Hello from Grand Forks, North Dakota, about 45 minutes south of the US/Canada border. Yes, I'm still alive, and yes, we have actually been doing things for the last month. In fact, we have been in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, South Dakota, Minnesota, and North Dakota...and all the states that connect them.
Some highlights from the last few weeks:
Spent a week at Matt and Lucy's house and their church's conference. Evelyn loved playing with Nicole. It took them about 2 days to start acting like sisters. Evelyn had her first sleepover. It lasted about 10 minutes before she asked to go sleep in her bed. We got to spend some great time with Matt and Lucy and their church family. I got to go "shopping" in my first missions closet. Basically it's a cabinet with all sorts of fun stuff that I got to rummage through and pick out stuff. I got shampoo, toothpaste, a curling iron, some Bath and Body Works stuff, and alot more. It was like a free trip to Walmart!
The oven in our rental house broke. We decided to buy a used one on craigslist to try to save some money. We found one in Springdale, so drove from Springfield back home to pick it up. When we went to hook it up, we realized that it was set up for propane. Called the lady, Tyler's dad went to pick up the parts, drove back to fix it and realized it was the wrong part. Ended up calling Lowe's and having them deliver one. Should have done that in the first place. By the way, anyone need an oven set up for propane?
Evelyn has managed to get "shocked" twice in the last month or so. She touched an electric fence earlier this fall. And the other day, she stuck a bobby pin into an electrical outlet. I'm not sure what this is doing to her brain cells.
We have been to some really great churches in the last few weeks and got to make some good friends. It's nice to get to know people instead of being a stranger everywhere.
I have some pictures to post...maybe tomorrow. Right now, I am really tired. We were at a "new friend's" house tonight for 6 hours playing board games. Tomorrow, we are headed north of the border.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
Evelyn: (talking to herself) Just remember what Daniel did.
Me: What did Daniel do?
Evelyn: Hmmm...I don't know.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The M's Wife
That is officially who I am now. I travel from place to place and have no other identity to the people that I meet other than what I married. I have often used the "title" myself. "Who's that?" "It's the M's kid, the M's wife, etc." Being on the receiving end of it, it sounds kind of snotty. Just fyi. I know that I will make an effort to learn people's given names from now on.
We are in Edmond, Oklahoma at Edmond Road Baptist Church. It's been fun seeing people that I knew 10 years ago. Evelyn loves all of the kids that are her age. She especially loves two little girls that she calls her "sisters." I have to explain to her that they are sisters, but she isn't their sister. I was allowed to (had to) share my testimony in church last night. I only had to stop a couple of times and not for very long, so it was a success. People told me it was a blessing, so I guess I have to believe them. :)
Since it's been awhile, I will fill you in on what we have been doing since we left Colorado. We got to go home to Fayetteville for a few days and spend a weekend in Branson with Tyler's family. Then we headed to Sioux Falls, SD for a conference up there. That was a stressful time, but we survived. Harrison caught his first cold. That wasn't fun at all. After South Dakota, we came back to Fayetteville. Tyler went to a conference in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, but the kids and I stayed home. Partially because of Harrison's cold and partially because it was Libby's last week in Fayetteville. It was really nice to stay home for a while, but it did make me not want to leave again. But, here we are...
Oh, one more thing. Praise God for salvation! Thank you, Jesus! Thanks for making it easy even though we try to make it hard, and thanks for making it totally dependent on You!
Evelyn quote of the day:
Evelyn: This is Super Target?
Tyler: Yah.
Evelyn: Those are super clothes?
We are in Edmond, Oklahoma at Edmond Road Baptist Church. It's been fun seeing people that I knew 10 years ago. Evelyn loves all of the kids that are her age. She especially loves two little girls that she calls her "sisters." I have to explain to her that they are sisters, but she isn't their sister. I was allowed to (had to) share my testimony in church last night. I only had to stop a couple of times and not for very long, so it was a success. People told me it was a blessing, so I guess I have to believe them. :)
Since it's been awhile, I will fill you in on what we have been doing since we left Colorado. We got to go home to Fayetteville for a few days and spend a weekend in Branson with Tyler's family. Then we headed to Sioux Falls, SD for a conference up there. That was a stressful time, but we survived. Harrison caught his first cold. That wasn't fun at all. After South Dakota, we came back to Fayetteville. Tyler went to a conference in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, but the kids and I stayed home. Partially because of Harrison's cold and partially because it was Libby's last week in Fayetteville. It was really nice to stay home for a while, but it did make me not want to leave again. But, here we are...
