The Tindalls

General James Doggie

2010-01-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Emma and me always have a Girls day out. About once a month we will go and do some shopping at our favorite stores and then go and get some lunch. It is a nice time together and I really look forward to our talks.
This time we decided to go up to the mall. We went to her stores first...Hallmark, Claires and last but not least, Build A Bear. She had a gift card burning a hole in her pocket. We looked at all the choices and she settled in on a cute little brown and white puppy. She said she had a special name picked out for this one and she wanted to buy an outfit.
She would not let me look until the end and so I waited for her to be done. She finished and paid and then unvieled her doggie.
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said Mom I named him James (Dad Tindalls name) and dressed him in a military outfit just like Pops would wear.
She cried a lot that night about Pops. I told her that feeling would get better, as it would not hurt as bad but she would always have a spot for him and it was ok to miss him. She was blessed for the time that she had to get to know him and it was an honor to have him in her life.
We love you Pops and know you are saluting us from Heaven!

We are so different

2010-01-08T13:08:00.001-08:00

First let me start off by saying I am so grateful for a husband that helps out. Our dishwasher broke last night and since I was not feeling all that great Lee said he would do dishes. He set it up like an assembly line. He did wash and rinse them but then he set up a towel on the counter for them to air dry...I just thought this was a very man thing to do. Why not just dry them off yourself with that towel you set them on ?
Does anyone think this is as funny as I do?

Snow Hippie

2010-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Emma was so excited when the snow first started to fall she ran outside without her socks, shoes, or jacket! Brrrrr!!!!!!

I'm back...

2010-01-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

I know it seems like I fell off the face of the earth but it has just been a rough few months for our family. I have just let my blog fade but part of my new years resolution is to keep up with it better than I have.
I had a great new years night! Emma had her annual sleepover with her Grammy so Lee and I had the night to ourselves. We cranked up the speakers and watched Underworld Rise of the Lycans and we ate popcorn and just hung out with one another. It was a great way to say good bye to 2009 and hello to 2010!!
I am excited for the new year and have a lot of personal goals I look forward to accomplishing in the new year!

BIG OOPS!!!!!

2009-07-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Every year for Emma's birthday I make her cake and I always say whatever you want...any flavor decoration...the sky is the limit! Well this year she took me up on this offer. Mom, I want a devils food cake with 4 layers cookie dough and pudding in between the layers and chocolate covered strawberries on top!!
Being a woman of my word I got to work. Baked the cakes cutting them into layers, making the cookie dough then the chocolate pudding and then the icing. Spent an hour on the choc covered strawberries Finished around 4:00 yesterday and put it neatly in the cake carrier and into the fridge for safe keeping.
Opened the fridge for a bottle of water and out it came dumped completely over on top of itself..the 4 layer chocolate birthday cake...totally unsalvageable :(
I had to laugh to keep myself from crying. Sat down to break the news to Emma to which she replied...It's ok we can just call Brewsters! I love a low maintenance girl!
Thank you Emma for your very gracious response, I would have never been like that as a girl!
Happy "early" Birthday! I love you!!

A time to mourn

2009-07-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written on my blog. I guess we have had so much going on I did not even know where to start. Lee is about three weeks out since his Dad's death and he is struggling. It is funny to be the wife of a grieving husband. I do not know how to console him. Does he want a hug or to be left alone? I don't know. He is distant and soft spoken, which as many of you know is not his personality at all! He is going throught he motions of life,like working and yardwork, but I can tell that he is just not into it and would rather be doing anything else during the day. He cries at different times so it comes out of nowhere. Having not lost a parent I am assuming this will go on for a while. I want the funny happy talk my head off Lee, but also want to give him his own time and space to grieve.
I know this will get better and I am so grateful for the friends and family that have reached out to us. The cards and the phone calls have been necesary forcing him to reach out even when he does not feel like it. I am grateful for all of you.
Please continue to pray for him and his whole family as they continue the process and for me and Emma that we can be what he needs at the times that he needs it.

I wish they all could be California Girls....

2009-07-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is the day we went to the big shopping expo! It was so fun. It was a lot of the vendors all in one big room. We shopped all day and the most fun thing was to be able to try on everything right there. So, you knew if you liked it not just having to guess when you order it from the jazzercise catalog. The only weird part...changing out in the open in front of everybody!
When in Rome right??
These were our rooms. They were awesome!
Could we have had a better view? I don't think so!
Pancakes on the Plaza...Live music pancakes, bacon and unending coffee! A beautiful way to start the day!
All the girls...Jeanne, Pam, me, Kim and Tonia.
We had such a fun time. I have never laughed so hard in my life! I think this is something I will make an annual trip!

Jim Tindall 6-29-2009

2009-06-29T19:16:00.001-07:00

We lost our Pops today...Please pray for the whole Tindall family especially for Lee and Emma tonight.

Feeling California...

2009-06-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

I am off...I have been planning this trip to Palm Springs California for a year now and the day has finally come! I am sooo excited! I will take lots of pictures and see everyone when we get back!
If you are interested in seeing where I am going go to...
www.laquintaresortandclub.com It is a beautiful spa resort and we will be there for 5 days! Thanks to my wonderful husband for keeping Emma and holding down the fort so I can go enjoy some time with some of my girls!!

He's a What??

2009-06-22T16:23:00.001-07:00

Lee and I celebrating his day!
Lee's trying not to cry look!

Yesterday was a big day for us...Fathers Day of course is a day I love to celebrate. A day to honor Lee and to thank God for the Dad he is to Emma but we also had his, along with 6 other men to the Ordination ceremony to become Deacons of Christ Community Church. It was a special day and made me reflect on what God has done in our lives. Who knew that 6 1/2 years ago, God would have us here. I sure didn't! We are living examples of Gods goodness and his faithfulness towards his children. I am so proud of Lee for all the hard work he did and that he has accepted this responsibility. His heart of service is something to look up to and something I strive to do as well. I am truly grateful for God bringing us to this place and I cannot wait to see what he will do with us over the years to come!

Daddys Day

2009-06-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

I love being able to celebrate this holiday. We spent so many years not sure if Lee would ever be a Dad. I used to watch him with our niece and nephew and knew what a great Dad he would be. I am grateful for my daughter that she has such a wonderful man to look up to and that she will find someone in her life that cares about her almost as much as her daddy. Emma made cinnamon rolls and picked out a card for him. She was so excited to give it to him and we had a great Fathers Day!

Only took 35 minutes this time!!

