this beautiful mess

Who Knew?

2009-08-18T15:21:00.007-05:00

We've decided to slow things down to a crawl this week with our home-schooling. My original plan had been to begin everything right after Labor Day, but I got pressured into starting early...... my kids just got too excited by all the piles of books, workbooks, etc. that had taken over my dining room table and den floor. While we had a great first week, I just never felt like I had a good plan in place...... we were just a little too loose for my type-A-control-freak liking. So for the past couple of days, we've done the bare bones: math, some grammar, Bible, and our Little House read-aloud time. For the remainder of the time, the kids could do pretty much what they wanted (within reason) as long as it didn't involve a screen (no TV, computer, or Nintendo) and as long as they didn't interrupt my working (unless someone was "bleeding from the ears") on organizing the rest of our school year. I am slowly but surely beginning to feel like I've got what I hope will be a flexible road map that we can follow. Flexible, because I love where those "detours" can take us, too. Take today, for instance........

Maggie asked if they could make Play-Doh to use while I was working this afternoon. The four of them organized all the ingredients, so all I had to do was supervise the boiling water and then mix the dough while it was still too hot for them to touch. They spread out wax paper, colored their portion of dough, and then had a blast playing for the next hour or so at the kitchen table. But because something has changed in the way my brain works now, I just HAD to do a little research to make even Play-Doh time a "teachable moment." Here's what we learned..........

The McVicker family owned a business that made soap and wallpaper cleaner. (Stick with me.... it gets better) One of the sons, Joe McVicker recognized the potential of the cleaner as a toy and removed the detergents. He and his uncle, Noah, applied for a patent in 1955 and formed their own company, Rainbow Crafts. After naming the product Play-doh, the two men tested it in select schools and began selling it. The first Play-Doh was off-white and sold in 1 1/2 pound cans, but in 1957, they introduced three more colors (yellow, red, and blue) and made smaller containers available. Unable to afford a national marketing campaign, Rainbow Crafts formed an informal deal with Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) to have Play-Doh featured on his show twice a week. In return, Bob's production company received a 2% cut of Play-Doh sales. Joe McVicker became a millionaire before his 27th birthday. Play-doh can now be found in more than 6000 retail outlets in the U.S., as well as 75 other countries and online markets. Factories in China make more than 95 million cans of Play-Doh a year!

I know first-hand that FBC, Tuscaloosa, AL, was a big consumer from 1967-1969. I know this because I was a big consumer...... literally. I ate more Play-Doh during those pre-school years than one could possibly imagine. I liked the salty taste. And I loved to wash it down with my Orange Hi-C...... but that's a story for another day. Here are a few pics of my kids enjoying their Play-Doh time today:

They're all laughing..... and had no idea I was taking a picture. Love that.

Reese DID know I was taking this one. He wanted me to document his "bowling."

"Strike!" (wonder if ate any of the pins when he was done?)

Little House in a Big Mess

2009-08-14T00:44:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting here looking around my den and it's a big ol' wreck. A blanket where the kids ate snacks tonight is still spread out on the floor. Piles of books, notebooks, and papers are surrounding my chair. Laundry needing to be folded and put away is piled in a chair. And that's just the den. But you know what? I'm more at peace tonight than I've been in a long time and all of that "disorder" is just not bugging me at all right now.

After much prayer and many, many conversations last year, Lee and I decided to bring all four of the kids home for school this year. In too many ways to mention, God began to confirm that decision on almost a daily basis. Because of that, there has honestly not been a lot of stress around here as we moved toward the start of school. MY plan was to squeeze every last drop that we could out of summer and worry about school after Labor Day. (Hey, it worked fine for me as a child) But my kids had a different plan. The more books, notebooks, and school supplies that I bought to have ready for September, the more excited they became about diving in. They literally begged me to "please start teaching" them this past Monday morning. I mean, how do you say no to that? I wasn't anywhere near organized enough to do anything structured, so we called that first day a Teacher Work Day and after breakfast we just sat around the kitchen table and talked about the year ahead. I made lists of what the four of them wanted to do this year and we brainstormed some ways we could incorporate some of those things into the things that we HAD to cover. We planned what time we would get started every morning (and based on that, we set a reasonable bedtime). We talked about what a typical day would look like and then talked about how much we all wanted to have NON-typical days, too. The kids came up with field trips they'd like to take and service projects they'd like to do. If we get to do half of them, we're going to have a busy school year!

One thing that I really wanted to make part of our school time, was to read the Little House series together...... 9 books over the course of 9 months. I knew my girls would love the stories, but wondered what my boys would think. Well, Tuesday after we'd finished with our class work, we all sat in the den for me to read to them. First, I told them a few things about Laura Ingalls Wilder. It still amazes me that she didn't have her first LH book published until she was 65 years old! I read the first chapter and they all loved it. When I got to the part where "Pa" built a smoke-house out of a log and used hickory chips to smoke the meat he'd butchered, the boys were hooked. Fast-forward a few hours and we're all in Wal-Mart grabbing a few things for supper. As we walked past the meat/cheese section, the kids were SO excited to read "Hickory Smoked" on a package of bacon. They knew the process involved in making it that way. So, of course, we had to buy some for breakfast the next morning. Later that night, when I got home from a meeting, the boys couldn't wait to tell me that they'd been watching the TV show "How Do They Do It?" and it was on making a smoke-house. I mean, come on, what are the chances?

So, there you have it. 3 days in, home-educating our kids was definitely the right choice for us for now. Life is good, even if the house is messy. Now, I'm off to clean up the kitchen....... we made butter tonight! (Just call me "Ma"...... no...... don't.)

Of Angels and Kings........

2009-06-26T09:12:00.008-05:00

Ed McMahon's death a couple of days ago surprised me only because I honestly thought I remembered his dying several years ago. I would have sworn that I'd seen his picture among the famous-ones-who-have-died-this-year shown during an Oscar show, you know? Of course, I knew who he was, but Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" was my parents' show, and Ed seemed old to me even back then.

But losing Farrah and then Michael yesterday packed a much harder punch. They were both such larger-than-life parts of my growing up years. I, along with billions of other young girls, wanted to be Farrah Fawcett. Her hair, her voice, her laugh, her affect on all the boys my age........ she had it all........ well, all I wanted at the time. And Michael. I sang, dance and skated to SO many of his songs. I'm smiling now just remembering watching the "Thriller" video for the first time. What incredible talent he had! As I've gotten older, the one word that I would use to describe both of their lives, though, would be "empty." So much money. So much fame. So much everything. But in all of their photographs, their smiles never quite seemed to make it to their eyes, and that makes me sad.

Yesterday, once again, brought clearly into focus the truth that in light of Eternity, we truly are "just a vapor." I read a commentary last night where someone asked, "I wonder what The King of Kings is saying to the King of Pop right now?" My prayer for Michael and for all of those who loved him is that the answer is "Welcome home" and not "I never knew you." And I hope that Farrah is in the company of angels now instead of merely playing one on TV.

I'm Dying..........

2009-05-05T12:30:00.004-05:00

So I decided to try a new exercise DVD that I've been hearing about called "The 30-Day Shred." The instructor is Jillian Michaels, the trainer on the tv show, "The Biggest Loser." I figure, hey, if she can help them?....

Popped the DVD in yesterday for the first time. Apparently there are 3 levels and she recommends starting with Level 1. (Now I understand why she was smirking as she said that.) I made it through all of 12 minutes of the 20-minute workout before collapsing. Oh. My. Word. I've lost 30 pounds over the past 4 months. I've exercised. I've walked regularly. Long multi-mile power walks. But nothing that has even come close to comparing to those 12 minutes. Within half an hour, every part of my body was aching and I knew it was only going to get worse from there. By bedtime, I crawled into the fetal position, moaning.

This morning I had two choices: 1) suffer for a couple more days and be done with "shredding" or 2) push past the pain and try the workout again. I'm happy (I think) to report that I managed to complete the entire 20 minutes today. I'm glad no one was here to witness the ugliness...... or to hear my protests when it hurt really badly....... which was pretty much the entire 20 minutes. I am going to do this. I am going to do this every day. I am eventually going to make it to Level 3. But right this moment, I'd settle for being able to tee-tee without falling the last 4 inches to the potty seat and whimpering.

Here's what I think of Jillian today..........

We're in a new place.........

2009-04-01T09:06:00.002-05:00

Seems like just yesterday that I could wake the kids up on April Fools' Day with a "Kids, LOOK! There's a huge, purple elephant in our front yard!" and they'd go scrambling to the window to see it. Now....... not so much. There were lots of whispered "Mom, how can we "get" the boys in the morning?" and "Don't tell the girls, but......." leading up to bedtime last night. I smiled and shook my head thinking it was all funny. That was until I found that someone had turned the volume all the way up on my clock radio alarm. Good one, Maggie Black! But be careful, my dear, payback is coming.........

Just Say No

2009-03-31T15:15:00.003-05:00

I've heard horrible rumors about the drug problems in our public schools, but it is worse than I had imagined, apparently. This morning, when Reese was trying to decide whether to buy his lunch at school or pack one from home, he read the lunch menu out loud:

"Italian Dunkers (not exactly sure what those are), Green Peas, Fruit Cup, and Cheese Sticks with Marijuana Sauce."

With SAT's for the next two weeks, I'm not sure who will be needing those school lunches the most!

He Can See Clearly Now......

2009-03-28T11:15:00.007-05:00

I know that the sense of smell is supposed to be the strongest trigger for memory recall, but I also have some very strong memories associated with the sense of sight. And because Lee and I have such a poor gene pool when it comes to vision, our children are now beginning to walk the same path that we walked as far as needing some help to see.

Maggie wore glasses for several years and graduated to contacts when she turned 10. Now, it's Elijah's turn. He'd been complaining of "not being able to see the board" in class for a few weeks, so Lee took him for an eye exam a few days ago and E's been waiting not-so-patiently for his glasses to arrive.

When we got the call that we could come get them, Elijah was bouncing off the walls. (and not because he couldn't see them) But when I saw him wearing them for the first time and then saw his jaw drop in amazement at the details that he could finally see, I immediately went back in time to that same experience for me. Details. Leaves on trees, instead of blurry green things. Reading words on signs that I'd never seen before. And the sheer joy of that...... I saw that bubbling out of Elijah in the parking lot as we left the eye doctor. He was giddy. He tried to put it into words, "Mom! I feel like I want to just laugh. Nothing's really funny, but I just want to laugh." What a great place to be........

Feeling Crafty

2009-03-20T22:30:00.003-05:00

Today was a good day. My mom and I went to a brunch hosted by one of my dearest friends. As always, her home looked like something out of Southern Living and the food she served would have shamed Martha. It was so much fun making some new friends while enjoying a yummy meal together.

Mom and I spent the rest of our day wandering through all of the booths at the Arts and Crafts Fair. We found a few (very few) bargains, but mainly just enjoyed the gorgeous weather while we walked around. It was a good day.

Game On!

2009-03-18T21:26:00.004-05:00

I think this pretty much says all that needs sayin'.

