abortion on demand. (http://www.barackobama.com/2008/01/22/obama_statement_on_35th_annive.php) Appallingly, he wishes to strip federal funding http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2007/12/21/sen-barack-obamas-reproductive-health-questionnaire) from pro-life crisis pregnancy centers that provide alternatives to abortion for pregnant women in need. There is certainly nothing "pro-choice" about that.

But it gets even worse. Senator Obama, despite the urging of pro-life members of his own party, has not endorsed or offered support for the Pregnant Women Support Act, the signature bill of Democrats for Life, meant to reduce abortions by providing assistance for women facing crisis pregnancies. In fact, Obama has opposed key provisions of the Act, including providing coverage of unborn children in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), and informed consent for women about the effects of abortion and the gestational age of their child. This legislation would not make a single abortion illegal. It simply seeks to make it easier for pregnant women to make the choice not to abort their babies. Here is a concrete test of whether Obama is "pro-choice" rather than pro-abortion. He flunked. Even Senator Edward Kennedy voted to include coverage of unborn children in S-CHIP. But Barack Obama stood resolutely with the most stalwart abortion advocates in opposing it.

It gets worse yet. In an act of breathtaking injustice which the Obama campaign lied about until critics produced documentary proof of what he had done, as an Illinois state senator Obama opposed legislation to protect children who are born alive (http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obama_and_infanticide.html), either as a result of an abortionist's unsuccessful effort to kill them in the womb, or by the deliberate delivery of the baby prior to viability. This legislation would not have banned any abortions. Indeed, it included a specific provision ensuring that it did not affect abortion laws. (This is one of the points Obama and his campaign lied about until they were caught.) The federal version of the bill passed unanimously in the United States Senate, winning the support of such ardent advocates of legal abortion as John Kerry and Barbara Boxer. But Barack Obama opposed it and worked to defeat it. For him, a child marked for abortion gets no protection-even ordinary medical or comfort care-even if she is born alive and entirely separated from her mother. So Obama has favored protecting what is literally a form of infanticide.

You may be thinking, it can't get worse than that. But it does.

For several years, Americans have been debating the use for biomedical research of embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (originally for reproductive purposes) but now left in a frozen condition in cryopreservation units. President Bush has restricted the use of federal funds for stem-cell research of the type that makes use of these embryos and destroys them in the process. I support the President's restriction, but some legislators with excellent pro-life records, including John McCain, argue that the use of federal money should be permitted where the embryos are going to be discarded or die anyway as the result of the parents' decision. Senator Obama, too, wants to lift the restriction (http://obama.senate.gov/press/070411-obama_renews_su/).

But Obama would not stop there. He has co-sponsored a bill-strongly opposed by McCain-that would authorize the large-scale industrial production of human embryos (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.1520) for use in biomedical research in which they would be killed. In fact, the bill Obama co-sponsored would effectively require the killing of human beings in the embryonic stage that were produced by cloning. It would make it a federal crime for a woman to save an embryo by agreeing to have the tiny developing human being implanted in her womb so that he or she could be brought to term. This "clone and kill" bill would, if enacted, bring something to America that has heretofore existed only in China-the equivalent of legally mandated abortion. In an audacious act of deceit, Obama and his co-sponsors misleadingly call this an anti-cloning bill. But it is nothing of the kind. What it bans is not cloning, but allowing the embryonic children produced by cloning to survive.

Can it get still worse? Yes.

Decent people of every persuasion hold out the increasingly realistic hope of resolving the moral issue surrounding embryonic stem-cell research by developing methods to produce the exact equivalent of embryonic stem cells without using (or producing) embryos. But when a bill was introduced in the United States Senate to put a modest amount of federal money into research to develop these methods, Barack Obama was one of the few senators who opposed it. (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00128) From any rational vantage point, this is unconscionable. Why would someone not wish to find a method of producing the pluripotent cells scientists want that all Americans could enthusiastically endorse? Why create and kill human embryos when there are alternatives that do not require the taking of nascent human lives? It is as if Obama is opposed to stem-cell research unless it involves killing human embryos.

This ultimate manifestation of Obama's extremism brings us back to the puzzle of his pro-life Catholic and Evangelical apologists.

They typically do not deny the facts I have reported. They could not; each one is a matter of public record. But despite Obama's injustices against the most vulnerable human beings, and despite the extraordinary support he receives from the industry that profits from killing the unborn (which should be a good indicator of where he stands), some Obama supporters insist that he is the better candidate from the pro-life point of view.