2009-06-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Pocky....A crunchy breadstick with chocolate or strawberry flavored chocolate on the end of it.

A layered cake that Emma wanted to try with Coconut and Pandan (still not sure what kind of fruit that is) I guess we will find out!
Hello Panda...Love these little crunchy cookies with pudding like creme on the inside. Strawberry and Chocolate flavor on the inside. Yummy!
Our bag from the market..Basically, I miss mission work. We have not been able to go on a trip this year and I really wanted to! We were suppose to go to Guadalajara, Mexico and that has been put off until next year. There is so much that God has allowed me to experience through the trips I have taken. The awesome people I have met the places and things I have seen, the traveling and yes even the food I have eaten! I am amazed that God has chosen me to be a part of spreading his word throughout the world...me? A high school drop out...are you kidding me? I feel so blessed to be someone that God has called and now I can travel around and tell others about the love he has for them. What an opportunity...All I can say is Thank You!

Saying goodbye!

2009-06-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Decided it was too hot in Georgia to have long hair! I made an appointment and decided to let her do whatever she thought would look best. I closed my eyes and said goodbye to 6 inches of my hair! I absolutely love it and look forward to a cooler summer!

1 week down...9 more to go!

2009-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation is here and since we don't have a pool we had to improvise. We went out to the driveway and had some fun with the hose. What a great way to cool off in the summer heat!

'New Moon' trailer: A 14-second tease with a one-second kiss

2009-05-31T09:18:00.001-07:00

'New Moon' trailer: A 14-second tease with a one-second kiss

Shared via AddThis

Part 1

2009-05-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

As some of you might know Lee and I are doing some home renovations. We finished up Emma's bedroom and now we are doing ours. We have started to paint and Lee took all of the flooring up tonight with the help of our friend, Mike! We are excited to see the finished product and really excited when we will be sleeping in our bedroom again!

goodbyes are hard :(

2009-05-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Proud Mom and Dad! Good job Emma for finishing the 2nd grade on the Presidents list! We look forward to starting a new year at a new school with all the adventures we will have in 3rd grade!!
Emma and her friend, Annalise

We had Emma's last day at school today. It was very bittersweet for us knowing that we will not be returning to NCCS next year. Emma has been there since she started Kindergarten and most of the kids she had to say goodbye to have been with her since she started. They had pizza and ice cream and signed yearbooks.

like riding a bike...

2009-05-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since Emma has taken swimming lessons. She had them from age 18 months to 4 years old. She had a natural ability in the water and no fear but she wanted to be able to experience other things so we did Gymnastics and Dance, but nothing ever stuck like swimming. She finally asked me to take lessons again this summer! I jumped at the chance giving her no time to change her mind and today was her first time back...and she did awesome! Backstroke and kicking by herself just like she had never been away from it. Go Emma....kick kick kick...

2009-05-19T10:47:00.001-07:00

I had a friend come over and paint a mural on Emma's wall! She did this above Emma's bed. This is the only part that Emma has not seen yet! She is going to love it!
We took a corner of the room and painted vines and flowers up that wall. This is perfect considering how much of a gardener she has become!
These are all up above her window...Emma's idea! We love her new big girl room!

Newborns

2009-05-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

As you know we have been maintaining our garden and this is our new sprouts...
Green Bell Pepper
Zucchini...
We are so proud and cannot wait until we can eat them!

Veggies are good for you

2009-05-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

We have been renovating our house and we started in Emma's room. We painted and moved her furniture around (all new) put in hardwood floors. We knew she would love it but we gave no thought that the change of her bedroom would scare her!! Emma is 7 years old and we have never dealt with the boogie man but all of a sudden, first night in her room, and Emma is scared someone is under her bed. We say prayers with her and of course check under the bed to which we found no boogie man! Then we had the solution...
Join in if you know the song...
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man he's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man and he's watching over you and me...
Laughed herself to sleep!
Thank you Veggie Tales!

New Challenges

2009-05-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have participated in the Race for the Cure every year for the last three years but this year was totally different! I was challenged (by my good friend, Tonia) to run it this time! I do work out with Jazzercise and I do free weights, all of which I love but I have never really ventured out into other forms of fitness. Scared but up for the challenge I said yes. I arrived at the race at 7:30a.m. sharp and started at the front and then all of a sudden we were off! We came around the first turn and to be honest I did not think I was going to make it, I think I said that every hill!! I wanted to stop a few times but Tonia ran right beside me encouraging me every time I felt like that! Then I saw it...THE FINISH LINE!!!! What a beautiful sight and I felt myself running faster as people on the sidelines were cheering us on! What a rush!
Miriam First 5K...35 minutes...3.2 miles! Not too bad!

Guilty Garden

2009-05-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

I have never had what you would call a green thumb so I have ignored requests from Emma to plant a garden. She kept insisting and begging me to do it. I was not going to give in until she laid these words on me..."Mom, I just want us to spend time together doing something fun, just you and me!" How could I say no. I bought a few pots and with encouragement from a few friends, (Thanks Amy and Bonnie) I bought plant food and soil and came home and did it. Surprisingly Emma has checked on them everyday! She waters them and has loved to watch them grow. To my amazement...it is working. We are growing bell peppers and cucumbers and white and purple petunias. I cannot believe we have been able to do this and I am actually having fun!

Getting ready to plant the petunias in the pots we bought and painted!!

Our beautiful artwork!

WHAT???

2009-04-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Emma and I went to Jazzercise and she came up to me and asked "Mom, can we go eat at Chic Fil A?"
I said "No,Emma get your stuff, we will eat at home ." Emma said "But Mom I am not hungry"
Seriously, I think she just likes to argue...imagine that!

Big Shanty Fun

2009-04-20T18:01:00.001-07:00

Emma has been in Xzalt Kids at her school for about a year. It is an after school program for kids that want to be in chorus. This weekend they got the chance to sing at the Big Shanty Festival. They got to perform on the big stage and wer so excited to be there!
Emma sang so loudly and boldly proclaimed the gospel in song! I Know she is only 7 but she had passion coming out of her when she was singing. I was so proud of her.
This was Emma's solo part..she didn't miss a beat, not one word! At the end of her verse she had to yell out...Let's all make some noise and everybody screamed Woo-Hoo!!!!
They busted out the dance moves too..jumping for Jesus!
Singing and Praising God!
All of my family came to see Emma's performance! My Mom, Sister and Aunt were so proud of Emma too! The weather was perfect and I am grateful for the day I had to see my daughter worship the God that created her!

