Everyday Adam

180

2011-10-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

I heard about this through a tweet from David Platt. In his words, it is a "hidden horror exposed. eye-opening and heart-wrenching". Please have an open mind and watch all 33 minutes of this documentary. There is some graphic content, so preview it before you share it with your children.

women of faith

2011-09-02T20:39:00.000-05:00

In July, Lauren gleefully informed me that she had been chosen by Booksneeze to be an official review blogger for the Women of Faith Conference in Atlanta on August 12-13. This honor included a ticket for her and one friend to attend the conference. Guess who she chose to join her in this adventure? Yes, her mom -- who would drive, pay for a hotel, food any other incidentals. Bright girl, she is.

I have attended two other Women of Faith conferences, both well over ten years ago. But, I had never attended one with my daughter. I couldn’t pass on this one:)

We headed out mid-morning on the Friday so that we could make a few stops before checking into our hotel and getting started Friday night at 7 pm. We stopped in Newnan (just outside Atlanta) at a very special Chik-fil-a restaurant called Dwarf House. Lauren has wanted to stop anytime we are in the area, but this is our first time (well, she stopped by briefly once with her dad, but I haven’t been by). We stopped for lunch and ate in the sit-down dining area (after Lauren used the Dwarf entrance, of course).

After lunch, we headed into Atlanta and made a brief shopping stop at Atlantic station before checking in at our hotel. We decided to stay at the Omni which is attached to the CNN Center/Philips Arena. The picture below on the left was out our hotel room window.

When we arrived at the conference, we found that Booksneeze sent some pretty good seats for us (on the floor, only about 10 rows back from the stage). It was neat being close to the speakers, but we found that the folding chairs were not very comfortable and very crowded. When we returned for the Saturday morning session, we found available seats up a little higher that had a great view of the jumbotron. Just what we needed!

I really enjoyed our time together: traveling, shopping, and just hanging out with each other and talking about what we heard from the speakers.

“May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like

graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.” Psalm 144:11-13

first day of school

2011-08-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

Well, the first day of school for Max and Desmond was actually last week (Monday, August 8), but I waited until today to post the traditional ‘first day of school’ pictures because I wanted to include ALL of my children. Today was Lauren’s first day of her SENIOR year of college and she was kind enough to tweet a picture of herself before heading out to class this morning.

I have to admit that this first picture of the boys was taken AFTER school (when we arrived home after the stop for an Icee on the way home). They weren’t very interested in having the pictures taken in the morning. I think I may have bribed them with the Icees so I could get a picture. I did have to laugh (to keep from crying) when I saw that they wore old clothes (not any of the many new clothes we bought during back-to-school shopping) on the first day of school. I am slowly starting to accept that they are not little boys anymore and I need to start letting go a bit. So, here is your warning: be on the lookout for the Adam boys in their old clothes and uncombed hair:) And, yes, I know Max needs a haircut. But, that's not how he rolls.

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9

braces before and after!

2011-08-22T19:27:00.000-05:00

January 20, 2010 (top braces put on; the lower braces were put on in October 2009)

August 3, 2011 (braces off!)

It was the week before he started 8th grade and he was thrilled to get his braces taken off. He wasn’t so thrilled when he learned he would be wearing retainers. He sure has grown up!

Two kids down…one to go.

“Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the LORD and with the people.” 1 Samuel 2:26

tripping in texas

2011-07-31T17:30:00.003-05:00

Although Dan has traveled back to Texas to visit his family more often, the children and I had not been since our trip to the Frio River in 2007. So, we decided to make another road trip to Texas back in early June (yes, this is a very tardy post). There was really only one week during the whole summer that everyone was available (between VBS, mission trips, and Lauren’s college classes) and it required leaving the evening of the day that Lauren and Max returned from the Middle School mission trip to Chattanooga. They were so tired from being on a long trip in a 15-passenger van, only to leave six hours later on another long trip in our minivan…but, they were troopers! Once we were packed and ready to go, we found the battery on the van dead – not even a click-click-click. After some finagling with jumper cables and a can of coke, we were good to go.   But, I had a bit of concern since, if you didn’t know, this is the same van that DIED at 125,000 miles while driving through Houston on a previous Texas trip. It was brought back to life with a new engine, though, and has survived another 125,000 miles. I started wondering if that was a magic number with Toyota Siennas.

We made it to my cousin’s home in Magnolia (a suburb of Houston) where we stayed Saturday night, went to church with them Sunday morning, and then shared a great lunch together. Shortly before we left Alabama, I realized that Desmond’s Uncle Paul (his biological mom’s younger brother) had recently moved very near Magnolia, and in fact, was on the route we took to Dan’s sister’s house in a nearby suburb. We decided to surprise Desmond:) We kept talking about heading over to Aunt Cathy’s house, all the while driving to Paul’s house. When we stopped, Desmond said “Aunt Cathy sure has a nice house”. We all just smiled as we got out of the van. As Desmond and Dan started walking up the sidewalk, Paul walked out and just stood and smiled at Desmond. It took Desmond a few seconds, and then he just ran and hugged Paul. It was great! Later, Desmond told me that, when he first saw Paul, he thought “wow, Eric (Cathy’s son) sure looks like Uncle Paul”. We had a nice visit with Paul, his fiancé Shannon, and Shannon’s mom and sister before heading over for a quick visit with Cathy, her husband Scott, and their oldest son, Eric, who recently graduated from High School.    It was great to be able to see everyone!

Then, we headed on to Boerne and arrived at Dan’s parents home to find that his sister, Annie, and her family were also in town. What a great surprise! His older brother, Ben, and his wife, Beth, were also there to meet us.

We had a wonderful time with family during the five days we were there.   It was also Natalie’s (Annie’s daughter)seventh birthday and Ben and Beth invited us all over to celebrate.

They have remodeled a quaint little place near downtown and I just love it. I really like how they have their photographs displayed.

Here is the birthday girl! Don’t you love the cute birthday cookies made by her cousin, Haley?

Dan’s brother, Paul, along with his wife, Sharla, and their son, Corey, drove down from San Angelo one day. I was able to get a picture of Dan with his family (minus Cathy, who was still in Houston) as well as the cousins that were able to be together for the day.

We had such a enjoyable time with Dan’s parents and family. We won’t wait so long for our next trip:)

We usually take two days to get home, but found out as we were traveling (on a Friday) that Lauren would be going on another mission trip (leaving around 11 pm Saturday for Michigan!), so we drove straight and arrived home in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday. Lauren got a few hours of sleep in her own bed before heading out for another week of sleeping on a floor.

"Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone -

especially to those in the family of faith". Galatians 6:9-11

two dozen…

2011-06-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary to the husband I prayed for, dreamed of, and was blessed with 24 years ago!

Still crazy after all these years…

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.”

Proverbs 15:30 (NLT)

gardening before and after, part 2

2011-06-26T17:27:00.002-05:00

I thought I would provide a little update on our flowers and how the hay matting is working for mulch for the wildflowers. The picture on the left was taken on May 9, the middle on May 17, and the right was taken on June 3. The wildflowers are growing great:) The rest of the flowers are doing pretty good…except for the lavender:( I think they do not have adequate drainage. They are still creating a few aromatic buds, but not very many.

Here is a look from the opposite directions (same dates):

The first picture on the left below is a close-up of the wildflowers on May 17 and in the middle on June 3. On May 17, I also added a few more impatiens by the breezeway entrance.

More impatiens were added to the pot with the lavender and along the empty space next to the building. I also picked up another pot of petunias and marigolds which were added on the left-hand corner (see before and after below):

Below, even more impatiens were added in three planters at the end of the sidewalk near the yard, along with some new grass being planted (under the hay matting) immediately behind them. We needed some help keeping the sand from washing on to the sidewalk. The first two pictures below were taken on May 17 and the far right picture shows the growth as of June 3.

What do you get when you cross an old, sun-faded planter and a half-empty can of rust-colored paint? An almost-new looking planter:) Right now it is still empty while I decide what to add.

Be on the lookout for further updates. Yeah, I know you are waiting on pins and needles. ;)

"I went down to the grove of walnut trees and out to the valley to see the new spring growth,

to see whether the grapevines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom."

Song of Solomon 6:11

gardening before and after, part 1

2011-06-21T13:06:00.001-05:00

May 9, 2011: The walkway from our driveway to our back door (which is our primary entrance) was once surrounded by azalea bushes on both sides. Several years ago, the bushes closest to the house died. It was sad. So, we Dan dug them up and we began to use that area for other things. Some years we planted flowers, some years we planted vegetables, and some years it just sat there looking ugly. It sat looking ugly for most of the last year. I got tired of that and bought some flowers to throw in it this Spring. I walk down that sidewalk all the time and I wanted to see something colorful and pretty. I started by picking up a few hanging baskets to add to the older rosemary and chrysanthemum that survived winter (still bloomless). Then I picked up some cute petunias, marigolds, lavender and mandevillas. Hey, let’s throw in some herbs: rosemary, basil and mint.

Well, those just fill in the empty (and some new) planters and give a base for the new wrought-iron trellises. We needed more. So, we added three bags of wildflower seeds and a roll of hay/straw netting to act as a mulch. It is usually used for growing grass, but we thought we would experiment and see how it would work with the flowers. Plus, it would make it look a little nicer until the flowers came in. See the before and after:

Dan and I have always loved the aroma of lavender, so we added a beautiful swatch of it to one of our pots. I have heard it isn’t easy to grow, so it is also an experiment. But, in the meantime, it is beautiful to gaze at and run our fingers through as we walk by…just to add the fragrance to the path.

I had a little helper, too. But, Stripey is not the most sociable cat. He doesn’t miss many meals, either.

I will be posting more "after" pictures:)

"Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew.

Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants."

Deuteronomy 32:2

50 years with my father, happy father’s day, daddy

2011-06-19T11:25:00.011-05:00

While I was growing up, I always thought my dad looked like Elvis. Maybe that was what started my strange fascination with ‘the King’. When I started this blog post, I began to search my photo files to find pictures of me with my dad. It was a much harder task than I had anticipated. I guess he was usually the one behind the camera when I was a child.

My dad was a hard working man. He grew up in a very different family than I did. Growing up in the 30s and 40s in the poor, rural south was much different than growing up in the 60s and 70s on military bases. I thought my life was hard while I was growing up, but when I look back on it today, I can look beyond my father’s faults and see the important things that he taught me: to love God, to work hard, and to take care of my family.

This was my dad in his much younger days, before I was even a twinkle in his eye. He was the youngest of five children (he had three brothers and one sister). He resembles his mother, my ‘granny’, Rosie, who had some American Indian heritage. I can really see her in this first picture of him as a small child. It was taken when he was around 5 years old.

My father left home at a very early age and joined the military. He eventually ended up in the United States Army, where he served for 20 years before retiring. The picture on the right was taken the late 50s (perhaps, while he was in Germany).

He married my mother in the late 50s and my brother was born 16 months later. I showed up two years after that.

Here is my dad holding me when I was about a month old, while we were living in Texas the first time. The picture of him in uniform holding me was taken when I was around three while we lived in Illinois. I could find no more pictures of me with my dad until after I graduated from high school.

