The Banks Cottage

2011-04-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with my pictures. I will keep trying and hopefully will have some new stuff soon. So much life and so little knowledge of technology!

Can You See It Now?

2011-04-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened to the picture in the last post. Hopefully it took this time.

Family subtraction and addition updates coming up next!

Vital Signs

2011-03-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

It's been another long winter that we're happily emerging from. An absence from posting usually means business as usual in life, or it feels like I've written that one already. Sometimes I really get a thought brewing but I don't want to make a pot-stirring editorial page out of my family blog space. Then, other times, it's just laziness and your mother has to tell you she's tired of looking at the snow fort...

Thanks again, Mom! This one is for you and the other 2 or 3 that read here occasionally.

This I found on the kitchen table after I dropped off Josh at school this morning. It's his personal gauges. If you can't discern what all he's measuring, it's tank levels (food and hydration), mood, and energy levels. From my assessment, he was satisfied with his breakfast and went to school in a good mood, with adequate energy. Good to know. If only we all had visible gauges, people would know whether to stick around and join our company or not, right?

Just please don't suggest to him the possibility of a "yuck-o-meter". I already get enough grief over the food I put in his 'tank'...

Well-Fortified

2011-02-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

If you detected any weaknesses in our securtiy before....

....you'd be wise to re-think your fire now.

Budding Photographer

2011-02-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

For those of you who laugh at our Micky Mouse dustings, I'll have you know we got a genuine snow today! So proud to prove it, I asked Josh to go out and take a picture of it for me.

So he did.

That Mysterious Guy

2011-01-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

We were in Tulsa over the weekend for a wedding. Greg & I used to live in Tulsa (me for 8 years). We weren't even married a year before Greg's job moved us to Memphis. It was hard to leave, but some good friends thoughtfully gave us a snow globe with the city of Tulsa in it. It plays the song, 'Oklahoma!'. I have always treasured it. Even though Josh has never lived there, he's always liked it too and wondered about the things inside it. Whenever we visit, we point out the buildings and landmarks that are featured in the globe. One item of curiousity has frequently been that little guy standing out front. I've explained that he's not little. He's huge. That's why he's in there.

So, this time we met him.... The Driller!

I think he gets it now.

Christmas Day

2010-12-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

First of all, I couldn't believe it but we got snow again this year!!! Granted, it was just a dusting but SNOW WAS FALLING as we dug into our stockings!

Christmas Day was very sweet, spent quietly just the three of us until the evening came and we headed to Greg's parents' house. Before I post about the Banks Bash Christmas, a little shout out to some very wonderful grandparents: Thank you Grandpa & Gram for the night vision goggles! As you can see, everyone is enjoying them...

Thank you Grammy for the looooooong-coveted Lego set! After being drug to the toy aisle 37 different times over this, there is much relief in our home tonight.

And thank you, Pop, for contributing some great accessories for this!

Joshua had to go on a massive treasure hunt to finally end up right back under the tree. Somewhere between clues #11 & 12, Greg snuck everything out and plugged it all in. What a surprise it was! The concerts have been rockin'. :)

Day 8, so blessed!

Days 6 & 7

2010-12-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Greg got off work early and we went to see the very Christmasy movie, 'Megamind'. I really thought it would be mega mindless but it was pretty good! I was pleasantly surprised. After that, we went shopping... for nothing... just for fun. There is such freedom in watching all the freak-outs who waited til the last minute, knowing YOU have nothing else to buy! Its kinda dark entertainment.

Today we slept in, sort of. There's been no real sleeping-in with a certain someone in the house. I mean, Christmas is just so close! Even the usual constant fidgeting and distractability is amped up to immeasurable levels. Examples: In a wild, excited motion today, my kitchen curtains came craching down. Later, he made it to the car with just one shoe and sock on. At dinner, he was bouncing on the booth seat so much I thought he was going to catapult Greg to the ceiling. It's nice to know that the approaching Christmas morning is still so thrilling to a 9-year-old!

So tonight (after a pleasant day of not much, and secret tweakings of this and that) we will end our day watching 'The Nativity'. I love going to bed with that vision of my Savior's humble, precious beginning. Of course, He has no beginning. I guess, rather, I love the part where He chooses to visit us for awhile -- in that humble, precious way...

Good night, and Merry Christmas!

Day 5

2010-12-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

Today we stayed in our pjs, played games (even Monopoly), and built our very 1st gingerbread house! Since I've never done this before, we went the easy route and bought the kit with the ready-made pieces. Does anyone actually start from scratch on these? I really would like to know. Maybe we'll try it next year...

On a side note, the most bizarre thing happened this morning. We were minding our own business when we heard a very loud "BANG!" on our front door. Josh ran over to see who (or what) it was -- and there was a huge owl laying on our doorstep! By the time I could get my camera, it had flown up to our neighbors' basketball hoop to shake off the rest of the stars swimming around its head.

That doesn't happen every day so do you think we can count it as another 'special'??

Day 4

2010-12-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Our special today was meeting the little bunch of cutie cousins for laughs and milkshakes! It makes me smile when I see how they all light up when they see each other. When Josh walked in today, it was like Santa had arrived! Baby Bryce, especially, thinks ANY thing that ANY one of them does is just hilarious. To me, they're all just as sweet as my favorite peppermint chocolate shake with whip cream and a cherry on top!!

Days 2 & 3

2010-12-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well, my camera didn't come with me on Day 2 but it was still special. Last night we went to our friends home for dinner where Joshua got to play with his buddy and we got to play with ours. Don't you love it when the hours seem like minutes?

Day 3 was consumed with something Josh has been looking forward to for WEEKS. Today, we made cut-out cookies! This is really an event that belongs to Grammy but we're not able to be with her this year so I did it in her honor. Mom, you can check out the finished product and let us know if you approve! We missed you!

The Nine Days of Christmas

2010-12-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

School is done, presents are done -- time to celebrate!! I decided to do a little something special each day through Sunday, starting with yesterday. Hopefully, I'm faithful to blog every day through Christmas (or as long as my ailing camera holds out... hint, hint, Santa). Here's day one!

Since we had Greg with us all day we made it a little bigger 'special'. We started on the town square at our favorite greasy cheeseburger joint.

Then we walked around the shops and landed at Starbucks for some coffee and treats.

And then - my favorite part - we went ice skating!! It's the newest addition to the square and something we've been so excited to try! Greg has never ice skated and opted to just watch us this time. I think he was secretly wishing he'd changed his mind. He told me we were crazy out there with all those people and he'd do it on a pond with us if he was ever gonna try it. Who's crazy?!?

2010-12-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

It's never a good sign when your child gets in the car after school and starts out with, "Mom, please don't say anything until I get all the way through the story."

He's had his first trip to the principal's office.

I would be a little more uptight if I didn't grow up with a brother. He was always up to some mischief that could have also been called 'experiments'. How else would you label tests that answer questions like, "What will happen if I karate chop the toilet paper holder?". Or, "What's the velocity necessary to swing on this tree vine to get to the other tree?" Followed by, "How long does it take to be able to draw breath after slamming to the ground?" Then there's the sort of test that asks, "What's the most vindictive way to end my source of pain?" A great mystery of why my Disco Donald Duck record was wet one afternoon many years ago was solved at my wedding rehearsal dinner. My brother confessed that he peed on it. He was sick of hearing it.

He came by it honestly. My Dad, when he was a boy, needed to answer pressing questions for himself like, "What will be the reaction of my teacher and fellow students if I put a tack in each of their chairs?"

So you see how it would be understandable that I would be a 3rd grader walking down the hall and see my brother grabbing his ankles for the teacher to give him a walloping (boy things were different then)! And it may be understandable how Josh got in trouble for playing a game called, "If I Can Pull You Out Of Your Chair, You Lose". He lost, alright.

I take heart by the fact that my Dad and brother are now two of the most respectable, Christ-honoring -- and good-humored, I might add -- men I know. I couldn't be prouder to introduce you to either of them. If Josh turns out to be like either of them it will a mother's labor that was not in vain.

Our conversation in the car ended in a barrage of tears and fears that there would not be any presents under the tree. Oh, repentance! It's a wonderful thing...

My Table of Blessings

2010-11-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

This year I asked each person coming to our home to tell me something they were thankful for and give me a scripture that meant something to them. That special information became the centerpieces for our tables. I had so much fun scripting it and putting it all together! The gamut of thankful things ran from family health to Tinkerbell (my 2-year-old niece).:)

I am thankful for a family that loves God and so readily has something good to share. And to the rest of my family literally scattered across the world -- you are loved and missed! You would have had some treasures to share as well. Wish you were here...

Goodbye, Kodiak

2010-11-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

If there's a reception for 'good and faithful dog', it has welcomed you.

October 5, 1998 - November 19, 2010

What a Widow Wants

2010-11-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

You'd think that doing a day of heavy yard work for a complete stranger would be no fun. Well, honestly, to get myself out of the bed, I did have to re-focus a little bit because it did not sound like fun at all. But we had been imploring and cajoling our group of young marrieds for weeks:

"Remember the charge given to us in James 1:27 -- 'Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows...'"

A sweet widow from our church had asked if anyone would mind helping her clear out a few fallen limbs from her yard. We put a date on the calendar and waited to see who would participate...

As truck, after car, after truck pulled up her street that fine, freezing morning, our widow covered her mouth and began to cry. I had to fight back a few tears myself because I didn't know what to expect. There were over 20 happy faces that came willing and ready to work! Thank God for that because there were more than 'a few limbs' involved. When all was said and done, some manpower and a couple of chainsaws...

...turned into this.

And an acre of thick leaves and overgrown vines and shrubbery...

...turned into this.

We were exhausted. And at church the next morning we were all laughing at how sore we were! Laughing. Which was just more of what we'd had from the day before because, guess what? It was FUN!!

Here It Comes...

2010-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

I snapped this picture about a week before Halloween. Those of us standing around were shaking our heads and talking about how ridiculous it was to start the Christmas commercialization already. Yep. Uh-huh. The secret, though...

...is that I really like it! I was way ahead of these guys, actually. I was told by the bigger person in our house not to get our own decor out but I really want to. I've been listening to Nat King Cole on the sly. I have a few gifts that Santa has already entrusted me with. I bought a pretty, festive sweater in case anyone wants to invite me to an early party. I've been wearing my pj pants with ornaments on them. I've got it bad.

The downside to this is that by December 1st, I'm done.

For now, though, you can shake your head at me, tell me my pumpkins are still on the front porch, and remind me its not even Thanksgiving. SO ridiculous! :)

A Different Costume

2010-11-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

I should have seen it coming. After all, I heard the snipping very loudly. Remember the look on Josh's face last year in his costume? We were so creative and received so much praise for the lego-man we made him into, but he never looked excited about it. Months ago I asked him what he wanted to be this year. He never had a response. All my clever ideas sounded boring to him. Finally, he came clean -- he didn't want to dress up. He wanted to pass out candy.

