Lucky Number Seven

Happy Anniversary to Josh and me! Today marks seven years since we said, "I do!" Wow, how the time flies.

Here's the last seven years in a nutshell...

-Got married
-Josh ministered at HOPE for two years while I finished school at ACU.
-Moved to Sugar Land the week after I graduated from ACU for Josh to be the worship minister at Sugar Grove
-Josh took on the youth ministry a year after we got here.
-Gave birth to our rollicking bundle of joy, Jordan Riley, in December 2005
-I taught school at WCS from 2006-2007
-Said good-bye to Josh's sweet Nanis
-Moved out of the Apple Drive house to an apartment
-Bought a lot on Pinewood Court
-Josh went to the Philippines for a long awaited mission trip
-Gave birth to our angel face, Ella Paige, in August 2008
-Said good-bye to my precious Poppy in September 2008
-Moved into our lease house on Zieglers Grove
-And now...here we are!

Here are the highlights of our mini-anniversary-vacation on Friday and Saturday.



On our way to The Melting Pot



Celery Teeth



Yeees?



Silence of the Lambs anyone? Seriously...I almost made myself sick eating these breaded stuffed mushrooms! YUMMY!



The Happy Couple :)



Our dippers that went with our oreo milk chocolate marshmallow fondue. DELISH!



Well...it was either a king sized bed in a smoking room or two full sized beds in a non-smoking room. So, we slept Desi and Lucy style. I know...we're dorks.



Josh's new shades from the Outlets on 290.

Alaska

My sweet friend, Erin, and her family are moving to Alaska in less than a month. We've known each other for four years, but became close friends about a year and a half ago. I guess I have been in denial about all of this. You see...I have known for months now that they're heading out in June, but I don't want to believe that it is true.

She and her two precious children have been our Sam's shopping buddies and our playdate friends for a year and a half now. We do our best to get together at least once a week. She and I have fairly identical parenting styles, and we both love to cook, clean and watch our children grow. As we've grown closer as friends, I've come to the realization that she is my kindred spirit. Oh, I will miss her terribly!

One of the most precious pieces of our friendship is watching Jordan and her daughter play their hearts out. They've ridden in the HEB car-carts together, played house in an oversized moving box complete with cut out windows and a door, caught the waves at the Galveston beach and watched their siblings come into this world two weeks apart.

I know that since they are so young, they will not fully remember this friendship as they grow older, but what sweet memories will be held in my heart as I think about their precious friendship.

Tonight on the way home from church, Jordan said, "Momma, I don't want my friend to move to 'Laska'." I said, "I know, buddy. I know you will miss her." In a shaky voice, he then said, "Momma, tears are coming out."

Oh, the tender heart of my three year old son.

The Bird and the Fly

This morning, Jordan, Ella and I went to look at a foreclosed house. As we were walking to the front door, Mrs. Patty said, "Watch out for the dead bird." It was a beautiful bird with a bright yellow neck. Jordan was so concerned about why the bird died and if the bird was going to eat him and if the bird was in Heaven. I assured him the bird was not going to eat him, that we didn't know why he died and that I was pretty positive he was in bird heaven.

When we are at home, Jordan LOVES to play outside in the back yard. From November until February, it wasn't a big deal for him to go outside and leave the back door open, so that I could hear and see him. However, in the last two months, we've had pesky little bugs flying, crawling and hopping into the house.

Today, there was a particular fly that came into our house that I could not get to go back outside. I tried and tried to shoo him out of the house. I tried and tried to kill him. Nothing was working.

This evening, we were eating dinner and the fly started buzzing around our food. Next thing I know, he has dive bombed into my water cup. He committed suicide right there before our very eyes.

Poor Jordan...two animal deaths in one day. I think he's been scarred for life!

Josh and me...

Well, the long and the short of it is this...Josh and I make big-headed babies. I've come to grips with it. It doesn't hurt my feelings if you say it. It is what it is.

So, here's today's story.

Ella went to school with Jordan and me because I only had to go for an hour and a half, so there was absolutely no point in driving her all the way to Mrs. Mary's house for such a short amount of time.

The three year olds wanted to be right on top of her. The four year olds wanted to help her pick her up dropped toys, and the five year olds, well...they just wanted to play the game I had planned. :)

There is a little boy in the 4 year old class who is as smart as they come. He looked at me and said, "Mrs. Kasinger, Ella's cute and all. But, she has a really big head."

Thank you very much.

Ron's Dad

When we arrived in Sugar Land five years ago, we were welcomed by so many at Sugar Grove. However, there were three couples that took us into their already-well-established friendship and, since then, have treated us like we have always been here.

Ron and Amy, along with their kids, Keely, Reagan and Gavin, are one of the couples. Although they no longer live here, we are thankful to keep in touch.

Ron's dad was diagnosed with cancer, not too long ago. The doctors told them today that they probably only have a day or two left with him.

Please lift up their family in prayer, as they say good-bye.

Because of the hope He gives,
whitney

3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days

Jordan is 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days old today. No, I did not figure this out on my own. This information is from his birthday ticker on my blog.

So hard to believe that this much time has flown by...vanished before my eyes.

Here is what happened at school today, as told to me by his teacher and two of his aides all at separate times.

(As most of you know, Jordan is obsessed with the church van. He used to call it "Daddy's Big Truck", but now it is just known as the church van. Jordan would live in it if we would let him. When we go to church, he wants to park by it. Just seeing it sends him into a tizzy.)

So...today at centers, Jordan was playing with cars and trucks. All of the sudden, he looked up and said, "Mrs. Jennifer, where is the church van?" All of the teachers started laughing and said, "Yeah, there's no doubt that he's the son of a youth minister."

:)

It's been a week.

I'm such a slacker. My goal was to blog at least every other day. Well...I think we're all fully aware that that goal of mine has been flushed down the toilet.

I'll try and do better, though. :)

We had a truly awesome Easter weekend. I love that, as Christians, we spend this weekend totally focused on the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I think that too often, I get lost in the thought of his death on the cross. Now, don't get me wrong, we need to think about and contemplate that time in His life, but what a shame when I don't remember what happened three days later. HE ROSE! What a blessing of hope we all have because He defeated death.

I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around His resurrection. I guess I won't fully understand until He comes back to take me home one day. And, that's okay. That's what faith is all about. I choose to believe Him, and I choose to take Him at His word.

My parents were in this weekend, and we had a wonderful time. This is the first time they've been with Jordan and Ella this year when the kids weren't sick. Woo hoo!

Enjoy the pictures, and I pray you had a blessed Easter!

For His glory,
wk


Ella's first tooth


I love this picture!


Easter bunnies :)


Hamming it up