Below are photos of me and my dad in the 1980s. The first, on the left, was taken while we were at New York in 1980 for my older brother’s college graduation. The middle picture (which is very fuzzy, just like my hair and my dad’s beard!) is at my graduation from college a few years later. And, finally, on my right is my father walking me down the aisle at my wedding in the late 80s. He has a really great tan in that one because he spent the whole day cutting the lawn at our home. The outdoor reception was held there and it had rained most of the previous week. The sun finally showed up on the morning of the wedding and he was able to take care of business:)

And here we are in 2011. The effects of Alzheimer’s began to ravage my father’s body a few years ago. Thankfully, his medications have made it so that we can still communicate with each other for a little longer. More than anything, I am grateful that he knows the Lord and looks forward to a time when his body and mind are again whole.

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy! I love you.

"Listen to what your father teaches you. Do not neglect your mother's teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor."

Proverbs 1:8-9

don't let the demons get you down

2011-05-27T08:08:00.015-05:00

Blog entries that spoke to me this week:

Anne Voskamp from A Holy Experience: when you feel like you just keep blowing it
Kristen Welch from We Are That Family: when you feel unworthy
Emily Freeman from Chatting up the Sky: when saying you’re sorry is a bad idea
Kim Arnold from A Modern-day Margery Raves On: In Courage

How about you? What did you read this week that seemed like it was written for you alone?

"He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom;
He gives all this to those who fear Him." Isaiah 33:6

guests or guinea pigs?

2011-05-14T21:35:00.001-05:00

Last night was our turn to host our church supper club group. Each quarter, we are grouped with two other couples and take turns hosting, with each couple hosting one night during one of each of the three months. We get new groups every quarter. This gives us opportunities to meet people from church that we normally would not have chance to spend more time with.

Dan and I like to ~~use our guests as guinea pigs~~ try new things when we have supper club. Last night was no different. In April, our hosts served Shrimp Gumbo over rice and bread pudding for dessert. This seemed to get the ball rolling with a Cajun theme, so we ran with it. Our menu for May included:

Appetizers
Crostini with fresh mozzarella and bruschetta
Bacon-wrapped miniature turducken * with Cajun avocado dip
Main course
Crawfish Etoufee with white rice
French bread
Dessert
Bananas Foster crème brûlée *

Let me fill you in on our items that we had not prepared before (those annotated with *).

Bacon-wrapped miniature turducken with cajun avocado dip
Dan came up with the idea of making a turducken appetizer. Usually, a turducken is a deboned hen inside a deboned duck inside of a deboned turkey. Dan decided to use strips of chicken thighs, duck breast and turkey breast, sprinkled with a special Cajun seasoning, roll them into pinwheels, cover with a strip of bacon and broil. We added a dip adapted by adding some Zatarain’s seasoning (see recipe below). Some of our guests ate them without the dip, others with the dip, but everyone loved them and deemed this a success. I think they were happy to be guinea pigs:)

1 medium avocado
1/4 cup sour cream
1 T. lime juice
1 ½ T. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 T. regular Zatarain’s seasoning
½ t. garlic powder
1/2 t. black pepper

Bananas Foster crème brûlée
We love crème brûlée and we love Bananas Foster, so Dan thought we could combine the two and have a great Cajun-theme dessert. I started by making a simple vanilla crème brûlée (without adding the final brown sugar) the night before, giving it time to cool overnight. Then, right before our guests arrived, Dan added the first layer of raw sugar and hit it with his trusty torch (grabbed out of the garage…who needs a special tiny torch?). This would provide a crunch under the bananas. Then, he added a few banana coins (bananas cut in round slices, not strips), with a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar (to give more of that bananas foster flavor) before torching again. UH-OH. We found out with the first dish that brown sugar burns! Yuck. So, we quickly removed the bananas and started all over with new bananas, cinnamon and more raw sugar. After the third torching, they looked great. Dan covered with a paper towel until time for dessert. Unfortunately, the heat being covered caused it to become more of a syrup instead of a dry, crunchy topping. Or, so we thought. When we began to dig in, there was still lots of crunchiness and they were delicious.

It reminded me of the first time I ever experienced Bananas Foster. After an evening at the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center in 1986, Dan and I headed to Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia for a late night dinner at Two Nineteen (a New Orleans-style Creole restaurant). Dan suggested we have Bananas Foster, a dessert I had never even heard of. How surprised I was when they showed up at the table and set the dish aflame before my eyes! When they added the flambéed bananas concoction to the vanilla ice cream, it was to die for. It definitely added to the beautiful evening with the man I love.

Following our dessert Friday evening, we were joined by the children (who had been playing in the living room) and Max serenaded us with a few songs. Our little friend, Nolan, loved playing with Max’s electric guitar and then we moved upstairs to the ~~music studio~~ boy’s room. Desi held Nolan and helped him play his drums while Max gave Nolan’s dad a few lessons on the guitar. We are definitely going to miss this sweet family when they move to Mississippi next month. We are so happy that we had this opportunity to get to know them better before they move.

"When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality."

Romans 12:13 (NLT)

yes, it’s mama’s day!

2011-05-08T18:46:00.000-05:00

This is my 21st year of motherhood (I was pregnant this time in 1990…I count that as part of my motherhood!). I still remember how much it meant to me when Dan gave me a Mother’s Day card when I was pregnant with Lauren.

This morning, Lauren gave me a coupon book that she made with little humorous coupons, like "Permission to ask me to do my laundry and I can't complain:)". Last night, she and the boys were recording a rap for me (while Dan and I were out), but they had some technical difficulties and it accidentally got deleted during production/editing:( However, they did sing a few parts they remembered while we were at the park today…it was too funny!

We started our day with worship, then came home to change clothes before heading out for our picnic. For the past several years, we have stopped by Fresh Market (or the like) for some munchies and head out to the Blount Cultural Park at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival Park (or, Children’s Harbor and Windcreek Park on Lake Martin, as we did for a change in 2010). It was a beautiful day for a picnic. We ate a lot of food and played a little frisbee.

I am a very blessed woman. I love my husband. I love my children. I love my God.

"The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them."

Proverbs 20:7 (NLT)

father and son

2011-05-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today was yet another baseball game that did not turn out in our team’s favor. Desmond did pitch for the first four innings, and although the opposing team scored, he had some strike-outs and even a few innings with 4 up and 3 down pretty quickly. He had a tough time getting on base, though. But, it is time that Des and Dan get to spend together, especially when Dan is coaching first base. It is great for Des to have his dad there to encourage him, keep him energized, give him constructive criticism, and just be a shoulder to lean on when he needs one.

“I have the highest confidence in you, and I take pride in you.

You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.”

2 Corinthians 7:4 (NLT)

backyard beauties

2011-05-07T07:29:00.019-05:00

It is hard to believe that these yellow pansies have lasted so long, especially since I haven’t watered them at all. They have just drink up whatever comes with the rains. I hope they stay awhile.

My best friend, Barb, and I had lunch today and then had a quick shopping trip to find a few flowers to start adding to my back patio area (we also threw in a rapid run through Winn Dixie for some groceries!).

The white petunias and purple verbena are new, along with the yellow lantana. I do wish I could remember the name of these cute white-tipped pink flowers, though. They are a perennial ground cover that I’ve had for a few years. I love how delicate they are, yet so sturdy and seem to make it through the summer and into the fall.

I forgot the name of these last beauties, but they look like little petunias. Maybe Barb will comment and remind me of their name.

I hope to pick up some more flowers to add to the back yard next week:)

"People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.

But the word of the Lord remains forever."

1 Peter 1:24-25

no child labor laws here

2011-05-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

Dan went shopping last weekend and bought a new ~~toy~~ tool for the boys. Desmond was so excited and wanted to start mowing the lawn. Last weekend he pushed it for a few minutes and stopped. Today he had his second chance of fun. Of course, there isn’t much of a lawn for him to mow;) I think he kicked up more sand than anything.

I am not sure if his face below shows excitement, confusion, frustration or fear. What do you think?

"Wise words bring many benefits and hard work brings rewards."

Proverbs 12:14

our hope and confidence

2011-05-01T19:57:00.006-05:00

Earlier this year, I posted my goal to memorize scripture and how I was joining the folks at the Living Proof Ministries (Beth Moore’s ministry) Blog on the 2011 Siesta Scripture Memorization Team. The goal is to memorize two scripture verses each month (of our own choosing), posting them on the blog on the 1st and 15th of each month. So far, I have been able to memorize these 8 scriptures:

“He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; He gives all this to those who fear Him.” Isaiah 33:6 (NET)
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Colossians 2:6-7 (NASB)
“And God is able to make all grace abound in you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)
“To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.” Matthew 13:12 (NLT)
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)
“So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return.” Matthew 25:13 (NLT)
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
“There, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

Today is the 1st, so it’s time for a new verse:

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

I have never done anything like this before. Of course, until last year, I had never read the entire Bible before. Through his Word, the Lord is opening my eyes, my heart, and my mind to his will. With every scripture committed to memory, I have more weapons to fight the unrighteousness that is all around me in this world. They are strong tools from the Lord. How about joining me? Let us work together to increase and strengthen our arsenals.

[edited on 05.03.11 to correct a bible verse typo!]

healing the heartbreak

2011-04-30T11:47:00.001-05:00

If you click on this link, you can see satellite photos taken by GeoEye the day before and the day after the storm that brought with it the massive tornado that left an almost 10-mile path of destruction through the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

I live a few hours from Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, another city hit by this storm. The small town of Eclectic, Alabama, which is only about 10 miles away, was also fatally affected by a tornado in this storm. Even more deaths came from the storm as it continued to travel through Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.

All this devastation in one day. The lives of thousands of families changed forever. In times like these, there is nothing that mere humans can do to change this destructive storm. There are many ways that we are told to prepare: hiding under porches, covering yourself with cushions in a bathtub, hunker down in an inside closet, etc. But, the only real way to prepare is to prepare your soul. I pray now for the families of those who perished in this storm. I pray that their heartbreak is healed through the peace that can only come from the Prince of Peace. I pray for those who are now homeless, for those who are separated from loved ones to find on another, and for the rescue workers who are working hard to help. But, most of all, I pray that many lost souls are able to find a personal relationship with the Lord through this horrific event.

If you are able, you may help by donating to UMCOR. UMCOR is the United Methodist Committee on Relief and 100% of your donation will go toward this effort since all administrative costs are underwritten by the United Methodist Church.

“Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.”

Romans 8:38b

take me out to the ballgame

2011-04-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again…baseball! This year, Desmond was drafted (yes, they draft!) to play on the Riverside Chevrolet team. His primary fielding position is shortstop. This is the first year he has played in the kid-pitch league and he has enjoyed a few opportunities to pitch. His concentration was so severe that his tongue always came out!

These pictures were taken at one of our games earlier in the season. I have not taken my camera to many of the games this year. Until tonight’s game, the team had only won one of seven games they played. Tonight, they played a team that had only lost one game, but the boys were excited and ready to play. We were all so proud of them and how they did not just give up. They came out out swinging and scored 4 runs during the first inning, holding their opponents from scoring with 4 up and 3 down very quickly. I think that gave them what they needed to just go for it. They scored two more runs the next inning, and ended up winning the game 10-3. It was an exciting game for our boys and everyone saw what they can really do!

I think this is going to be the ‘turn around time’ this season. Go team!

sweet times with sweet friends

2011-04-24T18:48:00.000-05:00

After church today, we joined my dear friend, Barb, and her family for lunch and fellowship. A few weeks ago, she asked Lauren to make these cute cupcakes for the event. Since Lauren is a fan of cupcakes and peeps, she accepted the sweet challenge. Don’t they look like pure sugar? Aren’t they cute?!

We had a wonderful time with Barb’s family and other great friends from church. As usual, we had lots of great food to eat (I didn’t get a picture, though) – ham, chicken, potatoes, green beans, grape salad, pasta salad, tossed salad, rolls, and two types of cupcakes.