I slowly and reluctantly adjusted to the thought and imagined, this time, how cute it would be for him and Greg to do it together (usually, that's Greg's job). But last night we were informed in no uncertain terms that passing out candy was his gig ALONE! Greg and I had to just about appear not to live here at all. Snip, snip.

We conceded. I hid in the shadows and listened to every kid get greeted by my son with lots of adoration. He let them each pick their favorite candy out of the bowl and sent them off with the friendliest, "Happy Halloween!" It was sweet. He was great. I was proud. Guess his costume this year was a young man. Snip, snip...

He consented to me taking this one picture, which was very generous of him. Then it was back to the shadows. The snip, snip? Of course it's that ol' apron string...

How To Start A Fire

2010-10-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

1. Carefully assess the situation

2. While one man is rubbing sticks together, the other man should secure deer head.

3. Not a bad idea if someone intercedes for firestarters.

4. Score justly. (100 pts. possible)

Good Friends + No Kids = Woo Hoo!

2010-10-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm saying that but, of course, we missed our kids terribly. That's not to say we had no fun! No, indeed. A few days with our friends, Mike & Amy, at our favorite spot was another cherished entry in the mental scrapbook of memories. The weather was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L, the food was scrumptious, the company was inspiring (and hilarious), and we were worn out from lots of great hikes -- in that very gratifying way. It's nice to have friends whose idea of a good time together isn't doing too much or too little...

It was just right!

It was such a blessing to get away! Thanks, Mike and Amy, for being like family. Can't wait to do it again!

The 4th Grade Dirt Pile

2010-10-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Every fall a wonderful family from our school class hosts a big bonfire and chili cookoff out at their place. They have what every kid dreams of -- acreage, ponds and streams, a basketball barn and (best of all) a gigantic pile of dirt. You wouldn't believe how much these monkeys look forward to this event.... mostly because of the dirt. We parents kinda don't look at what goes on up there. It cramps their style. I understand. Most of childhood existence has to be so micromanaged now, that the fun of being totally let off the leash is rare and starved for, don't you think? Joshua did push one girl off the hill in the attempt to be king, but now (after a little talk) we know that's not very chivalrous of a would-be king...

See what you learn from the dirt pile?

And these are the most amazing Moms I know! What's my mug doing in this picture, I scratch my head and wonder? I'm telling ya, what these Moms do with their time, and what they sacrifice for the education of their kids is inspiring. I just sit in their presence and listen to their wisdom most the time. Makes my head spin...

Thank you so much Travis and Becky! You're pretty cool. Oh yeah, and so are all you Dads! Got 'Dirt Pile 2011' already on my calendar.

'For Sale or Lease'

2010-10-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

I kid you not, that's what the sign says on this "structure". I know times are tough, but I had no idea our hungry builders had taken to cutting these kinds of corners. So sorry the picture's not clearer. Greg doesn't always feel its as urgently necessary as I do to ensure material for photographic commentary.:)

And yet another reminder of how countrified we're getting? On a recent trip to Tulsa, we were strolling on the sidewalk in the center of downtown and Joshua asked (in awe), "Are we in New York City?!?". Poor child.

He's Grown A New Body Part

2010-09-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Don't they say that anything you do regularly for at least 6 weeks becomes a habit? How about, after 3 months of constantly playing the guitar, it becomes attached? Seriously, all around the house, to the mailbox, out back to feed Kodiak, at the table doing homework... welcome to the new image! I'm secretly very happy about it, of course -- except when I'm awakened to the tune of 'Axel F'. I never liked the song in the first place and now I have a very proud son who was able to figure it out and plays it all the time. I look more forward to the days of "Clare de Lune" or a little James Taylor. For now, I just smile and say, "I love it! Play it again!"

No matter what it is.:)

Under Construction

2010-08-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it's 100+ degrees outside? The best thing around here is to go play in the spring-fed creek. Finding a shallow, shady spot to plop your chair in and dangling your feet in the 68 degree water feels sooooo good! The boys did a different thing all day and it was this...

All in the effort to find these...

To add to the completion of this...

Look closely and you will find, cleverly camouflaged, 3 turtles, 3 small catfish-looking things, 2 bottom-suckers, 2 baby trout(?), and several crawdads. There were also some tadpoles in there but they made a nice snack for the turtles pretty quickly (fortunately I convinced Joshua that we don't name everything that ever goes in the tank). So we're teetering on weird, but in the process, we've developed quite a microcosmic North-American, freshwater ecosystem, huh? Now we just need some old tires and a toilet seat...

Summer in 3-D

2010-07-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

I guess we'll never again get to go to a movie without having to wear these stupid glasses. You're suppose to be enjoying the effects they give you as you're watching all the excitement, but as they keep slipping down your nose, you can't help but wonder, do they really clean these between uses? Anyway, let me warn you if you haven't already seen Toy Story III -- if you have a child/children growing in your home faster that you can swallow the transpiration of, these glasses actually help disguise the ugly cry that comes with watching this incredibly emotionally manipulative movie. Usually I'm not such a sucker. The song "Christmas Shoes" makes me roll my eyes and switch stations. Hallmark movies, oh my goodness, they have no subtlety whatsoever (Come on! At least make me like your characters before they die, have a baby, fall in love, etc. -- all the usual tricks). Toy Story, however, broad-sided me. My shirt was wet. Joshua was looking over at me asking, "What's wrong with you?"

"Despicable Me" was much more merciful. All three of us enjoyed that one together. I SURE wouldn't have wanted to see Greg do the ugly cry! We left him at work for that other one...

Almost Qualified

2010-07-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Joshua mentioned the other day that it's a little disappointing he can't marry me.

"You like turtles, you're a good Christian woman... too bad your hair is blonde."

Skipper

2010-07-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

No, we're not pregnant. The addition to our home is.....

Another turtle! (Which makes 4)

It's a baby softshell! Gotta tell you the story so humor me on yet another tale. First of all, have you ever seen a softshell turtle? I hadn't. Except for one in an exhibit. They're not very common to see at all, let alone as a baby -- which is the ultimate prize in this family. We never in a thousand years thought we'd really find one. And that's not for a lack of someone always looking...

Here is Josh hanging over a dock trying to catch some fish he was feeding french fries to. Some common adult turtles were in the crowd but no softshell. This is just one example of MANY!

Actually, the way it happened was at this spot below. This is my favorite lakeside hangout -- the place where I plop my chair, get out my 'Southern Living' magazine and watch the boys swim. On this particular occasion, we were walking down to our spot and Greg reminded us to be on the lookout for a baby softshell. I stuck my toes in the water, said "We'll never find one", and looked down to see one sitting right next my foot. I kid you not, it was just like that! I thought Greg was gonna lose consciousness...

For the rest of the afternoon I relished again at how good God is. I sat in my chair, watching the boys swim, and wondered, "Is it really a miracle that these things happen, or are things like this more common than we think and we just miss it?" I decided that the glory of God's creation is incredibly common. The real miracle is when our eyes are opened to see it...

Our 4th

2010-07-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for long weekends and family with a lakehouse! Thank goodness, too, that our forefathers had a vision worth fighting for -- a vision for the country I love and call home. God bless the USA!!

It was the 4th of July, there's a 4th little one in our mix, and there's also a 4th of something else now...

Do you hate it when I do that?

Strolling The Grounds

2010-07-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Penn State is a beautiful campus. We had a great time just walking around gawking at the dates on the buildings and reading their plaques. We had to also take note of every tree and decide what it was. Such blatant tourists! It could only have been topped if we'd had white sun-blocked noses and were running around with a big, blue foam "We're #1!" sign. Wish we would've.

The scene below was so funny to me but I was the only one laughing. No one else noticed the duck feeling very comfortable in the conversation...

As Happy As We Look

2010-06-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes God works in a way where you can see His goodness just right out.

This last weekend, I got to enjoy a trip to State College, Pennsylvania. My sister is here this summer on a grant as a PhD candidate, studying rocks at Penn State. She lives in New Zealand with her family so its a really big deal that she's here in the U.S. at all. Not so coincidentally, my brother and his family only live 40 minutes from Penn State. With the stars aligning in a way that only happens once every 450 years or so, I had to make a visit! My Dad and Step-Mom felt the same way. All our time together was just blessed, blessed, blessed. Getting the chance to come by myself, I got to have quality, meaningful time with every one...

My sister, Carolyn, is the one on the far right (above). Ever meet a genuine genius? How about one who likes country music? That's Carolyn! She cracks me up and fascinates me at the same time. I love to listen to her. I don't understand half the stuff she talks about, but the crumbs I catch are very interesting. She has some very acute observations about American psuedo-science and the twisting and bending thereof. I don't know what she doesn't observe, quite frankly, so she is a girl after my own heart. I love that I got to spend so much time with her...

My brother, John (above) and his cool family are always so much fun to hang around. John is the pastor of a fast-growing church in their town. We got to hear him Sunday morning and I couldn't have been more proud had I been his own mother. I think we're all considering the weekly commute! John's wife Suzie is an amazing wife and mother. She juggles so much and still has such a great sense of humor. You can see it in my niece and nephew, Emily & Cole. They're so grounded and smart and nice to be around. Josh was seriously sore with me for not bringing him to play with them!

I could go on and on about everyone, including my Dad and Step-Mom. I wonder at how I got stuck in such a great family. It's enough to make you want to miss them when the time is over.

Go Cards!

2010-06-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped up another year of baseball and, I'm tellin' ya, it just keeps getting more and more fun! You wouldn't believe 8&9-year-olds could be so amazing. I saw a triple play by these guys that I've never seen in the big boy arena. There's still quite a bit of yawning in the outfield where Joshua mostly is, but at bat -- wow -- he's an ox! Solid and consistent and never nervous (unlike his mother).

We've put the bag we couldn't live without away for now and hung the uniform up, but the talk is big and the hopes are high for next year. Until then, some parting shots...

What's In My Purse...

2010-06-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by my friend Ashley to share what's in my sacred purse -- a territory otherwise off limits to the general public. To start, I had to figure out which one to highlight from the sum total of my inventory:

I zeroed in on the one I used most recently, which was this one.

This is my favorite because it was made by my Grandma. Isnt' it so cute? She sells these (and lots of other crafty things) and puts her little tag on them at her fairs. Now you can call her with an order!

The contents here reflect that we had just been to a baseball game. Greg's cousin plays for who our visiting team was. I brought the Sharpie so he could sign Josh's baseball glove. He did, and the game was a blast! So glad I was given the opportunity to do some purse-sharing just so I could remember our evening. Thanks, Ashley!

And speaking of baseball...

Catching The Big One

2010-06-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

These nice-lookin' fellas love to go fishing. They never, ever, ever catch anything worth keeping which makes me wonder what the draw is, but I've heard it's relaxing and I imagine there's alot of male bonding that goes on (although they wouldn't put it that way). It might be peaceful and all, but I stayed about 5 minutes to take pictures and said "See you later!" Bug bites and car talk for me are the converse of dragging them to the fabric store.