"You Have to Play to Win!"

2009-03-17T13:32:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite quotes from the infamous Shirley Q. Liquor.

Well, a good friend and I were walking this morning and she told me that I really needed to blog again. She said, "the last thing you wrote was in January and you've lost so much more weight since then. You need to post another picture at least." Guess I'm just guilty of taking advantage of the "quick fix" FaceBook updates like most everyone else. But, I agreed with her and decided to post a new blog today even though I had nothing much to say.

Well, when I got home I noticed a FedEx package on my front doorstep addressed to Lee. When I texted him asking if he were expecting anything, he said, "no, why don't you open it?" Well, that suggestion has led to a LOT of texting, emailing, and calling back and forth. Apparently, a few weeks ago, Lee entered an online contest sponsored by Wrangler to win a trip to the ACM Awards in Vegas. And apparently, contrary to popular opinion, people really do win those contests! The FedEx package contained a letter telling Lee that he was one of 5 Grand Prize winners and affidavits for him to sign confirming that he met all of the eligibility requirements. He has to return the signed and notarized forms in two days (overnight envelope was included) to claim the prize:

"3-night trip for 2 to Las Vegas. Roundtrip airfare. 2 tickets to the ACM Awards show, 2 tickets to the All-Star Jam show, 2 tickets to the Artist of the Decade show honoring George Strait, ground transportation betw. airport and hotel, 2 pairs of Justin boots, 3 pairs of Wrangler jeans, 3 Wrangler shirts, and country music CD's....."

Guess we'll be getting those forms filled out and notarized this evening, so we can find out if we have, in fact, won "a MAJOR AWARD!!"

Stay tuned........

Oh, and here's the one of the most recent pics I have after making my weight-loss goal....... which is another big "win" in itself!

Whoa-oh, We're Halfway There............

2009-01-22T20:31:00.007-06:00

And no, this is not a tribute to Bon Jovi. (although I will say that "Livin' on a Prayer," "Wanted Dead or Alive," and "You Give Love a Bad Name" were some great therapy songs in the 80's.)

Since I mentioned therapy, let's go there. "The first step is admitting you have a problem." Well, I have many, but let's just focus on one for now. I AM A STRESS EATER. I have alway been. The biggest stressor I've ever experienced was my dad's illness and death two year ago and immediately afterwards, I stress-ate my way to a 40-pound weight gain! I hated being overweight, but that only led to more overeating. It was a vicious cycle. I knew December was going to be a hard month, because that's the anniversary month of Dad's going into the hospital for the last time. But I also knew that Dad would have wanted me to win this battle, because he battled his weight for as long as I can remember. (One of the many, many ways I am so like him.) So a couple of weeks before Christmas, I told Lee that I would always miss my dad terribly, but that I was determined to honor him by losing weight during the holiday season. That very day, a postcard came in the mail advertising a new weight loss program that was opening in my GYN's office. I took it as a "sign" and immediately made an appointment. Well, that was 5 weeks ago and as of this morning's weekly weigh-in, I have officially lost 20 pounds! (19.6, but I rounded up)

I am feeling much better about myself. I am feeling much better period. I love the encouragement and compliments from Lee. I love that that he and the kids are eating healthier now, too. I love being able to fit into clothes that have been hanging in my closet for over 3 years............. with tags still on.

So, here's to reaching the halfway point! And here are some before, during and current pics of the process thus far. (and yes, the "before" ones are hard for me to post!)

Pressing on,

Mel

12-07-08

12-19-08

12-29-08

01-14-09

01-22-09

And Baby Made Three........

2008-12-30T01:55:00.005-06:00

Eleven years ago our lives changed forever on December 29th at 7:47 in the morning. After years of monthly highs and lows, science projects, pills, frustrations and the most devastating loss we had ever experienced, God blessed Lee and me with an incredible gift: Margaret Winters Black. In a moment's time, our family grew by one and my heart felt like it could not possibly contain all the love I felt for this tiny new life. What an amazing thing a baby is! And what a huge rush of emotions such a tiny thing can cause! Love, joy, wonder, pride, optimism, exhaustion, fear, doubt, depression. But the greatest of these is love.

We did as all new parents do......... we prayed, we read books, we asked trusted friends. But ultimately, we simply did the best we could. Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't and when it didn't, we tried to learn from our mistakes. Despite our messes, God is gracious, and he has taken that helpless newborn baby girl and grown her into such a beautiful young lady. She loves God. She loves us and her brothers and sister. Of course, we are still very much in the process. There are still good days and bad days...... mountains we've made it over and mountains yet to climb. But I am so thankful for the blessing that we call Maggie. And I'm praying that the next 11 years don't go quite as quickly as the first ones have.

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old (The Saga of Macaroni Man)

2008-12-20T08:29:00.005-06:00

Once upon a time, long, long ago, my youngest sister made a Christmas ornament. A Gingerbread Man-shaped piece of cardboard decorated with glued-on macaroni. Because we were such a creative family, we named him "Macaroni Man." MM became an integral part of our Christmas decorating each year and even though he lost a little more macaroni every year, no tree was ever complete until he had been hung in his place of honor....... front and center on the tree. This tradition continued for almost 15 years until, alas, one Christmas, MM was nowhere to be found in our decorations. We seriously grieved. And every single time one of us looked at the tree, "How in the world could we have lost Macaroni Man?" was the cry. The next two Christmases had a gingerbread-shaped hole. When the third Christmas season rolled around, I was working as a nurse in our local hospital and was asked to make some kind of festive table display for our waiting room. I was busy that day at work trying to finish up some charting, so one of my co-workers offered to unpack the boxes of decorations and supplies that I'd lugged in from home. I will never forget what happened next. From the Nurses' Lounge, I heard, "WHAT IN THE #$@% IS THIS THING??" I did not even have to wonder. Every fiber of my being knew exactly what I was going to find when I ran into that room. Macaroni Man! He had come back to us. Apparently, he had gotten mixed in with some older, unused ornaments and had been in with our Christmas decorations all along. I immediately called my mom and dad and sisters and we all got together that night for a special "Hanging of MM" celebration. All was right with the world again. That year, as we took down the tree, we found an old ornament box and made it the official storage place for MM forevermore. Over 15 years have come and gone and still MM is the most-loved ornament on my mom's Christmas tree. He will be the first thing my kids look for when we have Christmas there tomorrow.

All that rambling story was to set the stage for this. I have always looked forward to our family's having a Macaroni Man of our own. With four children, we've definitely had our share of wonderful, hand-made ornaments over the years, but nothing that has screamed, "I am the one." Until yesterday, that is, when Maggie brought home the winner. About a week ago, Mags told me that she needed an empty soda can for to make an ornament at school. I gave her one and never gave it a second thought. Who would have imagined that an empty Diet-Pepsi can could be transformed into this beauty? I introduce what will forevermore be known as "Can-ta Claus."

Hark!

2008-12-15T21:21:00.006-06:00

Those angels, that multitude of heavenly hosts, had such an timely word for us today: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men......." I think God must have looked forward in time to see what a crazy, frenzied mess we would make of such a holy time. He gave those angelic messengers the perfect phrases to remind us where our focus should be. Looking up........... giving glory to God. Looking in............ allowing God's peace to calm us. Looking out............ offering goodwill to others. I know for me, though, during this last week or so before Christmas the challenges seem to hit from all sides. At school, the final week before the holidays is filled with so many projects and parties that it can seem all-consuming. Church musicals and services intended to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas still require a great deal of time and work in the middle of an already much-too-busy time. And shopping....... well, that's definitely an outright challenge to that "goodwill," isn't it? This season, however, I am determined to show my kids that the instructions given to the shepherds still apply to us today. Merry Christmas!

7th Heaven!

2008-11-29T22:50:00.003-06:00

It is over. After 6 very long years of Auburn's owning the state's bragging rights, the Crimson Tide in no uncertain terms has snatched them back. Tonight's 36-0 shutout over the Tigers was the perfect ending to a fairy-tale undefeated season. Who could have ever predicted at the beginning of August that we would be playing next weekend for the SEC Championship as a 12-0 team?

May this be only the beginning and Roll Tide Roll!

Giving Thanks!

2008-11-22T11:23:00.003-06:00

A big pet peeve of mine is how early the stores begin "setting up" for the next holiday. Valentine's Day displays go up before New Year's Day. Easter up in January. Halloween in August, etc. But what frustrates me even more is that on November 1st, the stores skip right over Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas. It's like no one even acknowledges it as a holiday.

I love Thanksgiving. I love that the weather has (usually) begun to get colder. I love the sounds (LOTS of family laughter) and the smells (food cooking, fall candles, spices, etc). And I love the traditions. We always spend the day with Lee's family eating WAY more than ought to be allowed and catching up on the past year with relatives we only see once a year. Then, we head back home for my absolute favorite thing. A fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate, s'mores (no matter what the outside temperature) and Christmas music galore (love you, Ray Conniff singers!) as we drag out all the bins of Christmas decorations. In my mind, it is officially time to look forward to Christmas........ but NOT before!

What Day Is It?

2008-11-18T15:15:00.003-06:00

That’s my answer to most of the “big” questions lately. “Are you happy?” “Are you sending your kids to school next year or homeschooling them?” “Are you serving right where God wants you to be serving?” and so on and so on.

These are definitely some crazy, confusing times. Still there are some constants and those make all the swirling things bearable.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:6)

Part Of His World.......

2008-11-08T22:54:00.007-06:00

Lee and I got back this afternoon from our trip to Tennessee. He's usually there Wednesday - Saturday every other week, but since it was my birthday week, we took two extra days and we spent the whole week. He had more writing days and I had lots of "me" time........ for reading, visiting with friends, taking pictures and working on catching up my family scrapbooks. I enjoyed seeing where he writes, meeting some of the people who work at Word, and being there when he finished writing every day to hear all about his new songs first-hand. (instead of by phone or email)

We got home, loved on the kids (who were SO glad to see us...... for about 5 minutes....

then they were ready to go down the street and play with friends) and then settled in to watch the Bama-LSU game. Roll Tide.

It's been such a good week.

A Change of Seasons

2008-11-04T21:06:00.006-06:00

It appears that change is occurring in more than just the colors of the leaves on this Election Night. Thank God, that no matter what swirls around us, we can always claim this promise:

"True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our God's Word stands firm and forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

Lost and Found

2008-10-31T22:46:00.004-05:00

October 31st is my least favorite day of the year. But not for the reasons you think. I was raised in a Christian home and went Trick-or-Treating every year from birth to age 14. I loved dressing up, and REALLY loved all the candy. Even when I passed the age when it was "cool" to go out door-to-door, I wanted to be the one who gave out candy at our house.

Fast-forward many years. Lee and I had tried (without success) for a long time to have our first baby. Finally, we began infertility treatments, and we were thrilled to learn after a few months that we were pregnant. I had been a Labor and Delivery nurse at this time for over 10 years, so we knew that making it to 12-weeks was an important goal. We'd be able to breathe a little easier and let our guard down some. So we decided that we would not share our good news until we reached that point in the pregnancy. We had several office appointments and on early ultrasounds we were even able to see and hear the baby's heartbeat. We hit that all-important milestone of 12 weeks and immediately began to tell our family and friends. Life was good.

