If time flies when you're having fun...

...then we must be having a stinking blast.

I've been reminded this week about how quickly time is going by these days. First of all, what happened to November? Does anybody else feel this way? I feel like I blinked and all of the sudden it's Christmas. I remember when the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas was the longest month ever. I thought it would never get here. Now, I can't even keep up with the "Christmas Countdown" sign on my door.

Next, Laurel turned 10 months old today. Overnight, she turned into a little girl. I look back at pictures of her from her first few weeks, and it seems like she should still be there. But, no...she's a little wild woman. Wild hair... wild babbling, wild laughing, wild yelling at Toby the dog...just wild. She finally started crawling this week...a little late, yes. But, she's been too busy studying every little detail of everything around her. Why in the world did she need to move? This week, however, she decided she was ready to go, and she has only stopped to sleep.

The other big milestone in the Parker household this week is that Kevin and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on Thursday. I have to say that it feels like our wedding was longer than 4 years ago. I would guess it feels that way because we have had our share of change over the past 4 years....we are currently living in our 4th residence, I'm on my 3rd job, Kevin's on his 5th. I am glad to say the past 2 years have been much more stable, and that probably has a lot to do with the next milestone....I am quickly approaching my 29th birthday. I guess we can't live in restlessness our whole lives....eventually we have to grow up and settle down. And,in less than 2 weeks, I will be entering my last year in my 20's. Twenty-nine sounds older than I think I should be. I remember being in high school and thinking about being in my late 20's, mostly thinking I would have it all figured out by the time I was this old. Hmm...still working on that one.

I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that my blogging track record shows that this may be the last time you hear from me this month. Hopefully not. Hopefully I will be good and keep you posted on what's going on in our world, but as this month flies by and I try to cram in all the Christmas music I can into my ears, I may not find time to blog again. And, because I just ordered my Christmas cards (I know, most of you overachievers have already mailed yours), there's a good chance you won't even get a Christmas card in time. So, in light of all that, I hope and pray you have a wonderful Christmas season. Take time and enjoy it! 

Gratitude

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace ...

But, Jesus, would You please ...

I recently made a "running" playlist on my ipod. Basically, it's about 4 hours of music to run to, because I was getting really tired of searching for songs that would keep me going on my early morning runs. I've discovered that I'm a little picky about what I listen to while running. But, this is one of the songs that made the cut. It's called "Gratitude" by Nichole Nordeman. This morning, it captured my attention during my run, and I replayed it a couple of times because it was resonating in my heart so strongly. I've thought about this song all day, and tonight as I watch the electoral votes stack up for each presidential candidate, it still resounds. The portion that's bolded above is what first caught my attention, particularly as I've taken in all of the election talk. We've talked in our office about how fearful people seem these days....financial crisis...war...election...all of which are valid reasons to be afraid. But, a thought that keeps running through my head is a phrase that I feel like the Lord gave me a few years ago during a particularly confusing and tough time in my own personal life..."We don't respond as if we are people who have no hope." I feel like we forget that what we want may not be necessarily what we need...that maybe all of this is just a lesson to learn of how to trust in Him....an opportunity to understand that we are blessed beyond we could ever dream in abundance or in need. So, my encouragement to all of us (including/especially me) is that no matter what, we respond as though we are people who have hope, because, indeed, we do. 

...and if You never grant us peace....but Jesus, would you please...

A Fun Weekend...

It's been a busy and fun weekend in the Parker house. Yesterday marked Laurel's first Halloween, and she celebrated as a little lioness cub. I would love to say there was a deep and meaningful reason for her costume, but it basically boiled down to good old compromise. After searching through the plethora of infant costumes online, Kevin gave 3 choices...the lion, a whoopie cushion, or a hot dog. Do you now see why she was a lioness? I'm sure she would have made an adorable hot dog or whoopie cushion, but she was also pretty dang cute as a lioness, if I do say so myself. Kevin had to work during our church's fall festival, so the Altics were kind enough to let us tag along as part of the fam. Jayk was Curious George. I'm not sure which one was more enthralled with the other in costume.



Today, we visited Discovery Green in downtown Houston. The weather has been amazing here in Houston, so we've been trying to do as much as possible outside. There are lots of great sculptures down there, so we took the opportunity to take some fun pics....

We'll teach table manners later...

Tonight at dinner, the little bit took matters into her own hands....literally. She has this incredibly independent side to her little personality (I have no idea where in the world she got that) and she decided she was fully capable of feeding herself, thank you very much. So, enjoy the first attempts at self-feeding, and be thankful you didn't have to clean up after her:).

It's been a while...so there are lots of random thoughts

First of all, I need to say thank you to anyone who's reading this...it only proves that you have faith that I would, indeed, blog again. 

The 6-week blog hiatus was not intentional...the first 3 weeks were legitimate--we had no Internet access at home. I must have actually gotten used to being disconnected because I really haven't been on the Internet much since we've gotten it back. As much as I complained about the lack of Internet, I guess I adjusted and managed just fine. Who knew?