So, once again, they didn't exactly see fish BUT...

Eventually the trip netted the better thing.

Isn't it just adorable? This one and it's sibling now live with us and Tiny (our other little turtle). We can't tell if it's just an ordinary snapper or the more rare (and fine-able) alligator snapper. Anyone an expert???

Josh recently told me he'd like to work for the NWF. After I told him "But you don't wrestle", he clarified, "No, it's the National Wildlife Federation!" Ah-ha. That makes much more sense...

Love

2010-05-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Inside...

...and out.

Welcome To The Family, Bryce Alexander!

2010-05-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Josh has a new cousin in these parts! Another boy, which evens things out for the handsome boy team...

Not to be left out by her baby brother, Olivia got some play time too. No surprise, Josh found a big fat toad for her to scream and run away from. With a heavy amount of "rock star Josh" influence, she did finally come pat him on the head.

I love these little ones and happily claim them all! (Except the toad).

Happy Birthday!!

2010-05-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Joshua turned 9 a couple weeks ago. As the age goes up, the party size goes down, but seems to be much more fun. This year he just had a few of his best buds (one came later). They're good boys -- and really funny! I feel like I'm getting a little taste of some years to come.... but we won't get there any faster than we have to!!

The Nerf gun Josh got from his friend, Bradley, ended up being snuck away from the stash by Greg. An all out assault ensued! I tried to get more pictures, but every kid is just a blur of bravely running away!

Later, we took the boys for another battle -- this time with laser tag! It looks like Elliot forgot to shave...

The grand finale was what Joshua was dying to do and that was to ride the "adult" go-karts. I think the "adult" really liked it too!

Can't believe my baby is this old. Fortunately, my sister-in-law gave us a REAL baby just a few days later! He'll be headlining next...:)

2010-05-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Ah, but there's a new critter at the cottage...

Mrs. Coffee (part III)

2010-05-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken so long to get this last part up! We've been on vacation. Pics of that to come....

So I thought all was well, relatively speaking. We'd gotten over the initial trauma and even got a little gift to salve the pain. God even taught my son a valuable truth for life. What I didn't know was that He had a little lesson in store for me too.

Josh's last words before leaving for school were, "Mom, I want to keep Mrs. Coffee's shell forever....", right?

Well, I went about my business that day. At lunch, Greg came home and said he'd hired a service to come clean out and mulch our front beds. Great! I was planning to do that and now I didn't have to! They came and I happily let them do their work. They were almost completely done when I realized -- I left Mrs. Coffee out there! I ran outside to see if she might still be in the spot I had placed her. No, of course not. I asked the man if he happened to see it and he said he hadn't. He asked his wife and, no, she hadn't either.

Though he spoke limited English, I asked with lots of motions, "Could you tell me where the debris is that you cleaned out from this spot?"

The man pointed to a large blue tarp covered 2 feet deep in leaves and thorny cuttings. I felt so defeated.

Though it would be next to impossible, I knew I had to try to find that grotesque snail in her beautiful shell, so I got on some gloves and started rummaging. The couple doing my yard must have thought I was crazy so, in limited Spanglish, I did my best to try to convey my situation. Son's pet, died, very sad, must find. They must have kids too because they stopped what they were doing and got down on their knees to help me. They were getting a tip whether we found that shell or not! We searched for what seemed like forever when it hit me that this was not possible. Finding something the size of a half-roll of dimes in a thick pile the square footage of my laundry room (if it was even in there at all), didn't put the odds in my favor. Besides that, I knew this nice couple were done and needed to move on to the next job. My eyes started to sting. I thanked them for trying to help me and told them not to worry about it anymore, but I would search for a couple more minutes. They got up and started loading their equipment on the truck. They would need this tarp too, I knew.

I know, generally speaking, we don't see miracles in the big, physics defying way that are described so many times in the Bible, but I can tell you that I have experienced God putting a non-sensical kind of faith in me that resulted in that kind of miracle twice before in my life. I felt Him doing that in me right then, again, as I stopped and prayed in tears, "Lord, you know how much this ridiculous snail means. You know I have to find it and you know exactly where it is. Please show me where it is."

I looked down and there it was right by my knee.

I grabbed it, ran over to show it to my new yard friends (they were delighted), and hurried into the house. As soon as the door closed behind me, I leaned against it and cried! I felt so overwhelmed with how God made significant something so INsignificant. Again - just because He cares. Someday, I'll know why....

When Josh got home, placed right where he could see it, was displayed an empty, clean and polished shell.

"Thanks, Mom," he said, and gave me a big hug. "I'm going to go put this with my other shells". And it was just that easy. HA! If he only knew...;)

Mrs. Coffee (partII)

2010-05-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read part I of this story then scroll down and read it first.

So, after Josh fell asleep, Greg went out to see if any of his resuscitative efforts had worked. No....it hadn't. He was dead and that was the reality. Accepting this, Greg started to get curious and poked around, examining Mr. Coffee. Then he looked at his hand and noticed that the piece of dirt on his finger started moving. He looked closer at it and realized.... it was a baby snail! We both looked at each other and caught our breath.

You have to know that, as wonderful as all creation is to Josh, anything BABY, is just purely thrilling -- whether it's a puppy, duckling, human, or - in this case, we hoped - a snail. I went to bed relieved of the awful feeling (sort of) and wondered if this was going to be how God answered our prayers.

The next morning, I snuggled with my son and told him that I had bad news and good news. First, I told him that Mr. Coffee was truly dead. God did not bring him back to life. Josh's face fell and he began to cry again. I didn't stop him. I let it sink in and I just held him. After a minute or two, he asked me what the good news was. I looked at him and I said, "I think we were confused about Mr. Coffee. I think he was really Mrs. Coffee."

He looked at me funny and said, "What?".

"Yes," I began. "You'll never guess what your snail had hidden up in her shell -- a baby!"

Oh what joy I felt when his face lit up the way it did! We went over and I showed him where I had kept the little guy for him to see. He couldn't believe it. Mrs. Coffee had left us her baby! Josh cried for a second again with sadness and told me he would always miss Mrs. Coffee and never forget her. But he was so glad we got to have her baby! It was kind of like Charlotte's Web (which he read this year) -- sad, but miraculous at the same time. Then he got excited and said, "Let's name it Miracle!"

"That's fine," I said. "But can we please put Miracle OUTSIDE right now?" I didn't want to go through all this again!

I don't know how to explain it really. Was that Mr./Mrs. Coffee's baby? Only God knows. But I know with absolute certainty that it happened the way it did because God knows. He knows our sorrows, he knows our doubts, and - when we come to Him - he shows up. He gives faith. He comforts. Even over a snail.

As we were leaving for school, Joshua told me that he got something I'd been trying to tell him. That sadness and loss are a part of life and it's ok to feel it. God understands. But, eventually, He brings joy again and makes things better. I was blown away by him reciting this back to me. Thank you, Jesus.

And the final thing he said to me was, "Mom, I do want to keep Mrs. Coffee's shell so I can remember her forever, ok?"

And that leads me to the next disastrous curve in the snail trilogy.....stay tuned!

Mrs. Coffee

2010-05-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is one of those stories that makes you think parenthood is something you really should get a college degree in first.

When we visited my Grandma several weeks ago, the biggest treasure Joshua found - hands down - was this very large and beautiful snail. It was unlike anything that had ever been discovered in the Banks backyard. The result: a fast, hard bond between boy and gastropod.

We brought it home to my Mom's house and got him all squared away in a nice little habitat. Josh foraged Grammy's produce drawer in the fridge and set up a banquet for the snail in an airy, moist, roomy container. He seemed very happy that first night when we all went to bed. The next morning, however, a good chunk of spinach was gone but so was the snail. A quick survey of the kitchen counter (where our container was) did not give up the slimy guy, nor any evidence of him. A very upset and anxious Joshua ensued. I tried to explain that he couldn't have gone far, they're not very fast you know, and we would surely find him. Honestly, I secretly worried too, but I couldn't deal with it before my first cup of coffee, so I pulled out the pot from against the wall and started to brew some up. "Aahhh!" I heard Josh scream in delight. Happily climbing up the back of the coffee-maker was our silly snail. What a blessing it turned out to be that Mommy so desperately needs her coffee in the morning! All was well again and now we also had a name for the little guy -- Mr. Coffee.

Over the next few days, Josh faithfully fed and watered Mr. Coffee. He got him out and played with him, letting him crawl all over his hands and arms. Even my Mom's dog, Maggie, kinda liked him.

Now here's where a lack of good judgement begins. The day we're to fly home, Josh asks if we can take Mr. Coffee home with us. "Sure!", I say. We can fix him up in the suitcase, no problem. I could blame that thought process on the fact that my mind was in 100 different directions (which it was), but, as my good friend's pilot husband later put it, "What did you think would happen at 30,000 feet in a non-pressurized compartment?" Oh. I'll tell you what happened. After a day of flying all over the place and then losing our luggage for another 24 hours, what happened was the most tragic sight a boy in love with his snail could ever see. I won't even describe it to you. Joshua was unconsolably crying, I was wanting to take a little trip myself in an un-pressurized cabin, and Greg (bless his heart) was pitifully trying to "revive" Mr. Coffee. I don't know if it was for show for a grieving son or if he just needed to alleviate his own disappointment, but he set him in the dirt, misted him with a spray bottle, and massaged his twisted body. Can you picture it? Now that scene is funny to me, but I assure you, it WASN'T at the time!

Joshua went to bed weeping that night. He talked about how Jesus raised himself from the dead -- wouldn't he raise his snail? Could we please pray for a miracle? Well, I pulled it together and we prayed -- for a miracle. It broke my heart in two as I left his room. I felt so guilty. What was I thinking? I prayed, "God please, intervene somehow. Don't let my lack of judgement be a hindrance to Joshua's faith in you. Would you please make this right and show Yourself to Josh?"

He did. More later.:)

Professor Maurer

2010-04-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

That may be what she's known as to many Central Florida students, but to us, she's Mom... and Grammy. We had such a sweet time staying at her house. In the evenings, after Josh would go to bed, Mom and I stayed up with hot tea and peanut M&Ms, talking and watching movies. Joshua had his quality time with Grammy learning new games. They were laughing so hard beating each other! My amazing mother proves that she is just as good at instructing 20-somethings on The Industrial Revolution as she is at teaching an 8-year-old to play cards...

My Mom is just one of those people you can't help but love! She is wonderful company and we have a lot of interests in common. Her home definitely felt like our home.

Since I'm wrapping up our Spring Break week with this post, I have to include that, as we walked out of sight from Grammy and Pop at the airport, Joshua literally wept into my side. He did NOT want to say good-bye. It broke my heart but made me feel good at the same time, you know? Good thing there was an ice cream place to stop by on the way to our gate. Between licks (and sobs), I asked Josh if he was looking forward to going home to see Daddy. He said "Yes", of course, but he just wished we could bring everyone back with us. So there you go, "everyone". When are you comin'?