Bombs Away...

2009-04-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

So the other night we had made plans to go and see a movie instead we ended up hiding under Emma's bed as hail hit the house. It is amazing how loud these can be as they hit the roof. Emma had her friend Morgan over and so we played games and practiced the capitals of all 50 states while we took shelter. I think we had a lot more fun than being at the movies and it was definitely cheaper!!

Egg-ible Art

2009-04-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Emma and Morgan coloring Easter Eggs!
The finished products...they were so proud of their eggs!
Green...her favorite color and mine too!
Looking at the eggs up close!

never forget the first one

2009-04-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Emma has watched Lee and I raise funds and get prepared for two out of the country mission trips! So when the opportunity arose for another trip she was not going to let us go without her! Emma went on her first mission trip this year with some friends from church and we had a blast! We went to The Palmer Home for Children in Columbus Mississippi. I was nervous that we were going to be working while the kids sat on the sidelines but NO they involved the children in everything that we did! It was exciting to see Emma and the other children helping and listening intently on the instructions given about the jobs they were to do. How fun to see Emma give up her tv time and her friends here to go and serve God's people in their community during her Spring Break. I hope this was a gift to her as it was to me to watch her do it and I pray this is a lifelong desire of hers to serve others in the way God has asked us to glorify him and his kingdom.
I know she won't forget the friends she went with as it is something they will have in common forever! Even at 7 she has sisters and brothers in Christ...how exciting is that?

Easter Poem

2009-04-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is a poem that Emma wrote at school for Easter...We have been using it as part of her prayers every night.

Red is for the blood he gave
Green is for the grass he made
Yellow for the sun so bright
Orange is for the edge of night
Black is for the sins we made
White is for the grace he gave (that one is my favorite)
Purple is for his hour of sorrow
Pink is for a new tomorrow

Passing on tradition

2009-03-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

I still think the best part of making a chocolate cake is to get to hold and eat the mix left on the beaters. When I was a kid I used to wait with such anticipation for my grandmother to finish mixing and ask me if I wanted them...like she even had to ask!! Looks like Emma agrees! YUMMY!

I can't play one but I am one!

2009-03-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

All who might read this might be surprised but one of my favorite books is not Twilight but a book I have read a few times called Instrument In The Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp. I have always struggled with how God is gong to use me. I could not imagine what he could do. I would look at the church and see how everyone was more than me...smarter, friendlier, patient, loving, merciful. All traits that I knew I had but others had them more than me. I think I continued to look at how I had dropped out of high school never finished college didn't really ever have a career and with all those "failures" how could I be used int he kingdom of God?
God is answering those questions for me. I think I was waiting for him to answer but never asked or pursued anything through prayer. Well, an opportunity has come around in our church to work with a local mercy mission called Must Ministries. www.mustministries.org It is a wonderful place that feeds the homeless (over 2000 lbs) of food every single day in Cherokee and Cobb counties. We made some announcements in church and prayed that God would put on the hearts of our congregation to help...and they did! The pictures are all of the food that we collected in only two Sundays. Praise God for what he has done and that he will continue to do use me as an instrument for him.
Thanks to all to Christ Community Church who donated food to this mission!

Orange...you glad?

2009-03-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

We went to our favorite Chinese Restaurant with Lee's parents the other night. Emma is the only child at a table full of adults so she had to entertain herself somehow!

get ready get set...shorts

2009-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

I love the summer and even though Georgia summer is really HOT and never really something you get used to come June and July I would take it over the cold anytime! The sun is therapeutic and makes me very happy. I love the pool and the beach, hopefully we will go somewhere that has both this summer! I love the clip clop sound that the sandals make when you walk. I love having my toes done in the summer so I can wear those cute flip flops! Being able to go to the park and eat lunch outside is something we all enjoy as a family. Emma is just like me in this respect so she was the first one to pull out her shorts to go play outside today! She was the happiest kid throwing on those shorts and flip flops!
Even the dog is in a better mood and nothing really makes him get up and be lively! We are grateful for this beautiful weather!

She's not a baby anymore!

2009-02-28T15:08:00.001-08:00

I went to a baby shower today and had so many memories going through my mind as I sat and watched the new mommy open her gifts and talk of how excited she was about the new baby boy that was coming. I remember my shower like it was yesterday. After waiting 6 years to get Emma here I was so thrilled to be having a baby shower but it took me a while to believe the shower was actually for me! The time has flown by so fast and she still fascinates me like she did when she was an infant.
Emma has too many milestones now for me to keep up with like I did in her baby book for the first year but I wanted to share some things about our "maturing" 7 year old little girl.
Emma is in 2nd grade and loves math and science. Penmanship is not her strength, because she is in too big of a hurry to write neat, more than she is incapable of writing neat. Emma makes friends very easily and never meets a stranger. She is quick to call someone she just met her BFF (best friend forever) She is a loyal friend. She hates when she thinks people are arguing...brothers and sisters me and lee she will get right in the middle of that and speak her mind about how upset she is by all of this. Emma is not afraid to speak her mind. She loves TV and has become quite fond of Pokemon lately. Her imagination just runs with these characters. She also loves to read and we have yet to find anything that has stumped her. She has read Junie B. Jones andChronichles of Narnia and her favorite...Smelly Socks!She loves to snuggle and have her head rubbled. She loves her dog, alex, and calls him her little brother...so cute! Her favorite food is mac and cheese. I have never seen a kid eat it like she does. She also loves to cook and always wants to cook and serve dinner to me and Lee. She is a bit of a technical geek like her Mom...quick to figure out the computer and her ipod and if you don't know how to tell her how to do something she will figure it out herself. Physically Emma is all legs and she has about 6 teeth that are loose right now and about to fall out! She is so tall and when I pick her up her feet touch the floor! She will be taller than me one day and she likes that idea!
I love this girl and I am so grateful for this gift that God has called me to raise. No matter how hard the days may be or whatever challenges may arise I am thankful to be home with her and watch her grow and change everyday..it is truly amazing.

2009-02-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

Movie List, just for fun...

