Sunday, September 26, 2010

Exclaimation Point Moments


In case you didn't know, September 24 was National Punctuation Day.  Sorry if you missed it.  Some might find it hard to believe that punctuation is used for more than expressing emotions in text, but I know that no reader of mine would think that the sole purpose of a colon is to provide the eyes to a side-facing smiley face. :) 

I love exclamation points. I love them when they are used in an exclamatory sentence and when they are needed after an interjectory word. I think I am just an exclamation point kind of a girl. I feel strongly about things. I express my passions with emotion. National Punctuation Day and my love of exclamation points got me to thinking about life. There are some days I think of as exclamation days. The day MGM was born, the day I married My Prince, the day we bought our first house, and many other "big event days" stand out to me as exclamation point days. When I reflect on my exclamation point days I think about the different ways God was at work in my life on those days. They are truly sweet memories that are touch stones for my faith journey. But those days only account for a small portion of my life. What about the rest of the days? What about laundry day, yard work day, changing 7 diapers days? Are those days God is at work too? Yes, of course they are. But am I noticing him? Am I recognizing his hand in my life one the plain old period days? If I am honest, I have to say, not as much as I would like to. I must be missing so much of what God has for me!




Lord, by your grace, help me hear you, see you at work, and know you more everyday of my life.




Monday, September 20, 2010

The Austin Tour

My husband and I spent some time on Saturday seeing the town we live in by bike.  I bought us a groupon that entitled us to a half price, two hour bike tour of Austin.  The company we toured with was Barton Springs Bike Rental.  We were the only two on the tour that afternoon so we really got to have an intimate tour of the town. 

The bikes we rode were electric assist bikes, meaning they had a battery that gave the bike some get up and go when you pulled back on the right hand grip.  It was cool not to have to huff and puff up a big hill, but yet still get to peddle our way over Town Lake. 

Here are a few things we saw:
local neighborhoods
south congress shopping and dining including food trailers like Hey Cupcake
the capital
the Driskill Hotel as well as other parts of 6th street
O Henry's house
Austin's 2nd Street posh shopping district
The Paramount Theater
Texas Walk of Fame
Town Lake
Buford Bell Tower
Moonlight Tower
UT campus
A parking garage where we got out of the rain for a few minutes!

We had a lot of fun and would do it again.  Have you ever toured your own city?  What new things did you learn? 

I did not know that O Henry, author of The Gift of the Magi, had lived in Austin and that O Henry is a pen name because his real name was tarnished by his illegal activities. 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Sunday Scripture

What would my world be like if I really lived this out?  Radically different!  I am ready for radical.  I am ready for change. (I think)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Man of My Dreams

Nine years ago today I married the man of my dreams!  One of the many things that made me fall in love with my husband is his heart to serve others.  I still love that about him.  Here are 9 pictures of us through the years.  We got married before digital photography was the norm, if you can believe that, so I don't have any wedding photos on file, but here are some other good times we've had.

Going to see cousins in California

Enjoying time in the hill country

Homecoming 2009
Enjoying family at Christmas
Enjoying our "family" at Christmas
More time in the hill country, Enchanted Rock
 
Mayzie's Dedication, Feb. 14, 2010

After The Human Race, August 2008

Picture used for our Christmas Cards, December 2009
After the Rock 'n Roll half marathon, November 2009

I know the next 9 years will at least provide more pictures to choose from because I take more and they are all digital. :) 

Love you, babe!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Car Bloggin'

Well we are waiting to have dinner with my parents. We are running early and they are running late. Little Britches is napping so I am blogging.
Next month we are going to take a BIG road trip so I may be doing lots of Car Bloggin'

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Racing Again

As an adult you have to give up lots of things you once loved for various reasons. One thing our family gave up for various reasons is racing. My husband raced a truck in a circle track series for a few years. I spent many Saturdays at the track watching the races. We haven't been to a race as a family since he sold his race truck, but two weeks ago my husband's father was racing.




Now, I have never seen my father-in-law race except for on video, so I was looking forward to knowing someone on the track. My father-in-law was racing in an event called The Preacher Feature. It is a race where preachers, youth ministers, worship leaders, and other clergy borrow someone's race equipment and race each other. It sounded fun like an accident waiting to happen if you ask me. But the only accident happened in practice. When the laps had been driven and the smoke cleared my father-in-law won! He won the first annual Preacher Feature. I don't think he mentioned to the other drivers that he used to race in his younger days.



I have to say I enjoyed the races. I enjoyed friends gathering to cheer on a family member, I enjoyed the other fans smiling and waving at Little Britches, I enjoyed the races that we saw before the Preacher Feature and I enjoyed being a part of the winning family. It was all fun. I don't know how I feel about racing overall. It is a time consuming, bank account draining hobby that brought about some great things in our lives once upon a time. IF my husband decides to race again I have told him I would like for him to race in the class of cars that race first. That way I don't have to be out at the track until 11pm or later. That is way past my bed time. I have noticed there is a class of cars that are just regular cars that have been turned into race cars. There is an Impala sitting in the driveway with 215,000 miles on it that might find a new life someday as a race car, but for now it still has to be the family sedan that Little Britches and I get around in.