Sea World

2010-04-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a hypocrite. We did go to a theme park while we were in Orlando. It was Sea World but it's educational, right? When I suggested it to my Mom as something we wanted to do, there was not an enthusiastic response. Pop tried to call in sick, or something like that, the day of (they're natives, you know). If my Grandma had known, she would have given me a lecture on how Disney ruined Orlando and I should be ashamed to support anything like it. But I perservered through all the red flags and drug us all there because of one single reason: I knew Joshua would love it.

Love it, he did! There was so much that we enjoyed there but these were some of the highlights...

One of our 1st sightings was of a baby dolphin in his "nursery" (below). The little guy bouncing around with his Mom and all of his aunts was pretty darn cute.

This next thing was a GIGANTIC hit -- a manta ray pool. There's hundreds of them swimming around and you can stick your hand (or half your body in Josh's case) in there to touch them. They slide right under or over your hand and they feel just like velvet. It was fascinating. We could have spent the whole day in that one spot. (Yes, they've had their barbs removed.)

I think the most awe-inspiring part of our day was this shot below. Even though it was taken in the walk-through shark tank, I am mostly referring to the folks Josh is hanging with. Why? Because they loved our time too! We ended up having a perfectly lovely day.

Thanks, Mom and Pop for taking the risk. We made some good memories, huh? (Whew!)

25 Years

2010-04-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

That's how long GiGi and I have been friends. I will never forget the first day I met her. I was 14 or 15 and she was so pretty and intelligent and VERY outspoken. We were best friends, like, the next day. Wherever one of us was, there was the other one until I left for college. We went on with our lives and made new friends and forged new paths, but have never, ever needed re-acquainting. Every time we see each other it's a scream and a hug and instant kindredness! It's funny that you can still have an unbelievable amount in common after so long and over such distance. I love who she is, what she stands for, her wife and mother wisdom, and the family they all are.

When we visited over spring break, I saw a little re-enactment of us in our kids. As soon as we arrived at their house, our children were off and playing like they'd known each other all their lives. I loved it!

I was digging around in my purse the other day and found this little note from her daughter, Ana...

Thank you for coming Mrs. Banks and Joshua!
Love, Ana

Made my day. Can't wait to see you again, Ana!

The Co-Pilot

2010-04-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

One of the first memories of my life is flying with my Dad. I can picture me in the backseat next to my brother in his infant carrier. Dad was the pilot. I was a little scared. That was the last time I ever remember being scared with my Dad at the stick. I never acquired my own desire to fly, but any chance I ever got, I jumped at the chance to be in the air with Dad. We've gone from little jaunts around town to (while I was pregnant!) half-way across the country together. I knew Dad was a smart, level-headed guy and I always just trusted that we would be ok. There's something surreal about looking down on what seems to be so much bigger than you when you're on the ground -- especially from a small plane that rarely goes hiding in the clouds. Bothered about something? Anxious for how it's all going to turn out? Just go up for a short spin in the blue and see a little bit from God's perspective. I'm always humbled that He even cares for the little "ants" that we are from way up there, but I don't see us as being insignificant in His eyes. I see Him as being able. There's peace up there.

I loved that Josh got the chance to fly with his Grandpa this time. It was poignant to sit in that backseat again, this time to watch my Dad and my son. I listened to the same instructions I used to get on altimeters and ailerons, pitch, roll and yawl. Dad let him "take the wheel" and was ever so patient with Josh getting the hang of keeping us on course. At the hand of an 8-year-old, it got a little bumpy at times but I just laughed. Dad was in control! Kinda like God always is....

Maybe someday Josh will get the fever for flying. That will be ok with me.

Visiting Grandma

2010-04-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Josh hears me all the time talk about how wonderful my Grandma is. The first day we were in town, we went to go spend the day with her. I told him to be good, and let me talk to her, and don't come tell me how bored you are, etc... I probably didn't set the right tone. Grandma, however, worked her charms on him the moment he walked through her door. She sat my 75 pound son down on her little 90-year-old lap and gave him a lesson on "whoofers". A whoofer is better given than described but it's really just a delicious hug that makes you giggle every time you get one! To test him, she made him give her one in return. He gave her that big final squeeze, I heard every frail bone in her body pop, I cringed, and she laughed hysterically. His faced glowed up at me and I could tell -- he was already getting it.

Minutes later Grandma was guiding us through her home. It's the same house she's lived in since I was born but Josh needed the grand tour. You have to understand, my grandparents traveled the world together. Their home is a museum of antiques and artwork and treasures from very unusual people and places. That said, clumsy Josh in his flip-flops, tripped right over a little table of knick-knacks. He looked up at her and she clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Oh no!" He froze, terrified. She went on, "Rule #1 in my house: You don't hurt yourself! Be kind to those toes!" He glowed up at me again and saw my very comfortable look. What I already knew was, even though there's something special everywhere you look, nothing was ever more special than us grandkids. When we visited her home, we lived in her home. Her mantra through the years was "Love the Lord" and "Have an adventure! Explore!" Joshua got a full taste of it on our visits to her that week. He picked exotic fruits off the trees she planted decades ago, rummaged through the garage of old tools and junk Grandpa left behind, pretended to race his old Model T, dug around for her garden critters, and played her piano as loudly as he wanted -- much, MUCH to her delight!

By the time we left, he had an armful of things Grandma told him to take home and a heartful of his gifter. Later Joshua tried to tell me what he thought of her.

"Mom, she's just so, so...."

"I know," I said. "I know exactly what you mean."

Home Again

2010-04-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Though no blogging occurred in March (wasn't I supposed to be elated to get rid of February?), plenty happened. To get started, I have to reach back to Spring Break. You know, I have to say that when I graduated from high school, I couldn't leave for college fast enough or go far enough. Adventure was calling me. That path along the way led to living in some of the best places in the U.S. and traveling to some amazing places around the world. For a loooong time I didn't really look back to the ol' home place except to miss the ones I loved. I've noticed lately though, that home seems to call a little more frequently and hold me a little more captive while I'm there. It might be nostalgia, it might be that it's so uniquely beautiful, it might even be the lack of tediousness from my own daily world. But I think, most of all, it may very well be my wonderful, precious family that keeps my heart warm in Orlando, Florida.

It's not Theme Park World to me. Far from it! When I go back, what grips me? It's citrus trees and mossy oaks, shell-and-sandy soil and rough grass. It's Key West architecture and old brick roads. It's a little lake at every corner and the knowledge that you would never swim in any of them. It's my Grandma's cute nightgowns and underwear out on the clothesline, and snake-halves in her yard from the shovel -- her weapon of choice. It's the sound of small planes constantly overhead and the familiar use of the words "y'all" and "fixin' to". It's my Dad's deisel truck loaded with fruit to deliver, and my Mom's dog waiting in the picture window for us to get back from having ice cream with Pop. It's the long, steady thunderstorms that don't drag tornadoes along with them. It's all just....kind of lovely, I guess.

Joshua and I had a week with all of that and more (except the snake-halves -- this time). He's a little dreamy-eyed now too, and can't wait to go back. I'll be sharing it all soon!

2010-04-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Mr. Urban from the country for helping me find my pictures again! If it had been much longer, I would have had to re-title my site as "Don't Look At This Blog".

Mine Month of Bane

2010-02-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

February
Oh February
Why for art thou on the calendar?
December doth cheer on a Midnight Clear
And January blankets with white
But February
Oh February
Get thee the heck over with, would ya?

Orange Bread

2010-02-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Happy baking for the 2 who requested!:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp grated orange rind
2 (11oz) cans buttermilk biscuits
1 (3oz) pkg cream cheese, cut into 20 squared
1/2 butter, melted
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tbsp orange juice (we squeezed it from the orange we grated)

Combine 1st 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Separate biscuit dough into individual biscuits; gently separate individual biscuits in half. Place a cream cheese square between the 2 halves, and pinch sides to seal each back together. Dip in butter, and dredge in reserved sugar mixture. Stand biscuits on edge in a lightly greased 12-cup bundt pan, spacing evenly. Drizzle with remaining butter, and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Immediately invert onto a serving plate.

Combine powdered sugar and orange juice; stir well. Drizzle over warm bread... Mmmm!!

Our Valentines Day

2010-02-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, I think Valentine's Day is the dumbest day on the calendar. I shake my head in disgust at the commercials aimed at the poor guy who will end up in the dog house if he doesn't get his demanding princess a diamond necklace. Around here, V-day is sweet in a much simpler, confectionery way...

For a yummy breakfast treat, Joshua helped me make orange bread. He hand-squeezed the juice we needed -- and slurped down the extra as if it were some forbidden soda. What a novelty!

Every bad thing you can think of is in this bread. It was delicious!!

Later in the evening, we all put together homemade cards for each other and I made mini heart-shaped, red-velvet, chocolate cakes. These were from me for my boys (big hearts for my Big One, and little hearts for my Little One)...

The best part of the whole day was how excited Josh was for Dad to see what I had made for him. Greg had been out earlier in the evening so we placed the little card and cake where he could see it as soon as he walked in. Josh posted himself by the door to listen for the garage door to open so we could hide and jump out screaming "SUPRISE!". I can tell you I would not have thought it deserved such pomp. But it was sweet in the purest V-day way to see how much Josh loved doing this for Dad -- I really thought he was going to explode with anticipation (I bet I heard the "beep-beep-beep" of our alarm system 20 times from Josh cracking the door open, making sure he didn't miss Dad's arrival). And sweet, too, was how much Greg relished it! The back-story of Josh's excitement just made him melt...

Hope your day was sweet as well -- in whatever way you needed it to be! ;)

My First Basketball

2010-02-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

I really could not have cared less about the game of basketball just 4 months ago. I was a cheerleader for it a million years ago but I didn't know what I was cheering about (and didn't care). I just remember the stinky gym. I watched a 'Magic' game forever ago, which was kinda fun. Any live college/pro game is. But, again, it didn't turn me into a basketball fan one bit. I didn't care. All that changed when I casually asked my son if he wanted to play this year. I was sure he'd say no (why would he care?) but, alas, he said "Yes!". And now, I have to say, I LOVE BASKETBALL! I still don't get it, but I'm enjoying it.

It helps when your favorite player is your favorite kid. In the entire season Joshua only scored once (he's not that great -- sshhh!), but I'm really hoping he wants to play again next year. By then, maybe I'll know some clever things to shout besides "Woo-hoo!" occasionally. We've got a lot to catch up on -- but now I care! Who knew???

8 Inches!

2010-02-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

That's what we got last weekend! It was beautiful to watch as it fell all day and night, and fun to wake up to with a ruler in your hand. Eight inches is the most I think my southern self has ever seen. This is like our 6th snow this winter, which is amazing. We won't talk about how much school we've missed this year...