A little over a week later, on Thursday, October 31st, I had a "routine" scheduled office appointment. Except it quickly became anything but routine when the nurse (who was completely decked out in a Flintstone's "Pebbles" costume) could not find the baby's heartbeat. Working at the hospital, I knew all the office nurses, so she spent extra time with the Doppler machine. Every minute that passed, I grew more anxious. Of course, she was constantly reassuring me that there was nothing wrong, but I think, looking back on it, I knew. So I'm lying there, thinking, "Oh God, I've got to call Lee and tell him," and all the while a nurse in a one-shouldered animal print dress and a large bone in her hair is spreading more and more cold ultrasound gel on my belly. It was at that point that I started hating Halloween.

We survived that loss and the next year, God blessed us with a completely "normal," healthy pregnancy. A godly woman at our church had told us after our miscarriage, "You won't understand this now, but one day when you're holding the baby that God IS going to give you, realize that you wouldn't have that baby if you had not lost this baby.

We never forgot those words and she was so right. On that Halloween Day many years ago, it was hard to see past the pain, the frustration, the "why's." Now, looking at our four children, I simply cannot imagine life without any of them.

So, the irony is not lost on me that tonight as we were out walking with the kids while they begged for candy, Lee got an email saying that he had in essence "had a miscarriage." See, his songs are his babies. And he's been working on a project for several months now and it has been a healthy, exciting pregnancy. So, tonight, on this Halloween night, once again, we have been mourning a loss. And feeling pain and frustration. And asking, "why?" But even in the disappointment, there's a part of me wondering what God is up to and looking forward to the "baby" that Lee will get to hold because he's had to let this one go.

As I've been typing this, the date has changed. It is now a brand new day.

I'm Ready For My Close-Up

2008-10-29T09:16:00.026-05:00

I have a beautiful family. I live in a beautiful place. I love taking pictures. A couple of years ago Lee and I splurged on a nice Olympus digital SLR and I have had so much fun learning (mostly by trial and error) what I can do with it. It came with a basic (14-45mm) lens. A year or so later, we "upgraded" and purchased a new (40-150mm) telephoto lens.

Well, since next week is my birthday week, I splurged once again, and bought myself an early present......... a new (70-300mm) lens. It came in the mail yesterday, so of course I had to test drive it in the backyard. Here are a few "far" and "near" pics:

I'm thinking that I'll be posting a lot more extreme close-ups from now on.............

I'm Not Sayin', I'm Just Sayin'...........

2008-10-25T19:23:00.003-05:00

Think this might have anything to do with the gender confusion issues facing our young people today?

Win-Win Situation

2008-10-24T11:00:00.008-05:00

Today is my assigned day for Friday Treats for Elijah's 4th-grade class. We are supposed to follow pretty strict guidelines for providing "healthy" snacks. This is what I just made to take them:

Healthy? Not so much. Festive and fun? You betcha. (to quote one of my new favorite people) I mean, come on, people. We're heading full-speed ahead into the holiday season. If that's not a good enough reason to celebrate with our kids (even if it "sugars them up" a bit in the process) then what is?

I'm counting on two things happening when I deliver these to the class this afternoon:

(1) I'm going to get lots of cheers and forever be known as "the-cool-mom-who-didn't-bring-a-veggie-and-dip-tray"

and

(fingers crossed)

(2) I won't be asked to bring Friday Treats again.

Well....... at least not for E's class anyway. There are still 3 other classes to be the "Cool Mom" for, though!

Making Mole Hills Out of Mountains

2008-10-23T08:59:00.005-05:00

Where does it all come from? I mean, I know we have a big family. But can 2 adults and 4 small children really make this much laundry???? Just in case you're wondering what I'm doing today............

Anabel's First Field Trip!

2008-10-21T22:40:00.016-05:00

Today I went with Anabel's first-grade class to the Weeks Bay Estuary. (An estuary is where "rivers meet the sea.") She was SO excited to be going on her first official field trip. Because I was going with her. Because she got a new "Field Trip T-shirt." Because she knew there were lots of neat things to see there. But, most importantly, because she got to ride on this:

First, we took a tour of the inside exhibits. Every kind of local animal specimen that you can imagine was there to see......... either stuffed, preserved in alcohol, or dried. Here are some pics of things we saw:

After looking, touching, smelling, etc. for about an hour, it was time to head outside. We set out to walk to the end of The Boardwalk to see all the interesting things that we could find on the way to the Bay. Here are some neat animals and plants:

We had a great time. We laughed, and skipped, and told secrets, and learned some cool things about where we live. Anabel has a GREAT class! And a cool teacher!

Finally, it was time to load back on the "Cheese Wagon" (I taught Annie a new term today!) and head back to the school. I had a great time sharing the day with her. And the very best part for me? We did not have to use this:

COSTumes!

2008-10-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

4 kids. Halloween. That means 4 costumes that will be worn twice each. First to our church Fall Festival on the 26th, and then to trick-or-treat on the 31st. But oh my goodness........ when did the the basic child's costume price become $30.00?? And that's at Target!

I've done some "scoping" at Good Will and a couple of consignment shops, but there's just not a lot of choice in the sizes that I need.

Still searching...........

1 Down, 3 to Go (or Only 26 more weeks!!)

2008-10-17T21:20:00.004-05:00

Today the kids received 1st Quarter Report Cards and I'm thrilled to report that they all four made straight A's! The older three have always done extremely well in school, so we wanted to celebrate with them when Anabel added her grades to the mix. We took them to their favorite Japanese restaurant (a real budget-blower for a family of 6!!) to show them how much we appreciated their hard work. A fun time was had by all!

Money Matters

2008-10-14T16:32:00.004-05:00

On Mondays and Tuesdays, I pick Anabel up from school first and then we scoot across to the Intermediate School to get the older three. I love that time of talking just with her. Here's today's conversation............

"Mom, I sure wish there was a game we could play at school where they passed out books to everybody. Then, the winners would be the people who opened up their books and found $1000! But, I'd like to win it ten times so I would have $10,000. (I was very pleased with her math skills!) And you know what I'd do with $10,000? I'd buy us a new house in Tennessee near my friend, Glory. Then, if there was leftovers, I'd buy you and Dad a new car. Then.... if there was leftovers, I'd buy Target. 'Cause it would be so cool if you wanted a snack and you could just go in a get a bag of popcorn and while you were there, you could get clothes if you needed to. And then.... if there was leftovers, I'd buy Disney World..... 'cause that's my favorite place."

Sounds like a plan to me!

In Sickness And In Health (A Bump in the Road)

2008-10-13T23:04:00.006-05:00

I finally gave up fighting "The Crud" yesterday and just spent most of the day in bed. I can't remember the last time I've missed church because I was sick. The kids? Sure. But me, not so much. This I just couldn't shake, though. I can handle the snotty-then-stuffy-nose and the cough, but it's the fever that has just done me in. Aches. Burning hot then freezing cold. Yuck.

I had hoped that it would be a one-day-and-then-it's-gone kind of bug, but that was not to be the case. Lee was wonderful to take over all my usual duties with the kids and around the house. I am very thankful that if this had to happen, that it happened during his time here. I'm not sure how we would have worked it all out if he'd been writing in Nashville. But bless his heart, he jumped right in and juggled getting all four kids to their schools this morning and back home again, too. A good friend even made soup for our supper. I have felt loved and well-cared for.

I've also noticed the past two days just how any little change in routine messes with my kids. Seeing Mom or Dad not feeling well just kind of freaks them out a little bit. They are all usually really flexible and "go with the flow" kind of kids, but something about my being sick had them worried. They made me cards. They prayed for me. They were even quiet while I slept! I'm hoping to be back to "normal" for them when they wake up in the morning. 2 days is definitely enough down time. And let's not even think about the laundry.............

Feed A Fever, Starve A Cold?

2008-10-12T03:25:00.003-05:00

But what if you've got both? Yuck. Can't breathe lying down. Can't stop the runny nose sitting up. Hot under the covers. Cold with them off. I told Lee I'd sleep on the couch tonight (because I knew I'd keep him awake with my coughing, and I know how hard it is for him to rest well on Saturday nights anyway) but I should have said that I would "stay up all night in the den" since there hasn't been any sleeping going on.

We go to church in separate cars since Lee has to be there earlier than we do, but I've already decided that I'm just dropping the kids off when it's time for them to be there. Then I'm coming back home, taking some MAJOR drugs, and going to bed until I feel better. Or until I have to get the kids ready for school tomorrow morning. Moms are NOT supposed to get sick! Let me say again........ Yuck.

As Of Today...........

2008-10-10T19:38:00.004-05:00

we're NOT in good hands anymore. Allstate notified us several months ago that they would no longer be providing "wind" coverage for our county. Our agent was quick to offer that there were "options." This turned out to be coverage provided by a third party that Allstate contracted with............ at almost twice our current rate. Seriously. Our premium rate was going to increase from $2800/year to $5200/year for the exact same coverage!

I'm happy to say, though, that I shopped around and was able to find a much better deal by going with an independent agent who did not have any loyalties to a "big name" company. Our homeowner's premium increase was only $50/month over our current rate. AND, because he was able to find us such a better rate on our automobile policies, we are not paying any more (total) than we have been paying. Yea God! That is definitely an answered prayer!

On The Grow!

2008-10-08T16:47:00.008-05:00

We moved to Fairhope from Tennessee in January of 2001 for Lee to serve as the Worship Leader for a new church start called The Church On The Eastern Shore (COTES).

Our first Sunday here, about 50 people gathered in this office building for worship. (It now houses an insurance agency and a real estate office.)

We've made two more moves since then. One, across the parking lot to this larger building that we rented.

Then, a couple of years later, our church "merged" with another area church of about 200 members, and we moved to the property that they owned. We've been building on that land ever since and just this past year, moved into our second sanctuary.

This past week, we found out that on the list of "The 100 Fastest-Growing Churches in America," we are #49! We now have over 2000 members and are baptizing new Believers weekly. Someone asked me yesterday, "What's your secret?" I immediately said, "I hope that WE have nothing to do with it. God is doing amazing things."

Today, I had to drop some forms by the insurance office that was once our church building. As I looked around and remembered clearly that very first Sunday, I just had to wonder what the next 8 years will bring.

"God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Eph. 3:20

(The Message)

Chasing that Proverbs 31 Woman!

2008-10-08T08:36:00.010-05:00

Today was "Walk Your Child To School" Day for my children. All four of them. 2 different schools. 2 different meeting places. Same time.

Today was stormy. Here is a radar image of our area:

That long line to the right of Mobile? Just passed through Fairhope.

But I've really been trying to work on those godly-woman qualities that I've been learning about in my "Marriage Without Regrets" study. This week's lesson has been on the woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31. You know the one, I'm sure. And while there is nothing specific in those verses about walking to school with your children in the rain, I know my children (the ones who are supposed to "rise up and call me blessed") appreciated it. They laughed. They played in the rain. Hopefully, they will remember it as a good thing when they're grown and wanting to blame me for something.