They say that his economic and social policies would so diminish the demand for abortion that the overall number would actually go down-despite the federal subsidizing of abortion and the elimination of hundreds of pro-life laws. The way to save lots of unborn babies, they say, is to vote for the pro-abortion-oops! "pro-choice"-candidate. They tell us not to worry that Obama opposes the Hyde Amendment, the Mexico City Policy (against funding abortion abroad), parental consent and notification laws, conscience protections, and the funding of alternatives to embryo-destructive research. They ask us to look past his support for Roe v. Wade, the Freedom of Choice Act, partial-birth abortion, and human cloning and embryo-killing. An Obama presidency, they insist, means less killing of the unborn.

This is delusional.

We know that the federal and state pro-life laws and policies that Obama has promised to sweep away (and that John McCain would protect) save thousands of lives every year. Studies conducted by Professor Michael New and other social scientists have removed any doubt. Often enough, the abortion lobby itself confirms the truth of what these scholars have determined. Tom McClusky has observed that Planned Parenthood's own statistics show that in each of the seven states that have FOCA-type legislation on the books, "abortion rates have increased while the national rate has decreased." In Maryland, where a bill similar to the one favored by Obama was enacted in 1991, he notes that "abortion rates have increased by 8 percent while the overall national abortion rate decreased by 9 percent." No one is really surprised. After all, the message clearly conveyed by policies such as those Obama favors is that abortion is a legitimate solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancies - so clearly legitimate that taxpayers should be forced to pay for it.

But for a moment let's suppose, against all the evidence, that Obama's proposals would reduce the number of abortions, even while subsidizing the killing with taxpayer dollars. Even so, many more unborn human beings would likely be killed under Obama than under McCain. A Congress controlled by strong Democratic majorities under Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi would enact the bill authorizing the mass industrial production of human embryos by cloning for research in which they are killed. As president, Obama would sign it. The number of tiny humans created and killed under this legislation (assuming that an efficient human cloning technique is soon perfected) could dwarf the number of lives saved as a result of the reduced demand for abortion-even if we take a delusionally optimistic view of what that number would be.

Barack Obama and John McCain differ on many important issues about which reasonable people of goodwill, including pro-life Americans of every faith, disagree: how best to fight international terrorism, how to restore economic growth and prosperity, how to distribute the tax burden and reduce poverty, etc.

But on abortion and the industrial creation of embryos for destructive research, there is a profound difference of moral principle, not just prudence. These questions reveal the character and judgment of each man. Barack Obama is deeply committed to the belief that members of an entire class of human beings have no rights that others must respect. Across the spectrum of pro-life concerns for the unborn, he would deny these small and vulnerable members of the human family the basic protection of the laws. Over the next four to eight years, as many as five or even six U.S. Supreme Court justices could retire. Obama enthusiastically supports Roe v. Wade and would appoint judges who would protect that morally and constitutionally disastrous decision and even expand its scope. Indeed, in an interview in Glamour magazine, he made it clear that he would apply a litmus test for Supreme Court nominations: jurists who do not support Roe will not be considered for appointment by Obama. John McCain, by contrast, opposes Roe and would appoint judges likely to overturn it. This would not make abortion illegal, but it would return the issue to the forums of democratic deliberation, where pro-life Americans could engage in a fair debate to persuade fellow citizens that killing the unborn is no way to address the problems of pregnant women in need.

What kind of America do we want our beloved nation to be? Barack Obama's America is one in which being human just isn't enough to warrant care and protection. It is an America where the unborn may legitimately be killed without legal restriction, even by the grisly practice of partial-birth abortion. It is an America where a baby who survives abortion is not even entitled to comfort care as she dies on a stainless steel table or in a soiled linen bin. It is a nation in which some members of the human family are regarded as inferior and others superior in fundamental dignity and rights. In Obama's America, public policy would make a mockery of the great constitutional principle of the equal protection of the law. In perhaps the most telling comment made by any candidate in either party in this election year, Senator Obama, when asked by Rick Warren when a baby gets human rights, replied: "that question is above my pay grade." It was a profoundly disingenuous answer: For even at a state senator's pay grade, Obama presumed to answer that question with blind certainty. His unspoken answer then, as now, is chilling: human beings have no rights until infancy - and if they are unwanted survivors of attempted abortions, not even then.

In the end, the efforts of Obama's apologists to depict their man as the true pro-life candidate that Catholics and Evangelicals may and even should vote for, doesn't even amount to a nice try. Voting for the most extreme pro-abortion political candidate in American history is not the way to save unborn babies.

Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He is a member of the President's Council on Bioethics and previously served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He sits on the editorial board of Public Discourse.

Copyright 2008 The Witherspoon Institute. All rights reserved.