Oh, one more thing. Praise God for salvation! Thank you, Jesus! Thanks for making it easy even though we try to make it hard, and thanks for making it totally dependent on You!
Evelyn quote of the day:
Evelyn: This is Super Target?
Tyler: Yah.
Evelyn: Those are super clothes?
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I learned something about myself yesterday.
I stand no chance when standing face to face with endless mashed potatoes.
A few other things I have learned in the last six weeks...
I can do just fine with a lot less sleep than I thought.
I could live in the mountains.
I am a fan of my husband and kids.
I am also a fan of Barnes and Noble.
Bob Ross is a genius.
I can develop and overcome addictions in a matter of weeks.
Midday court shows aren't so bad.
Doing what God wants is rewarding, even when it isn't.
This is my last post of the Colorado chapter of our travels. It makes me feel fuzzy inside thinking that I will be home in about 60 hours. I am excited to see my family and friends, to drive around without the aid of a gps, to know where the nursery is and know I can use it, and to be able to relax and be myself around people. For a glorious week I won't have to worry about what other people think. It is such a comfort to go home where you don't have to worry about what impression you are making on people. You can just be a jerk to everyone, and they love you anyway. :)
Right now, we are attending a missions conference at Penrose Baptist Church. It started on Wednesday and ends tomorrow night. It is a little exhausting being at church everynight until 10:30, but totally worth it. I told Tyler that if I could have chosen a church to end our time here with, it would have been this one. They are sweet people who care about people. There are two other missionary families here, and it has been great getting to know everyone. Yesterday, some church members took all the missionary kids to the zoo while the pastor and his wife took the adults to the mall. They bought all of the men a new suit, shirt and tie, and all the women a new outfit. If you know me, you know that my love language is gifts, so the thoughtfulness wasn't lost on me. One of the missionaries said he had been praying for a new suit for a while. It was a beautiful example of love, and I am honored that I was a recipient.
Which brings me to one last thing that I have learned.
When you allow God's love to show through you, people will notice. They can't help it.
Evelyn quote of the day:
Pastor: Can you give me a high five?
Evelyn: I can't. I'm too busy.
Evelyn: That was a train. It goes choo-choo.
Me: It does?
Evelyn: Yep. It's just a part of life.
I stand no chance when standing face to face with endless mashed potatoes.
A few other things I have learned in the last six weeks...
I can do just fine with a lot less sleep than I thought.
I could live in the mountains.
I am a fan of my husband and kids.
I am also a fan of Barnes and Noble.
Bob Ross is a genius.
I can develop and overcome addictions in a matter of weeks.
Midday court shows aren't so bad.
Doing what God wants is rewarding, even when it isn't.
This is my last post of the Colorado chapter of our travels. It makes me feel fuzzy inside thinking that I will be home in about 60 hours. I am excited to see my family and friends, to drive around without the aid of a gps, to know where the nursery is and know I can use it, and to be able to relax and be myself around people. For a glorious week I won't have to worry about what other people think. It is such a comfort to go home where you don't have to worry about what impression you are making on people. You can just be a jerk to everyone, and they love you anyway. :)
Right now, we are attending a missions conference at Penrose Baptist Church. It started on Wednesday and ends tomorrow night. It is a little exhausting being at church everynight until 10:30, but totally worth it. I told Tyler that if I could have chosen a church to end our time here with, it would have been this one. They are sweet people who care about people. There are two other missionary families here, and it has been great getting to know everyone. Yesterday, some church members took all the missionary kids to the zoo while the pastor and his wife took the adults to the mall. They bought all of the men a new suit, shirt and tie, and all the women a new outfit. If you know me, you know that my love language is gifts, so the thoughtfulness wasn't lost on me. One of the missionaries said he had been praying for a new suit for a while. It was a beautiful example of love, and I am honored that I was a recipient.
Which brings me to one last thing that I have learned.