So, as I re-enter blogland, here are a few things going on in our world....

1. Kevin got his permanent (well, at least one year) assignment with HPD. He's at the Northeast station, and working 3PM-11PM Friday-Tuesday. We thought this was the shift we would hate, and it's not the greatest, but there have been some really great things about it, including: 

• We now have Friday and Saturday mornings to hang out. We've taken Laurel to the park a couple of times, and she has loved it. 
  
• I no longer sleep on the couch because I dread getting ready to go to bed by myself. I was pathetic...when Kevin wasn't home, I couldn't motivate myself to go to bed. I'd end up sleeping in my regular clothes on the couch until about 3 AM, and then just go straight to bed like that. 
• Selfishly, since Kevin is home in the mornings, I get to run before work because he is home with Laurel. 
• I don't have to keep Kevin awake during church. Seriously, he could not stay awake when he was working nights. Not that I blame him. If I'd been up for 20+ hours, I'm sure I'd be nodding off too.

2. I have officially registered for the Austin Marathon. I was putting it off to see if I was really going to be able to train. There are no refunds, so I guess I'm in. If anyone doesn't have anything to do Valentine's weekend, you can come cheer me on in Austin:).

3. Our little pumpkin has been sick all weekend. She's got this random fever...no other symptoms. Well, none except being miserable when the Infant Motrin wears off. She woke up yesterday really whiny and tired acting, which just isn't her. She's gotten 5 teeth in the past 6 weeks (bringing her up to 7), so I didn't think there were many more for her to get. We were getting ready to go to Discovery Green when we noticed she was a really warm, and her mood was quickly disintegrating. We took her temp and it was 101.5. We decided to take her to her doctor, because they do sick visits on Saturday morning. By the time we got there, her temp was up to 102, and she just kept getting hotter. I've never seen her so miserable. Dr. Jung was afraid she had a urinary track infection, so he put a catheter in her to find out. Yes, a catheter. I couldn't even watch. Good news is there was no UTI, but we still don't know why she has such a high fever. So, no church today. It's funny since Sunday is a work day, I forget what it's like to be at home. Since our balcony windows look out onto the church parking lot, it was pretty strange watching everyone come and go while I watched the Disney channel and played with Laurel. By bedtime tonight, her fever was down to about 100, so I'm praying it will continue to drop tonight. There's nothing more miserable than watching her be miserable.

Okay, that's all for now. I promise to blog again soon. I repent from non-blogging. But, before I go, here is a picture from the park:)

Just a quick note...

...to let everyone know we are okay. Praise the Lord, we have no damage to our condo, but our complex did sustain some damage. Bayou Woods has a down fence and lots of tree limbs, but other than that,  compared to what went on in the rest of the city, we're good. We got our electricity back last night, and are waiting on the full return of water. Laurel and I left for Austin last night, mostly because of the lack of water and electricity. The electricity came on right after we had packed, but we decided it would be best for her to get out of town and get some Nanny and Papaw love in Austin for a few days. So, that's where we are until probably Tuesday. Kevin is working 12 hour shifts (6 PM-6 AM) until further notice with HPD until things get a little more back to normal. So, we are incredibly thankful. Please pray for the thousands who didn't fare so well. 

I'll write more later...I know, I know, I've been blog-slacking again:).

So, it won't be gymnastics in 2012...

My quest for the 2012 Olympics may have been hampered today. I still hadn't determined an event, but I think we cross anything that requires gracefulness off of the list. Honestly, we could have done that years ago, because I'm pretty much notorious for falling flat on my face. Just ask my recently healed elbow and knee from my latest encounter with the ground at Memorial Park. And, I would love to say that was the first time that had happened, but no...my knees bear the marks.

Today, though, it wasn't a trail encounter, it was much less glamorous. The balcony was the culprit. I had cleaned the wood floor out in our enclosed balcony the other day, and apparently the cleaner had left some weird slick residue that I'd watched Kevin almost trip on a couple of times. I, of course, wouldn't fall on such a silly thing. Yep, that's right, I didn't fall. It was much less graceful. As I went out to fill Toby the wonderdog's food dish, my right foot started to slip and my left foot jammed into the metal on the base of the French door into the balcony. I danced around in pain, but didn't really have time to think about it, because it was officially 8:02, and I was supposed to be at work at 8. Laurel's babysitter showed up, I put on the shoes I'd decided to wear, and headed out. As I walked my 500 ft commute to work, I noticed that the middle toe on my left foot was hurting. Actually, throbbing. And the shoe choice for the day wasn't the best...the peek-toe wedges were really cute, but not helping. I thought it would go away, but about an hour into the day, pain only increasing, I decided to take a look. What I found was a bright reddish-black, swollen middle toe. By the end of the day, I'd changed shoes and taped it up. Broken. Well, that's not an official diagnosis, that's  Kevin looking at it, laughing at me, and saying, "yep, that's broken." I refuse to go to the doctor so he can tell me that I shouldn't walk on it or give me some dorky air cast. Maybe my limp will look like some really cool swagger. Doubtful. I guess my Olympic dreams will have to wait until my toe returns to normal size and color.