Greg and Josh had so much fun making this snowman. They kept coming to the door asking for bizarre items -- a spray bottle of water, tree limb clippers, pieces of candy, and a carrot stick of course. They also made an impressive igloo after this shot. I didn't know about it until we were leaving for church the next morning! That tells you how much I love being out in the cold. I was very happy to sit by the fireplace, collect wet clothes as they came in the door, and supply warm food when tired, hungry boys needed a break.

That's my kind of snow day!

2010-01-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always special, but God gave us a real kiss this year with something I've never seen in my whole life -- snow!!

Yes, I've seen snow before but I've never, ever gone to bed without it on Christmas Eve and awakened to it the next morning. A Christmas snow! Isn't that wonderful?

We went to Kierstin's house for Christmas dinner. Joshua brought a ball to share out of his stocking and Kierstin had one to show as well. They were very impressed with each others' loot.

Doesn't she look like a little 'Who-ville' baby?

On a sidenote, we have started watching 'The Nativity' on Christmas Eve. Here's the magical irony of it. It's not a glamorous movie and the angel, Gabriel, is a little ill-casted (like I know what he really looks like), but I have to say that this understated yet very personal version of my favorite birth story is amazingly glorious. Puts your head to the pillow with just the right heart!

Posers

2010-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

On our quicker return home from Georgia, we made one last stop -- and that was at our good friends, the Wages. Amy surprised me by inviting some of my sweet friends from yonder when...

Now I agree that they are cute girls, but I am glad that we came to our senses and got over the serious pose. Anyone can stand next to each other and smile (and most do, I'm afraid). But not everyone has a cute little blonde 2-year-old setting the pace with her tongue stuck out. That IS my Ainsley Elizabeth! She drew me lots of pretty pictures while I was there. What I WISH I had was a shot of big sister, Evie, snuggled up in my lap...oh, I was lovin' that! Rumor has it that she only does that with Mom, Dad, and grandparents. Lucky me!

And back to good posing, shortly after arriving home, my Bible Thumpers got together at Shannon's again for her scrumptious Christmas luncheon. She is so awesome and we have so much fun! That considered, it once again didn't make much sense to stand and smile...

I love those girls.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've done this! Though I haven't posted anything lately, I've been reading your blogs and I've loved all your Christmas notes and pictures. You make me laugh and think and sometimes cry, and I appreciate that you let me see into your lives. You are inspirational.

Let me tell ya, not having a computer for a very long time makes you withdraw quite nicely. Were it not for the pleas from Mom, I would have let blogging slip into eternal forgetfulness. Thanks, Mom. Photojournaling life is a good thing.

I'm afraid I have to go all the way back to Thanksgiving to start catching up. Josh and I took a road trip and made lots of little fun stops along the way. First: our good friends, the Dearings. They are a really fun family. Tempelle and I have a tradition of eating pancakes at Cracker Barrel. While we did that, Tom and the kids had a big time doing all kinds of enviable things. Tempelle wouldn't let me take a picture of her but the kids had no problem with it...

Next we visited my sister, Amanda, and brother-in-law, Sean. I always thought Nashville was kinda cool and now I really do. It's clean and beautiful, has good pizza, and Amanda spots folks that would leave me starstruck. Of course, I didn't. But she does.

Final stop: Georgia (Greg flew in, by the way). My whole family gets together here and, with new members added all the time, it's gets better every year. On top of new spouses and new babies, my Aunt and Uncle (who host the whole circus) celebrated their 25th and renewed their wedding vows the evening after Thanksgiving. It was a great party and a very special ceremony. I have no pictures of it because my batteries died, but, trust me, there was good turkey and dance attempts had by all.

Josh looks forward to getting to be with all his cousins. Here's a good pictures for you Mom -- all your babies!!

My Grandma knits the cutest stuff and had a huge container full of free-for-all hats and scarves and bags for us. Hot dog! We had a good time modeling all our gifts.

More later! Enjoy 2010...

2009-11-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

For the one or two that may have wondered where I've been lately, just wanted to let you know that my computer is in the hospital and is in very critical condition. What was suppose to be a few days work has turned into the real possibility of burying it in the backyard. I'll be back soon -- and probably with a Mac.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, one year my Mom made 'Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf' costumes for me and my brother. I enjoyed it then but I appreciate it even more now that we did our own real constructive costume for the first time. We started by collecting various sized boxes and cannister lids. Then we measured (even protracted!), cut, taped, then spray-painted. Here's Joshua doing the coveted painting job.

Then we had to wait for everything to dry. In the meantime, Greg & Josh carved out our one, prized, home-grown pumpkin. Greg set it up very cute at the front door and I wish I would have gotten a picture of it! Guess I still can... You'll have to wait for that one.

After all our hard work, dark-thirty, Halloween night could not get here fast enough! Here's the finished product. Can you guess what he is?

Josh, his good friend and neighbor Bradley (the Ninja Guy!), and my neice, Kierstin, all went trick-or-treating together. They were so cute and we had so much fun! I am kicking myself that I didn't get a picture with Kierstin in it. She was the most adorable ladybug you've ever seen - very fitting for her!

We'll have a stomach-ache for days from all our loot. If I ration one piece of candy a day, I think I just may get us through to this time next year. And all the while we'll be thinking of what new costume we want to start working on...

Fall, I Was Unfaithful To You

2009-10-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

I flirted with Spring. It had been a long winter and I was thirsty for some color and the warmth of the sun. Pinks, yellows, lavenders and delicate whites popped out on that new green canvas and I caved to it. I seriously let Spring contend with me for my favorite season spot. What can I say? I lost my head.

Oh, but Fall, you are back in all your glory! You know, you do this to me every time. Your first northerly breeze floods me with all the joys that parade behind -- vibrant colors, burning wood, football (and the food that goes with it), kids playing in crunchy leaves, scarves, pumpkins, Yankee candles, being "boo-ed" by your neighbors... (sigh)

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have winked at that 'other' season. Yeah, it's ok, but YOU are the best! Will you forgive me?

The Lake House

2009-10-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Greg's parents just bought and started fixing up a little lake house. We all christened it with our presence this weekend -- 11 of us in a 2 bedroom house. Classy, huh? There were even two of us missing! As the kids grow, we'll just stuff them all in the basement and then the adults will take turns coming in from the deck. Maybe we'll make the guys camp out in tents. I don't know. All I know is, on this occasion we managed to squish in for a good time. Josh struggled to stay up as long as he could so he wouldn't miss a single late-night joke. I remember being him a long time ago. I didn't understand half the things they were laughing about when the extended family would all get together - I just loved that they were laughing.

How about this sight? Doesn't Greg look right with a cute little girl on his shoulders? He does love his nieces...

And I just had to include this last picture because it is so Joshua. After a walk down by the lake and through the woods he is carrying a patch of moss and dragging a tree branch. (Sigh) I just love little boys...

Look What's Happening On the Other Side of the River...

2009-10-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

To the wild girls of the former room E344:

I had to win on our very first night but I did the right thing and passed the honor on to a rookie newcomer. Won't happen again. ;)

Miss you!

We're So Bad...

2009-10-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

I really am. First of all, I forgot my dear friend's birthday. Though I think of her all the time and she is one of the most special people in the WORLD to me, I let her whole day pass without a word from me.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

The day after her birthday began as any other day. Sometime mid-morning I happened to look at the calendar and noticed that I had also missed another important date. Well, we missed it. I called Greg at work to see if he was planning a surprise getaway for the two of us. Just like every year, he paused awhile and said, "Oh, yeah!". And just like every year, we laughed because we BOTH forgot that it was our anniversary.

So, at lunchtime Greg arrives home, steals Josh, and together they gather a delicious, romantic Chick-fil-a meal and this:

Perfect! I 'ponder in my heart' the thought of my two boys in the girly shop, sniffing candles and lotions together, deciding which ones I would like. Really, Greg didn't need to do anything but I'm glad for yet another sweet memory of forgetfulness over the span of our 13 years. And what dark, fancy, expensive restaurant beats chicken nuggets at your kitchen table?

Some of you may wonder how a dog's birthday gets remembered but not anything else. I think I've figured out that next year I'll tell JOSHUA the pending important dates around here....that way I don't have to scare everyone half to death when I'm eating my anniversary lunch and choke on a waffle fry with a startled gasp.

Yes, Amy, that's when I remembered.

Happy Birthday, Boy!

2009-10-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's so humiliating. The lampshade 'comfy collar' is because of a boo-boo Kodiak won't quit licking and the balloon is because our poor dog had to experience his birthday. Actually, he never before HAD to experience his birthday, but this year little brother insisted. Lucky him.

Actually it kinda warmed my heart a little because I got to see an uncharacteristically generous side of my son. There was no question that he was going to buy Kodiak a gift. Josh has been talking to me about that for 2 months now. So, on the big day, the kid who normally wants to see if I'll give him a quarter for taking my plate to the sink, shelled every last dollar he had in his wallet for a new toy for his dog. Didn't even blink over it.

And Kodiak, happily he ended up having a really great day. The dog who normally tries desperately hard to go unnoticed by Josh, LOVED his new toy and I think I even saw him smiling at the kid. I know I was.....

2009-10-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already been a year since we went home for my youngest sibling's wedding. Sean & Amanda are celebrating their first anniversary and chose the most romantic place in the world to celebrate -- our house! Ok, we were a stop-off to the most romantic place in the world, but we were still so happy they wanted to visit us!

Josh was so excited, he set his watch to their ETA and went nuts until they finally came down the road (he was waiting outside for them).

They brought their cake to share. To make it special, I got out our great-grandmother's pink, flowery dishes to eat on and pink cloth napkins to delicately dab our mouths with. I love an opportunity to use that stuff! Greg and I didn't get to eat our cake's top layer for our first anniversary because about six months after our wedding we sat around one night craving something sweet and decided there was something really good sitting in our freezer. Please don't tell anybody that.

We took them all over our area and showed them why it's so great to live here. Greg put on his best sales pitch about why they should consider moving. Amanda pointed out that we tried that before, and left her high and dry about 2 weeks after she finally moved close to Memphis. Oops!

I'm super-proud of my sister and brother-in-law. They are really starting out right -- loving the Lord and each other with wisdom that doesn't possibly fit their age. They are swimming hard against the current of young America but are achieving the very thing that evades their worldly peers -- happiness. You go, guys!

2009-09-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

There's something we did the other night that we talked all summer about doing. Now that the weather's cooling off and the bugs are finding other places to go, it was just perfect for......the drive-in movie theater!! The last time I did this I was 7 and we saw 'Grease'. I watched that movie again not too long ago, by the way, and found myself wondering about my mother's good judgement. Back then, all I wanted to do was wail 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' in my bedroom with my record player but, oh well. Anyway! This time we saw 'G-Force' -- not that great, but at least no hoochie-mamas come out of the closet.

Here we are with 10 different blankets and pillows in the back of the car. We snuggled all evening and enjoyed the wonder of a child amazed that the sound was coming from our own radio. Try it sometime!

