Brief Family Summary (in order to start this blog afresh)

Graham is presently enjoying work that requires no thought, only the sweat of his brow and his (awesome) manly muscles. He is daily learning to surrender control to God, in realization that his plans are nothing in light of our Creator. He finds much joy in Grayson being his constant shadow, in watching his little girl play ball, and in his wife keeping his house clean and dinner on his table :) He dislikes stupid television, reading any book other than the Bible, and clutter. He is busy creating various house plans, helping different people, and providing a wonderful life for his family. Summer is presently enjoying the daily tasks of being mom to her two quickly-growing children and wife to her man, and living a simple life. She is trying to learn to love like Jesus, increase productivity in day-to-day life, and to stop hesitating when God says to Move. She finds much joy in the silly things her kids do everyday, random kindnesses from friends and family, and truly feeling the presence of God. She dislikes going to Wal-Mart, not having a good book to read, and living in Texas in the summertime. She is busy trying to keep the floor clean, figuring out how to get things done with the least amount of effort (lol), and spending too much time on the computer! Season is presently enjoying being mommy to her babydoll Skylar, getting ready for dance recital, eating lunch with Aunt Mally at school everyday, and swimming in the muddy tank in the backyard. She is learning that life is not fair, sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, and to trust Mom, Dad, and God. She finds much joy in doing tricks on the trampoline, tagging out girls on the tball field, and Tuesdays with Granna and cousin Azlyn. She dislikes not getting what she wants, computer class, and getting poison ivy all the time. She is busy hording stuff in her bed, pretending to be her brother's teacher, and watching too much TV.
Grayson is presently enjoying everything he can to the fullest! He is learning to be patient, his ABC's, to spell his name, how to be a real man. He finds much joy in being with his daddy and pappy and his best bud Caleb, sharing affection with those he loves, talking very loudly, and in kicking the cat. He dislikes washing his hair, drinking water, not getting a prize at Wal-Mart, and being disciplined. He is busy cutting down trees with his loppers, getting as dirty as possible, making his family laugh, irritating his sister, and burning brush with his dad.

Highlights

Friday night dinner out with our Baker friends without our kids thanks to Granna and Pappy. Wow. We actually carried on a conversation for longer than ten minutes for the first time in like five years. We went to the River or the Peach Orchard, whatever you prefer to call it, which we decided must be the most Redneck place on the planet. None of us had been there in years (we frequented it often before kids) Anyway, it is now a no-smoking establishment, but the fish baskets are much smaller. I'm not sure if the two are related, but....oh and Christy and I were quite tempted by the pastel pink T-shirts they had for sale with their slogan on it. Just what my life has been missing, a Doug's Peach Orchard t-shirt. hmmmmmm. Good food and Good friends. The only negative to the night was that I broke a tooth while chomping on a hush puppy of all things!? What does that mean? I now have two broken teeth in my mouth, one on each side, makes for some interesting steak chewing.


Saturday my sisters dropped in and supplied pizza for lunch. Free pizza is always a blessing as is a few hours shared with my sisters even if we are doing absolutely nothing. I often feel disconnected from them because we are in different places in our lifes, but I wish I could express to them how much a part of me they are. Anyway, being with them makes me happy, even if my sister did get ticked at me the next day because I told her it was tacky because you could see her bra through her shirt. (in my defense she did ask for my opinion) It is tacky, isn't it? She said everyone knows you are wearing a bra anyway. Yeah, everyone knows you have boobs too, so why are we covering them up? lol So, I've had similar discussions with friends about pantylines. To thong or not to thong. lol Well this highlight got way off track.


Sunday after the usual teaching of the Sunday School to the preschoolers and awesome praise/worship service, we enjoyed a message preached by an evangelist. As he started his sermon, I wasn't really paying attention. I'm sure I was digging in my purse for a fingernail file. I knew he was rattling off Scripture, which is not unusual at all as we are sitting in a churchhouse. But my sister tapped me on the shoulder and said "Did you know he is not using a Bible?" So I sat there for another few minutes in astonishment. He never used a Bible the whole sermon, and he quoted chapter verse more Scripture than I've heard in months of sermons. Not only would he quote the particular Scripture, but he would also quote the Scripture it referenced if it did. And he was some kind of character. He is from Oklahoma, but at times he would use an English accent and at others he rolled his R's as if he were Hispanic. Quite entertaining, and if you could get past all that, he preached a great sermon. I mean I don't really remember what it was, but he was anointed nonetheless (is "anointed" just a word used by Pentecostals?...just wondering)

Monday is pick-up the house day, as is every day, but the house seems to be especially messy after the weekend. I reinstated the kids' daily Bible study and was surprised by how excited they were about it. They have reminded me that we have to do it each day since. Oh, and I was quite proud of myself for getting some sewing projects finished. And when I say project, I mean sewing buttons back on pants. I procrastinate things like that that I don't really want to do but always feel such relief in actually getting it done. And then I wonder why I didn't do the particular project so much earlier. Story of my life.