Here is a sweet picture of Barb with her sweet sister, Rose. How is that for a sweet time?

celebrating his resurrection

2011-04-24T17:45:00.001-05:00

Today is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. What a blessed morning where we worshiped together with friends -- big and small, old and new. We heard a wonderful message from the Lord, through our pastor, which culminated our sermon series, On the Road with Jesus, with “The Road to Resurrection”. We were reminded that the road to resurrection is traveled through scripture, hospitality and fellowship (Luke 24:17-31).

As is our family custom, we get a family picture by the flower cross at our church. As these boys get older, it gets harder and harder to get their cooperation. First, Des decided to be cool with his glasses, and Max couldn’t get his jacket on. Then, Des decided to just close his eyes. Finally, a picture showing Desmond’s eyes, with everyone smiling…except Dan! Oh, well, I am still thrilled to get this picture to share with you all! (You can also get a glimpse of my ‘ombre’ look. Okay, I am not really “rocking my roots”, but growing it out to it’s natural color; I just thought ombre would sound more 2011.)

Then, it was time for a few photos of the children alone. But, would it be any easier? Hmmm. Des needs to fix the flowers. Lauren and Des decide to be gangster. Then, Max joins in with his “I am too cool to be in this picture” pose. Finally, another close one…if only we could get Des to smile.

Afterwards, we joined friends for more fellowship (another post to follow!). I hope you and your family had an equally wonderful time celebrating Resurrection Sunday!

^“But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!”

Luke 24:1-6a (NLT)

flyin’ eggstra high

2011-04-18T20:14:00.000-05:00

Fun times at the Easter Eggstravaganza at Mulder Church this past weekend. The Bungee Jumper was definitely the biggest hit of the day!

it’s blooming time!

2011-04-17T20:43:00.000-05:00

I took these pictures on April Fools day. These blooms had popped the week before and I realized it was about to storm later on in the evening. The storm was sure to ruin the freshness of the blooms, so I rushed inside to grab my camera. It was later in the afternoon, and a cloudy day, and I wasn’t sure how they would turn out. In the end, I was pretty pleased. I love this time of year!

if you give a girl a pattern

2011-04-16T21:38:00.000-05:00

It kind of sounds like If you Give a Mouse a Cookie. But, it isn't.

If you have a daughter who wants to make her own Easter dress, you might want to consider the following:

1. If she asks which of two patterns would be best to use, just tell her you have no idea and that she should make that decision herself.

2. If she says she wants to do it all by herself, be prepared for her to change her mind and expect you to read her mind.

3. If she does not start working on the dress, after purchasing the pattern and the fabrics, do not ask her when she plans to begin.

4. If Easter is approaching quickly, and she has only trimmed the pattern pieces, do not say anything about it.

5. If she asks you to sew it for her, do not encourage her to do it herself by saying no.

6. If she begins to work on the dress, do not, under any circumstances, make any comment on how she is sewing the dress...no matter how often she complains about the pattern's instructions.

7. If she has troubles and problems while sewing the dress, do not try to teach her how to correct those problems.

8. Realize that she either wants to do it ALL by herself, or not do it at all.

Because that is the way she rolls.

That is the lesson for today.

fun friday links

2011-04-15T07:15:00.015-05:00

Since I don't do Facebook anymore, I haven't been able to share some of the interesting things I have found online recently. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure on this fun Friday in April:

These adorable chocolate-covered confections would be perfect for your peep-lovers!

More on practicing hospitality from Lindsay over at Passionate Homemaking -- be hospitable to bless, not impress.

Not Your Everyday Bible Study on Covenant -- check it out!

Great post by Ann Voskamp on teaching gratitude (it is written in regards to teaching children, but I think it would be great for all of us! I think I need to consider another 30 Days of Gratitude meme).

A new project I am considering for our church: Jetpacks! Tell me what you think about it:)

Since it is the 15th, that means I have a new scripture to memorize. Who wants to join me?

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

goals update

2011-04-13T09:18:00.001-05:00

Since we are a quarter of the way through the year (as I am so blatantly reminded by the fact that taxes are now due), I thought it would be good to evaluate how I am doing with my Goals for 2011. I am pleased with some of my progress and disappointed with some of my failures (duh!). I am going to post my progress quarterly, so please help me stay accountable!

Spiritual
1. LPM SSMT Scripture Memorization: 2 scriptures each month -- Surprisingly, I have kept up with memorizing my scriptures and have seven new scriptures memorized! :)
2. Bible Reading: Another success! I am up-to-date with my reading plan that alternates between the Law, History, Poetry, Psalms, Prophecy, Gospels and Epistles (thank you, Lord, for keeping the desire in my heart to read your word!).
3. Prayer/Devotion/Quiet Time: I was keeping up with this until Spring Break week in March, but have fallen away. Time to get back in gear!
Physical
4. Exercise: I definitely did not work up to exercising 5 times a week by March. I have exercised very little at all (only a few odd weeks here and there for just a few times a week). I am considering joining a gym. But, I know I need to do more than consider exercising:(
5. Eat Right: I have not started menu planning yet. I have not started counting calories, but I am being more aware (on most days). I have lost about 7 lbs. since January, but have been at a standstill since the beginning of March.
Emotional
6. No jumping back into the pit! I think I am doing better here thanks to encouragement from my fantastic husband.
7. Be honest and learn to trust those who love me. I think I am getting a little better, but I admit I have more work to do in this area.

How are you doing with your goals? What do you do to help keep them in your mind?

goodbye facebook!

2011-04-10T22:09:00.003-05:00

If I recall correctly, I started using facebook sometime in 2007. The only reason I had not registered earlier was because my then high-school aged daughter ~~told~~ asked me not to join. She eventually acquiesced and I registered and started to accumulate all those highly-sought-after friends. I quickly found long-lost high school friends and acquaintances, college roommates from the 80s, and friends from my time in northern Virginia, yadda yadda yadda. I soon began to post my pictures and status updates. Facebook was amazing. Facebook was fun. Facebook let me see into the lives of people who were practically strangers. Facebook was addicting.

Time passed. I began to realize if I was seeing into the lives of others, then they were seeing into my life. I began to wonder if I was putting too much “out there”, so I set my preferences to be more private and only allow certain ‘friends’ to see certain posts, pictures, links. Each time the Facebook team added a new privacy option, I was right on top of it, limiting what my friends saw on their feed from my posts/profile. At the highest, my friend count was close to 400. Then, I realized that these were not really my friends. In fact, there were many people who I accepted friend requests from that I did not even know (like one of my husband’s college roommates). I had friends who were people I went to high school with in the 70s. I began to admit to myself that I was not really friends with these people in high school. I had stayed in touch with exactly ZERO of those people after I graduated from high school (other than the time I attended my 10 year class reunion and was voted “Most Changed”…seriously). Why in the world was I holding on to the idea that we were now friends? Was I trying to rewrite history? Was I reliving the glory days? (Okay, that last one was a joke…it just seemed funny as I really had no glory days in high school.)

So, what did I do? I began to delete those facebook friends who were really strangers from my past. I ended up with a little under 200 people left on my friend list, with most of those being people who I currently attend my church (and I actually see on a regular basis). I did keep a handful of people from high school who I had actually spent time with as friends in high school, many of my relatives, and some local people who’s children are classmates of my children. I told myself that facebook was a useful tool to keep up with all the important information I needed to know about my family and friends, especially my church friends. But, in actuality, I just wanted to know what was going on in everyone’s lives. I was just being nosy, and it was taking up a lot of my time. It seemed like I could not go into the kitchen (where I keep my laptop) without ‘checking in’ to see what was happening. I couldn’t return home from shopping without a quick check. I would sit for hours at night reading through updates, looking at pictures, and clicking on recommended links.

On March 29, my 20 year old daughter deleted her Facebook account. She began to share how excited she was to be able to work on having real, face-to-face, talking to people relationships. She shared that she now felt a freedom that she had not felt in years. She knew how addicted I was and she encouraged me to join her in this new adventure. It sounded like the right thing to do, but I kept thinking “but, how can I keep up with what everyone is doing?”. It hit me how ridiculous that sounded. I certainly survived without all the minutia of information from facebook before 2007. I think I can survive without it now.

We are becoming a nation of people who only know how to communicate electronically, who are tied to our cell phones and other electronic media, and are losing opportunities to grow real-life relationships.

As of January 2011, Facebook had more than 600 million active users. As of April 2010, 41.6% of the United States population had a Facebook account. That is crazy.

As of April 8, 2011, there is one less Facebook User -- me, and I couldn’t be happier! The hardest part was making the decision (although, I do have 14 days for it to be final…they really don’t want me to leave!). Once I made the click, I felt an instanteous feeling of relief and freedom. I have not regretted my decision at all. Yes, there are a few people that I forgot to get contact information from before I deleted my account, but I can find them….eventually. (If my dear cousin in Houston sees this, I hope you still have the same email…if not, please email me!)

I dare you to join me.

blog housekeeping

2011-02-05T19:16:00.002-06:00

I am trying to decide something about how I organize my blogging.

I started this blog to share family comings and goings (actually, it started as a blog that would be one picture a day, but that didn't happen!). I also have a blog that I used to share about my bible reading, but I hadn't used that since January 2010. I had a post written for this blog and realized it was really more appropriate for my bible reading blog, so I posted it over there (and I added a link on the left column here to find it). I realized that several of my most recent posts are more personal to me and how God is working in me, not about my family (not that it doesn't affect my family). But, they are not just specifically about scriptures I have read, so I am keeping them here.

I don't really know what is best. But, I thought I would keep ~~all my many readers~~ the few of you who read here informed that I may be moving posts around between the two blogs until I get it figured out. Please be patient!

That word just reminded me that, in accordance with the request from one of my pastors, I need to read this verse daily:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

keeping the sabbath holy

2011-01-28T19:54:00.002-06:00

As I was reading through Anne Graham Lotz's book God's Story, I was once again reminded about Sundays being sabbath. What does sabbath mean?

1. The seventh day of the week, Saturday, observed as the day of rest and worship by the Jews and some Christian sects.
2. The first day of the week, Sunday, observed as the day of rest and worship by most Christians.

I have always celebrated the sabbath on Sundays. Well, now I wonder if I was really celebrating them or just calling them a sabbath. Sabbath is a day of rest and worship. I do treat my sabbath days (Sundays) differently than I do the other days of the week. It is the day that I worship and study the word with other believers. But, I wonder, do I really set apart Sunday, make it special, make it different than the other six days of the week. In truth, I don't think I do a terrible job at it, but I could be better.

I could prepare better by taking care of errands (shopping, etc) and chores (paying bills, doing laundry, cleaning up) on the other six days.

I could plan a evening meal so that my family could eat together (we usually dine out for lunch after church).

I could concentrate on quality time with my family instead of looking for their faults to identify and correct. This would reduce friction, arguments, whining, and all those other things that take our mind off God.

I could take a technology fast (no television or internet) on Sundays. It would really help if I could get the rest of the family in on this one, though. I think we would end up spending more interacting with each other.

I could focus on God.

"Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord's holy day. Honor the Lord in everything you do, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this, the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and give you your full share of the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor. I, the Lord, have spoken!"

Isaiah 58:13-14

i'm a freak

2011-01-24T18:12:00.004-06:00

Not the super-freaky kind.

When I earlier discussed my goals, I concentrated on my personal goals. There is a huge part of my life that does not really fit within those particular goals -- how I live my life with the people in my life. If am am truly going to open myself up to making changes in my life, do things differently (love?), do things more (love?), do things less (not love?), then I must consider how I relate to my family, my friends, even strangers.