Oh, and Mom, I love you! I was just joking earlier. I know I twisted your arm to take me......

Good Doggie

2009-09-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

Give me a spider....no big deal. Crickets? Anything amphibeous? Bring 'em on! But put a praying mantis near me and I'm gonna come out of my skin. WHY do their heads have to swivel?!? Ooaueh!! I'm creeping out just thinking about it. Not too long ago I almost wrecked the car when Joshua screamed, "LOOK, MOM, WHAT'S OVER YOUR HEAD!!". Yep. I pulled right over, jumped out of the car and had a head-swivelling battle with that thing MUCH to my son's delight. I looked at, it looked at me, I whipped my head away trying not to gag, it turned back to it's business as well, I went back to it, it looked back at me......and so we went.

Back in the car a few minutes later (without the bug) I did have to ask, "Josh, sweetie, how did that thing get in the car?" Hmmmm.

So yesterday, Kodiak's got his vicious growl and bark going and I had to see WHAT we were being so threatened by (keep in mind that the day before it had been an unfamiliar flashlight). But, oh, how I thrilled to see that he was saving us from a very large praying mantis on the window!!

If Kodiak was so brave then I could be too! So I swiped the nasty thing down for him and that was it. It had no chance. Whew.

Anyone else want to come pray and swivel on my window???

2009-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering alot about something lately. I'm not confident I'll be able to word my thoughts correctly so I hope I muddle through it half-right. It's about being a mom. When I was pregnant, every other mother that saw my belly told me to enjoy every moment of motherhood because it would all fly by way too soon. The most alarming was from my own mother who said, "Jenny, now it seems like it was all in the span of a good night's sleep". That's alarming because she had 3 of us well-spaced in age, so she was doing this for a "long" time. I heard this enough that I did take it seriously and vowed to never take for granted a single moment. A vow like that requires a self-check every now and then and for some reason, catching sight of this collection of stuff on my kitchen floor did it for me.

So big deal, huh? Well, I guess God can use whatever He wants and He used this to stop me in my tracks and remember who I am and why I do what I do. I am Joshua's mother. When I wonder what I'm suppose to do with my life, right now I need not look any further than that. Of all the people on the planet, God put this person unmistakably in my home. Is it any wonder that I should be about the business of raising him -- purposefully? How is it that we get so distracted about that?

I have my theories.

For one thing, it's not very glamorous. I don't see the covergirl of 'Vogue' with the subtitle of 'How does this stay-at-home-mom teach Bible verses to her little ones?'. But maybe, instead of hours in the gym, I should be showing my son what Jesus would do in our home and community.

Another thing is, this job doesn't pay much. I've heard many moms say with guilt that they don't feel like they're contributing equally to the home. Wow. I say without throwing a stone that, unless the situation is downright dire, this is a sad sellout. Is there a price to putting your life into the next generation? For millions of dollars, no one could do what I do because no one else loves my son the way I do. Goes back to that 'specially placed in my home' thing....

Third, but not lastly, I think there is a very strong message out there that this job is not a very smart one. Are you intelligent? Do you have a college degree? Then why are you wasting all that at home? I know women with graduate degrees and beyond that are choosing to lay that aside for awhile to make home their place of career and I want to cheer for them! With that kind of resume, isn't she even more qualified to raise a child in the way he should go?

The truth is, and this is what sobers me, on the timeline of the average 80 years of life, our kiddos are in our home only 18 of those. For me, having a son with a backpack THAT full, it's a bittersweet reminder that my time is getting shorter. Did I waste precious time on anything that doesn't go into eternity with me? Is HE going into eternity with me? Thankfully, I can answer yes to the second question but, unfortunately, I can answer yes to the first one, too. I have a vow to myself that I need to keep so thanks, God, I needed to know that.....

Happy 40th, Shannon!!

2009-09-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Though bowling wasn't as fun as our original plan of boating (thank you rain), I am seeing in retrospect why it may have been a good idea. First of all, you know you have a group of GIRLS when all we are doing is standing around and gabbing. If pins could talk they would have shouted, "Hey, who's next? We've been waiting to get hit for ten minutes now!" If we'd been skiing, the man down would have drowned waiting to be picked up again. Next, I noticed that more balls than not went in the gutter. And if this was a sign of our aim, it's very possible that the boat may have ended up in the trees. Then last of all, peculiarly, Shannon, the birthday girl, produced her own cake, the candles upon it and the lighter from which she lit them. She was singing to herself very briefly.....

I have no boating analogy for this but it was pretty funny.

Thank you, Shannon, for being my good friend -- and thanks for having a birthday! The cake was delicious.:)

Not So Fast, Football Season!

2009-08-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

I did say that our pro baseball team was a little less exciting than our Little League but I do still like watching a really good game. Saturday night was perfect weather and the home team was smokin'! We had no idea Greg's parents were there until they showed up on the big screen - hand-over-heart, singing the National Anthem. According to me, the real bonus of the evening was the fact that they had extra good, extra seats!

To Joshua, however, the highlights of the night were of entirely different matter. What's that he's looking at, you ask? The crickets he found, of course.

And then there was the petting zoo. Of the exotic birds, the monkey, the lemur, the pigs, and the snake, the dearest of all was this tortoise. I really thought he was going to fall on his knees and beg me to bring it home with us. Missed a good homerun hanging out here watching a turtle.....

By the end of the night we'd had a few juicy, carcinogenic hotdogs, yelled and laughed, and won a really fun game. Oh, and PaPa also caught a t-shirt from the mascot.

It ALMOST fits -- could've probably stashed a good turtle in there, come to think of it.

Last Minutes of Summer

2009-08-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

As fall approaches you commonly get asked, "How was your summer?". And I've been honestly answering that it's been just right. Doesn't it always seem that you either overbook your summer or don't plan enough? You either do so much that you miss all summer is suppose to be, or you're pulling your hair out by July wondering if school is ever going to start. A little something adventurous and a good amount of nothing seemed to find us every day this time. Perfect!

Last minute savorings have included:

Doing a little card-trading in the neighborhood (with big brother standing guard).

Going to a back-to-school party with the greatest 3rd grade class ever! We missed you, Jordan.:(

And harvesting a pumpkin! Yes, we grew A pumpkin. All along I've been praying, "Please, Lord -- one pumpkin. I'm a terrible gardener but, please -- one pumpkin." Yes. And that's not a pointy head that Joshua also grew. In fact, he's been traveling around with 3 bouncy balls and one inside door key in his hat. Explanation for the key? If someone comes over and wants to play hide & seek and locks themselves in one of our rooms.....well, they will not have outsmarted Josh.

He is going into the 3rd grade, you know!

Hmmm.....

2009-08-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

The windowsill in my bathroom has become the collective spot for all things 'shell' over the last year or so -- including snail shells. Nothing alive is suppose to go there. The other night we caught Joshua going into the bathroom with a fresh whole piece of lettuce. He just wanted to see.....

This is what I found the next morning. Think one of these snails is still kickin'?

Needing a Building Permit

2009-08-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

The summer is almost over and there are still some VERY IMPORTANT things to do. Constructing a giant fort in the living room was apparently on that list. When Josh asked if this was an ok project to work on I said "Sure!" and gave him 2 chairs and a blanket. All my dining chairs and blankets later, we finally had a respectable hideout going. I left Josh to the interior decorating and felt like I needed to probably do some building inspecting after hearing him call out, "Good thing I have a large collection of key chains!". Turns out, they are handy in securing your lighting. Who knew?

I know Greg is going to love this when he walks in tonight!

No, Greg probably won't love it but after he gets the tour he'll be like I was -- fondly sentimental of when I was a kid and use to do this stuff. DO put this on your 'must' list soon.....even if you don't have children! Your inner child will thank you for it.

Happy 1st, Ladybug!

2009-08-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

I love these two pictures.

Here's why. It was my niece, Kierstin's, birthday yesterday and a very large crowd (much like the one taking pics in the nursery window exactly one year ago) gathered to celebrate. Poor girl, you just wonder what little ones think at that very first birthday party. What a bizarre series of events. First, everyone gets in your face and screams "Happy Birthday!" the moment you wake up from your little unsuspecting afternoon nap, then they all eat a big meal of yummy stuff that you can't have, but 30 minutes later they put this gigantic, lit up, squishy thing in front of you that ONLY you can have. It makes them laugh hysterically and also sing very loudly. Later, after a very obnoxious cleanup with a dish rag, they set you in the middle of all these BIG, BEAUTIFUL boxes and bags that look like so much fun to play with......just to end up throwing the great stuff away while sticking you with the -- what do they call it? -- toys!

And all the while, what a girl really wants......is to swim with her cousin!

On another note, here are all my Banks family sisters-in-love (preferred over law) at the party. They're sweet and beautiful and wonderful, I must say!

Among the other guests from the day, these girls above gave their share of slobbery birthday girl kisses. Another bit in the bizarre, but not so bad afterall of a thing called a "birthday".:)

Dang!

2009-07-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Incident last night with my child that is allergic to oral hygiene:

Me: Josh, you look really down and discouraged. What's wrong?

Josh: I got distracted a few minutes ago and brushed my teeth way too long.

Welcome Home, Boy (pt.II)

2009-07-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago, we found out we were moving to a new state. For financial and convenient reasons, we ended up having to sacrifice the outside space of our new home. We wondered how Kodiak would fare in his small backyard and it was obvious very quickly that this was not going to work. Barking at 5:30 am is not cool with new neighbors and neither is the fact that we had the ONLY big (AKA: real) dog anywhere around. What to do? Well, Greg's parents, who live in our vicinity, offered to take him for us. They had the open spaces we had left behind and it just made sense. The buzz of all things new kept us distracted from missing him, and we did visit often.

But....over the last several months we have noticed his pace slow a bit. Instead of having an incessant need to fetch a ball, he seemed more content to just lay at our feet. And though we fixed as posh a dog pad as we possibly could for him, the weather was getting noticeably tougher for him to handle.

Then one night, after watching 'Marley & Me', it occurred to us that, after all these years, Kodiak no longer wanted to be away from Joshua. He no longer needed acres to run and jump in. At almost 11 years old, he was ready to be our inside dog again -- he needed to come home! If a rotten dog like Marley was as treasured as he was then our faithful Kodiak certainly deserved all we could give him!

Welcome home, boy.

Now that he's back with us, we are enjoying what a great decision this was. And I can't tell you how happy Kodiak's "little brother" has been about all this! They love to go throw the ball around the yard - perfect solution for someone who has an uncontrollable need to throw and someone else with like need to catch....

And doesn't this say it all? What's a tent in the living room when you have a dog you can sleep next to? I'm not sure who's more content.

The only down-side is now someone ELSE is missing him!:( He made a really good grand-dog....

We are thankful for all the years of our life that we have had Kodiak. He has been an integral part of the twists and turns, the tears and the joys, that have ended up being our story. A story that, as a dog, you just take for granted. But I guess, sometimes, I do too.....until I start telling it.

