Waiting for God...

I'm not a very good "waiter." I don't mean as in serving food (actually do that quite well for my fam!) I mean waiting on things. We live in a society where everything is instantaneous. If it's not, then, heck, we don't want it! If there's something any member of my family needs (or even wants most of the time) I do whatever is in my power (I pay the bills so I do have some minute power) to obtain said "thing." (Side note to my only reader: honey, I know about the r/c car request - you're birthday is still one month away!)

Along that line, I'm not particularly good at waiting on God. If I pray and don't see an instant answer, I decide that I must take things into my own incapable hands. I know, and I tell my students all the time that no answer means it's not His will, or the answer could possibly be forthcoming. But I don't think that applies to me! My mom always said to practice what you preach - easier said than done!

So, now I am going to make a conscience effort to wait. Wait and see what God has planned for my school, wait and see what BIG plans God has for my husband and wait and see what plans He's carrying out in our new church. I figure, it's the least and the most I could do....

Oh my gosh...I'm getting older!

On Saturday, we took Connor to EPCOT for his annual birthday trip. (We actually go to Disney quite frequently, but once a year, he gets to take a friend for his birthday.) The weather was cold (didn't have to worry about sweating) and windy (forget the hairdo!), but we bundled up and had a great time.

Connor and his friend, Alan, wore their hoodies all day and tried to look as emo as possible. You see, it's not cool to smile when you're 10 going on 11, but he had a good time and has thanked us several times. Dad made him go on the Norway ride 'cause that's my fave and he ended up liking it and saying it was now his fave! However, we did have to skip the movie and I happen to be the only individual in the free world who really likes that piece of cinematic artistry!

Peyton was just amazed all day. She had a stroller, but spent a lot of time walking (actually scurrying to keep up with us). She only got cranky at 4:30 because she still hadn't had a nap so we slipped into the American Adventure (I love that place!) and she slept for about 20 minutes. After that she was ready to go again! She was so amazed at seeing the characters, especially Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pooh and Tigger - from a distance. She wasn't so hot on them up close. Hence, Mom is in every STINKIN' picture. But hey, it's all worth it!

Dad spent the day toting the camera and taking pics of the family and random "artsy" stuff. (However, there were a few characters, he felt he could get a "good" pose with - see monkey at right!) Give him a camera and stuff to shoot and he's good to go. However, he did get "in trouble" when he went back into the store in Norway to "buy the kids some candy" and came out with a bottle of Laila - perfume from Norway that I've always drooled over, but refused to spend the money on. Thanks honey!


I must say the highlight of the day for me was listening to the band Off Kilter - boy that was a hoot. (Insert sarcastic line here). You see, they are a band that feels the need to include of all things, a bigpipe player. Why were bagpipes invented anyway? I mean, what musical value do they hold? The sound is atrocious and it just looks awkward. When I think of bagpipes, the only thing that comes to mind is "ewwwwww!"

Anyway, to the older part. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn to the be the FIRST in line at the gates and being the last to leave the park. Now, I'm up at the crack of dawn to get my children and husband up and ready and as soon as the sun BEGINS its descent, I'm ready to call it a day. My son, however, is not. So, we trod on...sore feet, sore back, sore muscles, etc. It truly is a great day anytime we go, but I have found the recovery period to get longer and longer as the years go on!

I finally gave in...

My husband (God love him) has been NAGGING me to blog. He blogs quite a bit now and his are always so insightful and thought-provoking...then there's mine. I've titled my little piece 'o the internet "My Small World" because that's what I have - and I'm quite happy with it. If I'm not at work, I'm either at home, at church or out-and-about with my family. They are my whole world. I wouldn't change a thing.

Quite often, I'll find myself looking at one of them and think "I can't believe God chose me to be his wife, or his mother, or her mother!" My husband is following his heart and God's call and is working diligently on his degree in Biblical Studies. (He and I still laugh that he's earning a BS in B.S.!) Anyway, he works a full-time job, a part-time job (he's the AWESOME College & Young Adult Pastor at Lockhart Baptist Church), goes to school and still finds time to be a great Dad to Connor and Daddy to Peyton (not cool to be "Daddy" to a 10-year-old).

Connor is a 10-year-old (actually will be turning 11 in 15 days!) that's going on 16. He and I have such similar personalities it's scary. It's also what causes us to butt heads a lot nowadays. However, I just keep reminding myself he's going through a difficult time learning to live with and deal with hormones - AUGH. I'm not ready for puberty. Just yesterday he was a tiny 3 pound 7 ounce preemie that was in a plastic box in the NICU at Arnold Palmer. Now he's just shy of being as tall as me, has made straight A's his entire "grade school career," is an up-and-coming NBA player (yes, I'm counting on that!) and loves God with all of his heart.

Now with all the testosterone in the house, God decided on May 31, 2006 to bless us with the final piece to our family - a little princess. Peyton Hailey was the baby we hoped and prayed for for over 3 years. Just when we had decided that it was not to be and were working on accepting it (okay, I was having a bit of trouble in this department), we were reminded how faithful God is. After a very guarded pregnancy, she was delivered 2 weeks short of full-term at a healthy 8 1/2 pounds. (Wow, that was different - going from a 3.7 baby to an 8.5 baby - OUCH.)

I doubt anybody reads these because they'll probably put most people to sleep, but I am following my husband's advice and blogging - if for no other reason than to have something to leave for my children to read. So that's the end of my very first blog - all the parts of My Small World.