Oscar Best Picture Winners:
The ones in bold are ones I've actually seen (and thanks to my Dad who watched a lot of Turner Classics in my growing-up years)

2008 Slumdog Millionaire
2007 No Country for Old Men
2006 The Departed
2005 Crash
2004 Million Dollar Baby
2003 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 Chicago
2001 A Beautiful Mind
2000 Gladiator
1999 American Beauty
1998 Shakespeare in Love
1997 Titanic
1996 The English Patient
1995 Braveheart
1994 Forrest Gump
1993 Schindler's List
1992 Unforgiven
1991 The Silence of the Lambs
1990 Dances with Wolves
1989 Driving Miss Daisy
1988 Rain Man
1987 Last Emperor, The
1986 Platoon
1985 Out of Africa
1984 Amadeus
1983 Terms of Endearment
1982 Gandhi
1981 Chariots of Fire
1980 Ordinary People
1979 Kramer vs. Kramer
1978 The Deer Hunter
1977 Annie Hall
1976 Rocky
1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1974 The Godfather: Part II
1973 The Sting
1972 The Godfather
1971 The French Connection
1970 Patton
1969 Midnight Cowboy
1968 Oliver!
1967 In the Heat of the Night
1966 A Man for All Seasons
1965 Sound of Music
1964 My Fair Lady
1963 Tom Jones
1962 Lawrence of Arabia
1961 West Side Story
1960 The Apartment
1959 Ben-Hur
1958 Gigi
1957 The Bridge on the River Kwai
1956 Around the World in 80 Days
1955 Marty
1954 On the Waterfront
1953 From Here to Eternity
1952 The Greatest Show on Earth
1951 An American in Paris
1950 All About Eve
1949 All the King's Men
1948 Hamlet
1947 Gentleman's Agreement
1946 The Best Years of Our Lives
1945 The Lost Weekend
1944 Going My Way
1943 Casablanca
1942 Mrs. Miniver
1941 How Green Was My Valley
1940 Rebecca
1939 Gone with the Wind
1938 You Can't Take It with You
1937 The Life of Emile Zola
1936 The Great Ziegfeld
1935 Mutiny on the Bounty
1934 It Happened One Night
1933 Cavalcade
1932 Grand Hotel
1931 Cimarron
1930 All Quiet on the Western Front
1929 The Broadway Melody
1927 Wings

update on sanctification

2009-02-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight when I picked Emma up from school we sat down and I apologized again for the way I behaved this morning and started to cry..again. She said "Mom I don't even remember what you said but I will forgive you if you want me to." Then she proceeded to tell me what an awesome day she had at school! Like I said God does cover them with much grace, even through memory loss!

Being Sanctified

2009-02-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

I am writing this today in hopes I am not the only one who has these days! Sometimes it sure feels like it...
So it has been one of those mornings when I woke up not feeling quite right. I tried to hold my tongue and be quiet but I had to take it out on someone. She moved just a little too slow and I started yelling. I am taken aback by these moments with her. I love this little person so much and have prayed for her more than I have prayed for myself and yet I still act this way towards her. I know that it is not about her. God has shown me more about my own sin through this relationship more than any other that I have in my life. I think she is here to sanctify me. I think too often of that scripture about Paul recognizing his own sin and doing the things he doesn't want to do and not doing what he knows he should do. I do say sorry and ask for her forgiveness and thankfully she is always willing but I worry so much about how these moments break her spirit. I am grateful for God as I know how much he is covering her with his grace no matter how much I mess up as her mom. I am very hard on myself as i should know better right? I wish that was all it took was knowing how to be the perfect non yelling always kind parent and then I would do it but there is no magic button to make me that way or I would push it.

Finding a Cure

2009-02-19T04:01:00.000-08:00

Here we are again down at the Ritz Carlton doing Jazzercise for three hours straght to raise money for Susan G. Komen. I hope we do find a cure for this disease that takes the lives of 1 out of 4 women! I believe we will find a cure in my lifetime, if I didn't I would not be involved so much with this charity. We donate balloons pink for survivors and white in memory of and every year I see more and more pink and that is a beautiful thing and gives me hope that we will find a cure so that my daughter will never know life with breast cancer.

Daddy Daughter

2009-02-14T11:41:00.001-08:00

This is Emma all ready for the Daddy Daughter Dance! They gave all of the girls a feather boa before the dance!
All the girls doing a congo line! Smile Emma!
Now swing your partner do-si-do!
Emma Abigail and Eliana ready to dance the night away!
Emma and her Daddy...two peas in a pod!

young whippersnappers...

2009-02-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

So on the way home from school Emma was telling me about her day and how she met a girl walking into her class today that was in third grade. I always praise Emma for her being so outgoing and bold. So, she has never met a stranger! I love this quality about her, as it is very different from me as a child.
I was teasing her a little and said so what did you say when you introduced yourself to this girl...Hey I'm Emma Wanna hang out?
Her response was
"Mom, that might have worked in the olden days but not now. That is something a hippie would say"
And so it has begun....

Second Celebration!

2009-02-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

My birthday was Monday but Lee's parents wanted to celebrate with me as well. So, we all got to go to The Olive Garden and have dinner Saturday night. Our waitress was nice enough to take our picture under the awning in front of the bar. We were happy but stuffed from our delicious dinner!

His Mom works for Mary Kay so she got me my favorite lotion and favorite lip gloss!
This is Pops and Emma entertaining themselves before dinner.
Emma getting a kiss from her Daddy!
One more family photo before we ended the night.

Car Talk

2009-01-30T12:30:00.000-08:00

I can admit it I am an angry driver. I hate to be cut off, sit in traffic, and have no patience for Sunday drivers! As much as I would like to say that I am better when Emma is in the car I am not!
So I thought I would share some of our (Me and Emma) conversations we have had.

When she was two She would giggle and put her hands up in the air and say "WEE" like she was riding on a roller coaster. It was hilarious!

Then when she got a little older our conversations went like this...

Mom says "Did you see that Idiot" to some guy that cut me off. Emma says "Mom, you shouldn't call someone an idiot even if you feel like they are one because that is not nice."

I miss the old days!

29 and holding...yeah right!

2009-01-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

I just had my birthday yesterday! Emma and Lee made me a cake...red velvet with funfetti icing...Yummy!!! Then when I got home they had ordered my favorite pizza from my favorite pizza place! What a night. Emma Lee pizza and cake! It could not have been any better! Emma iced the cake herself and was so cute how she kept the secret all day and kept dropping hints but surprisingly enough never said anything to give it away!!

I am thankful to have Lee and Emma and that they would plan such a special evening for me.