Now I'm back home, dried off and working on another "project" for another member of my household. Apparently, in a cleaning fit last week, I threw away Lee's new (and unread) "Singing News." I should have dug it out of the garbage last night, but there were other things going on......... homework, a baseball practice, and a report due Thursday that requires pictures, props, costume, etc.......... did I mention it stormed this morning? So, there is now a magazine "baking" in my oven. That ought to be worth a "rising up and blessing" from Lee. Hey...... whatever it takes. I'm in this to win it!

Lunch plans!

2008-10-07T06:03:00.006-05:00

I'm so excited that I'm getting to hear Ron Hall and Denver Moore speak at a lunch today. Their story is an incredible testimony of how God weaves our lives together while we're here on Earth. If you haven't had a chance to read it, I highly recommend it!

As an update: Here's a pic of Denver Moore (L) and Ron Hall (R) signing books after the luncheon. Over 900 people attended! Can't wait to hear how much money was raised for The Waterfront Rescue Mission.

Wild Creatures (who love animals!)

2008-10-02T15:44:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, my kids got to attend a program called, "Creatures of Creation" which is a "non-profit, donor-supported ministry which aspires to glorify God by providing educational and entertaining family resources and outreach programs that focus on God's amazing creatures from a Biblical perspective." In other words, learning about God through fun with animals.

They came home talking non-stop about all the cool critters that they'd seen, heard, touched, and learned about. They also told me that they'd had a picture made with an alligator, but I'd forgotten all about it until a friend brought Annie a copy of their picture today. Apparently, this 7-foot-long beauty is Auggie:

I'm glad they got this "up close and personal" learning experience, but I still wouldn't want to run into Auggie in a dark alley. Well, you know what I mean.

She's A Little Bit Country.............

2008-09-30T15:40:00.005-05:00

I visited with the kids today after school while they were eating their snacks, then I came in the den to check my email while they got started on their homework. In the ten minutes that I've been in here, I've heard our youngest, Anabel, age 6, singing no less than 4 different country songs. And I do mean singing. All the words. With feeling. I've heard, "What Was I Thinking?," "She's In Love With The Boy," I Hope You Dance," and now, she's belting out a moving rendition of "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."

Should I be worried or impressed? Impressed, right?.............right?

She's a

2008-09-30T15:40:00.001-05:00

Marriage Mantra

2008-09-27T17:15:00.004-05:00

I'm in a Precept Bible study right now called "Marriage Without Regrets." It's a Kay Arthur inductive study where she has us constantly digging into the Hebrew and Greek to get to the root of what God was saying. I've learned a lot, been challenged a lot, been convicted a lot. I'm looking forward to all that God wants to teach me over the rest of this study

Last night, 5 of us from the class, went to see the movie, "Fireproof." What a great job they did with the topic of working through the hard times in a marriage. One of the best lines was when Kirk Cameron's father told him to "lead his heart." In this day and age of if-it-feels-good-do-it, and follow-your-heart, if was refreshing to be reminded that as Christians, our challenge is to follow Jesus' example of loving through serving. And that does require making a conscious choice to lead my heart sometimes. Most of the time, really.

I want to make that my daily choice as I try to be the wife that God intended me to be for Lee.

My Deepest Apologies.......

2008-09-26T10:11:00.003-05:00

to the wonderfully sweet lady at Nouveau Day Spa who gave me such a nice manicure last Friday night. This is in no way a reflection on you! But the girls are going to be so thrilled to come home and find that their room is no longer "Big-Bird-Blew-Up" yellow but a much milder and pleasant "Celery Bunch" green. When I walk in there now, my spirit goes, "Aaahhh." (and contrary to what you might think after looking at this pic, yes, I did manage to get some paint on the walls.) Now, it's on to the beds!

Yes, We Have No Banana(Spiders)

2008-09-25T18:02:00.007-05:00

This is our new friend on our back fence. Elijah came running in and asked me to take pictures of her because she "is SO beautiful." So, of course, being the always-obliging mom, (ha!) I did. Then I thought, "this would be a great teaching moment"....... see? already thinking like that home-schooling mom...... so I did a Google search to learn all that I could about Banana Spiders. Alas, my spidey sense must need some work, because apparently, this is not a Banana Spider, but is instead, a Black and Yellow Garden Spider. It is also called a Writing Spider....... see the zigzags in the web?

They're thought to serve as a warning to birds, so they won't fly through and destroy the web.

I'd rather think of them as the "ink" that Charlotte used to write "SOME PIG." Except that I don't think Charlotte was a Black and Yellow Garden Spider or a Banana Spider.

I may not be able to recognize Banana Spiders, but I do know that these are bananas:

And I also know that although they are on my next-door neighbor's tree, they are hanging on my side of the fence. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

And when the bananas outside look like these, they will be used as these are going to be........ making a big ol' batch of Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins! Yum.

Homework Hell

2008-09-24T16:55:00.004-05:00

There is simply no other term for it. I can't remember a day in the past two weeks when at least one of my four kids did not reach the point of tears over a home-work assignment. Seriously. Something is wrong here. They're all in elementary school. I completely understand the teacher wanting to make sure that they "get" what they worked on in class, but this 1 and 1/2 - 2 hours every night is just craziness. On any given afternoon, my 4th-graders will have to 1.) read 10 pages in their Alabama history book and do a worksheet on it 2.) do a math worksheet 3.) do a language worksheet 4.) write their 20 spelling words twice (or make up sentences with half of them) and 5.) re-read a selection from their school day in their reading books and study the vocabulary that goes with that story. Oh, and don't forget the "read 20 minutes every night" and "practice math skills for 15 minutes every night."

The love of learning is being totally driven out of my kids. It's not fun. It's work. And there is absolutely no time left over for any play.......... which should still be such an important part of the day at their ages. I'm very conflicted about how to handle it. I want to say, "this is so stupid and totally worthless, and you will NEVER use this information." I feel like I need to say, "I think this is a lot of work, but the Bible says we are supposed to submit to those in authority and do everything without arguing and complaining."

But at 5:20 today when Elijah burst into tears (after 2 hours of struggling to finish all of his assignments), and asked me to "please, please homeschool me next year," I wasn't feeling very conflicted at all. I cried right along with him and told him that if God told me to, I sure would.

Even if that's before next year.

The Weighting Game

2008-09-23T08:42:00.003-05:00

No deep thoughts today. No pithy comments. No totally useless ramblings about laundry or my "to do" list. Today is all about self-indulgent celebration. As of this morning, I am 1/3 of the way to my goal of losing 30 pounds by Thanksgiving!! Whoo-hoo! And that's even after a sinfully wonderful peanut butter/chocolate milkshake at 10:00 last night........ Guess I'll have to make another one of those when I hit the 2/3 mark, huh?

Pressing on!

Wishin' It Away........

2008-09-21T23:48:00.003-05:00

This is gearing up to be a busy week. Staff supper Monday. Elijah's class is giving his teacher a surprise Hawaiian-themed birthday party on Tuesday. Rehearsal Tuesday night. Bible study Wednesday night. Anabel's class is responsible for feeding the K-1 Center Staff (60 people!) on Thursday. Baseball practice Thursday night. Movie with "The Girls" on Friday night. Lee leaves for N'ville on Wednesday. Oh, and somewhere in all of that fun, I really need to get to painting the girls' room.

Here it is Sunday night, and I'm already needing a weekend.

Well, the results are in..........

2008-09-19T21:46:00.003-05:00

We had our Mother/Daughter and Father/Son dates tonight and had "The Talk" with the older three kids. Just wanted to follow-up on my last post with their responses:

Maggie........ "Wow, that's the most amazing thing ever! God must really love us to make us like He did, huh?" (exact words)

Reese and Elijah......."That's the grossest thing I've ever heard." and "We need to quit talking about it before I lose my appetite." (exact words)

Yeah...... let's check back with the fellas in a few years! : )

Milestone Eve

2008-09-18T20:38:00.004-05:00

Life as we know it will change tomorrow. Lee has planned an evening with the boys and I have planned an evening with Maggie and we will be having "THE Talk" with them. (Anabel is spending the night with a friend.) The fellas are going to head to the new Bass Pro Shop, eat some supper somewhere....Lee says this occasion just screams for steak!.... and then go walk around somewhere where they can talk. Maggie and I have an appointment at a day spa for a manicure and pedicure. Then I think we're going to just pick up something to eat and head back here to the house for our conversation time.

We've been building this up with them for several days now. Telling them we're looking forward to our time just with them. Saying things like, "I just can't believe y'all are old enough for this" and "This is going to be so cool!" Finally, tonight at supper (at our local Mexican restaurant after baseball practice) Elijah just could not stand it any longer. He got this shy grin on his little face and said, "I think I know what's happening tomorrow night........... you're giving us all a cell phone!!" We assured him that was not the case.

Wonder how the information Lee lays on him tomorrow night will stack up against that phone? Hope he's not disappointed. Pray for us. We want to do this right!

Water works

2008-09-17T16:57:00.005-05:00

I'm not a crier. I've always wanted to be. I have girlfriends who are moved to tears so quickly, that I feel very "hard" when I compare myself to them. Usually, to bring tears, something has to hurt me really badly or make me really, really mad. Unless it's God. For as far back as I can remember, when He speaks to me, it always makes me cry. It's become some sort of crazy litmus test almost: no tears, not from God. I know, I know, weird.

For a few weeks now, I've had something that I've been wrestling with. A lot of prayer, a lot of sleepless nights. Just a decision that I want to be very sure about. Well, today, out of the blue, I had TWO things move me deeply....... and yes, there were definitely tears. One was an email and article I read that concerned the "issue" I've been praying about. The other, while totally unexpected, was by far the one that hit me the hardest.

Wow. God is that really you??

Breakfast: It's What's For Dinner!

2008-09-15T19:14:00.006-05:00

We live your typical mile-a-minute-life-with-four-kids life. Dad's busy at work. Mom's busy at home. Kids are busy with school. Church events several times a week. (Not to mention baseball, birthday parties, etc.) We don't have a lot of "down" time. So....the family dinner table is a holy ground of sorts for us. On the weeks that Lee's not in Nashville, we shoot for eating together as a family as much as possible. During the day, Lee and I catch up on "grown up" talk over lunch, which is usually a salad somewhere. And as many nights as possible, we try to have all six of us around the table. The noise level is off the charts as we share about the events of the day, laugh at funny stories (and noises...... we do have boys!), and hopefully, pass on the tradition of making family meals a priority. Thanks Sonny & Glo and Pete & Nell for all the family meals Lee and I had growing up!

Tonight we had our favorite: breakfast for supper. I fried bacon and scrambled eggs while Lee made his "world-famous" cheese grits. We've called them that since the kids were babies, so they think that's really what they're called. As that wonderful smell of bacon frying filled up the house this evening, the kids came running in, so excited. "Is Dad gonna make his World-Famous Cheese Grits when he gets home?" they all wanted to know. And he did. And they were, once again, the best ones ever. So, even though most research says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, for us, it's usually supper-time before we get to enjoy it!