When you allow God's love to show through you, people will notice. They can't help it.
Evelyn quote of the day:
Pastor: Can you give me a high five?
Evelyn: I can't. I'm too busy.
Evelyn: That was a train. It goes choo-choo.
Me: It does?
Evelyn: Yep. It's just a part of life.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Feeling sorry for myself...turns out I'm pretty good at it. Above average to be sure. I spent most of the past week honing my skills.
It started last weekend. On Friday, we drove to Denver to stay with a pastor and his wife for the weekend. First of all, it is really hard for me to stay at another person's house. I don't care how many times I hear, "Make yourself at home," I can't do it. It has taken me all of 7.5 years to feel comfortable staying at my in-laws. It's one of my many weirdnesses, but nevertheless... That started the stress. Harrison didn't sleep pretty much the entire weekend. That added to it. There were a multitude of other circumstances that elevated my stress level, some real and some imagined. By the time we left, I wanted to keep driving all the way back to Arkansas, kick the renters out, and hide under the covers of my bed in my room at my house.
Then a couple nights ago, I was laying in bed thinking about reading "Pride and Prejudice" again. Then I remembered reading it to Evelyn when she was an infant. Every time I would rock her, I would read out loud. I even did the British accents. It is one of my favorite memories of her early days. That started me thinking about what book to read to Harrison. That brought a whole deluge of poor me thoughts: I don't have a glider. Harrison doesn't have a room. I never got to decorate a nursery for him. I don't have a house. Blah, blah, blah. It upset me to the point of tears.
In the middle of my emotional distress, I had to start laughing at myself. (No, I am not losing my mind.) I realized (or perhaps the Lord reminded me) that I got myself into this whole mess by following a curly-headed boy into a concert all those years ago. Given the chance, would I do it again? Absolutely.
So, I am weaning myself off of feeling sorry for myself and starting to make a concentrated effort to encourage my husband (who maybe, just maybe doesn't love everything about this either). I am sure that I fail miserably everyday, but I am still working on it. And hopefully over the next year, I will be able to show him that I am behind him 100%.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
In church the other night Tyler was preaching, and Evelyn was sitting on the floor in front of the pew playing with her toys.
Tyler: The disciples were legitimately scared. They weren't just throwing a fit.
Evelyn: (looking up) We don't throw fits.
The other day in the car...
Evelyn: I don't want to poop. It makes me tired.
It started last weekend. On Friday, we drove to Denver to stay with a pastor and his wife for the weekend. First of all, it is really hard for me to stay at another person's house. I don't care how many times I hear, "Make yourself at home," I can't do it. It has taken me all of 7.5 years to feel comfortable staying at my in-laws. It's one of my many weirdnesses, but nevertheless... That started the stress. Harrison didn't sleep pretty much the entire weekend. That added to it. There were a multitude of other circumstances that elevated my stress level, some real and some imagined. By the time we left, I wanted to keep driving all the way back to Arkansas, kick the renters out, and hide under the covers of my bed in my room at my house.
Then a couple nights ago, I was laying in bed thinking about reading "Pride and Prejudice" again. Then I remembered reading it to Evelyn when she was an infant. Every time I would rock her, I would read out loud. I even did the British accents. It is one of my favorite memories of her early days. That started me thinking about what book to read to Harrison. That brought a whole deluge of poor me thoughts: I don't have a glider. Harrison doesn't have a room. I never got to decorate a nursery for him. I don't have a house. Blah, blah, blah. It upset me to the point of tears.
In the middle of my emotional distress, I had to start laughing at myself. (No, I am not losing my mind.) I realized (or perhaps the Lord reminded me) that I got myself into this whole mess by following a curly-headed boy into a concert all those years ago. Given the chance, would I do it again? Absolutely.
So, I am weaning myself off of feeling sorry for myself and starting to make a concentrated effort to encourage my husband (who maybe, just maybe doesn't love everything about this either). I am sure that I fail miserably everyday, but I am still working on it. And hopefully over the next year, I will be able to show him that I am behind him 100%.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
In church the other night Tyler was preaching, and Evelyn was sitting on the floor in front of the pew playing with her toys.
Tyler: The disciples were legitimately scared. They weren't just throwing a fit.