I have been reminded of this in one of my current bible studies that I mentioned in my last post -- No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. The basis of this study is that we must confront the modern-day idols that clutter and claim our hearts. When I first started the study, I thought my 'modern-day idol' would be ... Facebook. But, now that I am in my second week of the study, God has led me to something a little less superficial than social networking media. My big modern-day idols are power, control, and pride.

I am afraid that I might be considered a control-freak. This is a fault that I admit and I really am trying to change. My 'control-freakness' (is that a word?) ranges from having a innate desire to have my children wear certain clothes and comb their hair certain ways (okay, how about just comb their hair at all?) to not delegating work because I want to make sure it is done 'my way'. The latter really came to light in my former life as a Children's Ministry Director. But, I also believe that particular time of my life gave me the opportunity to take a chance, and by the end of my term I did learn to delegate...a little. I still hated it when somebody did things differently than I had in mind. Alas, I survived and all the programs seemed to go on without a hitch, even after I resigned from the position.

Unlike any other day, today I lit a candle as I began my studying. It became clear to me (today, at least), that not only do these sinful desires (power, control, and pride) affect my relationship with God, but they can "snuff out God's burning goodness". The candle in front of me could easily be blown out, leaving only brief embers of the former lively flame. The same can be said for how the fulfillment of our sinful desires can affect God's goodness in the world. Our sinful reactions and attitudes can negate any goodness of God that might be illuminated through our life otherwise.

Please, Lord, help me to allow your flame to burn brightly. Help me to reflect your glory in my actions, not my sinful desires.

"Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to
God when he comes to judge the world."

1 Peter 2:12

wasting time?

2011-01-17T19:55:00.002-06:00

God has been putting something on my heart for awhile, and just recently he started repeating himself because, well, I was ignoring him. That hurts to type, but it is true.

I ~~spend~~ waste too much time on the computer.

I am not saying that technology is bad. But, I am saying that I have not been managing my time well when I am online. Specifically, I have found that I have a hard time not wasting time when I check my facebook account and when I catch up on the blogs I follow through Google Reader. Well, God has brought that fact back to my attention in two different ways over the past few days:

My first ~~big bump~~ little nudge was, coincidentally, when I was reading a blog I follow. This is a blog that I have not kept up with regularly (i.e., I see her updates in my reader, but I rarely click on them), but, for some reason (God's nudging?), I read her recent post on "Guarding Against Technology Time-Wasters". It is just posts like this that show me that there is very useful information available online, but we must use the internet wisely. I am so grateful that she wrote this post and provided some useful tips and tools.

My second encouragement was a new bible study I started attending last night. My friend, Barb, is facilitating a study by Kelly Minter called No Other Gods on Sunday evenings at the Mulder Church. Barb and I heard Kelly Minter last month when we attended the Deeper Still Conference in Birmingham. Kelly had such spunk and a heart for the Lord, we both were quickly interested in looking into her bible studies. I am so grateful that Barb was led to facilitate this particular one. During our first introductory lesson last night, so many in attendance brought up how much time we have wasted on the internet and how it has truly become a god in our lives. I hope that this great group of women will be able to hold me accountable in this area as we study more to fight our 'personal pharoahs'.

God is so good. He knows what I need when I fail by trying to meet those needs my own way. I thank him right now for these tools he has provided me. In fact, one of the comments on the "Guarding against technologies" blog post I mentioned above shared a wonderful tool, a Google Chrome extension called StayFocusd. This is a "productivity" extension that restricts the amount of time you can spend browsing websites. Once your allotted time for the day has been used up, the sites you have blocked will be inaccessible for the rest of the day. I downloaded it last night and have set a limit on the time I can stay on Facebook each day: 20 minutes. I just needed something to remind me, and this little tool is just the thing for me. I am still deciding if I need to set restrictions for other websites (blogs, etc).

When reviewing my Google Reader account, I realized I had over 100 subscriptions!! I have my reader set up to show on my iGoogle home page, so I have the ~~opportunity~~ temptation to read all...those...blogs. Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking (the blog I referenced above) suggests limiting yourself to 5 blogs. I started reviewing my subscriptions and did get it down to 61. That really doesn't sound like very much of a decrease, though, does it? I need to cull a little more, I guess. But, it is a start!

I also am committing not to open up the laptop until I have completed (1) my daily bible reading (click HERE for my 52-week plan), and (2) my daily bible studies (No Other Gods and a new Tuesday morning study I start tomorrow).

E-mails, social media sites, or blogs are not going to be my modern-day idols.

"This disaster came upon the nation of Israel because the people worshiped other gods, sinning against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of their slavery in Egypt." 2 Kings 17:7 (NLT)

continuing christmas

2011-01-16T19:21:00.004-06:00

I thoroughly enjoyed learning my scripture for the first part of January. For my second January scripture, I chose Colossians 2:6-7 (NASB):

"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

At the end of the Christmas season, Craig (my pastor) announced that we were going to be extending the Christmas season. He was brought to this decision after seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra before Christmas and then observing how our church pitched in and provided Christmas gifts for over 100 needy children and groceries for a week for their 50 families. He shared that these events should be what we do all year long, not just at Christmastime. So, we are leaving up the decorations and continuing with the season of giving. We are going to have twelve months of Christmas at Mulder! Our current ongoing sermon series is called "Christmastime, All the time", and today's sermon was specifically "Prayertime, All the time". Craig mostly discussed personal prayer, corporate prayer, and community prayer. I thought this was pretty cool, because earlier this week I happened upon a blog that discussed seven ways to "Build your house of Prayer" using the acronym SHELTER:

Short, simple prayers
Help from those who have gone before us
Establish a place, a retreat for prayer
Lists of names, needs, and nations
Together, pray is a place of communion with God and community with others
Establish a time to establish priority
Reminders created and used to remember why you are building a house of prayer

I have been doing better in keeping up with my bible reading (with the goal to complete by the end of the year), but I have to admit that my prayer life has been lacking. I really need to follow this SHELTER idea and build my house of prayer. I need to be persistent.

"Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

joyful winter

2011-01-12T21:47:00.021-06:00

It is cold in Alabama. It is so cold that I pulled out the thermal long underwear. I am so glad that I have lost 6 pounds over the last week so that I could still fit in my blue jeans with this extra layer! If only I could lose 6 pounds ever week, but these are just those easy first pounds that had only come on over the last month or so. I had tried going low-carb a few months ago, but that fell apart. So, Dan and I are back to our old reliable: counting calories and exercising.

But, I did not really come to blog about losing weight, or even about the unreasonably cold weather we are having (low 20s) that requires pulling out the thermals.

I came to talk about joy. I hadn't originally planned to blog about this, but after reading this post on happiness that reiterated that we are responsible for our own happiness, I changed my mind. Although I believe that happiness is different from joy, and I don't think we create our own joy, I do believe we are responsible for making the decisions that can lead to that joy.

In my last post I mentioned that I spent a lot of time in an emotional pit last year. A few days ago, when I was sitting on the edge of that pit, about to jump back in, the Lord made something very clear to me:

"No man is perfect. Only the Son of man is perfect. You must find your joy from the one who is perfect. That is where your joy must come from."

Instantly, it was like a light switched on in my head and I knew exactly what I had to do to stay out of the pit, and it required a change in me. I had to depend up the Lord, and desire approval by Him, for my joy. I had to realign my priorities. It was clear, without question. I had been in the midst of my morning scripture reading in Matthew at the time. As I continued to read, I came to this verse, which perfectly aligned with everything. It was the story from the second chapter of Matthew where the wise men had been sent by Herod to Bethlehem to search for the Christ Child. From verses 9-10:

"After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. it went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!"

Yes, Christ is the way to joy in my life, and your life. It started with the wise men all those years ago, as they followed the star and it is still true today. True joy can only come through Christ.

"Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn." Psalms 5:8

a new year: 2011

2011-01-01T14:14:00.004-06:00

I have to say that, in many ways, 2010 was a difficult year for me. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it was the year I turned 50. I don't mind being 50 and I was not sad to turn 50. In fact, I had a wonderful time celebrating turning 50 with my family and some great friends.

I don't want to say I was not blessed, because I was during 2010. But, I had a very unorganized and stressful year. I had a difficult time staying on track. I worried. I felt sorry for myself. I was in a pit.

It is time to get out of the pit. (Yes, I stole that from Beth Moore.)

I have to thank my daughter, Lauren, for her encouragement in two ways. First, she made me this:

She used fabric left over from her quilt to decorate a planner that she created for me. The categories include: monthly calendars, weekly planning, operation world, bible reading plan, prayer life, to do lists, menu planning, and additional notes. It also has the two envelopes on the front inside cover for any little goodies I need to keep. The back cover has a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “do one thing every day that scares you”.

She also shared with me the scripture memorization that is going on over at Living Proof Ministries blog (more Beth Moore!). She has committed to participate in this and asked me to join her. So, we bought a spiral-bound index card notebook and are going to memorize 24 scriptures this year. The scripture I chose for my first is from Isaiah 33:6 (NET), “He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; he gives all this to those who fear Him”. Why don’t you consider joining us?

My goals for 2011 (starting Monday, 01.03.11):

Spiritual
1. LPM SSMT Scripture Memorization: 2 scriptures each month
2. Bible Reading: Last year I restarted my One-Year Chronological Bible and only made it through June 28th (almost half). This year I am going to use the reading plan that my husband used last year. It alternates each day of the week between the Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels.
3. Prayer/Devotion/Quiet Time: This has been the hardest for me so far.
Physical
4. Exercise: I know I can do this. I have done it before. My goal will be to start off with exercising at least 3 times a week, but move up to 4 times by February and 5 times by March. I think I need to start small so I don’t come up with excuses.
5. Eat Right: I am going back to counting calories. I think menu planning will help in this area (as well as emotional, since cooking has been a large stressor for me in 2010).
Emotional
6. No jumping back into the pit!
7. Be honest and learn to trust those who love me.

What are not my goals?

1. Blogging: If I feel like it, I will. But, I will not add that as an additional stress.

2. Couponing: Although part of me is strongly drawn to this, I found that it actually added to my stress. I spent too much time preparing and too much time shopping. It seemed like I was going to a different store every day of the week to “get the good deals”. It took away from my time with God and my time with my family. I am not saying I won’t use coupons, but I will not let them take over my life.

I hope that publishing this post will help me get in gear and make a change in 2011. What changes are in store for you?

merry christmas to all!

2010-12-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

One of the Adam family traditions during the Christmas season is our annual Christmas Light Tour. The kids like to wear their jammies and grab a blanket.

This year, we decided to visit the houses listed on the BuzzMontgomery website. These are our pictures from that tour. We also came across a few others on our trek. The first few we saw in Millbrook were okay, but mostly white lights. We like the big, gawdy, colorful Christmas light displays. In fact, Lauren came up with a perfect description for the displays we like: a modge-podge of colorful mumbo-jumbo . The next houses in Prattville were okay, but not worth trying to get a picture.

We were beginning to wonder if we would find anything that would get us excited. Then we got to Montgomery and things began to change.

This was the house on Crouson Street in Highland Gardens. It was a cute little cottage with lots of lights (althought, not as many colorful ones as we would like), but the NOEL on the roof made it one of the contenders for the night. Then we headed to Dalraida and hit the jackpot!

This is the Gemette’s house at 3581 Dalraida Parkway in Montgomery. It almost left me speechless!