Laurel's 6 Month Appointment

There is a pre-post to this post...kinda like a pre-party, so be excited...

The pre-post happened on Sunday. I took Laurel to the nursery, and as I did, got stopped by a friend, who has a little boy in Laurel's same room (he, by the way, likes to kiss her, but that's not important right now). As I was talking to my friend, another lady brought her little girl in and dropped her off.  She did what she needed to do and moved aside, and I gave Laurel over to the sweet lady behind the half-door that all church nurseries have. This unknown lady took one look at Laurel and said (and I quote)..."I just LOOOVVE fat babies, look at those thighs." She then looked at me and proceeded to ask me what she was fed, etc. I was so in shock by her assessment of my daughter, that I just dropped Laurel off and walked away, totally disoriented. Every ounce of energy was being taken at keeping my mama bear instinct at bay and keeping my mouth shut. I'm pretty sure I would have been fired from my job at the church had I told this (I'm sure she's sweet) lady what I thought...how I really didn't want the word "fat" ever spoken over my daughter, how one of my greatest fears of raising a daughter is that she will get caught up in our society's struggle with weight (as her mother did), and how, (and this I'm not proud of) I could've made a few comments about her weight. Can I just give Him some praise that I kept my mouth shut???? 

So, as we went into our 6 month check up today, I have to confess there was a little fear that our doctor would agree with our friend from Sunday. Great. Now I wasn't only dreading me ever getting on a scale, I was now fearing for my sweet little 6 month old. This is just wrong and warped. Please, Jesus, take my thoughts captive!

However, just as the book of Isaiah tells me in Isaiah 40:11, He is the one that carries our little ones as He guides us. And, truly, I could tell story after story of how our Father has carried Laurel to save her from us. Her weight was awesome. And, the doctor even made a comment about how her weight was perfect. Yes, perfect. I hadn't even mentioned it. She's weighing in at 17 lbs and 12 oz...which means she's in the 8oth percentile and 26.5 inches long, which is in the 75th percentile. So she's bigger than about 3/4 of the kiddos her age and smaller than about 1/4 of them. It's amazing the dumb things I fear about her. 

The incredibly fun thing about the visit, though, was how great Laurel was the entire time. Sure, she screamed bloody murder right after her shots, but she was a little champ. We ended up having to wait in the exam room for about 30 minutes, and she just played like we were at McDonald's playland with the little lab paper that rolls over the table she sits on. She just laughed and squealed the entire time. When the doctor came in, I thought it could go down hill, but she just hammed it up for him. I personally thought she was trying to talk him out of those shots. Didn't work, but nice try, Laurel. Here are some fun pics that Kev grabbed with his phone....

I heart the Olympics

1984. I was 4 years old. The Olympics were hosted by the great U S of A. My only memory involves me begging my mom to buy Wheaties. I'm pretty sure it's the only time in my life that I've ever even had the desire to eat Wheaties. But, this was a special box of Wheaties. They tasted better I'm sure. They had Mary Lou Retton on the box, and it was the only acceptable breakfast for me. As the story goes, my parents were going to put me in gymnastics...but, well, I wasn't exactly built for gymnastics. I was a huge child. I tell people that and they don't really buy it, but that's because I don't share pictures of that chapter in my life. I was probably bigger than most gymnasts at the age of 4. But, back to the original point....I adore watching the Olympics. I've stayed up way too late most nights of the past week. I feel like I know Michael Phelps for crying out loud. I got all teary when our 2 gymnasts won the gold and silver Thursday night/Friday morning (depending on where you were watching). I realize my view is probably pretty naive,  but it seems so pure...people that have trained and worked and sweated and cried to train their bodies to participate. It's not like professional sports as we know them....it's not about ego, it's about doing your best to represent your country and push your body to show off what God gifted them to do (and I realize most of them don't acknowledge it's God-given ability, but I'm acknowledging for them). It's incredible. Man, I'm always so inspired. I could could swim, I could run, I could jump on a trampoline for crying out loud. And, apparently a baby and over-25-year-old body don't disqualify you. Watch out 2016 Olympics...here I come.

I just have to figure out what sport I'm good at.

One thing that has really stood out to me as I've watched, though, is what these games mean to other countries. I was blown away when I watched the opening ceremony. Country after country paraded in. One country has an average yearly income of $130. That's it. We probably spent more than that on the shoes our athletes wore at the ceremony. Some countries only brought 3 or 4 athletes. Can you imagine? Being one of the 3 or 4 chosen to represent your country? Our athletes invest countless hours, dollars, and energy into the games, but at the end of the day, without them, their life is still okay. But it's a big fat hairy deal to the other countries. For some, it's all they've got. They may be the only people from their country to leave their country this year. Inconceivable.