Evelyn: (looking up) We don't throw fits.
The other day in the car...
Evelyn: I don't want to poop. It makes me tired.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Sorry for the 2 week lapse. I know that the 4 of you who follow my blog were really getting impatient.
Let's see, what have we done since August 27...
We have been to Taos, NM; Trinidad, CO; Denver, CO; Berthoud, CO; back to Fountain, CO; and are currently in Arvada, CO. And of course in between all of that, we were back home in Pueblo.
The kids are doing really well with all of the going. Evelyn is always excited to go to class in a new church. Unfortunately the majority of the churches we have been to don't have class. Only about 3 of the churches had kids that were anywhere close to Evelyn's age. She doesn't seem to mind as she believes that anyone and everyone wants to be her friend. It doesn't matter if they are 3 or 65. As a result, she has made alot of friends. More than I have. She only asks to go home about once a week. She doesn't quite understand that we have no home. I guess the minivan is like a home. :) She also has started talking like a baby. Isn't 2.5 years a little young to be doing that? I used to get in trouble when I did that as a kid, now I know why.
Harrison is doing well also. We weighed him yesterday for the first time, and he weighs 9 lbs 12 oz. He is getting really big! He has outgrown alot of his newborn clothes...time to go shopping! He slept the other night for 7 hours straight, and has not slept well since then. Last night he woke up at least once every hour from 1:30 on. He travels in the car really well, though! He and his carseat weren't getting along for a while, but they seem to have come to an agreement. It amazes me how different he and Evelyn are. She slept all the time, didn't eat very often, loved her swing and carseat, and didn't care at all for her bouncy seat. He is the EXACT opposite. The one thing they do have in common is their contentedness. Neither of them are criers. I guess if there is one thing I would want, it would be that. I can handle not sleeping. I don't think I could handle incessant crying.
In case you were wondering, Tyler is doing well also.
We got to have a family fun day in Colorado Springs on Wednesday. We went to Focus on the Family's headquarters where Evelyn fell in love for the first time...with the big screen playing Veggietales. We also went to Garden of the Gods, some thrift stores, and Cici's (Tyler's favorite part). Here are some pictures. The last picture is just to show how much hair Harrison has. :)
Let's see, what have we done since August 27...
We have been to Taos, NM; Trinidad, CO; Denver, CO; Berthoud, CO; back to Fountain, CO; and are currently in Arvada, CO. And of course in between all of that, we were back home in Pueblo.
The kids are doing really well with all of the going. Evelyn is always excited to go to class in a new church. Unfortunately the majority of the churches we have been to don't have class. Only about 3 of the churches had kids that were anywhere close to Evelyn's age. She doesn't seem to mind as she believes that anyone and everyone wants to be her friend. It doesn't matter if they are 3 or 65. As a result, she has made alot of friends. More than I have. She only asks to go home about once a week. She doesn't quite understand that we have no home. I guess the minivan is like a home. :) She also has started talking like a baby. Isn't 2.5 years a little young to be doing that? I used to get in trouble when I did that as a kid, now I know why.
Harrison is doing well also. We weighed him yesterday for the first time, and he weighs 9 lbs 12 oz. He is getting really big! He has outgrown alot of his newborn clothes...time to go shopping! He slept the other night for 7 hours straight, and has not slept well since then. Last night he woke up at least once every hour from 1:30 on. He travels in the car really well, though! He and his carseat weren't getting along for a while, but they seem to have come to an agreement. It amazes me how different he and Evelyn are. She slept all the time, didn't eat very often, loved her swing and carseat, and didn't care at all for her bouncy seat. He is the EXACT opposite. The one thing they do have in common is their contentedness. Neither of them are criers. I guess if there is one thing I would want, it would be that. I can handle not sleeping. I don't think I could handle incessant crying.
In case you were wondering, Tyler is doing well also.
We got to have a family fun day in Colorado Springs on Wednesday. We went to Focus on the Family's headquarters where Evelyn fell in love for the first time...with the big screen playing Veggietales. We also went to Garden of the Gods, some thrift stores, and Cici's (Tyler's favorite part). Here are some pictures. The last picture is just to show how much hair Harrison has. :)
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
We were at a Chinese restaurant, Evelyn pulled the paper out of her fortune cookie, held it up like she was reading it, and said, "You are very smart."