Change of Seasons

2008-09-13T19:13:00.004-05:00

It is officially Fall to me now. The US Open (tennis) has been played. Alabama is playing. (football) And my boys had their first Fall Ball game tonight. (baseball) I LOVE the ballpark. I grew up playing softball and couldn't be happier that they enjoy baseball as much as they do. It would be fine with me if they played for many, many more years.

But we have definitely entered a new world by moving up to the Minor League. Bunting. Stealing bases. Balls and Strikes. And the biggest change: kid-pitch. Wow. BIG change. A lot of hit batters. A lot of walks on balls. And for Lee and me this time, a lot of nervous energy as we watched Elijah try his hand at pitching for the very first time. And wow, he rocked! Reese had a great game, too, so it was a successful Opening Day for the Black Family. Here's an action shot for you........ don't you just love the determination on his little face?

Female Friday

2008-09-12T15:54:00.004-05:00

First, I started the day working on Day#2 (of Week 2) of my "Marriage Without Regrets" Bible study. This weeks' title is "Role of Woman." Yesterday's lesson assignment was short, but sweet. Today, not so much. She (Kay Arthur) had me diving into all kinds of word studies on the verse, "Yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (Gen 3:16) Fun stuff.

Later this morning, I met with my "Moms In Touch" (MIT) group for the first time. I'd had to miss the first meeting they had, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, it was wonderful. Just 5 moms meeting with one purpose: to have a structured prayer time for our children. I learned so much about the other women and their families just by listening to the praise, thanksgiving, and requests. It really helped to hear that some of their prayers so closely mirrored mine. Just knowing that other moms deal with the same issues that I do, and have children with similar personalities to mine gave me energy somehow. I think we all felt it. We bonded. I'll definitely look forward to those two Fridays every month and growing those relationships.

This afternoon I had a good phone call with my mom. We talked about my grandmother and what the plans were for her care as she comes home weak and a little confused after a hospital stay. My mom is such a godly woman, and I always learn so much watching her walk through these situations. So, Mom, thank you for once again, blazing a trail for me to follow. I want to be you when I grow up. And you can come live with me when you're 93...... we'd have a blast, I'm sure.

Tonight, I'm having a Girl's Night Out with a couple of friends from church. We're going to eat a quick supper and then see a movie. I'm looking forward to it, because usually on the weeks that Lee's gone, I'm here with the kids the whole time. A break tonight will do us all good, trust me.

Oh, and just to put the estrogen level completely over the top, we're going to see "The Women."

Where were you when..................?

2008-09-11T13:34:00.004-05:00

Wikipedia says, "A flashbulb memory is a memory that was laid down in great detail during a personally significant event, often a shocking event of national or international importance. These memories are perceived to have a 'photographic' quality. The term was coined by Brown and Kulik (1977), who found highly emotional memories (e.g. hearing bad news) were often vividly recalled, even some time after the event." There is debate among researchers as to whether these memories really are more vivid than others, or whether the detail comes from the fact that they are discussed so much in the days that follow, or even if brain chemicals that are released play a roll, etc. All I know is that there are some memories in my mind that are as fresh today as they were the day they happened. I remember slamming my sister's fingers in a door when I was

2 1/2. Mainly, I remember the spanking I got for the running in the house that led to the fingers being slammed. I remember spinning (like little girls do) outside on an incredibly windy day when I was 5 years old. (1969) My mom told me that the winds came from something called, "Hurricane Camille." To this day, on windy days, I immediately picture myself spinning. I remember calling home from a mission trip in August of 1977 and my mom telling me that Elvis Presley had died. I ran back to tell my Youth Pastor and all the other kids and no one would believe me. January 28, 1986, I walked into my clinical nursing classroom to find all the professors gathered around a tv, crying. Challenger had exploded. Halloween Day, 1996, we heard the news that we'd miscarried our first baby at 3 1/2 months. Seven years ago today, we got a call from our pastor telling us to turn on the news. As we did, a plane flew into the second of the Twin Towers, an image that is permanently seared in our brains. And right now, if I close my eyes, I can be back in a hospital room on January 26th, 2007. All the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of the day my dad died will never fade.

So looking back over this list, the thing that immediately jumps out at me is that all of these memories are associated with negative events. Well, the spinning was a positive for me, but Camille was pretty much an all-around negative, I'd imagine. So do I only have flashbulb memories of bad things? Absolutely not. In the exact same vivid detail, I can remember my Brownie "Fly-Up" ceremony, my 6th grade party for "graduation," my Senior Prom, the first time I heard some guy named Lee Black sing, kissing Lee Black for the first time, our engagement, our wedding day (ok some of that day is a blur), and the births of each of our four children. (and yes, those go in the "good" memory list!) So why does my mind always go to the negative first? I want to to live Philippians 4:8. Thinking about the things that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy." I want the flashbulb memories to be of those things first. So, enough writing for now. I'm about to make some good memories with my kids!!

Picture Perfect

2008-09-10T21:58:00.003-05:00

Reese opened the front door this evening as we were heading out to church and I heard him gasp. Since we had just had an "Ike" outer band shower, I thought, "I bet there's a rainbow." But the view from our front door took my breath away, too. I ran back into the house to grab my camera, only to find out that my battery was dead. It would turn on, but wouldn't let me snap any pictures. I took the battery out, cleaned it off and prayed, "Please, God, just let me get one picture." Well, He did. I only wish it could show how beautiful it was in person.

Why It's Good That I'm Not God

2008-09-09T08:12:00.005-05:00

Because the one word that keeps coming to my mind is "smite." I hate cancer. I watched my dad fight a hard fight against it. I watched him suffer through the horrible side-effects of the poisons he was given to "help" him. And I watched him take his very last breath at the way-too-early age of 67. So this story makes me more angry than I will ever be able to put into words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcswYwQczPc

Hand-Me-Down Friends

2008-09-08T22:25:00.006-05:00

We had a fun night tonight eating supper with great friends from our very earliest married days in Tennessee. The Roberson Family, (Johnny, Barbara, Vaughn and Page) are down here for their annual beach vacation and we always look forward to catching up with them. I wrote about our first Young Married Sunday School Class in this post (see the second paragraph). Well, Barbara was the "inaugural Mom" in the class, paving the way for what was soon to become a VERY prolific group! When Vaughn came along, bless her heart, she was like the class baby. And we were all like a big, extended family of aunts and uncles. Well, seeing her tonight at 13!! was a big, ol' reminder that we ain't the young kids we once were. But we are the friends that we once were (and will always be.) We spent the meal laughing, remembering, and telling old stories for our kids........ who, by the way, have decided that if their parents are friends then they should be, too. It was so much fun to watch them laughing and playing together within minutes of our getting together tonight. Here's a pic of our two "youngests" sharing a shake for dessert. Good times..........

Tropical Depression

2008-09-07T22:24:00.004-05:00

OK, I was just reading another blog and the writer was talking about the fact that her husband gets disappointed when a hurricane does NOT come his way (after it has been forecasted to do so). That made me laugh out loud, because I feel like Lee and I live that life. We do NOT want the catastrophic damage/loss of life........ don't get me wrong. But if I'm going to totally emotionally invest in these forecasts, reports, updates, projected paths, computer models, etc., then I wish there could be just a little bit more accuracy. I mean, one minute, Ike is heading straight up Mobile Bay and we're organizing for a middle-of-the-week escape. Then, the next update comes out and suddenly, we're "safe" but Texas better be prepared to evacuate. Of course, all the Powers That Be are very quick to point out that there really is no "safe." Everyone from Texas to Florida should be 'closely monitoring the situation.' In other words, they don't have any idea what Ike (or any other hurricane for that matter) is going to do. Especially this far out in time. So, we wait. (and keep checking the weather sites every 3 hours) I can see where a person could need meds for this. Or at least ice cream.

Hakuna Matata!

2008-09-05T08:57:00.008-05:00

I've been reading in Philippians lately. As I was reading Chapter 4 this morning, I found myself humming the "no worries" song from the Lion King. I laughed out loud when I realized that Paul's words had taken me there:

6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (The Message)

I love those verses, but for me, they fall into the much-easier-said-than-done category. I just have one of those brains that doesn't turn off that easily. I KNOW not to worry, but putting that into practice is sometimes hard for me to understand. Anyway, hearing that song in my head made me wonder about Hakuna Matata, so I did some searching. "Ha" is a negative. "Kuna" means "there are." "Matata" means "tangles." ("There are no tangles.") Now tangles? Tangles I understand. I have two beautiful daughters, both with beautiful hair. Beautiful, wild, curly hair.

(Maggie, 1999)

(Anabel, 2004)

We definitely have had our share of tangles (and tears!) over the past 10 years. Why just this morning........ but I digress.

So, going back to Philippians, what a great word picture of what worry does to me. It just "tangles" me up! Causes stress "knots" in my muscles and stomach. Keeps me from focusing on what's important. Trips me as I try to run the race.

So, I'm taking a deep breath and diving in. I'm going to pray and praise in place of worry. I am. School stress? Pray and Praise! Church stress? (did someone say "amen?") Pray and Praise! "Ike" who? Pray and Praise!

Humming to myself even now,

Mel

"It Ain't Over Til It's Over"...........

2008-09-02T10:19:00.003-05:00

To quote our local weatherman quoting Yogi Berra. Apparently there are still quite a few "leftover" outer band weather cells that have to come through our area. We've already had several tornado warnings again this morning (with many more to follow according to the radar of what's heading out of the Gulf.) I'm just ready to be able to think, talk, blog, about something other than the weather! Hurry up, November!!

At least for tonight........

2008-09-01T23:05:00.003-05:00

We can sleep without the weather alert radio, praise the Lord. Today, our county alone had 32 tornado WARNINGS. (not watches!) Unbelievable. We survived the outer bands of Gustav and we have a few days before we have to worry about the paths of Hanna, Ike, and Josephine. Such is life at the beach from June to November.

Watches v. Warnings

2008-09-01T06:43:00.003-05:00

Weather watches mean that "conditions are favorable" for that particular weather event. Warnings mean that it's actually happening. Here are the warnings we've had since yesterday: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Thunderstorm, Flash Flood, and now Tornado. This is our NOAA Weather Alert Radio. We have it programmed for our county so it provides up-to-date, valuable weather information for our area. The makers of this radio must believe that we as users are completely deaf. The alarm tone is the loudest, most raucous noise........ especially when it wakes you from a deep sleep. Since 3:00 this morning, our radio alarm has gone off 11 times. I gave up sleeping around 4:00. The outer rain bands from Gustav are spinning through our area and there has been a new tornado warning issued about every 15 minutes. This is supposed to continue until later this afternoon. We may not be getting a direct hit from the hurricane, but we are apparently in the line of fire for the spin-off tornadoes. The kids are all waking up now (way too early) because of the heavy winds and rains. I'm thinking there should be a "Cranky Kids" Watch. Conditions are definitely favorable.