My favorite story of the evening, though, is that of Oksana Chusovitina. Don't ask me to pronounce her name, but you have to hear her story. She's the 33-year-old gymnast from Germany. She didn't start out in Germany, though. This is actually her 5th Olympic Games. She was originally a gymnast for the former Soviet Union, and then one of the Soviet States. However, her son developed leukemia. She couldn't get treatment in the country she was living, so she called in a favor with a friend in Germany. Would Germany help get her son treatment? Well, yes, in exchange for participation in the Olympic games. She agreed, the son received treatment, and is currently in remission. And, on top of that, she medaled tonight. Amazing. This is what the games are all about. Camaraderie. Competition. Hard work. Blood. Sweat. Tears. God-given talent on display in phenomenal ways. Ah, in my heart, I'm an Olympian. I guess I'll live vicariously through these athletes for the next few days. 

That is all for now...my gymnasts are getting ready to come back on.

Kiddie Kandids

I don't really do too many "Mommy Things". It's not that I'm against them, or think they are silly, most of the time they just don't occur to me. I grew up in a house with two older brothers and a single dad, so I'm pretty clueless when it comes to the whole mom bit. I know I had a phenomenal mom, but she passed away when I was 7 years old, and well, I just don't know that I paid a whole lot of attention up to that point on how to be a mom. And, my wonderful stepmother came into my life later, so that just leaves me, well...clueless. I spent the majority of my pregnancy praying for a resilient child. In my mind, this thought was so that I could take my little one on all kinds of adventures. Maybe, though, God put it in my heart to pray this for my child because He, in His sovereignty, knew she would need to be resilient in order to survive! This definitely isn't a pity party, so please don't take it as such...it's just life as I know it. I've spent my whole entire life trying to pretend it hasn't affected me, and the one thing I will say about motherhood, is that it has proven more than anything, that I need my mommy. Perhaps she would've at least put a bug in my ear that it's the "Mommy thing to do" to get professional pictures taken of your child. Hmm...hadn't thought of that. We didn't even get the professional shots from the hospital. We take plenty of pictures of our little bugaboo, as can be seen on our Smugmug site (and trust me, this isn't NEAR all of them).

Last week, though, as we were in line at Babies 'R' Us, a saleslady approached us as we were in the Exchanges line to get Laurel's picture made. I couldn't really get away, because I was trapped in this line with a whole stack of things to return, so we listened to her little promo and walked away with a ton of coupons. Later in the week, the idea returned like a light bulb flashing over my head. Perhaps this would be a good thing to do with a baby. Get pictures made. What a novel idea. No sitting fee, so what do I have to lose...30 minutes of my life? As my day off approached on Friday, I began to plan it out. On Thursday, however, Laurel woke up with this bright red spot on her lower eyelid. The perfectionist in me reared it's ugly head. On Friday, the spot remained, so I decided I'd give it one more day. I was bummed. I was really looking forward to this mommy moment. By Saturday, her eye was looking better, and I had to get a grip on reality and realize if it wasn't a spot on her eye, it would be a scratch, or a booger, or something. So, we called and made our appointment, and off we went to Babies 'R' Us.

The photographer was amazing! She won Laurel over in a heartbeat, and got these shots. Laurel was so excited during the whole thing her little legs and arms just kicked and waved during the entire sitting!

Ahh...a successful mommy moment. Perhaps we will try more of these as I figure them out.

2 days in a row...aren't y'all proud?

It's that time of day where really all I do is waste time. Kevin leaves for work with the charge from me to "protect the city and uphold justice", and then I sit around and do nothing. I can't motivate myself to go to bed or anything. Every afternoon I have these pipe dreams of actually using this time to clean house, read a book, actually finish those thank you notes I found on Tuesday...but, nothing. I just sit and lose intelligence by watching Ace of Cakes and Letterman. So, tonight, I take a step in the right direction, and Blog.

I actually have had quite a few things run through my mind over the past couple of days that I want to blog about, but there's something incredibly Type A going on in my head that wants to write about each of these things in an individual blog...you know, give each item it's fair share, so those things will have to come later. What I'm going to tell you are a couple of Laurel-isms from the past couple of days....

First of all, our Little Bit turned 6 months old yesterday. I truly cannot believe it. I know it is such a cliche to say it goes by so fast, but well, it does. She has been such a joy to watch grow and change and learn how to interact with the world. I love how everything is new to her. I love how she loves the new sounds she makes each day, and continues to practice making them, especially when she knows she is supposed to be going to sleep. I love her pudgy legs and her two new little teeth that have come in on the bottom, and how these two teeth make little indentions on her spoon when she eats. I love that she wears more food than she actually ingests. And, she's taught me a lot about myself. Mostly, that I'm not in control like I like to think I am, and that truly, she is the Lord's, and I have to daily give her over to Him, the One that can care for her so much better than I can. I could go on and on, but back to the original points...