Friday, August 27, 2010
Just Me, Barnes, and Noble
I am really beginning to love this Barnes and Noble. Who knew the grating of espresso machines could be so calming. We are in day #13 of our trip. Some days are really fun, and some days seem to drag by. My calendar now consists of Sundays and Wednesdays. Then there are some days in between that have to be filled with something.
Things we have found to do:
Walmart
The city park - which of course has disc golf. Tyler took Evelyn with him to play the other day. When they got there, Evelyn asked, "Where's Cody?"
Mall - it is very small, which is weird becuase Pueblo is bigger than Fayetteville
Thrift Store - it's HUGE. It is by far the biggest thrift store I have ever been to. And it's cheap. Tyler discovered it on Wednesday, and at least one member of our family has been there for the past three days.
On Tuesday, we went to the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo. I think it would be more interesting at night, but it was nice to walk around.
So yesterday, at the thrift store, I bought Dr Dobson's book, "The Strong-Willed Child." I am almost finished with it. There is nothing in it that I didn't know, but I have found it to be a very good reminder of what we should and shouldn't do with her. I have definitely identified some things we were doing wrong. So today, I have put some of his advice into practice. It is fairly easy to do at home, we'll see how I do at church on Sunday.
Speaking of Sunday, we will be in Taos, New Mexico. We are actually going there tomorrow morning and will stay in their missions quarters Saturday night. I am excited about the change in scenery.
Evelyn quote of the day:
Evelyn (randomly): Outer space is icky.
Me: Why?
Evelyn: Because it's icky in outerspace.
Me: What makes it icky?
Evelyn: Well, there's loud noises.
Me: What else?
Evelyn: A scary table and a scary alligator.
Bonus: Evelyn asking "Where's Cody?" has reminded me of another story...
Evelyn: We're going to see Nanna and Bots and Lyndi. What's Lyndi's boy's name?
Tyler: Kevin (Lyndi is married to Kevin)
Not funny, but you had to know that to get this
Evelyn: What's daddy's boy's name?
Tyler: I don't know
Evelyn: It's Cody
Things we have found to do:
Walmart
The city park - which of course has disc golf. Tyler took Evelyn with him to play the other day. When they got there, Evelyn asked, "Where's Cody?"
Mall - it is very small, which is weird becuase Pueblo is bigger than Fayetteville
Thrift Store - it's HUGE. It is by far the biggest thrift store I have ever been to. And it's cheap. Tyler discovered it on Wednesday, and at least one member of our family has been there for the past three days.
On Tuesday, we went to the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo. I think it would be more interesting at night, but it was nice to walk around.
 |
| My attempt to be artsy |
On Wednesday night, we went to Fountain Independent Baptist Church in Fountain, CO. The church is in the middle of downtown in a 140 year old building. I didn't need to know anything else, I was already in love. They had a class for Evelyn to go to, which made me love them more. And they were super nice people, which didn't hurt. Evelyn's performance after church made me realize that she gets away with too much at church, and she knows it.
So yesterday, at the thrift store, I bought Dr Dobson's book, "The Strong-Willed Child." I am almost finished with it. There is nothing in it that I didn't know, but I have found it to be a very good reminder of what we should and shouldn't do with her. I have definitely identified some things we were doing wrong. So today, I have put some of his advice into practice. It is fairly easy to do at home, we'll see how I do at church on Sunday.
Speaking of Sunday, we will be in Taos, New Mexico. We are actually going there tomorrow morning and will stay in their missions quarters Saturday night. I am excited about the change in scenery.
Evelyn quote of the day:
Evelyn (randomly): Outer space is icky.
Me: Why?
Evelyn: Because it's icky in outerspace.
Me: What makes it icky?
Evelyn: Well, there's loud noises.
Me: What else?
Evelyn: A scary table and a scary alligator.
Bonus: Evelyn asking "Where's Cody?" has reminded me of another story...
Evelyn: We're going to see Nanna and Bots and Lyndi. What's Lyndi's boy's name?
Tyler: Kevin (Lyndi is married to Kevin)
Not funny, but you had to know that to get this
Evelyn: What's daddy's boy's name?