'Twas The Night Before Gustav......

2008-08-31T16:04:00.004-05:00

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for this opossum.

OK, so it doesn't rhyme. I never claimed to be the songwriter. Just the "wife of a...."

This little critter somehow ended up in our sunroom last night. Bless his heart, he was probably just looking for a good place to ride out the storm. But Doobie-Dog was having NONE of that, thank you very much. We tried to direct him back out to the yard, but he was just too scared to realize that we were trying to help him. Finally, we just left the back door open, closed the door into our house (I'm all about providing shelter, but I draw the line at opossums), and went to bed, because Sundays come early here at our house. When we got up this morning, the critter was gone.

We've been to church, eaten some lunch and are now "hunkered down" glued to the continuing hurricane coverage on the different tv stations. One of the outer bands is making its way through our area right now. It's now really dark and the thunder is beginning to rumble. According to the latest reports, we're in for a rainy, windy night. (But nothing like Louisiana is going to have.) We've got all of our "if-the-lights-go-out" supplies ready, and I'm baking some muffins so we'll have something yummy for a late-night snack. The kids are all hyped-up thinking that this is all a grand adventure. Lee's snoring on the couch.

Stay safe and dry, Mr. Opossum!

Take THAT Clemson!!

2008-08-30T22:20:00.002-05:00

Can I get a big ol' Roll Tide?? What a season opener for Alabama!! Underdogs by 4+ points. Winning 34-10. I just love it when those "in the know" are proven wrong. May this be just the first of many, many wins for the Crimson Tide this year.

Oh, and it would be just fine with me if those "in the know" about hurricane forecast tracks were NOT proven wrong. As much as I hate it for our neighbors to the west, I'm not wanting to experience Gustav's Category 5 fury anywhere near us.

Still waiting and watching............

Finally!

2008-08-29T15:21:00.003-05:00

This has been a LONG week. It just seems like it's taken a month to get from Monday til today. I've been very tired (still behind in sleep from the sale last week) and out of sorts (sorry, Lee) and stressed (wondering where in the world Gustav is heading). But all that changed when I picked the kids up at school this afternoon. It's knowing that there's a three-night reprieve from homework. It's hearing Elijah yell, "Mom, 3 down, only 33 more to go!" (weeks of school) It's surprising Maggie with a sleepover with her best friend, Anna. (she still doesn't know that Anna will be here at 6:00 tonight) It's knowing that Lee's going to be heading home tonight from Nashville and we can deal with all this weather mess together. It's the night before Alabama's first football game. (Roll Tide!) It's........... Friday!!

"Cone of Uncertainty"

2008-08-27T15:37:00.013-05:00

That phrase may not mean anything to some folks, but mention it to anyone who lives along the Gulf Coast (or any hurricane-prone area) and they'll know immediately what you're talking about. We are currently smack-dab in the middle of that appropriately named cone as we play the hurry-up-and-wait game with Gustav. I have had a bad feeling (joo-joo as Lee calls it) about this storm for several days now. Seriously, when I looked at the forecast track the first time the weather guys started talking about the newest tropical wave, the baby hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Things should have gotten a little better over the next few days, because the forecast seemed to be taking the storm well away from us. Still the heebie-jeebies stayed with me.

Background information: Lee and I are total weather nerds. He grew up in South Alabama tracking hurricanes from a very early age. It was not unusual for him to miss days, and sometimes even weeks, of school because of power outages from a storm. In Tuscaloosa, I was farther away from that particular action, but my dad's idea of a perfect evening was sitting in his comfy recliner watching the radar pattern on the local weather channel. No lie. Elevator music and all. My family was always "in the know" about current weather events. Sounds funny, I know, but it probably saved the lives of my mom, dad and youngest sister when a tornado ripped through their area on December 16, 2000. My sister's family was all safe, but their home was a total loss. We have a very healthy respect for what a "good" storm can do.

Back to present. There are several weather sites that Lee and I have bookmarked to see current updates on approaching storms. Usually, there are some differences of opinion on the when, where, how strong, etc., but according to the concept of the "Cone of Uncertainty," the closer you get to the event, the less uncertainty there is. All of the models tend to converge and agree eventually. This morning, there was still a good bit of disagreement. AccuWeather, a site that was incredibly accurate tracking both Katrina and Ivan, was predicting that Gustav would make landfall as a Category 3 storm on Tuesday near Galveston, Texas. That sounded pretty good. (Well, not for Galveston, I guess.) Then, I saw that two other sites, the NHC (National Hurricane Center) and Weather Underground were predicting that by Monday morning at 8:00, Gustav would be a Cat 3 storm in the Gulf of Mexico just to the SE of New Orleans. Not so good for us.

Then, the warning emails began about rising gas costs and supply shortages. (from people "in the know") That's a bit worrisome. So, I decided to err on the side of caution and go top off the tank in my van. Well, I guess most everyone else in our county had the same thought. The lines at all 8 pumps were at least three-deep and most everyone there was not only filling up his own vehicle, but also gas containers. Even more worrisome. Now, the models all seem to be moving a little more eastward....... more in a direction that will affect us. Our local weatherman is right this very minute telling me to "take the next two days to get all of your emergency supplies together and plan out your evacuation route."

I'm not sure what our Labor Day will look like, but I'm pretty sure it won't involve grilling out burgers in the backyard. Not here, anyway. I'm just glad that by then, Lee will be back from Nashville and we'll be able to deal (together) with whatever Gustav brings. Lee was in California when Katrina hit and that was no fun for either of us.

Still watching and wondering within the "Cone,"

Mel

Here We Go Again.........

2008-08-25T21:15:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Hurricane Season! We "dodged another bullet" with Fay. Only got a little wind and a good soaking of rain. In fact, we're still getting the last of those band rain storms tonight. But, before we can even enjoy the fact that we have no trees down and no roof damage, (not to mention that we didn't have to pack up all of our "treasures" and head North) we're already being put on alert for the next storm, Gustav. Looks like it might be an interesting few days...............

The Calm Before the Storm

2008-08-23T05:14:00.004-05:00

We're just a few hours away from some big weather changes. It's quiet right now, but over the next 24 hours, we'll be getting winds up to 40 mph and somewhere between 10-15 inches of rain! We've been watching the radar (huge weather nerds) so we can know what's heading our way. Amazing how quickly change happens sometimes. For instance...........

Summer, 1992

Summer, 2008

I can still remember, like it was yesterday, taking that wedding picture. (Lee and I kept whispering about how much our faces hurt from all the smiling!) Who but God could have known all the big changes ahead for us as we started out as a family that day? Wonder if "life radar" would be a good or bad thing? Would you want to know about those changes ahead of time? All I know is that I LOVE where we are now as a family and can't wait to see where we'll be 16 years from now!

Oh, and speaking of changes, isn't is also amazing how living at the beach lightens one's hair color??

I (Still) Do

2008-08-22T06:27:00.003-05:00

How can it possibly have been 16 years?

And who in the world are those kids??

I love you more than you'll ever know.

Happy Anniversary.

Mel

SLEEPY...........

2008-08-20T08:24:00.002-05:00

Three days. 12 hours sleep. Enough said. I'd BETTER come home with some money from this consignment sale!!! (or I'll be having to change this picture to Grumpy!)

Feeling a bit shown up...........

2008-08-16T21:54:00.004-05:00

For a 43-year-old, stay-at-home, needs-to-lose-30-pounds, always-tired wife and mom, tonight was NOT the night to be watching Olympic coverage if I were looking for a "you're right where you're supposed to be" pat on the back!

First, it was Romania's Constantina Tomescu, 38, winning the Women's Marathon as the "oldest Olympic marathon gold-medal winner ever!"

Then, to top that, there's US Swimmer, Dara Torres. 41-years old. Mom of a toddler. She's now competed (and medaled!) in FIVE Olympic games. I just can't begin to wrap my mind around that.

But as a woman, I am so proud of both of them. And as I licked the last of my Extreme Chocolate ice cream off my spoon, I committed to "do better" at getting my big behind moving more starting this coming week!

Anticipation

2008-08-15T16:38:00.004-05:00

It's makin' me late. It's keepin' me wai-ai-ai-ai-ai-itin'. (anyone picturing ketchup?) I'm not. Well, OK, I did for a minute. But what I'm really looking forward to is Lee walking in the door in about 6 hours. On his writing weeks, he usually stays in Nashville until Saturday morning, so we don't see him 'til late that afternoon. He didn't have any writing appointments booked for this afternoon, though, so he decided to just head on back our way. Whoo-hoo! Sounds like he's had a good trip: 3 writing appointments, 3 really good songs. "Lord, please find the perfect homes for these songs. Amen."

I'm not even telling the kids that he's coming home tonight. They're used to his being back on Saturday afternoon, so if I tell them, they'll be all keyed up and won't want to sleep tonight which will NOT be good. How fun that they can just wake up and "find" him here in the morning? Hopefully, this first week of having to get up earlier for school will have them tired enough that we can all sleep just a little later tomorrow!

Counting down the hours!

Going For the Gold!

2008-08-14T07:06:00.006-05:00

I'm loving these Olympic Games because I HATE knowing ahead of time what the outcomes of the events are. I mean, why watch?? You just can't beat the thrill of watching "real-time" when the US Men come from behind to win the Swim Relay. What a finish!! (Take that, you smack-talkin' French!!) And the underdog US Men's Gymnastics team? Michael Phelps? individual kayak? Well, ok, not so much.........

I'm hating these Olympic Games because I'm staying up WAY too late every night to see who wins. I mean, seriously, I'm about to set my own world record for how little sleep a person can exist on! Tonight is the Women's Gymnastics Individual Events! Oh well, it will be over way too soon and I'll sleep then.

Gotta go, I've got less than an hour to be productive before the coverage begins again!

ps How cool that I'd already written this blog AND added the countdown to the Bama game before I found the Bible verse application. Had no idea that the verse of the day would be "sports"-related! Guess I needed a reminder of the importance of focusing on the most important EVENT.

I Need a Map!!

2008-08-13T05:51:00.005-05:00

I'm having one of those Parent Times when I just don't know what to do. Step in, be an advocate? Stand back, be an encourager? Cry?... already done that. Sometimes this job is NOT for the faint of heart! Thank God for His promise:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

do not depend on your own understanding

6 Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

I'm trusting, Lord, with all my heart!

We made it!

2008-08-11T09:08:00.004-05:00

It was back into the swing of things for our household today. Having to set an alarm clock was a bummer! But we all hit the ground running and within just a few minutes there were four little Black kiddos sitting at the table in their fresh-pressed new school uniforms eating their oatmeal. Maggie said, "Mom, why do you fix us oatmeal on the first day of school every year?" Elijah answered, "Because it's 'brain food' and she wants us to do well on our first day." Yeah, what he said. Actually, I'd forgotten that I had made the same breakfast for them every year. (maybe I should eat some oatmeal!) Next, we packed four lunches, brushed teeth and hair and then headed outside for the annual "first day" pictures. Of course, I had to take a few more of Anabel since this was her very first first-day. She did fine, and I did, too, as we walked into her new school together. She got a hug from her teacher and then went straight to her "line" where she quickly made a new friend, Erin. Now, I'm back home in a very quiet house getting ready to dive into a long "to do" list. Please Lord, give all four of them a wonderful first day!