Kingdom Global Ministries :: World Connect

2008-10-13T15:18:00.020-05:00

So here is the update from the trip to Detroit, MI. To try to explain the ministry of Kingdom Global, you have to know the names Larry and Devi Titus. The purpose of KGM is to relationally mentor, resource, and release the vision of global leaders. Larry was my pastor's pastor years ago, and that is our connection to him. This conference was called World Connect, and quite literally, nations were truly connected from across the globe. I've never been surrounded by such spiritual "giants", or heard so many languages in my life. And it was inspiring and amazing. As soon as we arrived, we were reminded that this was just one big family reunion, and to treat it as such. When we said our goodbyes on Sunday afternoon, it really did feel like we were saying goodbye to friends that we will have for a lifetime, because they share a deep rooted passion for the Kingdom to advance around the world.

The format was unique. We sat around round tables in no particular order and talked with missionaries and pastors and leaders who many of them are in the darkest places of the world. Philip and I met a man, "Pastor Sanga" was his nickname, from Bangladesh. This was his first time in America. I'm not certain how he came in contact with Pastor Larry, but he was there nonetheless. He spoke very broken English (as did many of them), and told us about what was going on in his area. I'm not sure how he receieved the gospel, but I do know, and saw pictures of him preaching to half-naked men, women, and children, seeing him baptizing them in rivers, and I was stunned at the poverty that he was coming from. He goes to and fro preaching the gospel and seeing family after family, person after person get saved and come to know Jesus. How amazing....
A couple was there from New Guinea. They've been serving the Lord for many many years, and have planted more than 1,000 churches. 1,000. They've seen half of the island of Vanuatu (off the coast of Australia) saved and come to know the God of the Universe.
There was a man we knew from Haiti, Benite Jeune, who is building an orphanage in the area where he lives... a major need for this country. He also has seen many many souls saved and brought into the Kingdom.
We heard story after story of the things God is doing all over the world. Philip and I got to have lunch with our pastor Richard Humphries, Benite, and Akiva Cohen- another "friend" who lives in Isreal. He's a messianic Jew and excited about Jesus and the things He is doing. It was wonderfully interesting to hear his perspective and another man who we met, a former Muslim who still lives in Turkey, talk about how to reach Jews and Muslims for the Kingdom of God. I'll give you a hint: love them and don't push them. It is their identity you're dealing with, and they need to be intrigued by the hope you have in Christ.
There were men and women who we spoke to from several countries in Africa: Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, and others. A man from India whose churches are experiencing terrible persecution. Twin singers who live in Brazil, who were formerly signed by Virgin Records, and now sing for God's glory. And of course, several pastors and leaders from our country who have made a connection with KGM and share a passion for reaching the world. Are you getting inspired? ah... the Body of Christ is beautiful.

Here are some pictures from the event. I have so much to tell, and most of the pictures don't even depict what was really going on during the days, but oh well. Enjoy them still.

I love airplane pictures. Clouds are so wonderful and interesting when you're in them.

On our trek to find changing trees, we found geese!

All of the restaurants served our drinks with tiny little straws! Don't know why. This is Nathan and Jesiree Driskell, some great friends of ours.

Just some architecture from downtown. It's a beautiful city.

On the riverwalk.

Joseph Wambugu. He and Philip made quite a connection, and he gave us a beautiful African print and little wooden zebra to bring home to Deron.

This is obviously blurry. On the stage is our worship team, Detroit's House of Judah (the sponsoring church), and probably several others. It's a wonderful thing when there is no competition in worship. It's all about Him.

A few of the wonderfully talented women from House of Judah's praise team. They rocked it.

One of my favorite parts: the Nigerian Choir. They came in from Orange, NJ to sing for us. It was awesome. I play these recordings over and over. An interesting story to this man... He is originally from Nigeria, and God told him to go to NJ and plant a church. The world is truly changing.

"Igwe"
This group was talented. Not necessarily for their vocals, but their passion for God is inspirational. It was great to experience their music.

sorry this last one is a little shaky.

I was literally weeping watching the Spirit move across the room.

beautiful dancing.

adlan cruz on the piano (brazil), and very prominant saxophonist who lives in tennessee. philip and adlan made a great friendship. he writes music and also has been classically trained in piano a many years, just like philip. adlan spoke much wisdom into philip and he was quite inspired (to say the least).

not necessarily the poster you want to see in downtown detroit at 11:30pm all alone on the people mover.

the riverwalk in front of our hotel, the marriot renaissance center. across the river is canada.

The Renaissance Center was pretty awesome. Philip shared an elevator with a couple of the Chicago Bears Sunday morning. Apparently they were playing the Tigers later that day. And it had a Starbucks in it. We were all good.

modern day catch

2008-09-22T14:30:00.002-05:00

is this the future of father/son bonding?

no pictures today

2008-09-19T14:20:00.002-05:00

Yeah, so philip and i joke about bloggers who always start out their posts with, "Geez! It's been ___ since I last posted!" So, I'm not going to start out that way. Truthfully, I've been dang busy with everything that I literally haven't had time to do much of anything, much less write a little blog post with a few pictures of probably Deron doing something breathtakingly adorable or hysterically funny or amazingly... amazing.