Tyler: I don't know
Evelyn: It's Cody
|
Monday, August 23, 2010
From Colorado With Love
So, the place we are staying in for the next 5 weeks doesn't have wifi. That will make it a little harder to post, but I am determined. Right now, I am sitting at Barnes and Noble, like all serious bloggers do. I wonder if all the other serious bloggers head to the Christian Romance section of the store after they finish blogging. Another amazing thing about this experience is that I am here alone! I haven't been alone for 3 weeks...probably longer. I suppose only other moms (especially those with newborns) can truly share the joy of this moment with me. Or maybe I am a bad mom...
We are in Pueblo, Colorado. It is a beautiful place. It's as flat as Kansas, but much more interesting. It seems much more "wild west" plus you can see the mountains. We will be here for 5 weeks, so I am sure we will be doing a lot of exploring, but for now, the only places I have been are Walmart and this Barnes and Noble.
Yesterday we visited Highlands Baptist Church in the Middle of Nowhere, Colorado, and Beulah Valley Baptist Church in Beulah, CO.
Technically Highlands BC is in Boone, CO, but I consider anywhere that you have to drive 15 miles on a dirt road to get to the Middle of Nowhere. We were there for morning services, a potluck, and afternoon services. The highlights: Tyler spoke three times. The people were super nice and loved Evelyn. The nursery didn't have a/c.
Beulah is one of the neatest places I have ever been to. It's a tiny little town in the mountains...well, in a valley. Everything is built really close together, but it felt cozy instead of crowded. It's the kind of small town that I wouldn't mind living in. The highlights: There are 8 members. There is no nursery. Evelyn and Harrison combined to make it one of the most stressful church services of my life. At one point, we were all three sitting in the foyer (since there was nowhere else to take them) crying. It's funny now, it wasn't funny then.
Traveling this much with a newborn and an Evelyn is not all bunnies and rainbows. It's hard sometimes, really hard. But the hard times pass, and then I have two sleeping kids. :) Seriously, God remindes me daily how much He loves me...even through the screaming kids and stressful traveling.
Today was a great day. No one has had any meltdowns, including me.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
I honestly can't think of one. Not that she hasn't said hilarious stuff, I just don't remember. Perhaps because of the stress of the last few days. So, I will go to the archives and pull out one of my dad's favorites.
Evelyn (looking at a picture of herself drinking a juice box): That's Evvie, and she is having a juice box like me.
We are in Pueblo, Colorado. It is a beautiful place. It's as flat as Kansas, but much more interesting. It seems much more "wild west" plus you can see the mountains. We will be here for 5 weeks, so I am sure we will be doing a lot of exploring, but for now, the only places I have been are Walmart and this Barnes and Noble.
Yesterday we visited Highlands Baptist Church in the Middle of Nowhere, Colorado, and Beulah Valley Baptist Church in Beulah, CO.
Technically Highlands BC is in Boone, CO, but I consider anywhere that you have to drive 15 miles on a dirt road to get to the Middle of Nowhere. We were there for morning services, a potluck, and afternoon services. The highlights: Tyler spoke three times. The people were super nice and loved Evelyn. The nursery didn't have a/c.
Beulah is one of the neatest places I have ever been to. It's a tiny little town in the mountains...well, in a valley. Everything is built really close together, but it felt cozy instead of crowded. It's the kind of small town that I wouldn't mind living in. The highlights: There are 8 members. There is no nursery. Evelyn and Harrison combined to make it one of the most stressful church services of my life. At one point, we were all three sitting in the foyer (since there was nowhere else to take them) crying. It's funny now, it wasn't funny then.
Traveling this much with a newborn and an Evelyn is not all bunnies and rainbows. It's hard sometimes, really hard. But the hard times pass, and then I have two sleeping kids. :) Seriously, God remindes me daily how much He loves me...even through the screaming kids and stressful traveling.
Today was a great day. No one has had any meltdowns, including me.
Evelyn and Harrison are really enjoying our Colorado chalet.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
I honestly can't think of one. Not that she hasn't said hilarious stuff, I just don't remember. Perhaps because of the stress of the last few days. So, I will go to the archives and pull out one of my dad's favorites.