As many of you know, we didn't find out if we were having a little boy or a little girl when we had Laurel. We first knew when the doctor told me to push that final time and then said, "Take a look at your little girl." We loved the surprise, but I especially appreciated it when I found out what happens when people find out you've had a little girl. Pink exploded onto our house. Dresses, blankets, bibs, toys, pink, pink, pink. We had decorated in teal and brown to be neutral. I look at how much pink we have now, and can't imagine what it would be like if everyone would have had 4 more months to buy pink. Well, when the clothes needed to be put away those first few weeks, I started putting them in the closet in order by size. It made sense in my head, and I figured it would be an easy way to make sure that we didn't overlook any clothes as she grew. Well somewhere along the way, the closet exploded and Laurel took this massive growth spurt, leaving a closet full of unworn clothing. I happened to look through it all last weekend and found this precious pair of jeans, size 6-9 months. Perfect, I thought. Exactly what size we're in now. I washed them and had them ready to wear. This morning, we got ready for Mother's Day Out (where Laurel goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I'm at work and Kevin sleeps), and I put on the jeans. They looked precious. Embroidered butterflies and flowers on the legs, a velvety pink ribbon that fit around the waist. I sat Laurel on her play blanket on the floor so I could grab the camera and get a picture...

She could hardly sit up! You know that terrible 'I'm wearing too tight of jeans' feeling? Well, she got to experience it today. What's worse is that I thought, "Oh, this isn't that bad," and took her to MDO like this! Needless to say, by the time we picked her up, she was only in her onesie. Apparently, she'd gotten pretty frustrated by the incredibly tight squeeze going on on her little hips (she can thank me later for those), so her teachers had mercy and took them off. They were a one-hit wonder in her wardrobe, I guess. What was I thinking? She will be spending the majority of her life facing the dilemma of finding jeans that actually fit. Why in the world would I introduce this to her at 6 months?

My second item of bloggage for this evening is a tip for all of you who are around little ones that are still in diapers. You can take it for what it worth, think we're ridiculous parents or whatever, but all I've got to say is it worked for us, and we're going to keep it up...So, here's what happened...when we were in Missouri last week, Laurel was teething like crazy, absolutely miserable, and got a terrible cold in the process. Poor little thing couldn't hardly breath, and her nose was a little faucet. She was drooling so much and so congested, she kept coughing, which would wake her up at night. And then, she was in a strange bed in a strange place. There were a couple of nights that she woke up 4-5 times. She didn't even do that when we first came home from the hospital with her! So, we decided to sleep her on her stomach one night in the middle of the night in a moment of desperation. It worked wonders. In fact, she's slept on her stomach ever since, and has slept like a little champ. The only problem is, that this new position makes her wake up with a wet belly from a leaky diaper every morning. I can only wash so many sheets and sheet savers. It doesn't seem to bother her...she still sleeps from 7-7, but I guess I'm not crazy about the idea of her sleeping in urine-soaked pj's all night. So, we started experimenting. Maybe if we put her diapers on backwards...maybe they're more absorbent in the back. Nope. Maybe buy the next size bigger diaper, and they'll be more absorbent. Nope. The last straw was the morning when I got her out of bed and she was soaked from her little armpits to her knees.

I had read about this idea that we finally had to resort to in one of those semi-cheesy mommy magazines. I was pretty hesitant because well, it sounded kinda silly. After she woke up that soaked, though, I was desperate. So, I took the advice of the magazine and stuck a maxi pad on the front of her diaper (horizontally across the band to soak up anything that would leak). And, it worked. Amazing. Dry two days in a row now. Last night, Kev and I went to Target to buy our little girl her first package of maxi pads at 6 months old. Oh, Laurel, I'm so sorry to have to introduce this to you when most of your life will be filled with the concerns of such things anyway. But, hey, you're dry, and I'm not doing laundry every day of my life.

You guys can store that little tip away for a leaky day. You're welcome.

my day with Edouard

When I started this blog, I was very aware of a few things...1) as a huge procrastinator, I would put off blogging, and then would finally just give up, figuring everyone else had given up on me ever blogging again; 2) I lead a pretty boring life, to be quite honest, and didn't really know what I'd write about; and 3) I'm a pretty private person. Not for privacy's sake, but for insecurity's sake. There's something about putting myself out for all to read about that brings out all of the insecurities of a middle school girl; and lastly, I had been warned about "Blog Guilt", that comes when you don't blog for a while, and well, I just don't need any more reasons to feel guilty. However, in spite of being a procrastinating, boring, middle-school-girl-on-the-inside, I hereby promise to do better. So, without further ado, my next blog post....

Yesterday, we got a snow day from work. Well, technically, not a "snow day", but that's what we Missourians in our office called it. It was better than a snow day, though, because we don't have to make it up like we did in school. It was a day to welcome Edouard. "Who is Edouard?" you may ask. Shortly followed by "Why didn't his parents spell his name correctly?". Edouard is our all bark and no bite tropical storm that came to town yesterday. Not that I really wanted lots of flooding...but he was pretty unimpressive. I'm just glad he barked loud enough to cause HFBC to close its doors for the day so I could get a day at home to do nothing. Absolutely nothing. The mayor said not to go out unless we needed to. So, I submitted and stayed home. I didn't even get out of my comfy pj pants or put on makeup. It was so great. I decided that since it was Tuesday and I wouldn't have been able to clean house under normal circumstances, I wouldn't do it. It was the perfect rainy do-nothing day. I curled up and took 2 naps when Laurel took naps, ate what I wanted when I wanted, played, and watched Ellen and about 275 news-blurbs showing it raining in Galveston (which, as a side note, I had to feel pretty sorry for the poor girl that had to cover that story and stand in the rain for 4 hours). One semi-productive thing that I did, however, was find a stack of thank you cards that I hadn't written from when Laurel was born...6 months ago. Dang it!! I think I wrote 2 of the 15. So, if you get a way overdue thank you note from me, you can thank Edouard.
And, if you sent a gift, but have yet to get a thank you, I'm terribly sorry, but it is coming:)