 

Here is a picture of Little Britches at her first race:

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Movin' and Groovin'

Well we finally have a walker on our hands.  Little Britches had walked enough for us to get it on video, but not enough for any of our real life friends or family to see it up close and personal, but two weeks ago everything changed.  Little Britches decided she would put those great walking skills to use and started walking all around the house, the yard, the store, the tub..anywhere she thought she could.  She has only had one major fall, but it was a doozy.  It was such a doozy I forgot to take a picture of it because I was so worried about it being a serious trama to the head.  Good grief!  Way to get mama worked up!

Here are a few pictures of her on the move.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Names

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! We sure did!




We had a weekend full of friends and family. Some of them we were expecting to see and some of them were a total surprise. As I went through the weekend I found it interesting to think about the relationship I have with each person we ran into and their name...yes their name.



On Saturday morning our little family got up and headed out the door to the Ladybird Lake Hike and Bike for a 10 mile run. While on the run we saw a girl who had attended our church while she was in high school and was good friends with my sister-in-law. We have not seen this girl since my sister-in-law got married 5 years ago. Because of the amount of time that had passed since I last saw this girl, and because I was running and when I run I do not have a lot of extra breath, I did not call this girl by name. I just waved as we passed each other on the loop twice.



After our run we met up with dear friends of ours for a little play date at Zilker Park. Not only did I call them by name, but I asked about how things were going in specific areas of their life. I shared a train ride, some playtime, and a meal with them. During the course of these activities our conversation passed naturally from serious subjects to the mundane. We loved knowing and being known by our friends.



When we were leaving the park my husband recognized a family that is a friend of a friend. We remembered their last name, but could not quite recall their first names. We had, once upon a time, shared a race experience and a meal with them. We had enjoyed our time with them and wanted to say hello, so I did go up and call them by their last name, admit my forgetfulness on their first names. We exchange a few friendly words and then went on about our day.



As we were walking into lunch I saw a co-worker who had moved away last year. She had her first child just a few months before I had Little Britches. I had not seen her since we said good bye at work over a year ago. In my pure surprise and delight I called out her name, though there was a tree between us that made it hard for us to see each other at first. I was so excited to quickly catch up on the major things going on in her life, including expecting her second son. So fun!



Later Saturday evening we had a cook out with my husband's side of the family. During the course of our time there I called everyone by name. I found out what milestone my niece and nephews were hitting. I learned about my brother-in-law's opinion of cyclist and saw my husband's passion for sharing the road on display. No one was looking to see if you were wearing your best dress, using your best manners, or even picking up after yourself.



Sunday afternoon found us picking up my sister and heading to San Antonio to see my side of the family. We again, sat with those we love and who love us and shared some of our lives together. We would call out someone's name and ask a question, trying to squeeze in 3 months of conversation into 3 hours. Everyone was a part of the conversation. My two year old niece had something to add and it was valued as much as my 80 year old grandmother's opinion. There was about half an hour when everyone in the house was standing by or sitting next to another family member, looking in their eyes and talking. I felt so comfortable there. When my family gathers there is always at least one who is not "family" by blood or marriage, but simply family because our family circle is always open to those who need a crazy group of people to come around them and love them. Sunday was no exception. Our newest "family" member has not been around long, so I am still getting to know her, but I love her already because of what she has meant to other members of my family.



My sister came home with us and spent the night with us. She hung around on Labor Day and even came with me as I had lunch with a friend I haven't seen in over a year! When we arrived at the restaurant I called out my friend's name and her kids' names because I was surprised at how much pre-teens and teens change in just a year's time. They are really grown up. Still the sweet and well-mannered children I know, but now they are certainly young adults.



All this catching up got me to thinking about how the first thing you get to know about someone is their name, but as you get to know the person better and better their name carries a meaning or a memory for you. Your name is what you use to identify them, but the memories you have built with them is what brings a feeling of fondness to mind as you say or think about their name.



So of all the people I spent time with this weekend which situation most reflect the way I am with God or the way you are with God? Do you know his name, but it's been awhile since you've seen him so you just kind of give him a passing nod? Do you enjoy him as you would enjoy a play date and lunch with friends? Does he bring a smile to your face? Is he family? The kind of family you can be yourself around? Can you talk to him- really look into his heart and talk to him? Can you listen to him? Can you know him and be known by him? Is he a friend of a friend and you really don't know anything about him at all? Is he a friend you love but haven't caught up with in a long time? Do you try to do 3 months worth of God time in one sitting because you have been out of touch?



I don't know where you are. I don't really even know exactly where I am, but I know that when we know someone, really know them their name brings something to mind. So I think I am going to sit and think about God's name and what it brings to mind. Then I am going to pray that I have the privilege to know him more- to know him by name.

Also it makes me think a little about my name, what do people think of when they think of my name.  It just makes you curious, doesn't it?