Fun at Wachovia

2009-01-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

I went to the bank today and got some money out and when the teller gave me the envelope I pulled over to make sure I got the right amount and found she had given me $100.00 over what I asked for. I drove back around and explained to her what she had done and to my surprise she didn't believe me. She said "No I didn't it says right here that I gave you $25.00." I said I have the money right here, it is more than that, you gave me too much." She took it and checked herself and was stunned...the sad part is I think she couldn't believe I brought it back.

Undeserved Gift

2009-01-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

Pops, that is what she named him, so that is what stuck. They have a special bond. He makes her pull his finger and tells stories from when he was a kid and she politely listens. He claps and cheers at all her accomplishments and awards her report card by giving her a dollar for every A+! Lee and I are grateful to have him in our lives as he has survived multiple heart attacks and we were not sure how long we would have him. The other night he called us and told us that he wanted to make sure that Emma could stay in private school. We have been struggling through that decision for a while now because financially we were not sure if we could do it. He said he could not think of any other investment that he could make that would be more important than her and her education. I am overwhelmed, not only at Pop's offer but at God's continued faithfulness towards Lee and I. We don't deserve it and we are humbled at how he continues to provide for us through others. This type of thing has happened to us so many times and the only thing I can do is remember the verse that talks about if he takes care of the trees and the flowers he will take care of the ones he calls his children. That is so true and I am humbled by God's grace that has been shown and continues to be shown to me and my family.

Emotional over what?

2009-01-09T06:05:00.001-08:00

It's Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!! I just had to get that out! I have been on a pretty strict eating regimen trying to recover from the holidays, and Friday is my eating day. One day out of the week I get to eat whatever I want. As you can tell I am very excited about that!!
Cheese dip here I come!

first day back

2009-01-05T10:45:00.001-08:00

Today was the first day back to school after being off for almost 3 weeks. We had to get up at 6am to be on the road by 7:15. As much as Emma did not want to be up I didn't either. By 4:00 we are both going to need a nap!!

Pretty Woman...Sort of!

2009-01-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Daddy got a makeover from Emma today. Bows in the hair and his nails painted a light pink to match his eyes! Be careful when you fall asleep around your 7 year old! You might want to sleep with one eye open next time!

Jazzercise 2009!!!

2009-01-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

I started off 2009 with a bang! I went to Jazzercise and spent the morning doing what I love. I got to see my girls and we exercised for a cause..Raising money for the Susan G. Komen event we will do in Feb! It was wonderful to see evryone come out and getting involved! An hour and a half of having fun and working out...Yes you can have both!
Here is Andrea doing a Hunk of Burning Love and what do you know...Elvis heard how much fun it is to Jazzercise that he stopped in for a dance!
Here is Pam and Me! A great friend and wonderful mentor through out my whole journey of getting into shape and taking care of myself! I cannot say thank you enough to her for what she has done for me, and yes I am even grateful for all of the planks and push-ups!
Here is all of our awesome instructors! Nina, Pam ,Molly, Karen, and Andrea! You guys are great! Thank you for all that you do and how hard you all work to make our classes so good!
All the instructors again dancing us through our last routine! :(

To all my friends!!

2008-12-31T15:48:00.001-08:00

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!

Mom,I believe!

2008-12-25T15:28:00.001-08:00

We walked into Lee's parents house to celebrate Christmas and much to our surprise we saw Santa sitting there! Emma, as you know had just had the talk with us about Santa and she understood that he was not real and seemed okay about that but when she walked into that room her eyes got huge and she said I thought you said he wasn't real....Laughing, she informed us that we were wrong. We spent time with him and he told her of the true meaning of Christmas and listened of her wishes for the holidays and he let all of us take pictures and take turns sitting on his lap! When we were about to leave Emma said Mom I believe in Santa because he remembered the cookies I made him last year and he even had my letter that I wrote to him last year. If he wasn't real how could he know all that? I had to agree! I am grateful for the friend of Nona's that agreed to do this for us because he just stretched out Emma's childhood a little longer!
Even Lee and his brother, Whit got in on the action! They were arguing over who was going to get the best present! Hmmm...Should I tell Santa if they have been naughty or nice?
Emma showing Santa her wish list! She told him she has been a very good girl all year! (He said he knew that already!)
We all got to sit on Santa's lap this year!

Trust me I'm a doctor!

2008-12-21T12:23:00.001-08:00

Emma and Daddy playing doctor! Poor daddy, he just wanted to lay down and watch some football today!

I like the choice of medical bandages...Look closely!
This doctor is also a comedian! The patient had no idea, well he might have had some idea since he does it to her in every picture we take!

uh oh she knows!

2008-12-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well the day finally came! Emma found out about Santa! The night started out with one of Emma's teeth falling out at dinner. We know our job we have done it at least 6 other times but this year we dropped the ball! Yes folks, we forgot to put money under the pillow! So when she woke up that next morning she came in our room and said the tooth fairy forgot about me. Honestly, one of the saddest things I had ever heard. Lee and I knew it was better to tell her than to make her think the tooth fairy forgot about her. She took it well and said she had a feeling but then the light bulb went off and she said "Santa?" We told her no and the was her response..."I kind of knew because Santa is not as good as Jesus so I did not think that he could go around to everyones house and deliver presents!" I think she is going to be ok.

A Perfect Answer

2008-12-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

It was just one of those days..Kicking and screaming after school today. She didn't want to do homework and everything we said turned into an argument. These are the times when I sit back at night when I am putting Emma into bed and feel totally confused. I don't know what went on in her mind that made her feel so combative and I am not sure she does either.
I got her in bed and as I was rubbing her head I said I am sorry you had a bad day...and jokingly said must be those hormones! She asked me what are hormones? To which I answered "Hormones are what makes you cry sometimes...to which she said "for no apparent reason" I could not have said it better myself!

A perfect day

2008-11-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

We decided to take advantage of the last few beautiful days of Fall! We headed out to Kennesaw Mountain. The hike is totally worth it when you reach the top!
Here is Emma and Morgan waiting to go up the trail and playing on the cannon.
Alex was so thirsty! He has not walked that much in his whole life!
Here are all of the kids...Emma Morgan and Patrick showing off their skills.
Me Lee and Alex taking a break at the top of the mountain!
Beautiful red berries! No eating them though :(
Pretty scenery...
Pooped out kiddos! They slept so good that night.

Chic Fil A ain't got nothing on her!

2008-11-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is what Emma did to her chicken biscuit the other morning when I went and took a shower. I just thought it was funny and wanted to share what we call Chicken Art!