It even had a Santa handing out candy on the front yard (not the owner!). The owners were off to the side with some friends sitting around a fire. I LOVED these lights! There were lights on the ground, lights on the roof, lights on the side yard, lights on the trees, lights connecting the trees to the house, even lights back behind where the owners were sitting by the fire. I knew it would be hard to be beat. We then left for one of the classic Christmas light houses in Montgomery: 2128 Boultier Street.

This house has been putting on a show for over 30 years and is located near the campus of Alabama State University. It is a very small house with a very small yard filled with enough Christmas lights and decorations for a whole block! He even has a box for collections to help pay for the increased electric bill that occurs with all these lights. Last year we found a house that Lauren dubbed the “Toomer’s Corner” house because of the way they just threw the lights around the trees. We stopped by this year and it wasn’t quite the same. I think they decided to put more time into it. It is located just off Ware’s Ferry Road near Alabama Christian Academy.

It was 10:00 pm, so we decided to put off our last few houses until Thursday night. We visited the house in Eastern Forest in Montgomery with the lights that blink to music that you tune in on the radio in your car. Unfortunately, I did not get any decent pictures. This first picture below is from another house in that neighborhood that does a smaller version of the light show. The picture below on the right was taken on our way to Eclectic for another similar light show. This picture is on a lawn that is probably two acres long and is filled with lights.

We made it to 83949 Tallassee Highway for the light show, but also was unable to get decent pictures. We left soon and realized that the light shows really are not our favorites and we are more attracted to the Alabama Redneck form of Christmas lights. On the way home, we happened upon this little treasure.

In the end, the house on Dalraida was the big winner. If you have the opportunity to be in Montgomery, Alabama, it would be worth your while to visit that house during the Christmas season.

Consider this my Christmas gift to you all! May you all be blessed and remember that this is the time to celebrate the wonderful gift given to us in the form of the baby, Jesus, the Christ.

Merry Christmas!

deeper still 2010

2010-12-07T09:15:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I attended my second Deeper Still Conference (attended the Atlanta one in 2008). This time I traveled to Birmingham with my daughter, Lauren, and my friends Barbara and Angie.

Barb and I decided we wanted to attend this conference (since we had been so blessed at the previous one) and grabbed up 4 tickets as soon as they were available in late March. We also wanted to stay at the Sheraton since it adjoins the BJCC and we wouldn't have to deal with transportation and parking issues Friday night and Saturday morning. It wasn't easy, but we did get a room. But, we had 4 people in a room with one bed! So, we brought an inflatable mattress and sleeping bag and everyone made it work. It was like a big slumber party...especially with the yummy snacks that we picked up at Whole Foods on the way to the hotel (after a little time of shopping and lunch at PF Changs).

After checking in the hotel and making it up to our room on the 16th floor (with questionable elevators!), we headed over to the arena to join the line. It wasn't nearly as long as we expected and we ended up being some of the first people inside. Unlike most of the other early-birds, our goal was not to get a seat on the floor, but one of the first rows around the arena so that we would have more foot room. We were blessed with just those seats both Friday and Saturday. In fact, while Kay Arthur was walking around Friday night teaching, she actually stopped right in front of Lauren and seemed to be speaking directly to her...yes, Lauren was on the jumbotron! lol! Wow...that woman can share the Word. She went through the whole book of Matthew in an hour and a half!

We headed back to the Sheraton to deal with the elevators again. That part wasn't fun and we ended up getting off at the 12th floor and walking the remainder. Saturday morning, Lauren and I headed over for an early-bird devotion by Kelly Minter while Barb and Angie checked us out and loaded up the van. We had another great day of learning, first from Kelly, then from Priscilla Shirer (Tony Evans daughter) and then Beth Moore. I will be taking a few days to put together a few posts from my notes (hopefully it won't take me two years to publish them like the last time!).

We left around 3 and headed back home, listening to Auburn play South Carolina in the SEC Championship game. War Eagle!

I am so grateful to my sweet husband for always being willing to take over at home and let me have some time of renewal. I love that man.

promise, mom, my foot really does hurt

2010-11-12T22:59:00.000-06:00

[this was written in September and I forgot to post it! I just found it; so, I am posting it now...yes, blog fail.]

About three weeks ago, after returning from a weekend away (without the boys), I found both the boys complaining about their ankles hurting. While I was gone, Dan bought each of them elastic braces to wear on their ankles to help until whatever got hurt healed.

Time passed (2 weeks) and Max continued to complain about his foot hurting (I, all along, thought it was his ankle), until I finally decided to take him in to see a doctor. Lo and behold, when we finally saw him Max said it was the bottom of his foot that hurt, not the ankle. They x-rayed his foot and found a hairline fracture in the small bone at his heel. He is now wearing an orthopaedic boot for a week in hopes that it will give the heel time to heal (no pun intended).

A week passed and this week Desmond says that his ankle hurts, too. Des tends to feel left out when other receive attention, so I just figured this was his way of fitting in. We let him wear his elastic brace thinking that would get the desire for attention out of his system. This week, 3 weeks after he began complaining, Dan suggested I take him to see the doctor, too. So, this morning after taking Max to school, I took Des to the doctor to find out that yes, he has a sprained ankle. Because of his continued sports activities (football practice and games, skateboard, bicycle riding, etc), it never healed. The doctor didn't think Des would stay off the foot long enough for it to heal, so he put on a splint and put him on crutches.

Yep, here I am, bad mommy with two boys hobbling around.

[as an update: they both survived, healed, and are back on two feet]

one- hundred

2010-09-22T16:22:00.001-05:00

One-hundred -- that is how many days are left in the year 2010. When I shared this bit of trivia with Lauren, along with my question of "what are your big to-do's before the year is over?", I thought that would be a good blog post. I have had a hard time getting motivated to blog, so I am jumping at this chance to get in gear.

Lauren thought 3 would be the magic number, so here are my top three "to-do's" for the last one-hundred days of 2010:

1. Organize the junk room, formerly known as the dining room
2. Complete painting in living room and measure for shelves
3. Re-start my bible reading blog

I will update how well I am doing at this on the page "100 in 2010" up at the top of the page.

So, what are your top three goals for the rest of this year?

Serve

2010-07-31T08:40:00.005-05:00

The sermon-series at Mulder Church during July was SERVE! real stories from mulder. I was asked to give my testimony on service, as part of the sermon, on July 4. When I was first asked, I was a little hesitant about speaking in front of everyone. You might think that strange if you know that I am regularly on the stage helping to lead worship. It has always been easier for me to sing in public than to speak in public, unless I am only with children. But, I felt that tugging from the Lord that I was supposed to accept this opportunity -- so, I did.

Once I sat down to organize my thoughts, I knew immediately that everything was in God's hands. Words came quickly and easily and I knew that it was not coming from me, but from Him. When it came time to speak, I was not afraid. It was one of the most freeing experiences of my life and brought me joy. That, too, could have only come from God.

If you would like to hear the sermon that day, including my testimony, just click HERE (my testimony begins around the 18:00 point).

Then, two weeks later, my daughter, Lauren, was given the opportunity to share her own story of service. I am very proud of her and how she is heeding the Lord's call in her life. Please take a moment to watch this video I took of her speaking to the congregation on July 18.

Now, go and serve!

life at this moment

2010-06-25T22:38:00.003-05:00

I thought I had figured out a schedule to keep up better with my blogging, but it obviously didn’t. I figured I could, at least, do the LATM. So, here goes.

Plans for the 4th of July, what are you doing?
Since the fourth is on a Sunday this year, I will start the day at church. I am scheduled to speak this particular Sunday, so I have the wonderful opportunity of being at church for both services. For the past few years, we have joined my friend, Barb, and her extended family at Lake Martin on the fourth. So, we will leave immediately from the late Worship service and head to the lake for an afternoon eating and spending time with our friends at the lake. I hope we have a pretty day!

I'm listening to....
At this moment, Alton Brown is on the television telling me how to make peppered vodka. No, I do not drink peppered vodka, or even plain vodka. But, since the Food Network is one of the few channels that are family-friendly at this time of night, I get to hear Alton.

I'm reading....
I am still reading through the Psalms (from the B-I-B-L-E) right now. It seems like it just goes back and forth between David telling how horrible his life is, and how all these people hate him, to how wonderful God is. He shares the good, then the bad, then the good, then the bad. I guess that is how life is now, too.

I'm thinking about...
I am thinking about what I could share about at church in eight days. Really, I am thinking “what in the world did I get myself into”. And, I am thinking I should be working on that instead of this blog post.

I'm inspired by...
People. Yes, that sounds kind of generic, but that is how I have been inspired this past week. Old people, young people, local people, distant people, blonde people, brunette people, slender white people, little brown people. Yes, people. They inspire me.

5 favorite links of this week...
1. Yikes! I've been using Splenda for years and did not know this -- check out The Food Renegade.
2. Support Haitian women -- buy a purse or have a purse party at Haitian Creations.
3. Passport for Missions -- fun craft to encourage a mission-minded child (and adult!).
4. Turning charity upside down (per Shaun Groves)
5. Kindra Arnesan from Venice, LA on the oil spill

Picture of the Week...
(note: this doesn't actually have to be a picture from this week. that would be way too difficult here.)

This is the mission team that I am a part of that will be traveling to Zambia in mid-July. Please pray for us!

Come on over to Not Your Everyday Cinderella and tell us about your life at this moment:)

life at this moment

2010-06-11T22:26:00.002-05:00

Share a few of your summer goals:
1. Finish painting the living room walls and install the bookshelves.
2. Declutter the room formerly known as the dining room.
3. Read my bible more often.
4. Lose 10 lbs.

I’m listening to: Rush on classic vh1.

I’m reading: The Psalms.

I’m thinking about:
1. How I should get my boys to go to bed before 11 pm.
2. Where my daughter is – at a ball game…with a BOY.
3. That we have NOTHING on the calendar for tomorrow!

I am inspired by:
1. The Lettered Cottage
2. People who can have uncluttered homes (like the host of our church supper club tonight)

5 favorite links this week (in no particular order):
1. (A more real) Love Story
2. Soldiers coming home
3. Ninjas to the rescue
4. Sacred Sandwich
5. Raising Kids with a Heart for the World

Picture of the Week:

This was taken during one of Desmond’s tournament games this past week.

Join in the fun and tell about your life at this moment over at Not Your Everyday Cinderella.

shooting potatoes

2010-06-08T16:12:00.000-05:00

Max has been begging to make a potato gun for awhile. For some reason, I was picturing something like this (yes, I know the difference between a marshmallow and a potato, but that is what I pictured!), but he was talking about something more like this. So, while Lauren and I were scrapbooking last Friday evening, he and his dad went shopping for supplies to make their ‘gun’. When I got home, I decided that it was more like a potato cannon. It was a bit humid and didn’t work, so they sat it aside over the weekend until the air got dryer.

Monday rolled around and it was finally dry enough to give it another try. Max went outside by himself to give try it while Dan was still at work and found that it worked! So, when Dan got home, the three of them headed out to play.

06.08.10

life at this moment

2010-06-04T23:37:00.004-05:00

Lauren started this life at this moment blog hop and I decided to join in!

Introduce yourself....
My name is Lisha and I am not in my teens, twenties, or thirties. I will leave it at that. I have been married to Dan for almost 23 years and am the mother of three darling (cough-cough) children. My first child and only daughter is Lauren, who started this little blog hop. I also have two sons, ages 12 and 8. I enjoy playing the keyboard and singing in the Praise Band and our church and I also like to scrapbook. I coordinate the Missions activities at my church and will be traveling to Zambia later this summer. I have ambitions of finishing the remodeling that I started last year – but, I have doubts about when that will ever happen. I get easily distracted by life’s clutter.

