And the Winner is...

TAYLOR!!

So a couple of weeks ago American State Bank partnered with Honey and some of the other elementaries in town to put on a poster competetion for all the 3rd graders. The purpose was to create a poster highlighting 5 qualities of the Lubbock community.

I really REALLY didn't want anything to do with it. We got the letter on Friday and the poster was due the following Tuesday. Taylor kept on until we finally said OK! So we helped her get everything together and ended up with a pretty darn cute end product. Whether she won or not we were glad we gave it a go.

Well, they announced the winner on Wednesday, and sure enough Taylor won! Crazy! I didn't think to get a picture of the thing, and now we don't know where the poster is. It is somewhere at Honey we think :)

The winners were recognized at last night's MHS game.


The winners got jerseys with their names on them


They got to do the coin toss before the game


Poppi and Tay on the field




I could not get the camera to work...it would only take a pic. when she started to walk away!

Africa Pics...

I just love these pictures! These are from my parent's trip a couple of weeks ago. Someday we want to take the kids!


Pretty


My sweet dad


Impressive


Cute kids


My sweet mom


Funny


Dancing


They helped the group fix a flat tire


Love this

Punkin Fun...

This past Saturday was a busy day. It started off with Punkin' Days in Floydada and ended with the TTU football game.

Kristi, Sydney, Dondi, Averi, Taylor and I have made Punkin Days a yearly tradition. We love to go, check out all the booths, and eat a yummy lunch.

We were glad we decided to leave the boys with Nana because it was freezing this time around.

The girls ended up with bottle cap necklaces, hairbows, and plastic bears filled with different colored sand...the dreaded colored sand...they get one every time!


Cute!


They are getting so big


Taylor and Sydney being silly


Sweet


Fall is here


It was cold!

Chad and I used to get season tickets to the footballs games, but haven't since Connor came along. I miss the atmosphere and all the crazy fans! We had a lot of fun, but were frozen by half time so we left.

What Language is That...

So, as everyone does, I've really been questioning my purpose lately. I know that being a mom is part of my purpose. And hopefully teaching will be a part of it too. But I just have this feeling that there is something more.

I am in the middle of reading Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan. It is five fictional stories about some of the horrific experiences African children are forced to endure. We hear about these stories, we see these stories on t.v. but how often does it really sink in? I realized that I have allowed myself to become way too complacent. Thankfully, but unfortunately, because of our freedoms it is easy to slip into unconsciousness while going about our day-to-day lives.

Yesterday my parents (two of the koolest kats I know) arrived home from Africa. They (mainly my dad) travel all over the world simply to love on people and to tell them about God's love for them. Since I don't get to go I live vicariously through their experiences :) They told us how precious the people were there. And how grateful many of them were just to know someone cared. One thing I've learned is that no matter where you are in the world, everyone wants to feel needed. Everyone speaks the universal language of love.

I want my eyes and my childrens' eyes to be opened inside of, and beyond these four "walls" of Lubbock, TX. My prayer is that our hearts would break for the things that break His.

Let us see through Your eyes and love the way You love!

Hopefully pics of their trip to come.

My Superhero...

I LOVE HIM!

Shamr♣ck...

I love small towns for the same reason I can't stay in one for more than a couple of days. Minutes can feel like hours, and days like weeks. But Shamrock holds a special place in my heart. And everytime I go, it's like going back in time. NOTHING ever changes. It's comforting yet a little disturbing at the same time. Even the can of Lysol in Mema's bathroom is...oh...10 plus years. It has become a permament fixture. Oh my!

Shamrock is where my mom's side of the family celebrated Christmas every year. It's where I spent a week almost every summer growing up. It's where my grandparents raised their family. Now when I go, there is a sad emptiness about it. A lot of the old shops I used to love are long gone. So many of Mema and Jack's friends are gone. Jack is gone too.

We were hoping to make it to a high school football game, but they had the week off. I would love to see life there from a young person's perspective. I wonder if they still hang out in the DQ parking lot or race the drag! Everyone knows everything about everybody...that's for sure!

So we wanted to make one last trip before Mema moved to Lubbock. Connor had never been, and the girls were just babies the last time we were there. It was a nice, short trip. We got to visit the old farms and just hang out with Mema. The drive was even fun. We took the back roads...it was much prettier that way.


Jack's farm out west


Land at Kelton


Jack's grave in Kelton


In front of Mema's house


Playing


Spinning in Jack's old chair

Answers...

Answer to Prayer #1:
When I picked Tay up from school yesterday she had the biggest smile on her face. She came bouncing to the car and was so excited to tell me that she was voted student class representative!! This is year # 2 for her. I prayed all day she would get it. I think she needed the boost of confidence. Thank you, Lord!

I was also class representative in the 3rd grade...because I'm cool like that! LOL :) I don't think Taylor was impressed with my coolness!

Answer to Prayer #2:
I am sooo excited because I just found out that I will, most likely, student teach at Honey for the entire spring semester. Instead of switching schools, I will just switch grades!! Answer to prayer!!

Answer to Prayer #3
My Mema was diagnosed with lung cancer in the fall of 2007. By mid-2008 she was completely healed. She's been to check-ups regularly since. This past week her dr. called her and wanted to take a second look, and do another cat scan. It came back totally clear!

We are headed to Shamrock tonight to see her. It will probably be our last time to stay in her house. She is moving to the Raider Ranch in Lubbock the end of this month! It's a big change for her, but one of her best friends is making the move with her.

Here we come, Shamrock! Home of the Fighting Irish :)