My girl

My mom has been bugging me to write down some of the cute things Jacey is saying and doing. So like Kelly, I'll warn you that this is going to be me bragging about my kid.

The best phrase right now is "I can't want to ___. " I can't want to read, I can't want to color, etc. The companion to this is "I can't like ___." Today she told me that she "can't like tuna fish." (She does, she just didn't want that for lunch today.) I don't know exactly where she picked this up, but it's been around for a long time. And it's sweet. She is such a good talker that most of the time things are very clear. Yesterday's cute comment was that she told me that she was little, not big. I think this stems from us telling her what a big girl she is.

Thanks to our 2 week visit to my parents, she is generally potty-trained. She still has a hard time during naps and through the night, but that doesn't bother me. As she plainly told me, she's little and I don't expect her to hold it all night. The best part is that I haven't changed a diaper in weeks!

I've been wondering if and when the "terrible twos" were going to show up. Jacey for the most part is good-natured and willing to listen. But then this week happened. INDEPENDENT. That's the word for her right now. It's driving me batty. I know that it's the result of the craziness in our lives right now. And her age. And the fact that my energy level is nowhere what it used to be. But still. If I tell her to do something, it's either "No! Go away!" or she'll do the opposite. Tantrums, kicking, tears. We've had it all. She has to turn lights on by herself, dress herself, go potty by herself, walk by herself. The funniest, and yet most annoying part is that if you do something to help her (like carry her down steps), she throws a fit and proceeds to go back to the beginning to do it "mySELF!"

And on the other side, she's so precious. She's started making up songs to sing and readily entertains us. She refuses to let us sing to her before bed because she wants to. (The independent thing again.)I've been meaning to record her singing "ABCs" and "Finkle Finkle" (twinkle, twinkle). Most of the words are missing and the letters are all out of over, but she's so proud of herself. She also wants to say her prayers by herself. These consist of thanking God for everyone she remembers. Then she'll pause where we say usually "in Jesus name," skips it, and says a hearty "Amen!" I know she has just said one of the purest, sweetest prayers.

She can color in the lines (generally) and has a very artistic eye. Her favorite color is orange. She loves the Berenstain books and reads them aloud to us. Barbies are her friends, along with Mickey, Minnie, "Dit" (Eeyore), and "Kittycat." Stickers are the greatest invention and will get us through church. She knows how to use the iPhone to watch movies or play games. She can now pedal a tricycle - she goes so fast she's fallen off turning a corner. All in all she's graduated from being a baby to a big girl. Or a "little" big girl.

New things

Ok, so this is a post I've been needing to do for a while. Do you ever have so much going on that it's nearly impossible to imagine writing it all down? Well, that's been our life for the past few months. I warn you, this could get lengthy.

Mitch and I have known for awhile that our time here in Canyon was coming to an end. We knew that we were ready to move on to a new ministry, but weren't quite ready to say goodbye just yet. And honestly didn't really know how to start. At the beginning of December the elders and Mitch had a meeting. Long story short, Mitch agreed that it was time for us to go somewhere else, and he resigned. The elders have given us some time to look for a job. Mitch's desire right now is to either preach or do associate work. We love teens, we love the enthusiasm they have, but for now we are ready to not be coordinating trips, devos, retreats, etc. There is just so much more to ministry than how the next trip goes. I have no idea what God has in store for us. I don't know where we'll move to or what we'll be doing. God has been a little quiet on the subject. I do know that we are on the right path. We have put our house on the market, and I've very proud of what we've done. New cabinets, paint, and flooring in a few places goes a long way. Hopefully someone will fall in love with it soon!

Most of you know that we have been wanting to have another kid for awhile now. For whatever reason, God had asked us to wait. Probably one of the hardest answers to a prayer I've had. But the day before Mitch and the elders met, we found out #2 is on the way! Crazy timing, huh? I don't believe for a second that it was coincidence. We've had 2 ultrasounds and have seen and heard the little heartbeat. Such a miracle and a blessing. Last week we were able to see the head, arms, and legs. So cute. :) The doctor believes everything looks great. If all goes well we will meet this little one around August 6. I'm kind of hoping it can make it to the 12th, so that Jacey and #2 can share birthdays. (It runs in my side of the family - my sister and I have the same birthday only 3 years apart, and my grandmother and her sister had the same birthday.) Considering Jacey was 4 weeks early, I'm not exactly counting on it, but we'll see!