I'm listening to....
I don’t really listen to music except on the road and then it is usually a contemporary christian station. I know this probably seems strange given my aforementioned comments on playing/singing.

I'm reading....
One-Year Chronological Bible, Get out of that Pit by Beth Moore

I'm thinking about...
The missions policies that I need to finish writing, my youngest son’s baseball tournament game tomorrow, my parents

I'm inspired by...
My God, my husband, my children.

5 favorite links of this week...
1. 147 Million Orphans T-Shirt
2. Gulf Oil Clean Up Solution Idea
3. JanLovesPix
4. Smitten Kitchen
5. A Victim treats his mugger right

Random Picture of the Week...

This is me with my hubby last year at St. George Island, Florida when we were thinner and tanner.

Join the blog hop over at Not Your Everyday Cinderella!

06.04.10

lovely links 06.04.10

2010-06-04T14:43:00.002-05:00

Happy June! We started our week with a quick trip to Atlanta to watch the Braves play the Phillies. Traffic was a little more than we expected at the stadium, so we missed the first two innings -- but, we could hear the cheering going on from our vehicle outside when the home run was hit! We had great seats. They were high up, but that kept us in the shade on the hot, sunny day. Oh, but, this post is supposed to be about some lovely links for you to peruse, isn't it?! Here you go:

Get a cute t-shirt and support a cool ministry all at the same time:)

Gulf Oil Clean Up solution: This is either funny or really great, you decide.

Great photographs by an high school classmate of mine from long ago -- check it out.

Don't these lamb chops with pistachio tapenade look yummy (minus the olives, of course -- can you still call it tapenade without the olives?)?

Inspirational story of the week -- click here to read A Victim treats his mugger right.

Have a great weekend!

06.04.10

on the rhododendron again

2010-05-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

After Dan and I married in Florida in 1987, we drove through the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way back to our home in Virginia. We learned that June was the middle of the blooming season for the rhododendrons on the Parkway – they were everywhere. I then learned that my husband was a Willie Nelson fan. He began singing ‘On the Rhododendron Again’ (to the tune of, you guessed it, ‘On the Road Again’) whenever we turned a corner and saw a new batch of the pungent flowers.

Over the years, whenever we have seen these sweet-smelling beauties, we just look at each other with a grin and start singing, a ‘la Willie.

Last night we were reminded again. This time, our 12-year old Max played the part of the long-haired Texan as he walked in from our yard and handed me this beautiful bloom from our one rhododendron bush. He mumbled something about ‘rhododendron again’ and returned outside as Dan was coming in asking ‘did you say it’?

I received a second bloom from Des. Then, the boys had a special treat for me.

Rhododendrons will always hold a special place in my heart. They remind me of that drive down those windy mountain roads and all the places and things I had never seen or been to that were yet to come in my new life. I had no idea how wonderful it would be or that, one day, rhododendrons would inspire these boys to hula!

On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been.

Seein' things that I may never see again

I can't wait to get on the road again.

05.29.10

lovely links 05.28.10

2010-05-28T07:29:00.003-05:00

School's out for summer!

...so I need to figure out a plan to keep my boys productively occupied for the next two months. In the meantime, here are a few links for your perusal to help you join me at the procrastination party:

These Fried Cheese Sticks look so good -- must make soon! Pioneer Woman always makes it look so fun and easy.

School is over and out for my boys, but these s'more sweets would make great teacher thank you gifts for those of you still looking for something.

If you are looking for something cute for a graduate, check out these cute printables to add to your gift -- whether they are baked goods or not:)

Got chicken? Try this easy and yummy recipe (we had it for dinner tonight!).

Here is your feel-good story for the week -- you must read this, trust me!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

05.28.10

school’s out for summer!

2010-05-27T20:46:00.002-05:00

The older I get, the quicker the time seems to fly by. It is again the end of the school year and I am, again, amazed that it is over already. We had 6th grade honors day earlier this week and Max raked in the awards.

Later that same day, Desmond’s 2nd grade class put on the cutest play called Bubba, the Cowboy Prince where Desmond was a mighty fine stepdaddy:) They followed the play with a Banana Split party. Second graders have it made:)

Then today, on the last day of school, we picked up report cards and said goodbye to our teachers. This was Ms. Coker’s very first year as a teacher. If she survived Max, I think she will make it;)

Max’s switch teacher was Mrs. Sprayberry, who was also Lauren’s switch teacher in 2001. Max had another great year at WMS.

Desmond had a great second grade year – thank you, Mrs. Stoddard (who was also Max’s second grade teacher!).

Summertime, here we come!

05.27.10

lovely links

2010-05-21T15:49:00.004-05:00

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week:

Jenna at These are the Days: fun read, absolutely adorable gift idea, and yummy treat -- all in one place! Thanks to Lauren for the link :)

Radical -- check it out -- let me know what you think.

Eighteen25 is definitely becoming a favorite -- check out these felt hair bows -- the whole week is full of them. Cute. Too bad I don't have a little girl:( Wonder if the big girl would wear them? :)

Dude Perfect -- crazy name, cool basketball shots.

Have a great weekend!

05.21.10

in his element

2010-05-15T15:47:00.000-05:00

It is closing in on the end of the school year and it seems they are squeezing in the last bit of fun before it is over – the school year, not the fun! Lauren and I joined Max and the rest of the sixth graders at his school on a quick field trip to the McWane Science Center in Birmingham. Lauren thought it was very chaotic with a multitude of school children filling the halls.

We usually go a few times a year, but Max never tires of the place. That is why I found a great deal by joining a center that is a participating member of the ASTC Passport Program. We joined the South Dakota Discover Center for $40/year and are able to use it at any of the other centers as long as they are at least 90 miles from the center we join. That gave us a $50/year membership fee savings and we can go as often as we like (it would cost our family $50 to go once/year for just the general admission cost). Check it out for your area and find yourself a good deal!

05.15.10

lovely links

2010-05-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

Just a smackeral of new things I have happened upon:

If you want a laugh, check this beauty tip out!

I know most of you all aren't going with me to Africa, but I think this could really add to the trip: Free Wi-Fi for Africa?

Are you looking for a way to help the flood victims of Nashville and hear good music at the same time? Click HERE.

Don't mess with Ernestine -- check out this 73-year old grandma body builder -- what an inspiration.

Read Thirst for Dignity - making clean water available in Africa.

Have a great weekend!

05.14.10

running with endurance

2010-05-14T00:35:00.003-05:00

I was able to enjoy 2nd grade field day with Des today. These are the days he lives for and seeing him in his element brought joy to my heart. It was a beautiful, sun-shiny day and the class seemed to enjoy this water-sponge race more than any other. It definitely helped them cool down!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Hebrews 12:1

05.13.10

spring teacher gratitude

2010-05-13T08:10:00.004-05:00

~Inspired by the sisters at eighteen25~

Teacher-themed gift bags from Dollar Tree
Plastic boxes, ribbon, glue dots, office supplies, hand sanitizer and chocolates from Wal*Mart
Giraffe and Lion chipboards from Michael’s
Bird stickers and Monkey chipboards from Jo-Ann’s
Letters cut using Cricut Simply Sweet cartridge
Papers from my scrapbooking stash:)

05.13.10

happy plate

2010-05-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

Doesn’t this breakfast just make you smile? It reminds me of a Sesame Street character – although I am not sure which one. I have been having ‘protein breakfasts’ for the past two months, and many mornings I look down at the plate before I start to eat and realize that it just makes me smile. This morning, Lauren saw my plate and said “oh, look, a smiley face!”.

I like breakfast. I like happy plates:)

05.12.10

mother’s day gratitude

2010-05-08T12:28:00.003-05:00

I do not have many pictures of my mother and I when I was young. I think we definitely have one trait in common – being the one who takes the picture and is rarely in the picture. This first picture was taken sometime in very early 1961 and shows my young, beautiful mother holding me during a visit to the old Fort Bliss Replica Museum.

My mom was fun. This was a time where we set up a lemonade stand in my granny’s front yard. Some of my earliest memories of these trips to granny’s house was that they usually included a trip across the street to buy an ice cream cup. They were the kind that came with the little wooden spoon:)

I have always loved this picture of me with my mom. She made these matching dresses for us to wear. I loved that dress.

I think this picture was taken sometime in 1968. I do know that it was outside our apartment in Germany right after Mom and I returned from a trip to a fair or a circus. I look like such a street urchin!

Here we are in April 1978 right before my senior prom. I cannot remember exactly why mom was dressed up, too, but I think she and dad had a banquet to attend the same night. She made my dress, on very short notice by combining several patterns to get just the dress I wanted. I loved it.

Here we are in Tallahassee at my graduation from FSU in 1983. I thank my mom for encouraging me to go to college and never give up. I would not have made it without her.

Mom was right there beside me as I became Mrs. Adam in 1987. She worked so very hard that week preparing all the food for the reception and keeping me sane.

My mom has always been there for me whenever I needed her. This last picture has always been one of my favorites. It was taken shortly after Max was born in 1997. When Max came early and she got the call, she was here within hours. When I have been so sick that I could not get out of bed, she dropped everything and came to help me. I love my mom and I hope she and all other moms have a wonderful Mother’s Day.

05.08.10

new things to check out -- lovely links!

2010-05-07T17:28:00.003-05:00

It is that time of year again -- end of the school year mad rush to figure out teacher gifts. But, in searching for ideas, I found some really cute stuff that isn't really teacher-appreciation-appropriate that I am sharing, too. You just might want to get crafty!

Reusable bags from Your Homebased Mom -- these sweet bags can be used for so many things: groceries, baseball games, pool trips.

Tiered Terra Cotta Planter from Positively Splendid -- I love the thriller, spiller, filler idea!

Teacher gifts from eighteen25 -- I think I will do these cute Teacher Goodie Boxes :)

Photographs at Barak Bruerd -- beautiful Africa, among other things.

Inspiration from Katie -- you must read this blog!

Well, I am off to scrapbook and start making my children's end-of-the-year teacher appreciation gifts. Have a great weekend!

05.07.10

new york things – part 2

2010-05-06T22:03:00.005-05:00

Welcome back to Max and Lisha's ~~excellent adventure~~ school trip to New York City. We started ~~fresh~~ tired, but excited, as we looked forward to fun waiting us Saturday morning. We walked a few blocks to the Sbarro where we did not have pizza for breakfast, but were surprised with a delicious breakfast buffet. Following breakfast, we caught the subway and headed to Broad Street, where we got to see the Charging Bull up close and personal (some more than others, but we won't go there!). We walked to the ferry at Battery Park, viewing The Sphere before heading over to Liberty Island where we had a quick stop to see Lady Liberty herself -- she was awe-inspiring and beautiful. After hopping back on the ferry, we left for Ellis Island where we toured the immigration museum.

After returning on the ferry, we headed up Broad Street, where we saw the sidewalk markers commemorating each ticker tape parade, starting with the first one for the dedication of the Statue of Liberty (on Max's birthday, October 28, but 112 years before!). Passing the New York Stock Exchange, we stopped for lunch and then headed to Trinity Church (recently most known for it's part in the movie National Treasure) before heading down Wall Street to see Federal Hall. As we were leaving the area, we saw the Red Cube where Max had fun 'holding' it up. It is the smallest building in NYC -- yes, they had to have a building permit for this work of art since it was shaped like a cube.

