My blog thoughts are clogged

Can't seem to put a decent blog entry together. I have started several and then deleted them. One was a political rant, one was about my new washing machine (BORING) and that's as far as I get. I'll probably delete this one, too. I don't want to waste anyone's time on boring, mundane stuff.

We are doing well, though. Our new church has literally breathed new life into us and we are back in the groove of worship, Bible study and AWESOME fellowship. It feels so good to be excited about church again. A two+ year dry spell without all of the above can really affect you. Thankfully, we are jumping in head first, regardless of the water temperature and fully immersing ourselves in our new church home.

Chris just started a computer programming course and he is very excited! We have been looking for one for years, and one was finally just released. It was published for homeschoolers and promises to have more advanced courses added later.

Andrew is dreaming about playing the acoustic guitar, so we are on the hunt for a good bargain. I have no doubt he will be able to pick it up and just start playing it. He has this musical talent on loan from God, I swear.

Michael will have his 12th birthday next week, so he is anxious to join Civil Air Patrol. He has been counting the days to when he was old enough to join. Happy Birthday, Michael!

James is like my little buddy. He reminds me so much of me when I was his age. He absolutely loves working in the kitchen with me and going on jaunts around town. I get so much joy from him and his infatuation with me.

And as for me, well, I have taken on a part-time job working with one of my friend's husband who is a CPA and is snowed under this tax season. It will be the first time I have worked outside of the home in over 15 years. I start tomorrow.

Ok, I guess I will post this one. I know it is not very exciting, but I fear if I don't post something, I may never post again.

Home at last

Well, our search for a church home has finally ended with that deep sigh of relief you feel when you get home from a long trip. Home at last! The search often seemed arduous, frustrating and sometimes resulted in some tense Sunday afternoons, but we persevered. We just so happen to look on-line one "last" time to see if there was a church we missed and sure enough, there was a new Church of Christ and the website (www.gracebridge.com) made it looks so good, we drove up to the building just to have a look. I had a feeling it was formed as the result of split, because CofC's just don't pop up out of nowhere. About 100 people from a large CofC split off to be a little more progressive, in a good way. These people seem to be on fire for God and already we feel like family. I am actually talking in Bible class for the first time in over 2 years (bet you didn't know I could keep my mouth shut for that long). They have connect (life) groups and we have already plugged into one that fits us perfectly.

I really feel God telling me that I need to never forget what it is to be new and searching for a church home. Once I get to know the faces at church, I am going to make it a point to greet visitors with a fervor I have never had before. Isn't it the most vulnerable thing to walk into a church for the first time, knowing no one?? Being a greeter was never my bag before, but now that I have learned this lesson that the Lord wanted me to learn, I plan to greet like never before. I hope I don't scare anyone off....

Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, Fillet Gumbo!

Son of a gun, gonna have some fun on the bayou! I love that little jingle, especially when it preludes actually cooking either the gumbo or jambalaya (you can have the crawfish pie). While in LA last month, Daddy gave us one of his big iron pots so we can cook jambalaya here in Georgia. We gave it a go last weekend and it turned out perfectly! It was a wee bit cold outside to be cooking on the burner, but we roughed it. Keith helped out quite a bit, thus making it a joint effort. We can hardly wait to cook a pot for our friends!


Keith wearing my dad's old flannel shirt (the last shirt he wore before going into the hospital).......wah!

Beautiful Cajun jambalaya!!! Ca Cést Bon!!!

The Wall-less family

Since Connie had to have her trip to our house postponed last month, I will post the missing wall pictures. We love the missing wall house now and are saving up for wide plank floors through out. If you know us very well at all, you won't be surprised that when we decided to take down the wall, we did the next day. It was totally completed by Christmas Eve! Come on over and see!

Before

After

Black & Gold Win it again!!!

So sorry, Eddie, but we won fair and square! It was pretty intense those last few minutes, but it gave me a chance to get in some jumping jacks and some cardio! WHEW! 6 Super Bowl wins! You gotta love that! I can't tell you how much more fun it would have been to watch it with some Steeler fans, but I guess you take what you get. James did make a valiant effort to dress the colors, but since he doesn't know much about football, he cheered once at the wrong moment. Michael felt the need to be my adversary, but thankfully he retired to the gameroom at half time. Chris, Andrew & Keith just sat there....... Not quite sure how you can watch such an important game in silence and without motion. Whatever. Victory is so sweet - I plan on enjoying it for several days!!!

I'm Back

I took some time off from blogging for a time of mourning for Matt. It is difficult to believe that tomorrow marks one month since he has passed away. Today marks eight years since my dad died and January 6th was the 19th anniversary of my mom's death. I hate death. I hate remembering people's death dates, but I feel it is important. Each day is a gift from God - live it to the fullest!