Girls Weekend

2008-11-11T16:07:00.001-08:00

My friend, Kim and I decided to go to Helen Ga. for a girls weekend! We rented a cabin, packed the car, and we were off. No husbands and no kids! This is the black bear cabin that we stayed in for the weekend. It was on top of the mountain and even though the bear crossing was a little disturbing the scenery was breathtaking. All of the leaves were falling and changing colors. There was such a nice crisp feeling to the air, so fresh and clean.

This is the city fountain in Helen. We sat by it and people watched and ate our chocolate covered marshmallows!

This is us trying to take our own picture!

This is the restaurant by the river (The Troll Tavern) where we stopped and had lunch. The best philly cheesteak in town! You can sit outside and enjoy all of the people and the beautiful weather!

This is the river over the bridge. Really pretty for taking pictures and when it is warm enough you can go tubing...not at this time of year...Brrrrr!!!

We had a great time and I hope this is something we can do again! I love my girlfriends that God has put in my life and I am thankful for the time I get to be with them.

All that in one hour!

2008-11-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween Everyone! Emma dressed up as Gabriella from High School Musical! Here she is posing in her costume! She looks so grown up (did you notice the hand on the hip?) We had a great time with friends trick or treating. It has been a tradition for us to go to Charlotte and Mike's house for the last 5 years and we have enjoyed celebrating this holiday with them! It only took about an hour going from house to house then we came back and went through all of our loot! Kit Kats, Butterfingers, and Nerds...Emma and her friends traded candy and then ate some of their favorite ones! We still have so much leftover, and I think we will have it until next Halloween!

Here are all of the girls in their costumes! Emily is a horse trainer Sophie is a pirate and Hannah is the first Nancy Drew (I love the blonde hair!) and of course Emma is Gabriella!

Pumpkins, face painting, and cider..Oh my!

2008-10-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

I love the fall. It is time for a cool breeze in the air and my favorite holiday, Halloween. I like the decorations and going trick or treating, watching the kids run from house to house collecting candy for me, I mean, them! I love curling up on the couch and seeing a good scary movie! It is just a time of year that I look forward to.

We decided to go and enjoy a day at the pumpkin patch close to our house. They have hayrides and a petting zoo and so many pumpkins, making it hard to choose just one! They also have face painting, my daughter had to get the spider! Yikes!

This is a picture that doesn't happen too often. Emma with her friends, Owen and Jackson all looking at the camera at the same time, we were so proud!

Screaming and dancing

2008-10-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

The other day I went into the bathroom with Emma to change out her earrings and as I stood there staring at her I noticed her eyes got huge and she was pointing at me. Do you know that feeling? It can only mean two things...either there is someone behind you that is going to kill you or there is a bug in your hair, which to me is just as bad as facing the murderer! I jumped around hitting my head over and over and throwing my hair all over the place screaming "did I get it out? " I finally saw it on the floor and sprayed it until we ran out of spray.
I am sorry for the bug but him or me I will choose me!
R.I.P. Grandaddy longlegs 10-23-08

He fell in love

2008-10-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is our dog Alex. He is more like a cat in the way that he is so relaxed rarely barks and is scared of a broom and the hairdryer. He also sleeps 20 hours a day. He is our first dog so we did not know what to expect but he has been a great addition to our family and we love him to death. Since we are a busy family and gone a lot I was worried he would get lonely through out the day so Emma decided to give up one of her lovies she had when she was a baby and give it to Alex. Well, it worked he took to it right away and now it is his lovie! So sweet!!

We all had fun!

2008-10-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

We went to go see the play True Story of the Three Little Pigs! It was so cute and the kids had a blast! Then we went to the square in Marietta and the kids danced around and played on the train. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed being with the girls and making memories for our children!

A good cause

2008-10-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

Last night I got to dress up and go out! It was nice to feel pretty and be around so many beautiful women of God. Lee's mom(standing beside me) has been working with this organization called the Wellspring Living House. They are in Duluth and they take in drug addicted mothers that have been seperated from their children and teach them about god and help them get clean and reunite them with their families. Nona goes over there and does Mary Kay Makeovers for the girls and teaches them about skin care and things like that. She does more than that though and I have really wanted to go with her and give my testimony to the girls. A lot of them have suffered abuse both sexual and physical that led them into drugs in the first place, and I can relate to that. I hope to be able to speak to them one day. This fundraiser was to help support and raise money for Wellspring. They have a website http://www.wellspringliving.org/

We got to listen to a fulton county judge tell us how Atlanta is one of the highest in human trafficking for the sex slave industry in girls as young as 11 years old. It broke my heart as I listened to one girl tell of her story of drugs and prostitution, knowing if I would have kept going that could have been me. Then in the same breath speak of how God saved her and she is now using it to help others. That is what I want to do so that no one has to go through what I did. I do not want what I experienced to be for nothing. I would like to think that one day I can use my childhood as a light of hope for those that I am around.

Walmart has it all...

2008-10-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you that do not know this is Pocky...A sweet treat that we tried while we were in Thailand. I thought it tasted like a breadstick with some chocolate on the end of it but after John and Amy's description I think my expectations were a bit too high! (Just kidding you guys)

Anyway, as Lee and I were doing our monthly grocery shopping on aisle 4 we looked down and there it was...Pocky! We called The Huffs right away and told them of this great find!

Thank you Walmart...The Huffs can now have Pocky anytime they want it and don't have to spend 30 hours on an airplane to get it! Kap Koon Kha.....

Best Friends Forever

2008-10-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is Emma and her friend Isabel. They were born 3 months and 3 days apart. I met Sarah, Isabels mom when I was 7 months pregnant and she had just had Isabel. She gave me advice and I listened and watched intently as I knew the day was coming when I would be living her exact life as a mommy. Sarah has been a dear friend to me and the girls have always been close. They spent their first Halloween together and Emma walked that next day after seeing Isabel walking. Emma knew she better do it to keep up with her friend! The pics are of the girls when they were about 2 and we didn't have school or this busy life that gets in the way of us seeing each other like we want to. I feel confident that we will be in each others lives for a long time and have many more memories of the girls growing up!

Excuse me...

2008-10-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Emma and I decided to go to the park and enjoy this beautiful weather! We got on the swings right away because it is our favorite thing to do. Emma saw a friend of hers and got off to go play with her and I decided to keep swinging. Some other kid got on the swing beside me and I noticed this man staring at me. I kept thinking how rude he was. Had he never seen someone swinging before over the age of, well you get my point. Finally he walked over to me and said Excuse me ma'am could you let my daughter have a turn? I was so embarrassed.