To make life just a little more interesting, Mitch's parents have been looking for a job for a couple of months, and my Dad lost his job over Christmas break. They both have possibilities, but again it's just a matter of waiting to see where God is going to put you. Talk about timing...

So there you have it...a recap of our lives since December. We welcome your prayers for our (and our parents) future. I'm excited to see what it holds!

Random Thoughts

Every now and then I spend some time with a blog idea in my head. (Obviously most of the time I don't get it into a blog format. I'll try to be better at that!) God has definitely given us an interesting year, full of situations we were able to grow and learn from. Most, if not all of them, I wouldn't have asked for. Yet our family is much stronger because of them. It often makes me wonder what is coming next! And I look forward to that with both excitement and nervousness.

One of these situations brought a question to the front of my mind. Why do you/we go to church? A question we all answer differently at different times in our lives. We probably start out answering, "because my parents go." I have had varied answers...because I wanted to, because I was expected to, to see my friends, etc. Sometimes I have felt like going to church was our job (naturally, I suppose). No matter the reason, I have always been blessed by being there.

I have noticed that there are some people who go for themselves. The ministers need to preach about what they want to hear, their kids should get their way in the youth ministry, they should be able to sponsor activities they want to sponsor and do it their way, etc. Not only does this frustrate me immensely, it's purely selfish. It causes division, jealousy, anger, and so much more.

One visit I had at home triggered this particular thought for me. My granny was talking about my aunt, who is have some major health problems, and mentioned that she was disappointed that their minister hadn't visited them. The conversation continued about how visiting others wasn't this minister's strength, and they wished for more from him. Being the wife of a minister who has to deal with these issues, I told them to think about all the work this man does well. How much time he must spend caring about the congregation. No minister is perfect. If you are unhappy with how your ministers are serving, what can you do to pick up the slack? All of us our ministers. We don't get out of that responsibility just because we pay someone full-time to minister. (I have to say that Granny is probably more in tune with God and his Word than almost anyone I know, so please don't think I'm down on her spirituality!)

Look around you today and see how you can build up someone else, especially those who are paid ministers. Some rarely hear what they are doing well...only the negative things.

I so often fail to look beyond myself, but I'm trying to change that. God has taught me all year to look past my wants/needs and to rely on him. A lesson that I'll probably continue to learn for the rest of my life.

Summertime!

As most of you know, the minute kids are out of school is the minute our lives get crazy. I was much more prepared this summer for what to expect, and I have to say that it has been a really awesome ride. Mitch is finally doing "his" ministry with the youth group. We both feel more at home here among the church and the community. And the kids are responding in amazing ways.

Our summer checklist so far:

1. Jr. High 6 Flags trip to Dallas - was super fun! Jacey even got to ride some rides and really loved the waterpark.

2. Houston Opportunity Camp - There are only 3 days between the 6 Flags trip and this one, so Jacey and I visited family in between. We had a great time being with cousins and aunts and uncles. Camp itself went so smoothly. I hadn't been in a couple of years, so it was good for Mitch and I to do this work together.

3. 4th of July - My parents came for the weekend! They hadn't been here in almost a year. It was great to let them meet friends and be a part of our small town celebration.

4. Random trip to Dallas - Mitch's yearbook friends from high school had a reunion. I enjoyed meeting people he had told me about. We also got to stay with Tom and Donna (Mitch's aunt & uncle). Jacey was completely spoiled.

5. VBS - a full week of crazy fun. Very exhausting, but good.

6. Church camp - This week is always like a vacation, since we get to stay with Mitch's parents. Jacey was spoiled, and we had a great time being with family. For some reason we always get sick afterwards (probably the exhaustion kicking in).

We have done all of this plus our normal weekly events in the past 9 weeks. I'm always nervous about the summer starting, but God has really blessed us this summer. It hasn't been as hard as I thought it might be.

Next week Jacey and I head off again to Nashville to help my parents move into their new house. It's great to see what God has done with them this past year. I had no idea what to expect last year, and now they're buying their dream home. Definitely a God-thing. I can't wait to see the house and help them decorate. When we get home it'll be time for Jacey's 2nd birthday and our anniversary. Then maybe life will quiet down. At least a little. :)

The beach

A few weeks ago I posted about our trip to the beach, but I didn't put up any pictures. (Sorry Grandma!) Here are a few we got. Aunt Charlotte needs to send me the rest...hint hint.