What's been going on lately? The loss of a dear friend, listening to teachers gripe about NCLB (is that all they ever do whenever they get together?), learning the anatomy of the vocal tract and realizing what an amazing God created us, seeing that Deron's 3T clothes don't fit anymore, pumping iron and watching muscles grow where I've never seen them before, being frustrated that I'm not really losing weight, coming back to a realization of who I am in God (He's not trying to hurt me, He's trying to kill me! - meaning my flesh), trying to think about Christmas presents early this year, waiting to see who will win on America's Got Talent, enjoying our weekly date nights on Thursdays, wondering what student teaching will be like and where my sweet son will go, enjoying pictures of a friend's new baby, and thinking of our next, and trying to catch a few moments of quiet before the next day begins.

So there you go, quick, simple, to the point. Have a great weekend!

updates updates

2008-09-03T11:15:00.007-05:00

So school has begun again and life has gone back to hectic and busy. At least my road to finishing school has a bright shining light at the end that I feel oh-so close to now. Every week I tell myself, "1 more down, _ to go..." I keep telling Philip that too, but for some reason, I think he has it a bit harder than I. He is, after all a full-time student, has a full-time job, and has to do all that other stuff that comes with both of those things. Every semester after the first week or so, he always looks at me in near agony at the thought of doing this for another 3 semesters... "you can do it!", I always tell him. So, pray for him (and me). It's a hard time, but we'll get through it. One great thing about this semester is that I have a class that goes until 645 on Thursdays, and he'll be waiting until I get out (he has a class that lets out at 600), and since his mom watched the bug, we have a planned date night every week, just us. I think that will be our saving grace through these next several months.

All of you should be SO proud. I did, in fact join a gym, and let it be known that I have gone every single morning (that there has not been a significant reason) since I joined! Philip asked me what my goals were when I started, and before any weight loss or muscle toning, etc are set in place, my first goal was to just get in a routine of going. They say it takes 6 weeks to form a habit of something, and I'm quickly nearing that mark. Yea! I love it.

Mon-Aerobics (BodyAttack),
Tues- weighttraining (BodyPump),
Wed- cardio (BodyStep),
Thurs- weighttraining (BodyPump),
Fri- cardio (RPM) & then strength afterwards (BodyFlow *a mixture of yoga, tai chi and pilates*)

I was scared of RPM at first (it's a biking class) 'cause I heard it would kick your rear (literally). Everyone kept telling me, "Just get through it. Don't let the pain get to you. The seat won't bother you after about the 3rd time." These aren't really words of encouragement... but I did it, and actually really liked it! It did hurt my booty, and everything around it (those seats just aren't designed for people in general), but the 2nd time, hardly noticed it at all. But it's great, I'm making friends, and I'm excited to be in a routine with it. I'd recommend it to anyone! Find a gym you really like and stick with it!

Have I mentioned that the Spanish worship team (which includes the same people from our regular worship team- that means me, too) has been invited to a conference in Detroit, MI at the beginning of October?! I'm so incredibly excited about this! Larry Titus, founder of Kingdom Global Ministries, and also our apostolic elder for our church holds a conference every year (I think) aimed towards equipping and ministering to missionaries and others around the world. There will be very powerful and anointed men and women of the faith that currently are from and serve literally the ends of the earth there to be spoken into and refreshed. Several other teams will be there to lead worship on different nights, but they all come with different cultural background and leadership. We are SO very honored, and I am SO excited! And Philip gets to come (he helps run sound)! I will definitely be back with many updates and encouragement from the leaders of the gospel that are taking His Kingdom to the far reaches of the world.

Well, there's an update for all of you. Hope you've enjoyed all the recent videos and pictures of our precious little man... he's growing up so fast. Lately, he's really been into Blue's Clues. I mean, really into it. We find clues all day and draw them in his handy dandy notebook, and we "blueskadoowecantoo" over every threshold in the house (and outside), and we sing "here's the mail it never fails, it makes me want to wag my tail, when it comes i want to wail, MAAAAAAAAIL!" over and over (with dancing, of course), yadda yadda yadda... Even as I type, I hear, "Baaalue skadoo, we can too!" as he walks into the kitchen... ha!

Be blessed, everyone.

ode to the olympics

2008-09-02T14:35:00.003-05:00

this was a result of watching gymnastics for days at a time...
i didn't even teach him the landing! he's got it in him!

the rain

2008-08-19T16:06:00.002-05:00

ahh, if we could all be this happy all the time...

deron, did you eat the soap?

2008-08-19T15:59:00.004-05:00

the other day, i checked on the bug in the tub and saw this.

And this on his face.

And this expression.

turns out it was just toothpaste residue. but it sure made me laugh!