Welcome Home, Boy

2009-07-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is our 'Marley & Me' story.

About a year after we got married, Greg & I, in our carefree days, decided to go look at puppies. We (well, he) had absolutely no intention of buying one - we were just filling our time, being spontaneous. It was a crisp, fall day and we crunched our way to look at a litter of eleven 5-week-old German Shepard puppies. Their poor mother was overwhelmed, as you would imagine, and she needed to be relieved a little early. At 5 weeks, Shepards are just a solid black ball of fluff. They looked like mini bear cubs to me but one frisky little guy had our attention immediately. While the others appeared a bit dazed and confused, this one was looking for an adventure! He wrestled his brothers and attacked his sisters and had a brightness in his eyes that was delightfully irresistable..... A few hours later he was in my lap in the car on his way home.

We named him 'Kodiak'.

We were foolish and unthinking, bringing a dog home like that but God knew we needed him. He was our "first child", an extremely fast learner and soon lived to just make his daddy happy. I joke that the dog salutes at attention every time Greg walks in. They became so tight I believe Kodiak could read his mind and respond without even a command. But over the years I was battling the realization that my dream of starting a family wasn't going to happen on my timetable, if at all, and Kodiak, though a constant during that time, was just not a replacement.

It was 3 years after we brought our puppy home that we brought home our baby. With the addition of Joshua, we were finally the family I had hoped for. Kodiak was a proud big brother!

Everything was fine for the first several months. That new baby just stayed where he was put, had interesting smells, and something good to lick off his face every once in awhile. Seemed like we would all be fine -- until the combination of curiosity and mobility made Joshua not so fun anymore. Pretty soon, Kodiak would be let out and wouldn't want to come in anymore. It wasn't all bad. I appreciated losing the dog hair (and smell), and it just made my life easier. Better yet, we eventually moved to a new house with 2 blessed acres - dog and toddler heaven! They were best buds all over again and some of the sweetest moments of life were made there in our little corner of Eden.

Then one day Kodiak, always protective of his pack, risked his life for us. Day after day, two unrestrained dogs would come into our yard, barking and nipping at us. Kodiak ignored them and only kept his eye on me, waiting, begging, for the opportunity to take care of business. Knowing the consequences I would pay if I let him, I tolerated it for a ridiculously long time. Then one day while Greg was out of town I'd had it! A look straight into his eye and a quiet "Sic 'em" was all it took and he couldn't get traction fast enough! In 2 split seconds he had those dogs tearing out across the street right in front of a van but Kodiak didn't stop and he was hit. He yelped as he rolled fully up under the car. The sight of that....the sound of the bump and his yelp....it sent me to my knees screaming. I knew he wasn't alive. He would never go in the street, but I made him - ordered him - to do it! I ran in the house to keep Josh from coming out and left my Mom to pick up the pieces. A short time later she came in the house to tell me he was rattled -- but he literally walked away from it. I cried all night.

He never did high-jumping frisbee catches again after that, but we were amazed - and so thankful - that God spared him. The second half of his life has led a different kind of adventure but I will save that, and our recent reunion with him, for my next post. Until then, go give your dog a hug....:)

Grampa & Gram

2009-07-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

My Dad and Step-Mom visited this last weekend on their way from Orlando to Durango. They're traveling the old-fashioned, fun way - taking the backroads and stopping at whatever interests them. Thankfully, we qualified and, hopefully, we beat things like the worlds biggest ball of yarn! We had such a great time and were thoroughly spoiled by them. Gram had her ear out for any little thing that Josh might be hurting for - like the Pokemon card that would beat all the neighbor kids' - and became a hero at Target with him. She also had lots of insightful, encouraging words on motherhood that I was very grateful for.

Do you see a similar expression in my Dad and his grandson? Those likenesses go deeper. Of the hand-me-down qualities, a very silly sense of humor and a deep-thinking spirituality are two of them. What a combination, huh? I love it. There's an intangible legacy I am being blessed with in my Dad. Have been all my life and now it's being passed along. Since we don't see them that often, this weekend was a curious and very warming reminder of that. Reminds me of all the verses (I looked them up - there are too many to cite) that promise faithfulness to the Lord from one generation to the next. The fact that it is playing out before me is, well, amazing.

We love you Grampa & Gram!

What Facebook Is Good For

2009-07-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

In college I had some good friends that I did practically everything with for awhile. Kelly and I went to nursing school together, she helped me get my first real job, I was a part of her and Cameron's wedding, I even attended the birth of their first child. Then they moved away and, as the nature of things go, we eventually lost touch. I have thought of them so often over the years, wondering about them and their family and how they're doing. Recently, thanks to facebook, not only have I found them, but, even though they live hundreds of miles away, we actually had the opportunity to get together for a day! Interesting how things change over the course of 15 years. For example, that baby they had has become the oldest of.....

Seven!

It's a blessing to re-connect with old friends that have become an even stronger, more Christ-exemplifying family over the course of time -- and yet are still so much fun. Thanks for making the drive, y'all, and we're looking forward to next year.....:)

A Rite of Passage

2009-07-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

We had a really enjoyable 4th. The evening started with some of those famous Thompson ribs and coleslaw made from their own garden, a little potato salad, and some true, American blueberry pie & icecream -- oh, the freedom! But since that was all gross to Joshua, the highlight for him was being handed over the keys to the fireworks. Dad and Uncle David gave all the manly instructions and example and then he was on his own (very closely supervised).

Earlier in the day we had a long, cool, pleasant downpour. It's one of my favorite kinds of day! We spent it out on the back patio and went from pondering deep thoughts.....

.....to playing baseball in the rain. Why not?

I hope your day was special too, and full of all the meaning and blessings of the foundation that was laid for us 225 years ago -- and is still being fought for today.

And I hope you had some blueberry pie!

Random Thoughts

2009-07-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

As I was walking through my neighborhood this morning I had two thoughts. One: there is one cove where every house seems to have rabbit lawn ornaments. Why the theme? Are they having problems with volunteer lettuce growth that they want to scare off? I don't know. The other thought was: why does no one ever remember meeting me? Seriously. Through the years (and even Greg has started to notice) people will introduce themselves to me over and over again. Yesterday was just another example of a woman "meeting" me for the 3rd time. Like all other previous occasions like this, I already know her name, the place we met the first (and second) time, the conversations we've had, and even where she lives - because she has even given me her phone number and address before. And yet, yesterday I could tell that a 3rd time might turn into a 4th. So what do I do? I just go along with it. Greg wants to know why I don't try to discreetly jog their memory and I liken it to once upon a time when I would stand in the grocery line with my baby, and the sweet old lady behind me would comment on what a beautiful little girl I had.....even though he was a little husky and dressed all in blue. Is it really worth embarassing the other person with their mistake? Instead I would just answer, "Yes, we think she's pretty special". And so it goes. On the upside, it might be that I have a hidden super-power of invisibility - which would enable me to stake out that cove and figure out the rabbit situation.....

The Runt of the Litter

2009-06-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

A few of you have been so kind to ask about my garden. Well, let me tell ya.

My good friend and neighbor, Renee, and I set out to do this together. We used the same book, we built the same structures, we even went to the same gardening center (together, on the same day) to buy our plants. We have the same results, right? Oh, no.

Here's hers:

And here's mine:

It looks just like it did 2 months ago!! Why the difference? Rule #1 -- never, NEVER take a short-cut on your soil. I did.

As I have joked with Renee, it's like we picked two puppies from the same litter. Hers is cute and thriving and house-broken.....and mine is full of worms.

On a better note, the pumpkin seeds that Joshua randomly poked into a random barrel of random soil are doing just smashing! Whew.

By the way, thanks Renee, for letting me sneak into your yard and take pictures. You're a GREAT gardener!

2009-06-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Greg pointed out that I didn't mention how many cars competed in the derby race. Very important. Let the record show that it was 11. Thank you and enjoy the following post....

Derby With Dad Day

2009-06-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

We spent Father's Day at Greg's favorite place and it just so happened that they were hosting a pine derby race for anyone who might want to participate. We didn't know anything about this hobby before yesterday but it really sounded like fun so we paid our $25 dollars and put our name in. Why not? So Joshua picked out a raw wooden car and he and Dad had fun modifying it, painting it and greasing it up really good. Josh wanted a giant '8' on the hood because.....he's 8 of course! (Contrary to what you may assume, we are really NASCAR ignorant).

Classic movie, underdog moment: As we show up to register and display our car, kids and their dad's start walking in with their high-tech, specially boxed-up, snobby, experienced cars. We kicked in with the parent pep-talk stuff of "Remember how much fun we had making the car.", "You're a winner to us, no matter what!", and "I love this car so much, do you mind if I keep it forever and give it to your own kids someday?" You know. I think I also told him that the prizes were really stinky. Who wants a deck of race car Old Maid cards?

Well, that #8 car won the 1st heat and - spoiler alert - ended up taking 3rd overall!!

I think we were both kind of teary! We couldn't have been more proud if he had taken first. It WAS fun spending the time together making that car, I AM keeping it forever and I DO plan on playing alot of Old Maid soon.....

2009-06-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile. Some of you will understand, you see, I've discovered 'The Office'. Not being big tv watchers, we're bringing up the rear with catching on but, thanks to borrowing our neighbors collection, caught on, we have! In a spare half-hour or two (or 8 or 9), we are very busy here and can't be bothered. Gotta go! It's off to season 4.....

Handbook For Indoor Camping

2009-06-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

Has it been raining alot? Do you suffer from allergies? Are your parents super dull and won't camp out in the backyard with you? No problem. A well-stocked tent next to the window in the living room is so close to the real thing, you might even need to spray yourself with 'Off'.

As shown, all you need is (of course) your sleeping bag & pillow, favorite stuffed buddies, a hanging flashlight, books, handheld games, a ball cap, change purse, post-it notes w/ pen, and (not pictured) a balloon, roll of tape, and empty paper towel roll. If an explanation for any of these things is needed then I guess you don't know much about camping.

Must be very sustaining because I know someone who has lived in this tent for 2 weeks now.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

2009-06-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

We went to a baseball game for our local pro team a couple weeks ago and it was ok. The organ music, the hotdog smell and the cheers make it fun but, really, the game is not that exciting. There's about 10 minutes between each bat-cracking so you end up spending more time catching up in the conversation with your friends than you do watching the game. An hour goes by and before you know it - you're in the second inning. Yawn

BUT, somewhere in the neighborhood there's a little league game going on and THAT'S fun! I LOVE watching 7 & 8 year-olds play baseball where there is not a dull moment to be had. No, they don't hit the ball and run to third base anymore but they are still the cutest things in the world! Getting a bit of skill and a good grasp of the game now makes this a nail-biting and come-up-out-of-your-seat-screaming (in a good way) type of experience. And they are still so transparent....a strike-out often results in slumped shoulders, chin in the chest, dragging the bat behind while trying not to cry, while getting a second-base hitter might mean jumping up and down on the base and waving to Mom. I bet the Cardinals don't do that, and I say, too bad for the fans that they don't!