The Last Shall be First (Grade)

2008-08-10T20:27:00.006-05:00

Well, it's "Milestone Eve" here at the Black house. Tomorrow, our baby girl, Anabel, will enter First Grade. Is she ready? Oh yes. Am I? Well...... yes...... and no.

I'm so ready for her to join the ranks of the "big kids" as she calls her brothers and sister. She's been looking forward to this day for so long and I'm celebrating with her for that. But still, there is a part of my heart that realizes that this is her first step in a walk that will eventually take her away from us and that makes me teary-eyed. As I've thought back today over the blur that has been her first 6 years, I've realized again just how short a time we have them and how quickly it flies. It's a tremendous responsibility, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity. Here's my prayer for our four blessings:

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

(TonyWood/Mark Harris)

Time to Pack!

2008-08-09T00:37:00.007-05:00

I just cannot believe how our days here have flown by. But we have managed to cram as much into each one of them as possible and we're leaving here with a ton of great memories and lots of wonderful pictures!

Today, we headed up (early) into the Rocky Mountain National Park. The road we took through the park is the highest continuous paved road in the US reaching an elevation of over 12,000 feet. We were determined to see some wildlife. I'd been here a week hearing about all of the incredible animals to see and all I'd photographed were a bunny and a TON of chipmunks. I felt like Holly Hunter's character in "Raising Arizona." But instead of a toddler, "I need me an elk."

So, we started off on our quest. All day, every time I paused to catch my breath, (which was many, many times b/c there's like, NO OXYGEN AT ALL in Rocky Mountain National Park), I asked God to "just let me please see one elk." And I am not joking about how many times I said that. I mean the Persistent Widow had nothing on me.

Well, we went all the way to the other side of the park, stopping whenever we wanted to along the way to walk, hike, take pics, look for elk, etc. We saw many incredible views, and got a ton of great pics of various park wildlife, but alas, no elk. Finally, at the Visitor's Center Observation Window, we saw a couple of herds, but they were WAY too far off to even photograph. A kind lady from London let me borrow her binoculars and at this point, I was thrilled to see them from any distance. We were on our last leg of the ride back out of the park when we saw a few people step into a field and point up toward a mountain. Guess what? Right! An elk!! Lee and I ran across that field (surely it was NOT protected tundra that you're NOT supposed to walk on!) and headed up the rocks to try to snap a picture before the elk decided to amble off. Well, when we got to the place where he was and looked over the rise, there were 7 more! I almost started crying I was so excited. We were so close to them. The biggest ones were well over 1500 pounds and their antler racks are just regal looking. I simply cannot figure out how they can hold their heads up.

All that to say, it was a very successful day in the hunt for wildlife. I can now head home tomorrow (well, today, I guess) a happy girl. And I'm sure my four "little critters" waiting for me at home will be enough to make me teary-eyed, too!

The view from the top

2008-08-07T15:22:00.008-05:00

The cable-car ride was AWESOME! Lee (and his very sweaty palms) made it just fine. The elevation where we got off the ride was 8900 feet (!) and then we hiked up another 20 miles or so. Just kidding. It only felt like that many. But the reward was great:

overcoming fears, incredible views, and TONS of great chipmunk pics. Who could ask for more?

FEAR is a 4-letter word! (or "Life is too short not to ride the rides!")

2008-08-07T09:56:00.002-05:00

This is the lesson that we're attempting to teach the kids. Face your fears head-on! Chase your dreams! Shoot for the stars! Never give up! You get the picture.........

So, to put his money where his mouth is, my sweet husband is taking me to ride a cable car up into the Rockies! He is terribly bothered (to put it very mildly) by heights, so this will definitely be out of his comfort zone. But oh, the prize that waits at the top: the views! (oh and for 50-cents, you can buy peanuts to feed the chipmunks!!)

Lee and I had a conversation yesterday:

Lee: "You know, I'm just determined to live my life claiming that 'all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.' I could die at any moment....... a plane crash, a gunshot, a whatever. (Lee can be kind of morbid like that) But there is such freedom in knowing that God knows all about it. So if that mountain cable-car cable snaps in two, it won't come as a surprise to God."

Me: "I bet it would come as a surprise to you!" (I can be kind of blunt like that)

Anyway, we're off to overcome fear! (and hopefully see more wildlife than chipmunks)

A Wild Time

2008-08-06T10:57:00.007-05:00

We had a beautiful day here yesterday! The mountains are just indescribable. Pictures are disappointing........ they just can't capture the full effect that seeing them in person has on you. A storm blew up suddenly and it completely changed the view up here. But just as suddenly, the sun was back out and critters (all kinds who are everywhere) were once again, scurrying around. Here's one that we walked up on on our way to our room.

Planes, Trains, (Buses) and Automobiles

2008-08-05T10:27:00.005-05:00

Wow, what a long day yesterday was! Hit the ground running around 7:00 to do all the "last minute" things required to leave 4 children and a dog for 5 days. We pulled out of our driveway at 12:37 waving good-bye to the kids (who were already SO over our leaving and ready to see what all Ms. Victoria had planned for them) and headed for the Pensacola airport. Our flight was at 2:26 and we pulled into the parking garage at 1:50. That's my idea of perfect timing. Check in, get on your seat. (That's the "Plane" part).

We flew from Pensacola to Atlanta and got there around 4:30. Three hours, almost, to kill before our flight to Denver. So we rode the airport shuttle (That's the "Train" part) to another terminal and ate supper at TGIFridays..... even though it was Monday..... but we're just crazy like that.

We arrived in Denver around 8:30 (Mountain Time) but then we had to get our luggage (took FORVER!!) and then take a bus (That's the "Bus" part) to the car rental place where we picked up our rental car. (That's the "Automobile" part)

Finally, we headed up into the moutains! Through Boulder and then up VERY narrow and winding roads into Estes Park. By the time we got here, checked in, drove to our cabin and unloaded, it was almost 2:00! See, I told you it was a long day! We dropped our luggage, took quick baths to "blow the stink off," (I LOVE that line from "Hope Floats") and then fell into bed. Of course, it was way too dark to see anything then, but this morning, when the sun woke us up, this was the view from our window.

Well worth all the hours of travel!!

Uniform(ity) Conformity?

2008-08-01T22:12:00.006-05:00

I spent a good while tonight washing, sorting and having the kids (well, the girls anyway) try on their school uniforms trying to get ready for the big "First Day" next Monday. Once upon a time, I was a strong supporter of the uniform plan. I loved the thought of "equal footing" for all students. No brand name envy. No last-minute early-morning wardrobe battles. No-brainer. Right? Well........ not so fast. Apparently there is now a caste system of sorts for uniforms. A friend of mine was telling me this week that her daughter (a first-grader at the time) begged her not to buy more than one uniform for her until she could get to school and find out what brand the "cool" kids were wearing. I kept expecting my friend to laugh, but unfortunately she was totally serious. Give me a break. Like it really makes a difference where you buy your khaki, navy and white? Like there's not enough peer pressure about every other flippin' thing in the school? I'm just thankful that my kids seem to have a healthy sense of who they are despite the fact that ALL of their clothes, not just their school uniforms, come from Wal-mart, Target, eBay, and/or consignment sales. (Oh and I forgot, hand-me-downs from siblings and good friends!) Sure, we may stumble across an occasional "can't-beat-it-with-a-stick" clearance sale at a name-brand or department store, but those are definitely more the exception than the norm. Call us crazy, but Lee and I shop the same way. Can't say that it was always that way, but we're doing our best to lead by example now that we have these four "we-want-to-be-just-like-you" blessings watching our every move. We so want them to hold onto the knowledge that their identity is ONLY found in Who they belong to......... not what they do, not what friends they have, and certainly not the label in their clothes. I can always use a fresh reminder of that, too!

Mama Bear

2008-08-01T04:27:00.006-05:00

I am not the hot-head that I once was. (People who haven't known me for very long are thinking, "Good night! How bad was she??") Being married to Lee who has the spiritual gift of Mercy has really softened my edges. Well, some. But do NOT mess with my kids. In any way, shape or form. I will not like you..... probably ever. I was a Labor and Delivery nurse for almost 15 years and I taught Childbirth Ed classes for most of that time. If I had taught those classes after I had children of my own, I would have definitely changed the syllabus. Along with True Labor v. False Labor, and Things To Note When Your Water Breaks, I would have included You Will Never Be Prepared For The Fierce Protectiveness That You Will Feel For Your Child and You Will Be Willing To Die (or Kill) For Your Child. Oh yeah, and probably Labor Hurts Like Crap So Get an Epidural (or something to that effect). All of that rambling to say, it's a shame that some people, who shall remain nameless, who work in a job that has a direct influence on my children at this phase of their lives (i.e., school age), feel that it is necessary to wield their authority like some kind of sword. I mean, I thought we were all on the same Parent/Child/Educator team here. Apparently not. And now I will not like these said people. Probably ever. And that is most definitely their loss, because I am also fiercely loyal to my friends. Oh, and for the record, I would die/kill for my husband, too, so don't mess with him, either.

Table Talk #2 (or the things you learn from VBS these days!)

2008-07-29T21:06:00.003-05:00

Ok, so we're now sitting around the supper table, the kids and I. The boys are going to a Vacation Bible School every night this week with a friend from school who goes to a Lutheran church downtown. Here's a snippet of our conversation:

Me: "Did you have fun at Bible School last night?"

Boys (together): "Yes, ma'am."

Me: "What did you do?"

Elijah: "Well, they're doing this Jerusalem Marketplace thing."

Reese: "Yeah, and everyone dresses up like Bible characters....even the grown-ups."

Me: "Well, that sounds really cool."

Elijah: "And for rec time we all went out dressed up like that and played soccer."

Reese: "Yeah, and Jesus? He had GAME!"

Well, alrighty then!

You Don't Say!

2008-07-29T14:35:00.006-05:00

Here's a (scarily) typical around-the-table lunch conversation from today:

"That's not FAIR!" (Annie, 6)

"Uh-oh, Annie said the "F-word".........you know, "fair." (Elijah, 9)

"Well, at least it wasn't the 'bad' "F-word"..........you know, "fart." (Reese, 9)

"Oh yeah, well, I also know the "B-word".........it's "butt." (Annie)

"Well, just be sure you don't say that 'other' "B-word".......you know, "bored." 'Cause if you do you know what happens.......Mom will find you something to do that's NO FUN!" (Elijah)

"Please God, let them stay this innocent for a long, long time. Amen." (Mom, 43)

Singing Daddy's songs

2008-07-27T22:26:00.005-05:00

We found out a few weeks ago that a church in our area was going to be offering a Summer Music Camp for children to learn and perform a musical. And that musical just happens to be one that Lee wrote the songs for!! How very cool is that? Of course, our children were SO excited to hear about it. We signed them up only to find out that the week would culminate with a Sunday-night performance of the musical. Lee and I were booked to fly to Estes Park that Saturday! But, as it turns out, Lee needed to be here through Sunday, so tonight, he re-scheduled our flights for the Monday following the performance. We (and the kids) are so glad that we'll be here to see the final product after a week's work. It was SO sweet tonight to hear the girls singing along with their CD's as they tried to decide which solo's they might want to audition for. All four of them have been singing the songs every time we've been in the van for the past couple of weeks. They're living proof that we all really are BORN TO WORSHIP.