Evelyn (looking at a picture of herself drinking a juice box): That's Evvie, and she is having a juice box like me.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Our Trip So Far
We left on Saturday, August 14. We started packing on August 13.
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| Someone has too many clothes... |
Our first stop was Kansas. Kansas isn't terribly exciting.
There are sunflowers, though.
We've been to a couple fun places...
Today we went to the zoo in Garden City.
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| This rhino was a little too close for comfort. We could see the whites of his eyes. |
Evelyn enjoyed a pretzel with cheese.
And this is what happens when you have too much pretzel and zoo.
Also, here's a picture of Harrison doing something weird with his hands.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
Since it's been a couple of days, I'll give you two.
1. Evelyn: (relaying a message) Second eat. 30 minutes. Yestermorning.
actual message - Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes.
2. At the zoo today looking at the camels:
Evelyn: Those look like botor waffalo. That's my song. It goes la la la. You 'member?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Ulysses, Kansas
We are now in Ulysses, Kansas, home of 5,000 people, 32 churches, an Alco that closes at 8, and some really small squirrels. Tomorrow night, Tyler will be presenting at Country View Baptist Church. We are staying with Pastor Sam Bynum and his wife Karen. And they are possibly the nicest people alive.
We had an uneventful 6.5 hour trip across the great state of Kansas. Tyler said he entertained himself for 45 minutes by looking at a wind farm (for those of you who don't know, Kansas is pretty flat and pretty monotonous), Harrison slept, and Evelyn watched her "Old Mickey Mouse movie." It is a dvd of really old Mickey Mouse cartoons, really old, like black and white. She LOVES it. She's weird.
Today we went to the park...twice. It was 75 degrees outside at noon, we had to take advantage. While we were there, I saw two (what I would later learn are called) ground squirrels. Just to give you an idea of how bad my vision is with only one contact, I thought they were lizards. Turns out they were squirrels. Really small squirrels.
I am discovering with everyday that I have forgotten alot of things. So far my list includes a bottle brush, a hair brush, and a hair dryer. I tried to go to Alco tonight to remedy some of it, but it closes at 8. This truly is a small town.
I am sure I will have more embarrassing stories about Evelyn tomorrow. We haven't been to church since Sunday, after all.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
Tyler: You're a monkey.
Evelyn: I'm not a monkey, I'm a herman.
We had an uneventful 6.5 hour trip across the great state of Kansas. Tyler said he entertained himself for 45 minutes by looking at a wind farm (for those of you who don't know, Kansas is pretty flat and pretty monotonous), Harrison slept, and Evelyn watched her "Old Mickey Mouse movie." It is a dvd of really old Mickey Mouse cartoons, really old, like black and white. She LOVES it. She's weird.
Today we went to the park...twice. It was 75 degrees outside at noon, we had to take advantage. While we were there, I saw two (what I would later learn are called) ground squirrels. Just to give you an idea of how bad my vision is with only one contact, I thought they were lizards. Turns out they were squirrels. Really small squirrels.
I am discovering with everyday that I have forgotten alot of things. So far my list includes a bottle brush, a hair brush, and a hair dryer. I tried to go to Alco tonight to remedy some of it, but it closes at 8. This truly is a small town.
I am sure I will have more embarrassing stories about Evelyn tomorrow. We haven't been to church since Sunday, after all.
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
Tyler: You're a monkey.
Evelyn: I'm not a monkey, I'm a herman.
The first 24 hours
We set sail on Saturday, August 14, at 2:30 pm (we were supposed to leave at noon) headed for Merriam, Kansas. Trinity Baptist Church was to be our first stop on this whirlwind trip around the country. It was really good to see Ed and Maria Thompson. They took us to a bbq restaurant and ordered more meat than I was sure I had ever seen in my life. It was good though. Unfortunately, we didn't get back to our hotel until 10:30. This might spell disaster for Evelyn.
I woke up on Sunday to discover that my right eye contact was not in the case. Good way to begin the day! I also discovered that it takes a little longer to get ready and leave with two kids, thus almost making us late for church. We did arrive on time, though I couldn't read the clock with my impaired vision. Evelyn began her morning at church climbing on the pews and generally disobeying. Harrison however slept very peacefully in his carseat. Tyler had to present, so I was left with two children to contain. I contained Harrison quite well, but towards the end of service, Evelyn made a dash for the front. Oh yes, my child tried to run up on stage at our first ever appointment, and almost succeeded. This is going to be fun...