A gift from God

2008-09-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was making Emma's lunch today and I pulled out the last sandwich bag and I heard something rolling around in the box. I looked down and this is what I saw...My Wedding band!!!! I almost passed out. As some of you know my rings got really loose on my finger when I started losing all of my weight and a few times they would fling off of my finger. I kept saying I was going to replace them and get them sized down but never found the time. One day I lost the diamond and then a month or two later I lost the band. I have been so upset about not having these rings and wearing these fake temporaries just to show I am married. I have no idea how they ended up in this box but I thank God that he made me look at what was rolling around in there before I threw it away!

2008-09-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

I was going through some old pictures of Emma...I cannot believe she was ever this size! I love the way she was laughing. So cute!

Lost complete focus

2008-09-28T17:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great family night tonight...playing games making dinner together and then came time for bed. Normally Emma does not put up a fight at all about bedtime but I think she was so overstimulated about the day she could not calm herself down. She got so upset she said Mom do you know that I am so mad at you I have horns and they are squirting cream cheese out at you! How do you stay focused on disciplining your child when they say something like that?
All we could do was laugh!

Can I get an Amen?

2008-09-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Here it is folks! The new home of Christ Community Church. We are so excited that God has provided us with this land for our church. It is in such a busy intersection and Lee said that there were a lot of cars driving by and looking to see what was going to be built there. Please continue to pray for the team as they go forward with the construction of the building and making us a church that will help to minister better to the people of Acworth/Kennesaw and beyond! Pray that we glorify God through this experience of building his church and that we remember who this is really for.

Changed Hearts Changed Lives Changed Community...We have done it in the kennesaw community center and we are so excited at how God will use our church home to do more!

A Mother's Worth

2008-09-20T16:24:00.001-07:00

So some of you know that I have been struggling with what God wants me to do with my life for a little over a year now. Emma is in school full time...7:45-3pm and when she gets home she does chores and homework and then she is off to a friends house until dinner. I love her independence and frankly, since we do not have any other children I have liked the freedom it has given me. I decided about a year ago to go back to work and I thought the perfect job was for me to teach aerobics. I have fallen in love with fitness and have been involved with Jazzercise for about 5 years now. I went and auditioned and passed and had a leg injury and had to drop out then I went back and tried again and did not make it. I took about 6 months off and tried again and after getting some Simon Cowell (the mean judge from American Idol) criticism I quit before they could fail me. It has been quite a journey and still something keeps me going back. I have had a lot of quits in my life..high school college jobs I should have stayed at but did not and I don't want to quit on this. On the other hand I start to wonder if it is this hard with this many obstacles is that God telling me NO? There are girls that have passed since my auditions, some good and some not, and I have to say that I am jealous and bitter at times that they are doing the job I want to have. Why not me, screaming like a two year old in my head! I always wanted to be a mom and I am glad that I get to stay at home with Emma but I struggle with that being the only identity I have. Doing laundry and dishes and cooking dinner, none of which I am that great at (not even close to the virtuous woman in the bible)
Who knows what will present itself in the next year...something awesome or God leaving me just where I am to rely completely on him and learning to be satisfied as being a daughter of the king and realizing nothing is more awesome than that!

She did it all for the chocolate

2008-09-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

Emma and I decided to have a girlie day. We do this about once a month and since Lee had some stuff to do after church we hung out together. I love these moments with her. She tells me about school and who she plays with and who gets in trouble the most. (never her, of course!) We talk about daddy and how thankful we are that he works so hard so that we can spend time together. I let Emma pick the resturant and she chose Chili's like she always does. Why Chili's you ask? Not for the food or the fun ambience of the place..no...it was for the Hot Molten Lava Cake! It is her favorite dessert! In the middle of eating it she said "Girls just gotta have their chocolate, right Mom?"
I hope these moments continue because the stuff she says in these times are priceless!

We all scream for ice cream

2008-09-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

I was going through some old pictures of Emma and found this one! It is one of my favorites because it was the first time we let Emma feed herself ice cream. I am not sure how much actually got into her mouth but she had a great time trying!

Notice...we let her Uncle sit the closest to her while she made this mess!

Taking care of the footsies

2008-09-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

I know we were on a mission trip but we had to get it done! It was our last night in Bangkok.

We all went and got a real Thai Massage! If you've never done it I highly recommend it! Girlfriends, hot tea, hot towels and an awesome massage! What else could a girl ask for?

humpback humpback I crooked letter crooked letter I.....

2008-08-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ok I have to admit that when the Tindall Family Reunion comes around I am usually not wanting to go. Not because of his family but I just never understood it. I have 4 or 5 people in my family that I speak to and so we never had family reunions. I tried to understand the point but never did! I cannot imagine being related to and getting along with family that you only visit once a year. I think it sank in to me this year. We usually have to drive to Mississippi which is about 7-9 hours (depending on who is driving)

from here and then we just stay for a day or two. I am always greeted so warmly and Emma is the star of the show as they oooh and ahhh over how tall she is and they tell her how smart she is...she hates that part! hahaha...not! This is just how it is, they get together once a year because we all have busy lives and families and live all over and so it is just easier to meet once a year! It totally takes the pressure off Christmas cards and why didn't you call me on my birthday, you just catch up on that one weekend and then you don't have to do it again until next year! I think I am starting to like the idea. It only helps that they treat me like family and always make me feel like I have the most important job in the world...raising Emma even though it would be easy to feel inadequate to the doctors dentist and teachers in the crowd they do not make me feel that way. I had a great time and am glad I went!

Cousin Yvonne bought Emma some gifts because she was the youngest Tindall there! Doesn't every girl need a pink boa?

I now pronounce you

2008-08-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

So, the other night me Lee and Emma were at the table having dinner and Emma looked up at us with the sweetest face and said Mom, If I could marry mac n cheese I would, that is how much I love it! At that moment I truly believed if she could she would do just that!
Wonder why she didn't say that about the broccoli on her plate? hmmmmm..........

My how times have changed...

2008-08-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

This is Emma at her first birthday party showing off her jumping skills in her new leotard! I wish I had a third of that girls energy!

I remember when Lee and I were first married and how we use to spend our weekends. Sleeping in until noon eating at the table while watching our favorite non kid friendly movie. We could do whatever we wanted all weekend and we did to ease the stress of the work week. Well, gone are those days! This weekend we had two, count em,two birthday parties in one day. One was at the park and one was at gymnastice. They were both very fun and Emma had a blast. Eating pizza and cake at both parties and running around with the kind of energy you only get from candy and soda! I just had to laugh at Lee and I as we reminisce of the weekends before kids!