You would think that this would have been energizing, but apparently it was pretty hard work, because I racked out on the couch about 8:30. Pretty rough day with that Edouard. And now, I'm trying to get motivated to have a normal day. And, start thinking about my next post, because I am going to do better... if for no other reason than to prove to Kevin that I will keep up with it.

In case you need a good laugh....

Apparently, we need a little clarification....

Tuesday was our monthly retreat staff meeting. Of course, highlighted by my table buddies Nancy, Jerrell and Jenea. I was surprised, though, that the topic of conversation was my blog. Hmm, can't be good.  My dear colleagues sat in amazement, thinking that I truly do use the Quadratic Equation in everyday life. Nancy even went home to her smarty pants husband to try to figure out exactly how I would be using this equation in organizing people. His response, you ask? That I need to be delivered! Well, yes, Roy, I do need to be delivered, but not from the Quadratic Equation. I suppose my sarcasm was missed, only to leave my friends all befuddled. So, I apologize for misleading you to thinking I was something I am not. I am no longer a math nerd (most of the time). I do not use the Quadratic Equation on a daily basis. Perhaps I can find my purpose in some other arena. I am, however, incredibly excited to hear that Nancy has made up a new math equation for life. I'll keep you posted as soon as this much-anticipated equation is unveiled. 

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

I need to start with a confession. I constantly worry that Laurel is developing on schedule.  Maybe it's just being new at this, but I'm so afraid that she will suddenly end up way behind every other infant her age. So, needless to say, when I was reading the book from our pediatrician that says she should be rolling over at 3 months, I began to worry. At nearly 4 months, she has rolled over on her tummy once accidentally, but other than that, has shown zero interest in moving off of her playtime on her back. And, don't even think about putting her on her tummy for very long at a time. She'll humor you and hold her head up for a few seconds, and then she'll let you know how she feels about it. We even started "rolling over practice sessions" this week to try to encourage her to move around. But, she's perfectly content kicking her legs and swinging her arms endlessly.

That all changed today. While kicking around in her floor gym, she ended up on her side in the momentum of her strong kicks. She started out a bit intrigued, then she got focused. We moved to a blanket in her room, and she was intent on laying on  her side. Her mind was set on one purpose...getting off of her back. After a few minutes of lifting up her legs and intensely staring at her hands, she made it to her side, and then on over to her tummy...Only to realize she was exhausted, and had no way to get back onto her backside. Hmmm. So she yelled until Mama felt sorry for her and put her onto her back. I've got to say, I figured that was the end of it. I mean, why go to all that trouble only to end up more frustrated than you started? But, my daughter persevered! After naptime, we tried again, and with much greater ease, rolled her little self right on over to her tummy. We still haven't figured out how to get back over onto our backside, but we'll be working on it:).

the signs of summer...

The beginning of summer brings such excitement to my heart. I have never had a job or season of life in which summer did not bring a distinct change. From being a student, to being a teacher, to now working in the Missions office, summer is a definite change. And this week, I noticed...summer is upon us! This week brought...

-Interns! Our interns have arrived...including one of my very own. I mean, I'll share her with the rest of the office, of course, but what a blessing to have my Charlotte back again from A & M. We also have about 10 more running around...I lose count because they are everywhere.

-We bought Laurel her first pool float this week. Hopefully, the water will be warm enough for her so we can try it out tomorrow. I'll keep you posted:)

-The first day of sweating while you walk across the parking lot to the church...at 8:00 AM. Ahh...summer in Houston.

-Over air-conditioned buildings...and space heaters. Ironically, the demand for space heaters increases in the summertime in Houston because apparently, all the bigwigs feel the need to overcompensate for the heat and humidity outside by freezing you out inside. It's truly an apparel nightmare. I mean really, what's a girl to wear?

-37 days in a row of mission teams in our city. Next Friday, 56 middle-schoolers will embark on our city from Knoxville, TN. Followed by teams from all over Texas and Missouri. I pray their lives and our city will never be the same!

-And, finally, a cheering hairstylist...My Iranian hairstylist Afsoon literally cheered when I went in this week with one instruction: "Cut it all off!". And, so she did. Between little hands grabbing and pulling and hormones causing the rest to fall out by the handful, it was way past time to get the brunette locks chopped.