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
Tyler (while reading her Bible storybook to her): Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death...
Evelyn: I've been there.
Tyler: What?
Evelyn: I've been there.
Tyler: You've been to the Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Evelyn: Yes.
I woke up on Sunday to discover that my right eye contact was not in the case. Good way to begin the day! I also discovered that it takes a little longer to get ready and leave with two kids, thus almost making us late for church. We did arrive on time, though I couldn't read the clock with my impaired vision. Evelyn began her morning at church climbing on the pews and generally disobeying. Harrison however slept very peacefully in his carseat. Tyler had to present, so I was left with two children to contain. I contained Harrison quite well, but towards the end of service, Evelyn made a dash for the front. Oh yes, my child tried to run up on stage at our first ever appointment, and almost succeeded. This is going to be fun...
Evelyn Quote of the Day:
Tyler (while reading her Bible storybook to her): Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death...
Evelyn: I've been there.
Tyler: What?
Evelyn: I've been there.
Tyler: You've been to the Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Evelyn: Yes.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
hiatus
The last few months I haven't been feeling very domestic, or very adventurous.
But, I think I'm back...in a lot of ways. Tyler told me that I was depressed. I told him it was a combination of being overwhelmed and under stimulated. I don't really think that needs explaining, most everyone can probably relate to the feeling of waking up every morning with a complete lack of excitement about the 35,000,000 things they have to do that day. (Sounds kind of like depression) So, as a coping mechanism, I felt sorry for myself. My husband takes me for granted, my daughter doesn't listen to anything I say, no one listens to anything I say, I'm fat, I hate being pregnant, all of my friends secretly hate me and only hang out with me so they can talk about me when I'm not there, etc.
"Why Sara, don't you know that these thoughts are from Satan?"
"Yes."
"And how do we deal with these sorts of things?"
"I know, I know"
...but I forgot, or at least chose to ignore. Because the last place you want to look when you are focused so contently on yourself is God and His Word. They don't really leave you space to take leisurely strolls through your palace of self-pity. Wow, Isaiah 53:5 is sure blocking my view of how bad I have it.
I couldn't tell you exactly what got me out of it. If I had to guess, I would say God's patience and love for me triumphed once again. He used a lot of things, though. My unthankful husband, my strongwilled child, and my back-stabbing friends all played a role. And of course, that precious, often-overlooked book, written for me.
So I am starting to adventure back into the world that God has given me, and this time I plan to tackle the 34,876, 389 things I have left to do with gusto! (And maybe post to my blog more than once every 4 months...if you're lucky!)
But, I think I'm back...in a lot of ways. Tyler told me that I was depressed. I told him it was a combination of being overwhelmed and under stimulated. I don't really think that needs explaining, most everyone can probably relate to the feeling of waking up every morning with a complete lack of excitement about the 35,000,000 things they have to do that day. (Sounds kind of like depression) So, as a coping mechanism, I felt sorry for myself. My husband takes me for granted, my daughter doesn't listen to anything I say, no one listens to anything I say, I'm fat, I hate being pregnant, all of my friends secretly hate me and only hang out with me so they can talk about me when I'm not there, etc.
"Why Sara, don't you know that these thoughts are from Satan?"
"Yes."
"And how do we deal with these sorts of things?"
"I know, I know"
...but I forgot, or at least chose to ignore. Because the last place you want to look when you are focused so contently on yourself is God and His Word. They don't really leave you space to take leisurely strolls through your palace of self-pity. Wow, Isaiah 53:5 is sure blocking my view of how bad I have it.
I couldn't tell you exactly what got me out of it. If I had to guess, I would say God's patience and love for me triumphed once again. He used a lot of things, though. My unthankful husband, my strongwilled child, and my back-stabbing friends all played a role. And of course, that precious, often-overlooked book, written for me.
So I am starting to adventure back into the world that God has given me, and this time I plan to tackle the 34,876, 389 things I have left to do with gusto! (And maybe post to my blog more than once every 4 months...if you're lucky!)
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