The next part of our trip was much more surreal, as we entered the area commonly called Ground Zero. We saw what is officially called the National September 11 Memorial Plaza and visited the Preview Site and St. Paul's Chapel (which served as a base for hundreds of volunteers for ten months after the attack on September 11). Although I have no personal association with anyone who died that day, it was an emotional time.

By now, my body was beginning to fight and was no happy with me for spending so much time on my feet walking. When we returned to the hotel, I propped my feet up on pillows for about an hour before we readied to go to dinner and to our last Broadway play, Lion King. Both Max and I were totally spent and Max slept through the last third of the play. By the time we returned to the hotel, we were ready to sleep and happy that we had an extra hour in the morning to sleep.
But, Sunday morning came and with it the rain. Fortunately, we were prepared with our rain ponchos and we were fortunate that the rain was light. We started the morning by taking the subway to the American Museum of Natural History where we spent several hours trying to absorb as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Max thought the tapestry made totally with spider silk was pretty cool.
We headed to the New York Public Library Main Branch which is the home of the famous Rose Main Reading Room and also houses one of 48 remaining copies of the Guttenburg Bible. Max and I could have spent all day there and I had to tear Max away from a book when it was time to leave. At that point, I think we both were running on fumes. But, we were not finished for the day. We left for Grand Central Terminal (see Max with our tour guide, Robert in the terminal) where we had a quick tour and a quick lunch before spending our last few hours in the city at Time Square. We finished up our last minute shopping for souvenirs and rested our weary bones at the one place Max continued to talk about whenever we had passed it over the past 3 days -- the three-story McDonald's at Time Square.

So, we met our group at the M&Ms store and headed back to the hotel where we caught our tour bus back to La Guardia for a delayed, turbulent-filled ride through lightning back home to Alabama.

05.06.10

new york things – part 1

2010-05-04T13:50:00.005-05:00

Max and I waited for 12 months for the trip. Last summer, we would talk about the trip. During the school year, we would think about the trip whenever there would be a trip fundraiser. When we made our final payment in February, we celebrated the trip. After we received the itinerary with all it's details, we planned for the trip. Then, on Thursday, April 22, we hopped on an airplane and began the trip to New York City.

Each year, the sixth graders in the Gifted Education class at Max's school have the opportunity to go on an educational trip to New York City. I have to admit that I had questioned how educational it really would be, but those doubts did not sway us from signing up to go. I should not have doubted the educational claim. We were heading out by 7 each morning and did not return to the hotel until after 10 pm and each moment was filled with morsels of trivia about the history, architecture, politics, and geography (just to name a few) of New York City. We had a remarkable tour guide (Robert Westfield from Worldstrides) who has been serving in the capacity (along with being a caterer among other things) for the past 20 years after he first moved to NYC to attend Columbia University. He had such a way with the children (and adults) as he filled us with so much information, only to 'test' us afterwards with sweet ~~bribes~~ rewards. Max soaked it up like a sponge.

We arrived and La Guardia Airport on Thursday morning around 11 am and were immediately whisked away on a tour bus for a driving tour of some of the city as we headed from Queens to Manhattan, where we would spend the next four days. We began with a trip through Harlem, which proved to be so different than I had always pictured. It is full of beautiful architecture and history. We made our first stop in Harlem at the largest mausoleum in North America -- Grant's Tomb. The memorial to Ulysses S. Grant included a mesmerizing domed ceiling as well as a unique outside sitting area filled with mosaic benches. Next stop, lunch -- we stopped at a Pizzeria across the street from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. After eating, we spent awhile at the Cathedral which is also called St. John the Unfinished (for the obvious reason that it remains unfinished after being reopened briefly being closed for repairs after a 2001 fire).

After touring the Cathedral, we made a quick stop at our hotel to drop off luggage before hopping back on the bus and heading to Little Italy and China Town. En route we passed the New York City Ballet with it's beautiful fountain and newly-added lighting welcoming everyone in many languages. We took about an hour to visit China Town and do a little souvenir-shopping before meeting back at Da Nico's for dinner, where we were able to dine in the beautiful outdoor garden area.

After dinner, we took the subway to Midtown Manhattan to take a view of the skyline from Top of the Rock, the observation deck atop Rockefeller Center. As we were leaving, we walked by Radio City Music Hall where the first night of the 2010 NFL draft was underway -- but, alas, we did not see any famous sports figures. We walked back to Park Central Hotel around 10 and took the opportunity to unpack and rest our weary feet -- because we had a busy day (or two) ahead!

We were up and at 'em bright and early Friday morning as we walked to Rockefeller Plaza to try our hand at working the fence outside the Today Show. By the time we arrived around 7:15 am, the lines were 10 deep and we saw there was no way our plan to show our sign "Hey Ya'll! from Wetumpka, Alabama", so we grabbed a quick breakfast and looked around at some other sights for awhile until the crowds died down. We finally made it up to the front and Max held his sign hoping to get on camera. We came seconds from being successful, but they panned towards the skateboarding bulldog just before reaching Max. But, it was fun!

We then headed to 5th Avenue where we visited FAO Schwarz, the Apple Store, and St. Patrick's Cathedral before a quick lunch at Prime Burger. Then off to Radio City Music Hall for the grand tour, where Max enjoyed a visit with a Rockette and thought it was cool to see one of Meatloaf's guitars. After a quick ride on the subway, we landed at Central Park for a guided walking tour with Robert. What a beautiful place and so different from what I remembered during a quick carriage-ride that Dan and I took in the 1980s. I do believe my favorite part of the park was the Cathedral of Trees -- so tranquil, beautiful, and big. While we were there, Max took a ride on the very fast carousel. We were so tired as we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our very first Broadway Musical -- Wicked! But first, dinner at Gossip Bar (yes, it was a bar, but it had a dining room downstairs and our group took up the whole room -- they kept it appropriate for our middle-schoolers).

We walked to the Gershwin Theater for the show. Max told me that Wicked was his favorite part of the whole trip. I really enjoyed it, once I was able to ignore much of the underlying tones that are a little more to the left than I swing. I was amazed at the talent -- especially with the actors portraying Glinda and Elphaba. It was the debut for the actor portraying Fiyero and, although he was good, he just did not seem to have the caliber in the voice department of the other leads. After the play, we walked to Time Square where we had our group photos taken right in front of the red stairs. Boy, did our feet hurt and we still had to walk back to the hotel. It was after 11 pm when we arrived at the hotel and we were back up at 7 Saturday morning to start all over again! Can we make it??? Stay tuned to find out what happened on Saturday and Sunday...

05.04.10

new things

2010-05-02T21:31:00.001-05:00

A baseball glove and a trophy -- those are two new things that have come to the Adam household over the past week.

Last weekend while I accompanied Max and a group from his school to New York City (yes, an educational trip -- which I will prove in an upcoming post), Dan decided that Desmond would be able to be a better shortstop if he had a new, larger baseball glove. So, one of the many places they visited while I was gone was Academy Sports where Des picked out a his new glove. I guess my sweet husband knew exactly what he was doing (as always), because Des was much quicker getting the ball out of the glove and on to it's next destination (first or second base) at his game this past Saturday. It was one of those "sit on the edge of the bleachers" games where his team, the Yankees, came from behind for a win. Whew!

Our second new thing was a bright, shiny trophy. Before Dan took Des to his game Saturday morning, I left with Max to head to AUM (Auburn University in Montgomery) so that he could compete at the Alabama Council for Technology in Education (ACTE) Technology Fair. Since Max placed 1st at Regionals in the IT (Information Technology) test, he was able to compete at the state level. He took the test around 10 a.m. and then we hurried back to Wetumpka in time to catch the last half of Desmond's baseball game (using the new glove, of course). I think Max and I were good luck, because the team started their turnaround from being behind to catch up and win after we arrived. Yes, remember that, we were the good luck;) After the game, we had a quick lunch and then home for awhile before we all headed back to AUM for the awards ceremonies. The IT test awards were at the very end of a long two-hour awards presentation. We sat there with Max's sponsor, hoping that the wait would be worth it...and it was! Max came in 1st in his category!! Another Whew!

We were so proud of the boys today -- and would have been with, or without, their new things.

05.02.10

new things coming

2010-04-27T11:56:00.004-05:00

I need a change -- a change for this blog. Lauren found this new layout for me (thanks, sweetie!) and now I think I need a new name. Maybe these changes will give me a little inspiration to keep more up-to-date? I guess we will all just have to wait and see. If you have any ideas for a new name that would go well with the layout, please share!

04.26.10

no more ray-bans, oakleys, etc

2010-03-02T10:53:00.003-06:00

The other day, a friend of mine used me as a fleece. She had been looking at doing something, but she did not know if it was really what the Lord wanted her to do. So, she came up with a way to make my response to a question "tell" her whether she should do it. Funny thing was, my answer was not a black or white answer, so it did not help her! She then shared with me why she was asking me. We both had a righteous laugh about her ruse.

Then, from what could only be the Holy Spirit (because I had never even thought about the situation before), this was my response: You know, many times we pray asking the Lord to give us an answer, to show us the light. When he does just that, making the answer shine brightly before us, we grab our sunglasses quickly out of habit. We are so used to the darkness we are in, that it can be painful to see the light, the answer from God. So, we must take off the shades, look into the light, and follow the direction that it leads. It can be painful, but He is in the light so we will never be alone.

We went on to discuss the situation and she said she would pray more about it. Later that evening, I found an article about her initial 'fleece' question for me -- so I forwarded it to her. I heard back from her today that she took off her shades and is ready to move on.

Now I need to work on removing my permanently installed sunglasses from my own head.

well, that didn't work

2010-03-01T19:31:00.001-06:00

Yep. My plan to take one picture a day for 365 days did not quite come to fruition. Just posting this for anyone who is reading and wondering what all these pictures posted previously are all about. Carry on.

01.16

2010-01-16T20:51:00.003-06:00

01.15

2010-01-15T20:50:00.000-06:00

01.14

2010-01-14T20:48:00.000-06:00

01.13

2010-01-13T20:47:00.000-06:00

01.12

2010-01-12T20:44:00.000-06:00

01.11

2010-01-11T20:43:00.000-06:00

01.10

2010-01-10T15:58:00.002-06:00

01.09

2010-01-09T21:04:00.000-06:00

01.08

2010-01-08T15:56:00.001-06:00

01.07

2010-01-07T15:43:00.001-06:00

01.06

2010-01-06T21:28:00.001-06:00

01.05

2010-01-05T21:59:00.004-06:00

01.04

2010-01-04T18:49:00.002-06:00

01.03

2010-01-03T20:37:00.003-06:00

01.02

2010-01-02T17:14:00.006-06:00

01.01

2010-01-01T22:41:00.002-06:00

project 365

2009-12-31T17:07:00.000-06:00

I will be starting something new tomorrow -- my own project 365. Project 365 is where I post one picture, without description, each day. I actually tried to do this when I first began my blog a few years ago. I hope I am more successful in 2010. I will try to post a picture that I actually take on the day, but I may use other pictures if the circumstances make photography impossible that day. I hope to make the pictures meaningful, to me, for what happens each day. The first few days will also represent some goals (not resolutions)that I have for 2010.

celebrating

2009-12-25T22:28:00.001-06:00

merry christmas!

2009-12-25T16:12:00.006-06:00

christmas light tour 2009

2009-12-23T22:03:00.000-06:00

'tis the season

2009-12-13T13:49:00.001-06:00

With Lauren...

and with Dan :)

A Letter from Jesus about Christmas

2009-12-11T13:10:00.003-06:00

I have received this in emails and seen in across the web. I thought it was good to share:)

Dear Children, It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival, although I do appreciate being remembered anytime. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town. Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 – 8. If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list.

Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine. Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love.

pottery pick up!

2009-07-24T19:15:00.000-05:00

I got the call I have been waiting on telling me that my new dishes were ready! Lauren and I made a quick trip to the lake to pick them up...and start unpacking!

Dan and I just happened upon the shop enroute to our anniversary dinner last month. We had some time before our reservations, so we stopped by to see what they had. Sara was so nice and helped us design our own dishes. We only ordered 4 place settings this time, but my plan is to add four more at a time, each different, yet complementary in color and style. I love them!

sgi... saint george island... VACATION!

2009-07-23T18:12:00.004-05:00

If you don't know it already, we do not take many real vacations. I am talking about the go somewhere where relatives do not live, be gone for a week, stay in a hotel, have fun all day type of vacations. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Alisha, this year we did just that. Yes, I, Lisha, have a sister-in-law named Alisha, who goes by Lish. If you think it is confusing, just imagine how hard it is for our nieces and nephew! Anyway, back to the story. Lish called me this past January when she found a 4-apartment condo while researching for their yearly beach trip. She thought it would be nice for my siblings and I (along with our families, of course!) to go to the beach together for a combination family reunion/vacation. The rest is now history...and we all survived to tell about it;)

We began our trip by travelling to Milton, Florida where we all met to have dinner with our dad and his wife at Nichol's Seafood Restaurant. We recently learned that our dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and we all wanted to make sure we saw him while we were traveling near where he lives in Florida. It was wonderful to spend time together with him and we were able to capture the memory with all the family.

The next morning, we met up with my cousin, Lora, at her church in Fort Walton Beach for a great worship service. After a lunch with Lora and her daughter, Lundy, at Cici's, we started the final leg of our journey to Saint George Island. We arrived at the condo around 5:30 pm and, after getting settled, joined Jeff and Lish and their girls for dinner at The Blue Parrot. There I renewed my taste for raw oysters and Lauren tried them (cooked, with butter and parmesan) for the first time.

During the week, we rode bikes (some of our gang went from one end of the island to the other), played in the pool, danced in the ocean waves, basked in the sun, visited the state park, went fishing (Desi caught a shark!), searched for oysters (walking through the marsh to find we had arrived too late and high tide was coming in), celebrated Lauren's 19th birthday, visited the quaint town of Appalachicola, and enjoyed a beautiful rainbow on our last night there.

The weather was almost perfect the entire week we were there. Then, on Friday night the storms came in and it stayed through the morning. In the end, it was good that the weather was poor so that we would not be tempted to make one more beach run. We still did not get back home until almost 7 pm.

I came home and started googling properties at SGI for next year...

summer update

2009-07-22T17:15:00.004-05:00

I know I have been away from my blog for awhile. We have had a lot of fun together as a family, though. I have enjoyed having the children home for the summer.

Back in the beginning of June, we went to see Casting Crowns. Every outing is always better when it ends at Krispy Kreme, you know:)

Later in the month, we spent a week in the swamp of Crocodile Dock VBS our Church. I really enjoyed leading the children in worship music each day, Lauren had her crew of 1st graders, and Max and Des learned how God helps us to "Fear Not"!

Dan and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary by traveling to Lake Martin to try out the new restaurant -- SpringHouse at Russell Crossroads. On the way, we stopped by a local pottery and ordered a few more dishes to help replace our wedding china that we recently packed up and put in storage.

Just as we have done for the past few years, we spent Independence Day back at Lake Martin with our friends, the Browns, and their extended family. It was one of the most beautiful and comfortable fourth of July days in recent history. We had a wonderful time playing in the lake, fishing (or, at least, playing with the fishing poles!) and just hanging out together before we headed back to home to enjoy the local fireworks.

I planted a small garden right outside the back door which has provided ample tomatoes (plum and grape) and jalapenos for several batches of homemade salsa. The basil, oregano, and pineapple sage were also quite ample. I have been disappointed with my bell peppers, though -- not a one has made it past the flowering stage.

We have been blessed with gracious friends who have invited us to swim at their pools (this is a shout out to Joy, Lynn, and Kim!). Desmond learned to dive while Max is content to just investigate everything under the water. I am happy that they can both swim quite well. We have also had fun participating in the Terrific Tuesdays events scheduled for the children of our Church (thanks to Lorie for a great job!) -- a movie day, swimming, fun at the zoo, and lunch and bowl. We also made a few trips of our own to the theater and saw Horton Hears a Who, Imagine That, Star Trek, and the new Harry Potter movie. It is hard to believe that summer break is coming to a close soon (school starts on August 10 for the boys and August 17 for Lauren).

i'm a superhero

2009-06-03T20:28:00.004-05:00

...and you, too, can be a superhero. Just go over to the Hero Factory and check it out!

layout by lauren

2009-05-10T22:19:00.002-05:00

One of the things Lauren gave me for Mother's Day today was a new layout for our family blog. Thanks, sweetie!!

he is alive!

2009-04-12T23:03:00.002-05:00

I wish I could get Des to keep his eyes open. But, that would not be Des, would it;)

Here is our traditional picture taken at the flower cross outside church after the morning worship service.

He is risen!

what a comeback!

2009-04-11T21:50:00.004-05:00

I have no pictures to share, but some great information: Today was the second game for Desmond's baseball team and it was such an exciting game! Desmond was first at bat, again, and pulled through with flying colors -- definitely no strike-outs today:) In fact, his team had to be stopped after 22 minutes when they scored 9 runs to let the other team have their first at-bat. They played Montgomery Turf Management who snuck back up by the end to tie-up at 11-11 which forced us to go into overtime. Being the visitors, we were up first and AGAIN got 9 runs in and had to give up the inning with NO OUTS. We were able to hold them to no additional runs with Desi catching a pop-up fly for the 2nd out and tagging the runner at third for the final out. Outcome: Win, 20-11. Des was thrilled to receive one of the game balls:)

Go Skatezone!

go skatezone!

2009-04-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

Today was the first day of Dixie League Baseball 2009. This year Desmond moved up to the 7-8 year old league and is playing on the SkateZone team with Coach Sam. He is starting out playing 3rd base, hitting first in the line up, and is wearing the #1 jersey:)

The team played great today, although it was not Desi's best day (struck out twice!). But, he is a trooper and cheered his teammates on with gusto. They won against the White Sox 7-2.

easter eggstravaganza

2009-04-05T21:20:00.001-05:00

The onslaught of the 1st-3rd graders at our Church's Easter Eggstravaganza!

spring morning

2009-04-03T21:05:00.005-05:00

This was the view from the french doors off our bedroom this morning. I love living in the country!

[the view would have been much more serene without the rope being used by our contractor while he works on the roof!]

here's to you, mrs. robinson

2009-03-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

We were honored to witness the marriage of Desmond's birth mom, Shannon, to Chris in the office of the Judge of Probate in Wetumpka. Shannon's mother and sister, Chris' brother, our friend's the Browns, and our pastor Craig all joined us for this very happy occasion.

May the Lord bless them and give them a joy-filled life together.

footprints to the finish line

2009-03-21T21:37:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, our friend Toni told us about a 5K run to raise funds for the Footprints Ministry that helped her family during the illness and subsequent passing of their infant son, Matthew, last year. Dan and I thought this would be a great way to help this worthy ministry and encourage our walking/running at the same time. While Desmond did not join us (he had a baseball practice game to prepare for), Lauren and Max both jumped at the opportunity to participate. We were honored to be a part of "Team Matthew" during the race.

Lauren and I teamed up with our friend, Pam, from church and encouraged each other to run when we could (none of our little team are runners). I was thrilled to finish in 44:00 minutes. I know that may not sound like a great time for many people, but it was for me! Now that I know I can actually finish a 5K, I want to do another!

It was a successful day with about 300 folks registering for the Footprints to the Finish Line 5K run. I was happy to be a part of it all:)

*many thanks to Cheryl D. for the picture she took of us after the run, shown above (Again, I forgot my camera!)

bummin' 'round in birmingham

2009-03-19T20:53:00.003-05:00

This is the last week day of Spring Break and we finally had a pretty day, so we talked Dan into playing hooky from work and join us on a quick trip to Birmingham. I forgot my camera, but Lauren saved the day when she found hers in her purse, so I was able to get proof that we made it to our first stop, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Even though the sun was out, it was still a bit nippy, so we only made it through the Japanese Gardens and the Conservatory before deciding to find somewhere 'inside' to visit. But, we will be back again when the mercury rises a bit. Oh, and I forgot to add that admission is free:)

Dan and I knew the perfect solution -- lunch at P.F. Changs! We made a quick stop to Johnny Rockets for chicken fingers, french fries, and milkshakes for the boys since they don't eat Asian food. We brought it right in with us to P.F. Changs without a problem while Dan, Lauren and I ate the REAL food! After lunch, Dan took the boys to the Apple Store while Lauren and I window shopped at Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, and Urban Outfitters.

When we finished window shopping, we all met up and headed to our final destination -- Whole Foods. I love that store and wish we had one closer than a 90-mile trip to Birmingham. After we loaded up on our organic bounty, we headed back home.

A good day was had by all.

a day at the park

2009-03-18T21:44:00.003-05:00

It is Spring Break for the children this week (even Lauren!). We did not plan a big trip, but just a few days of getting out of the house. Today was one of those days. After a surprise lunch at CiCi's, we stopped by Gold Star Park in downtown Wetumpka to enjoy the beautiful spring day. I began a new book while the boys played on the playground. Lauren took them for a walk to get a few pictures while I relaxed.

hive and honey

2009-03-16T12:53:00.002-05:00

I knew we had a bee problem, but this was not exactly what I expected. Part of the reason we are having our chimney removed is because we have had such a hard time getting rid of bees that want to make our soffit their home. We had a hive removed a few years ago, but a new hive has moved in. This is what was found when the soffit was opened. Too bad the honey was inedible -- the only way we could make it safe enough to take the hive out was with chemicals that are not exactly healthy for humans.

snow in alabama

2009-03-01T21:48:00.002-06:00

We woke up to snow falling outside this morning! The boys could not get dressed fast enough to get outside and start playing in it before we headed to church. There was not much snow at our house, but as we got closer to the church, the scenery began to look like we had entered Narnia! It is amazing the difference a few miles make.

Barb invited us over for lunch after church and the boys were able to make a snowman at her house, where there was so much more snow! We left around 2 pm and by the time we were home, there was no snow left at our house.

I added a picture of Lauren taken just outside of her dorm over at Auburn, where the snow was even deeper.

lego mindstorms

2009-02-20T21:35:00.002-06:00

Max joined the Lego Mindstorms robotics team at school this year. They competed in the Alabama South Central Regional Technology Fair held at Auburn University-Montgomery. His team was awarded 2nd place for their robot, WALL-E Tron 2009. The students participating in the competition were also given the opportunity to compete in an Information Technology exam and Max came in 3rd in his age division. The two students who won 1st and 2nd place both attend a local technology magnet school.

Way to go, Max!

100th day

2009-01-21T14:09:00.003-06:00

Today was the 100th day of school and Desmond's class is celebrating. They are counting various items (we sent in a box of Fruit Loops) and they were allowed to bring in 100 items (he decided to bring in 100 baseball cards). The best of all, at least in Desmond's mind, was that they could dress up like they were 100 years old! Desmond said he was like a 100 year old sports guy in really good shape!