10 Years Ago Today....

Ten years ago today, May 22, 1998, I walked across a make-shift stage on the football field of Buffalo High School in the booming metropolis of Buffalo Missouri, and received my high school diploma. Ahh, memories. In honor of this momentous anniversary, I have been trying to think of the valuable bits of information gained during my season at BHS that I actually can still remember....and I thought I would enlighten y'all...

1. 3 French Phrases: Je ne sais pas (I don't know); Quelle heure est-il? (What time is it?); Je m'appelle Becky (My name is Becky). I would just like to point out all of these are incredibly useful statements if I were ever stranded in France. I'm sure my greatest concern would be the time, appearing clueless, and telling everyone my name.

2. The Quadratic Equation: Yes, I was a math nerd. My pre-calc teacher was hands down my favorite. She made us learn the Quadratic equation to the tune of Frere Jacques...so we all had to go to EVERY classroom and sing it to them. Oh, we felt pretty cool. But, I do still remember it (Thanks, Mrs. Langford), and sang the song all through the ACT and SAT tests. Now, talk about useful. I use that puppy every single day as I plan and coordinate people to participate in Missions in our City. So, in order to bless y'all for the next time you need the Quadratic Equation, sing along (to the tune of Frere Jacques):

Minus B, plus or minus,

Square root of, Square root of

B squared minus 4 A C, B squared minus 4 A C

Over 2 A, Over 2 A 

3. I could leave my house at 8:13, get to school by 8:19, out of my car by 8:23, and make it to class by the time the tardy bell rang.

4. I had this English class called "Short Story." I remember nothing from it, other than the fact that my teacher (Whose maiden name was "Looney"...and we constantly reminded her of it...and made her live up to it) would not let us read "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. Only she was allowed to read it because she did not feel we were capable to give the appropriate inflection. So, I can still hear the resonating of her raspy voice saying "NEVERMORE".

5. I strategically learned how to rest my head on my hand to fall asleep during videos in class so the teacher would not know I was snoozing. It came in pretty handy, especially during track and softball season.

6. I spent a few baseball seasons as "Baseball Stat Girl". Mostly because I was dating one of the players, but that is of no importance today. So, if you ever need an "official scorekeeper", I'm your girl.

7. I was daily reminded by our principal that you are to run "as if you are holding potato chips in your hands". Okay, we're runners. We don't eat potato chips. And I never followed his advice, which is probably why I won't be running in Beijing. Should've listened.

8. I (Subject & Pronoun) learned (verb--past tense) to diagram (direct object infinitive) sentences (noun). I (Subject & Pronoun) like (verb) it (pronoun...referring to diagramming sentences). 

9. Never go to prom with someone who is interested in someone else. It's just not fun.  So, dump him before prom and go with one of your friends. Even if you make his mom really mad, it's worth it.

10.  I had this goal to try to make it to 10 items, but as you can tell from the last two, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Maybe we shouldn't share this post with those still in High School...

My New Running Buddy

A good running buddy is hard to find. They have to keep a good pace, be faithful, and not expect you to talk too much (especially if you just had a baby and are still building up your endurance).

Today, I found one. She's fun, cute, you never have to stop so she can use the port-a-potty, and, most importantly, she's easily entertained by her surroundings, so I don't have to talk much. And she even posed for a picture so you could see how great she looks at Memorial Park.

Brandon and Sara

As some of you know, we travelled to Dallas on Saturday for a Celebration Memorial Service for the son of our friends, Brandon and Sara. A few have asked how the day went, and really all I could get out of my mouth was "It was incredible", and I feel like that just doesn't do justice to the situation, and it's been on my heart, so here I write.

Before I even begin, I need to explain B and Sara. I met them about 5 months into my relationship with Kevin. It was one of the first trips to Austin, Kevin's sister's wedding, and so I was getting broken into all the family and friends. Kevin had told me they were really excited to meet me, this "girl Kevin's hanging out with". I had heard so much about them, I was really more nervous to meet them than any family member. They were the friends you want to like you...the friends I knew Kevin wanted to journey with for a lifetime.  Really my only memory of them is a conversation with Brandon we had at a restaurant after the wedding. Without going into details of the conversation, I remember they brought out the best in Kevin...you know those people where all guards are down and you are free to be you? That's B and Sara. The more I've gotten to know them, it's just how it is with them, and I love it.

Brandon and Sara have a 2 1/2 year old girl named Sydney. She's a doll. Sara loved every second of being pregnant with her. She told me that she never felt sexier than when she was pregnant. Crazy, but true. About a year and half ago, they found out they were pregnant with their second, and so excited. However, she miscarried early on. As soon as they could they were trying again. A little while after we found out we were pregnant, they found out they were too. And we were so excited. At 22 weeks, right before Laurel was born, this story begins to unfold. An ultrasound revealed cysts on the Little Guy's kidneys. Each following ultrasound revealed other complications, and the decision process for Brandon and Sara began. Life outside the womb was unlikely short of a miracle. Should they try to deliver naturally? Do they deliver early? A C-section would increase the likelihood of life after birth, but it would still only be a few minutes. What do they do after the inevitable occurs? Bury their newborn? Cremate? Overwhelming decisions, that still bring tears to my eyes. So they prayed. Lots of people prayed. Kevin and I and so many others pleaded for a miracle. I'll never forget a note Sara sent out, that read " I still believe that God can perform a miracle...That he can place normal-sized fully-functioning lungs in Elliot where there were none just a week ago. That He can give him a functioning kidney, completely void of cysts, though the doctors have told us it's impossible. I believe He can. But even if He does not, I believe He will take care of us, and that He will take care of Elliot--even if that is by taking him to heaven...There is suffering and sin on this earth that my son will never have to know. He will be immediately be swept into the loving arms of Christ, and though I will long to hold him in mine, I know that there's no better place for him to be."