Sisterhood of the Thailand Pants

2008-08-17T11:27:00.001-07:00

We all made it to church today for our Thailand presentation! I was worried I would be the only

one showing up on Sunday with my Thai pants on so I was relieved when I saw Mandy and then Lynn and Amy following closely behind. Don't we look cute? We had a great day and everyone that wanted to share got a chance to. I truly believed that the gospel was spoken and we were able to get our church excited about Thailand. We had a table set up with all of P Pawn's cards and we had a lot interest in them. They were cards purchased and questions about how to get more, even the kids of our church purchased cards to write to their friends! We gave out her website and told about her ministry. It was fun to answer questions and to see our church family show such interest in what we saw and did. Praise God for this group and the chance to bring back a little part of what is going on there!

I have TV Hair!

2008-08-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ok it is a terrible truth but I am graying at 35 and have been for a couple of years and I have to admit that I hate it. It is the one thing about me physically that drives me crazy. I am 35 not 85! It might not be so bad if I had that pretty gray hair that you see on commercials but No I have that coarse ugly gray hair that no one would want. I finally went to go and get my hair done today. My friend Mel is a hair dresser and she did a great job. It was the first time I went to her salon and I am so happy with what she did! Most of all I love it because Emma keeps rubbing it and saying pretty mommy! She likes when they flat iron it because she says I look like her! It melts me when she says that so I have to let them do it even though the second I sweat it will curl back up! Oh well I will enjoy it while it lasts.

She won't stop growing!

2008-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Alright so yesterday we went to Emma's 7 year check up. It is so funny that every time we have these check ups I am so nervous that they will find something wrong with her. Up to now God has blessed us with good health and we got the same news this year. One thing I was surprised by is her height! The girl is 4ft 3 in tall! Where is she getting the height from...not Lee and I and not from her grandmothers that are barely 5 ft! We must have a secret tall uncle or grandad in Scotland we don't know about! She finally caught up in weight and was 57 lbs! She did have to get her second immunization for chicken pox but did great! I was more upset at seeing her get it than she was having to get it. Anyway, she is healthy happy...all I could wish for her to be!

Sawadee Kha!

2008-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ok...This is the saying of Thailand! If you want to say hello goodbye and even thank you say Sawadee Kha and what is she doing with her hands you might ask? It is called Wai. Even the Ronald Mcdonald at the Mall gives the Wai sign! It is a sign of respect. I loved it and I miss doing it so I decided to pass it on to my daughter. Sawadee Kha will live on in this house even though we are not in Thailand!

2nd grade excitement!

2008-08-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of school for Emma at North Cobb Christian School and man, was she ready! She jumped out of bed, and trust me she is part me so it has to be something really great to get us out of bed like that! She got dressed ate breakfast and brushed teeth and hair with 20 minutes to spare. She kept asking if we were almost there in the car and then when we got there she took off without me when she saw her friend Tristan. I do not know if this will last through out her school career but it was really nice to see her that happy. Her teacher will be good for her this year. A good mix of sweet and strict. Emma is sitting beside her friend Ian from last year. When she found that out she said Mom I have no self controp when I am around Ian. They got into some trouble last year for talking and goofing off. I am sure that seating arrangement will not last. Her locker is on the bottom and she has fish and a bunny in her room, good tactic to use cute animals to reel the kids in. hahaha! Anyway we prayed that she would have a great year and learn all kinds of new things. I love the first day of school and I am thankful she does too!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

2008-08-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Emma turns 7 today. In fact just an hour ago I was holding her in my arms. I told her how we had worked so hard to get her here. 6 Years of longing to have her and how she was totally worth the wait! I found out a couple of years ago that Emma means Healer and how true that is...When she came she healed all that suffering from the infertility and miscarriage. I felt instant relief of that when I looked in her eyes that day. God knew she was the one. She is a perfect mix of Lee and I...looks and personality. She has spunk and is so full of personality. She will make an impact on the world someday...No dount about that. She knows God loves her and that he has put her here to do great things in the lives of the people she is around. I am so excited to see...I love you Emma!

jet lag...no joke!

2008-08-03T08:07:00.001-07:00

Ok...I had heard of jet lag but now I have experienced it and it is no joke! I am home fromThailand. My head is spinning and I feel like I am still on an airplane. I have a headache, maybe from a lack of pepsi! I am shaky and my throat hurts and I am unbelievalbly tired! It will be a while for me to get back into my regular schedule. I feel like a zombie! I missed church this morning. I did feel tired but I am a processing type of person and need a couple of days to recap our trip and what we did before I try to explain it to someone else. Was it worth it? YES!!! I am relieved to be home I am also sad not to be there. I miss waking up in bed with my 4 roomies and taking a shower in a big open room listening to Phil talking in the other shower. I miss our morning devotions and going to the office trying to not to get hit by the fast and furious scooters making their way along the traffic. I miss Grackel and Mel and Yu and Pekow. I am happy to be able to have those memories but I will have a space in my heart that only their smiles can fill.
We got on the plane and 30 hours we arrived at my house. I immediately thought I have too much stuff. Funny how you can feel guilty and grateful all at the same time!
God did great things in Thailand and I am glad I got to see it up close and be a little part of what they are doing there!
Sawadee Kha...

Hello from thailand!

2008-07-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Ok...I made it to Thailand and it is great! I am tired but some of that is wearing off...just in time to turn around and come home! hahaha! Really different than I thought but the people we have met have been awesome. They are really nice and have showed us much grace only knowing a few Thai phrases and getting their names wrong even though we have seen them everyday. We were at the park today and the weather tonight was beautiful...a cool wind was in the air and that is not typical here. I learned the song smelly cat from friends in Thai...hilarious! Well I need to go to bed soon becasue we are laying out concrete tomorrow I think?! More later when I am not so cross-eyed.

1st baby

2008-07-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love this picture because this is the first time we got to hold Emma Grace. She was so beautiful and we could not believe we finally got a baby!
6lbs 8oz 21 3/4 long and looked just like her daddy! We didn't want to let her go!

Birthday Posing

2008-07-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is Emma's Grandma Del Aunt Dawn and Aunt Deidre Her Girls They are as crazy about her as she is them I hope she knows they are there for her and she can rely on them when she is a teenager and stops talking to us