Aaarrrrggggghhhhhh!

2008-07-25T16:24:00.002-05:00

Apparently, there was some incorrect information given to Lee earlier today at the Apple Store. I'm taking slow, deep breaths..........

To be continued.

Mel

iUpdate

2008-07-25T11:02:00.010-05:00

OK, I know, I know, enough with the "i" words. Lee just came in and said that the line at the Apple Store was about 75-deep! And they were already out of the newer model phones. BUT, he did schedule me an appointment with my very own "Geniousy"-type person for later this afternoon! He (or she!) will either revive or replace my very-dead phone. Whoo-hoo!!

Again, iLove my husband! (sorry)

Mel

iWant

2008-07-25T09:42:00.005-05:00

A sad thing happened a little over a week ago. My beloved iPhone died an untimely (and ugly) death. Long story short, iPhones and saltwater DO NOT MIX!! But I think the saddest thing about the whole mess has been the realization of just how dependent I had become on a stupid phone! (I'm sorry, iPhone, for calling you stupid. You were SO much more than just a phone) But seriously, the first few days without it, I just felt completely lost. And very isolated. We were staying at a beach house for the week, and there was no land phone and no internet access. When Lee left every morning to commute to Fairhope for work, I felt like I had stepped into pioneer days. What if I needed to get in touch with him? What if we had car trouble driving over to the beach? What if we saw some amazing marine life that we needed to tell him about? What if one of the kids said something really funny that he should hear? What if.......? And the email, texts, camera, and applications? (or rather, the lack thereof) Don't even get me started. I somehow managed, though, to survive those hours during the day. Who knew you could have a really fun day just playing in the pool with your children? I joke. Of course I knew that. But don't think for a second that those children weren't missing my iPhone, too. No TapTap Revenge, no Match Game, no Bubble Wrap, no strobe lighty/flashlighty thing. But, we swam, we built sandcastles, we laughed, we worked puzzles, and they somehow survived, too. Poor Lee, though. He had to brace himself for the barrage of words that hit him full-force when he walked through the door each evening. We all had a LOT to say. But even he said just how strange it was to know that he couldn't reach me during the day. Awww, he missed talking to me, too!

So. Now I've gotten so used to the isolation that I will never have a phone again, right? Not so much. The trouble now is that Apple seriously underestimated the demand for the newest iPhone model. (Oh yeah, if you're going to drown your iPhone, it's really cool that the newer model is not only faster, but also cheaper!! Thank you, Lord.) Our Fairhope AT&T store was fresh out. Knowing that we would be spending this week in Nashville, we thought, "well, we'll just run over to the Apple Store and pick one up." Not quite as easy as it sounds here either. Apparently, most of the stores get daily shipments, but they are sold first-come/first-serve, so they are selling out again very quickly. My sweet Lee saw online last night that the Green Hills store would have a supply this morning, so he offered to head that way after his breakfast meeting.

iLove my husband!

Mel

17 Years and 7 Kids Later..........

2008-07-24T23:03:00.010-05:00

I'm sitting here tonight with my favorite people in the world. Lee let the kids and me stow away on his Nashville writing trip this week and we've been staying with the Moffitt family. Lee and I first met David and Susan (who was not Moffitt, but Bryan, at the time) in 1990 when the three of them traveled in a group called "The Living Word Singers." None of us could have known, or even imagined, way back then that we were entering into a relationship that would be such an incredible journey. Heck, for that matter, Lee was still referring to me as his "friend girl" because "girlfriend" was just WAY too much commitment. But when that summer ended, a new phase of our lives began: the road to (gulp) becoming Grown Ups..... and I'm so, so glad that we've shared so much of that road together!

David and Susan got married and moved to Nashville. (well, a little north of.) Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Lee and I decided shortly thereafter to follow their example. When we moved to Tennessee, they were the ONLY people we knew. (As an aside, I highly recommend moving away from most everyone you know right after you get married!) In those early years, the four of us worked crazy jobs, shared many meals, and found a church that we all loved. We even formed a brand new Sunday School class for "Young Marrieds with NO KIDS!" (I'm sure God was smiling at that)

The children started coming in 1997 and that's pretty much all we did until 2002. Us, then them, then us (times 2), then them again, then them again, then finally us. Whew! That was a lot of months pregnant and nursing, wasn't it, Susan?? (and the labor room stories.... but that's for another blog!)

Somewhere in all of that baby-having fun, God decided to move Lee and me back to Alabama. While we hated leaving our Tennessee "family," we knew that we were supposed to go. And actually, just to get things chronologically accurate, those last two "us" and "them" babies were born after the move.

Thankfully, God blessed us with that special kind of friendship that can survive (and even thrive) across the miles. We've grown closer as we've realized just how precious those early years were. Now that Lee is traveling back to Nashville every other week for his songwriting, we've been so excited to get to spend a good bit of quality time together again. We laugh, tell old stories, laugh some more, share new stories, etc. But the biggest blessing, by far, is now watching our children fall in love with each other. I mean, they REALLY love each other and love getting to be together. Listening to them all laughing upstairs as I've been typing tonight has made my heart happy.

Thank you, Moffitt Family, for loving the Blacks! We love you all right back!!

(OK, Lee and David have started making up (and singing) choral arrangements to current songs and I'm laughing too hard to write anymore.)

Mel

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2007-11-30T06:59:00.000-06:00

I woke up and jumped out of bed today before I was even awake. Why? Lee's coming home! Yes, he travels to Nashville a good deal. Yes, this time was even a day shorter than usual. Yes, we've been married over 15 years. YES.........I still miss him terribly when he's gone and SO look forward to his coming back.

OK, since I've become a parent, every single time I teach, explain, fuss, encourage, even just talk to my children I hear this voice in my head saying, "that's what God is saying to you." Weird, I know, but it happens ALL the time. Anyway, this morning as I was thinking about it being Friday and Lee coming home, and basically doing the happy dance, I just stopped. Does God feel like this when he knows one of His family is coming home? Was last January 26th a "happy" day for Him, looking forward to seeing my Dad? That just gave me a chill..........the good kind.

Psalm 116:15................."precious in the eye of the Lord is the death of one of His saints."

Awwww........I just now got an email from Lee and it sounds like he's looking forward to coming home to us, too.

Gotta get kids to school!!
Mel

On Mission!

2007-11-28T05:47:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the week, Lee blogged about feeling like a missionary to China (one of his Christmas musicals is being used there) and it got me thinking about where my mission field is. I told someone recently that I didn't feel called to travel to Africa with our church because "for right now, my family is my mission field." That impressed my friend. That sounded good to my ears, too. But what does that mean?

We have WONDERFUL kids. I know, I know, they're mine.....I have to say that. But really, they are great. They're respectful (most of the time). They're obedient (most of the time). They get along well (most of the time). The older three, Maggie, Reese and Elijah all accepted Jesus as their Savior in January of 2006 and Anabel, age 5, is already asking some deep questions. I want to be able to add to their descriptive................."they love Jesus (all of the time)." What can I be doing now to make that true for them? Dictionary.com defines a missionary as "a group or committee of persons sent to a foreign country to conduct negotiations, establish relations, provide scientific and technical assistance, or the like. " Crossing over into my kids' world is a lot like going to a foreign country. I want to learn to speak their language...........the one that lets them know that I love them and that Jesus loves them even more. I want them to see me love and respect their father. I want them to see me put others first. I want them to see me do the right thing, so that they will do the right thing even when no one else is around. Going to Africa sounds pretty easy sometimes. After a week or so over there, you come home and they never know for sure if you really "walk the talk." Not so here on the home front. These kids see everything! the good, the bad and the ugly. Lord, let there be more good than anything else!!

Oops, back to the trenches...........the dog just threw up!

Mel

I love a rainy night..........

2007-11-25T23:07:00.000-06:00

What a great storm outside right now. Satellite's already knocked out. Thunder's booming. I keep expecting the kids to come out of their rooms any minute now. That brings back memories of when the older three were babies and we lived in TN. They all slept upstairs while our room was down. Maggie had a huge, uncovered arched window in her room, so anytime a thunderstorm came through, she'd wake up screaming, "I don't like the funder!!" In the middle of the night, I'd be half-way up the stairs before I even woke up. They're all growing up now, and I'm trying to instill in them a love for a good storm. There's just something so wonderful about cycling through sleeping/waking/sleeping during the rain and thunder. Oh, and I HATE when a good storm comes through right before the alarm goes off..........what a waste!!

Lee's sitting five feet away on the couch typing away on his own blog. What a weird world we live in, huh? Maybe we'll learn things about each other that we wouldn't have learned otherwise.
We had a good Thanksgiving break, but I'm still tired. It's going to be hard to get back into that getting-ready-for-school routine in the morning. But hey, only 3 weeks and 2 days til Christmas Break!!

Mel

If someone blogs, but no one reads it..............

2007-11-23T22:59:00.000-06:00

does it make any noise? what? I guess that's just the voice (one of them) in my head, saying, "why in the world would you want to waste any time at all writing a blog when no one's going to ever read it?" But.... when I was a young girl, I kept a diary. When I got older, I kept a journal. No one read those (I hope), but I still wrote. So, here goes.

All is quiet here tonight. Girls at a sleep-over. Boys in bed after watching "Transformers." Hubby asleep in bed. (after sleeping on the couch during "Transformers.") It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here. We spent most of the day making the transition from Fall/Thanksgiving to Christmas decorations. It helped that a cold front blew through yesterday and it's beginnning to feel a lot like Christmas, too. It's my absolute favorite time. I love everything that Christmas is. The sounds, the smells, the twinkling lights, the counting down the days, the wonder in my kids' eyes. But right now, even though our "prettiest tree ever" is twinkling away, my heart hurts for what this Christmas is......my first without my Dad. This whole year has been full of "firsts" without him, but the next month will be the hardest by far. Each day gets a little closer to Dec. 26th, the day he went back into the hospital and never came back home. He loved Christmas, too. Picking out a great tree. Seeing his three girls (and all of our families) coming in with tons of presents. (and knowing that we'd be leaving again, too!) Mostly, he loved all the food. He's just such a big part of all my Christmas Past, that I'm not sure how my Christmas Present is supposed to look. But God is good and faithful and He's helping me figure it all out. See? Writing this has been cathartic tonight. So, there is good in this blogging thing. Now, I'm going to join the rest of my snoozing family.

I miss you, Dad.
Mel