On Monday, April 28, the C-section took place, and Elliot Skaggs was born. He lived one hour. The entire family of both Brandon and Sara were present, and got to hold him and love on him during his brief life on earth. The memorial service that took place on Saturday was just another outpouring of love for the family, for Elliot, and for our Savior. Both Brandon and Sara had written notes to Elliot...words of love for their little man, who possibly touched more lives in his one hour than many of us will ever touch in a "normal" lifetime.  And, the family worshipped. It was by no means a funeral. It truly was a celebration. A demonstrated understanding that life is hard, and we don't understand, but we are loved, and He is good. Tears fill my eyes even now as I remember the moment that moved me most...during one of the final songs as we sang seated in our pews, from the front row, Mr. Skaggs, the proud grandfather, stands in worship, arms raised high to heaven, followed immediately by the other family members....leading us in worship of our Creator God. 

This whole situation is one that just doesn't seem to fit. Carrying a child for 8 1/2 months only for him to pass immediately to Heaven. I've thought a lot about that hour of life for Elliot over the past couple of weeks. The thing that strikes me most is that they experienced something most people never get to. We often say we "see God move", but in that moment, at 9:05 AM, God stepped into that hospital room and truly made a move. Not that He had been inactive at any point up until then, but there is no doubt of His action at that moment. He chose to take Elliot with Him. He saw that moment as the most fitting. Was that the moment Elliot was starting to feel pain? Was that the moment in which all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents had gotten to hold him? Or, was that the moment our Lord decided He was ready for Elliot to be whole...no cysts, no abnormalities, perfect.

So, that's my story of Brandon and Sara. I know it has been long, but I wanted to share it with those of you who have prayed or asked about them. Thanks for persevering to read:)... We loved them before, but oh, how much more we love them today. They have taught us more about God and His Love and His work in our lives, and they have allowed us to be a part of a journey to knowing Him in a greater way.

Yes, that was our child

It's Mother's Day 2008...my first as a mom. Laurel Ray Parker turned 3 months old on Tuesday. The past 3 months have been amazing...and I'm sure I will write more about all of that at a different time. For tonight, though, I want to write about the plethora of noises Laurel is learning how to make. She is obsessed with her voice. She will make a new noise and then like the way it sounds or feels on her throat and continue to make it incessantly. Her latest is a long, drawn out pseudo-whine that goes on until you kiss her or do something to make her smile. We've been incredibly amused by it over the past few days. On top of that, the episodes increase the more tired she becomes. So, after Sunday School this morning, her new sounds echoed through the Missions Office as she showed off her newly-found noisemaking abilities.

Tonight was the Parent Commitment Service at HFBC. We were excited to participate, but I must confess, a bit anxious as the service fell at 5:45 PM....the time of day we just pray will speed by so we can get the Little Bit into the bath and get her to bed with a minimal amount of fussing. Add to that, Nanny and Papaw, as well as our dear friends Lauren and Matt Jasinski making the journey from Austin for the occasion.  My pride crept in wanting to have "the well behaved 3 month old"...what is that anyway? We set up the day to the best of our ability...made sure she had a good, long afternoon nap, clean diaper, lots of attention, and pacifier in hand. Laurel was a trooper....until about 10 minutes into the service. We marched in alphabetically...all of those other children making noises of all kinds, Laurel just chillin'. As we turn the corner to get closer to the stage...the first whimpers...then her mouth opens...and then the noise...it starts small, but continues to build. At this point, really we are the only ones that know she's started, because there are others making noise. Apparently, Laurel missed the cue to stop that the other babies heard, because she kept going, progressively getting louder. Not crying, just practicing her new noises. By the time we get to the stage we've managed to quiet her with the pacifier, only to make her mad by the time we step down and she's in a full blown cry. Ahh...my daughter has added presence to the service. From that point on, Laurel was silent...no noises, nothing. All the way home, nothing. Had gotten it all out of her system right there in the service. Beautiful.

I had to smile as Kevin and I recounted the evening after the guests had left. "Maybe it just sounded loud to us because we were right there with her". Later that thought was shot down by Nanny and others commenting on how much she had to say. I had to smile, though, in retrospect...how many times did I pray for a child that would be confident and communicate well? How many times have I thought that I would much rather have a child that is not passive? Hmmm...I guess we don't have a little wallflower on our hands. Praise Him!