Tuesday is Grayson's favorite day of the week. We drop Season off at school and usually get donuts and piggies for breakfast. Later that morning it is time for the library program. I think he looks so forward to it because it is the first thing that he has done by himself without tagging along with Season. He asks every few hours every day, "We go to libary togam today and get backpack?" I love seeing him interacting with the other kids and participating without me forcing him to (which took a few weeks). Then we wasted some time at Wal-Mart until time to get Season. Looked at all the trucks in the toy section and when he asked for something I told him to tell Gran Gran he wanted for his birthday. His only prize was a King size Reese's, which worked out well for me too.

Wednesday lifegroup day. But before that the kids and I managed to make it to the park and have a McDonald's picnic. And it tired Grayson out and he thankfully came home and took a nap without a fight! Yea quiet time! I do love having lifegroup in our home. What a special thing it is to be surrounded by friends as we delve into His Word. And I told Graham tonight it is still so strange to hear him talking about God as he does. His excitement about what God has done in his life and continues to do has not ceased. He loves the Lord passionately and truly wants to share Him with the whole world. I am so proud of him. Definitely worth highlighting.

The Year

My first thought upon being awakened this morning by a two-year-old screaming for juice was “Wow that was a whacked-out dream!” My next thought was “Why is the phrase whacked-out in my vocabulary my being a normal thirty-year-old white non-toking Christian woman?” But, seriously don’t you wonder where those strange dreams we have originate? You know, if there is any down time in Heaven, I will definitely be talking to Jesus about that topic. I’m sure He is very concerned with it. Anyway, yeah, deep thoughts.

Well, as 2008 has officially begun, I guess I will be like everybody else, ‘cause that’s the kind of person I am, and reflect on 2007. Mostly, for me, it was the year that I realized I am really for reals an adult. I mean I knew it before but now, there is no turning back.

*The year of the birthday: 30th birthday to be exact. I am 30--It is hard to say. I remember being a teen and thinking that 30 was soooo old, but I don’t feel old, I mean except when my knee catches when I try to get out of a chair and when I can’t run around the bases without pulling a muscle. Shut up I am not out of shape! But I’m cool with 30. I will still wear my cheesy saying t-shirts and printed socks. I will still say freakin’(and whacked-out) and I will still roll down hills and play headphones with my friends. But, because I am 30, I will not wear skirts above the knee or expose my stomach or dye my hair purple. And I will try to stop blowing bubbles when I chew gum and giggling at stupid jr. high jokes.

*The year of the anniversary: 10 years together. We’ve got this marriage thing down…it is my security, my safe place. We are in the same place finally, ready to look to the future whatever it may hold and willing to learn from each other and change the things that need to be changed. We get each other and the roles we have to fulfill in order to be successful in our marriage for years to come. Gag gag gag I know. Truth nonetheless. And we finally made a budget together. Ten years and finally we can talk about money lol

*The year of the school party: ugh…..school parties! Anyway, so Season started preschool this year and I have to be the mom and stand around with the other moms at the holiday parties. I don’t know why but that just brings me to the realization that both she and I are getting older and changing. I can only reflect now on her babyhood. So many more plateaus to come in the lives of my children. Am I ready? Are they ready? Am I doing everything I can each and every day to help them to become mature and responsible in Christ? And as they enter school and all the other things like t-ball, gymnastics, etc., I have to remember that is the goal. Not for them to be like the world, but for them to be like Christ.

*The year of the drop: I dropped one of my classes this past semester. It was pivotal for me because first of all I had never dropped a course before. And second of all because it was admitting I couldn’t do something I had set out to do or at least not as well as I wanted to. Again, I had to admit I was getting old, that I can’t stay up all night working on papers anymore. That college, and a master’s degree is no longer a top priority in my life as it was when I was younger. In working my brain to death, I was ignoring a dream I had already realized without even knowing I had the dream, and it has nothing to do with knowledge, degrees or dollars.

*The year of the purple: I painted my kitchen walls purple! Yea! And I still love it. For me, it wasn’t just about painting the walls. It was about making a decorating decision in my home all by myself without being influenced to do it the safe and acceptable way (or the way Graham would do it lol) And it made me so happy when it actually looked good! Or at least that’s what people tell me to my face. I have many more plans for paint on my walls now. And it is fun to know that my home can actually reflect who I am.

So, 2007 was a year of turning points. I am excited for 2008 as things continue to change. Obviously I have goals. And they all involve that dreaded discipline word that we all know I have problems with. I know that first and foremost I want to continue to strive to be what God wants me to be in everything ‘cause when I am 90 years old and I look back on my life, that's all that will matter.