If the evening news gets you in knots then turn it off one night and head to a city ballpark. The sun is setting and a cool breeze is blowing, families are together rooting for each other, and the free entertainment is priceless!

Goodbye, 2nd Grade

2009-05-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

I read an editorial article in my paper today from a guy pleading for Mom's to stop their braggy blogging! I decided that I shall not.

At the end-of-the-year school program for Joshua's school, each child in each class gets awarded a 'character trait'. Not so much in the "He's a real character" way but, graciously, in the honorable sense. I know these children personally and they are a great group. You would have a hard time narrowing it down to just one thing on any of them and I clapped with pride for each one like they were my own! I'm corny that way (it's my character trait - graciously, in the honorable sense).

Greg and I were pleased as pie when Joshua was awarded the trait of 'Faith'. Some Dads get teary-eyed when their son hits a homerun, and Moms do when he hits the inside of the toilet, but, needless (and humbly) to say, getting the attribute of faith means our little arrow is hitting the very center of our hearts!

Of course, when the kids were sent into the audience to give their Moms' a flower, I, sitting in the center of the row, had mine thrown to me. But that's the "he's a real character" part of the ceremony now, isn't it....

Ainsley Elizabeth

2009-05-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

What did I want to brag about....

About 2 years ago, one Sunday morning, my friend Amy wisked me out to the courtyard gardens at church. She was excited to tell me something (already very pregnant, what other news could she possibly have?). Imagine my heart when she told me that she and Mike decided to give their baby's middle name my middle name -- after me! Wow. What an honor. How humbling! Of course there were tears, and of course I immediately bonded with that unborn baby girl. And as if that weren't enough, I also had the priviledge of actually being present for her birth! So amazing.

Well, here is that precious little one, Ainsley Elizabeth, throwing rocks in the lake with me this last weekend. It was a special little moment with someone I hope to always have a sweet relationship with!

I never had a daughter but I always thought that, if I had been blessed with one, I would name her 'Elizabeth', after the grandmother that I was named after who means so very much to me. God has His little ways of giving you a nugget of gold and this is one of those treasures.

Fun Family Friends

2009-05-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

The weekend together with the Wages was a blessing for all of us. It was a gorgeous weekend at Big Cedar Lodge! We had so much fun just walking around the grounds, pool-hopping with the kids, enjoying outdoor cafe meals, and staying up into kid-free, bleary-eyed hours talking about lots of good stuff.

Josh and Evie were total buds the whole time! Contrary to what we anticipated, no re-adjustment to each other was necessary. Just like old times Evie was immediately falling out onto the floor being silly - love that girl. Why does that work so well? Maybe I should try that in my new Sunday School class....

The kids had the benefit of a common interest in looking under every rock and peering in every stream. They actually found some pretty cool stuff! In this exploration they were checking out a giant crawdad which soon prompted an urgent call for Dads to come see the 'lobster'.

I'm not really sure what Mike was going to do to the lobster here but at least the kids were in good hands!

I have so many great pictures (especially of the kids), it was really hard to condense it to these! I have one more special thing to post, though -- something I've wanted to brag about for 2 years!

Me & Amy

2009-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Amy is one of my sweetest and best friends - a kindred spirit that I have missed very badly over the last year-and-a-half. I have been waiting for an opportunity to blog about her and I got my perfect 'in' this last weekend when our families met for a weekend getaway! When Amy and I met, she was a newlywed and I was newly pregnant. Her bright, fun, earnest personality instantly connected me to her. Throw in a penchant for silliness and the fact that she is just so beautiful and filled with a love for Jesus and, wow, how could she not be MY friend?!? Actually, I'm humbled that she hangs with me, and hang we did the last few days! To say we had a great time would be an understatement. Among the many moments....

Partying with our coffee! (that she doesn't drink)

Doing the 'Uncle Rico'. I LOVE her face! And I gotta say, one of the first things we ever did together was dress up in our veils and jewelry and watch each others' wedding videos. Someone later saw our pictures from that day and asked her, "Don't you guys have anything better to do?", and she answered, "This WAS the better thing to do". Love it.

Parting once again. Greg took a great picture but it was kind of sad....

We all had a wonderful time and I will share more soon but I just had to give you a little of Amy first. No more year-and-halfs, I promise!

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last year it was bird and moth eggs that we watched arrive and hatch. This year it's about snails and tadpoles. The snails live under one of our gutter spouts and get regular snacks of lettuce snatched from the fridge. Occasionally they get to have a field trip onto the grill cover.

These tadpoles were discovered in a makeshift pond from all our rain lately.

We've since made a real home for them and, hopefully, we'll be blessed with another amazing firsthand view of God's amazing work of creation!

Happy 1st Birthday, Olivia!!!

2009-05-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

This little one has captured all of our hearts over the last year. She has an explosive and expressive vocabulary that no one understands, yet can't get enough of. Her high-pitched scream of thrill every time she sees big cousin, Josh, is absolutely hilarious. And those eyes....if they were any bigger they would attract the orbiting of the moon.

Here's one of her fans. Uncle Greg was giving her butterfly kisses and she was so mesmerized she almost fell asleep!

You are loved Little Princess -- Happy Baby Birthday!

2009-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Just to clarify, that's a lighter in Kristin's hand....

Happy 30th, Kristin!!!

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Surprise!!! That's what my sister-in-law, Kristin, got from over 30 of us when she walked out into the garage Friday night! She was surprised indeed, as evidenced by the shock and happy tears. All of Becky's hard work and planning was well-paid off in that moment. Then came the food - oh my! David's fine smoked ribs were front and center. Greg didn't care who's birthday it was - get that boy a plateful now!! Becky had assigned me the job of homemade ice cream. Never made that before but I saluted her with a "Yes, Ma'am!" and came up with a sort of strawberry slush.

Now, you have to understand that Kristin is the eternal giver. Her conversations are always directed toward YOU. She always wants to know how she can pray for YOU, help YOU out, etc. She always thinks of herself last if she even remembers to think of herself at all. So it really was fun to put HER up for some attention for awhile and here's what happens when she finally gets let loose. That sweet girl....

Love you, sister!

Happy Birthday Renee!

2009-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Joshua's birthday kicked off a whole week of birthdays, as you will see. Next up -- my good friend and neighbor, Renee!

My Bible study group, in coordination with Renee's husband, had this great scheme concocted to surprise Renee with a 'kidnapping' out to dinner. Then at the last minute her son got a re-scheduled baseball game on our big night. After a little panic we just decided to tell her the story and convince her that it was ok to miss the game and come out with us. So about an hour everyone showed up, I headed next door, stopped her in the middle of tree-trimming, and told her that I was dressed and ready to go to my friend's birthday party -- hers! After some explanation and assurance that everyone was in on it she laughed and headed in the house to get ready. We all ended up having such a great time and laughed til our stomachs hurt.

Renee has been there for me from the first day we moved in and has become a very treasured friend. Happy 29th, and many more Mexican meals to you, Renee!

Birthday, Part II

2009-05-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the rain, we had to do all our experiments in the garage but it worked out great, making it more 'lab-like'. And the rain, well, isn't that perfect for mad science?

We had a great time watching an egg get sucked into a boiling hot bottle, making a suspension glob, picking up salt and pepper with static electricity, making lava lamps, faking a lightning strike into our model clay figures (with paper clip arms), shooting film canister rockets, and exploding diet coke.

I love the following picture for two reasons: Joshua excitedly anticipating which way his rocket is going to go, and Madeline with her nose right down in the vinegar. She kept telling me how she LOVES the way in smells!

For our grand finale, PaPa gave a lecture on biofuel and gave quite and example of it from a homemade contraption he brought.

The formula? 1 part carbonite + 2 parts water + 1 lit match = an immediate addendum to the HOA covenant. Let's just say it put our Coke bottle explosion to scornful shame! The scientists were well-pleased.

Birthday Boy!

2009-05-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I've been absent for awhile. My internet has not been working for the last few days but a guy from Charissa's favorite communications company came out today and fixed it. Yay!

SOOO.....something big happened this week. Despite all my threats of spankings and other punishments, Joshua just laughed at me and went through with turning 8! He does this sort of thing every year and he doesn't understand that 8 years ago my heart escaped from my chest to see what all the sweet fuss was about and it never did go back to it's protective spot. One day he's just gonna take it right off to some college. Bittersweet, huh?

Well, if you're gonna have a birthday you might as well do it right! This year we had a 'crazy science experiment' party and here's the maddest scientist of them all (yes, that is a Blockbuster card on his ID badge).

Several other little brainiacs joined us for the fun (including Einstein, himself) and they were very excited for Mrs. Banks to just get this picture over with so they could take all that silly stuff off!

Other guests included some big people and one very small one. Kristin was my Egore and ran stuff in and out of the kitchen for me the whole time. Poor girl, I really wore her out. Greg, of course, was the constant janitor, ready to sweep and mop every spill. He's amazing. My friend and neighbor, Renee (aka Einstein's Mom) was my excellent photographer. I could fill 10 posts with all the great shots she got!

As I've mentioned before, my blogger program only takes 4 pictures at a time so I'll post our experiment pictures tomorrow. Here's a parting shot of some cute kids in the meantime.

Happy 8th Birthday, Joshua!!

For Evie

2009-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Joshua heard that you were trying to catch a frog yesterday and he wanted you to see the one he caught. He would love to look under rocks with you and go on a bug hunt. We can't wait to see you!

Here is the frog on Joshua's head. He liked it up there.

Goodbye belly-button breath! (That's not nice!!!)

Meaningless, Meaningless

2009-04-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

I was driving down the road today with the sunroof open, listening to Brad Paisley, popping chocolate-covered almonds, thinking that my long-standing favorite season (fall) was getting a good run for it's money with all these splashes of spring green, when I thought to myself, "Why do guys always refer to each other by their last names?". Niether I, nor any of my girlfriends do that.

Solomon forgot that one, didn't he?

A Day of Earth

2009-04-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

What a happy coincidence that our little beginner produce garden was completed today, Earth Day! We have been talking about how to enjoy our corner of the world while also taking care of it. We're learning how to make our own compost, what flowers to plant for a natural insect-repellant, and we've planted fruits and veggies that we love to eat! This particular garden method is called square-foot-gardening but it could also be titled, "Gardening For Dummies". Just my style. Check back with me in a couple of months to see if we have a harvest!

And can you believe this was part of our memory verse today?

"The depth of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are His. The sea is His; He made it. His hands formed the dry land." Psalm 95:4&5

Praise be to the Creator of this wonderful planet that we call Earth.

Happy Birthday, Becky!

2009-04-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

A Rich & Thoughtful Poem For You

You've been my sister for almost 13 years,
My friend for almost as many.
My neighbor for a year,
And still, you've never called me 'Jenny'

Shannon and I enjoyed lunch with you the other day -- let's do it again soon!
Love, Me