Seeing the ocean for the first time

She decided it was ok and plopped right down

Chasing the birds

Vacation

We are finally home from our fabulous vacation at Destin, FL. We were able to spend the whole week with Grammy, Papa, and aunt Charlotte. There's nothing better than relaxing on the beach, swimming in the ocean and the pool, and letting Grammy and Papa watch Jacey! :)

Jacey wasn't scared of the ocean much at all. I was really surprised because I remember being terrified. She loved being able to make a mess!

We've decided the best way to explain this week was in a top 9 most funny moments list. Here goes:

9. 5 adults, 1 child, and 2 dogs in a camper for a week. I think that's pretty funny in itself.

8. SPF 4 really DOESN'T offer much protection for white skin. Ask Charlotte about that sometime.

7. Jacey was proudly carrying a bucket of water back from the ocean when she tripped and face planted in the sand. Probably not as funny for her, but we thought it was precious and hilarious. Especially since her face was half covered in sand.

6. We generally left the screen door open during the day. Both dogs at different times didn't realize it was closed and tried to jump inside. Lexie, my sister's dog, ended up doing a back flip in the process.

5. Mitch was relaxing in a beach chair when it completely collapsed. Unfortunately no one was there to witness it.

4. Mitch also had a close encounter of the crab kind. He was out jumping waves when he was pinched by a crab. Apparently the crab hung on for a quick ride before letting go.

3. On the camper there is a LP alarm, which goes off to let you know there is a propane leak. The first two nights it waited to go off until we were all asleep. The funny part was listening to it beep, then hearing my dad smack it. This happened repeatedly. He did finally figure out how to unplug it.

2. One day my dad was napping. Jacey walked up to him, grabbed his can of coke, said, "Milk!" and proceeded to pour it all over him.

1. Eglin Air Force base is right next to Destin/Ft.Walton beach, where we stayed. Charlotte drove in very late Friday night. She misunderstood part of the directions Mom gave her and turned towards one of the gates. (To get to Destion you have to go over a toll bridge.) In her hand was a $5 bill, and on her face must have been utter confusion. Two guards saw her and probably had the biggest laugh of their year. They did eventually tell her how to get back to the correct road. Ask her to tell this story as well. Fanawesome. :)

Kitchen Table

So God granted us the opportunity to purchase new furniture...a table. Our old kitchen table was bought pre-marriage at the Salvation Army and then painted to be pretty. For the two of us it was ok, but it's gotten smaller and smaller recently. Our new one is gorgeous, and big!

Winter

This spring break we again took kids to Wolf Creek, Colorado to ski for a couple of days. I actually made it this year (no blizzards or knee injuries)! Jacey and I enjoyed experiencing the snow and hanging out in the lodge. She really didn't take good naps, so on the last evening she crashed...hard. Mitch and the kids (and the sponsors) had a good time skiing. Overall the trip went very smoothly.

For most of February and March we've had beautiful, warm spring weather. Today we got a blizzard just to mix things up! It's been very pretty, but very very cold. I've been wanting to go out and play but it's 21 degrees and feels like 7. As Jacey would say, "Brrr!!"

At Wolf Creek in our cute ski gear

Sliding down the mountain

Jacey, exhausted, sleeping on me before dinner

Jacey wanted to go "nigh night" with her baby under the blanket

Looking at the fire Dad built

Our Spring blizzard

My surprise flowers

18 Months

I know, it's been an incredibly long time since posting. The 7000 miles of traveling to Nashville, Branson, and Colorado Springs took it's toll. We're finally back enjoying the quiet peace before pre-summer events start.

Jacey is officially 18 months old today. It's so amazing how fast she's grown up already. She has her daddy's social skills, and is trying to say everything we say. The most popular words of the moment are "no," "ah duh" (all done/gone), "book," and "mae-mei" (baby). I love being able to communicate with her and know some of the things she wants/needs. She loves going to the park, where she gets to play on the bouncy ducks, climb on everything, and go down the slides. We knew early on that she was a climber, and it's evident now. She has no fear. I'm almost able to let her run free at the kiddie playground - since she's getting so good and the slides. (I still have the image of her going over head-first.) She also loves Sesame Street, in particular Elmo. Today she dancing for joy when I turned the tv on and she saw the little guy. She knows his theme song too, and will sing it with him.

Mitch's job is going really well. Neither one of us have any doubts that we are exactly where God wants us to be right now. He was able to baptize 3 of our teens this month following their trip to Winterfest. He also has started and new program where he is able to go one-on-one and challenge a handful of teens to study deeper. I get to go cook on Mondays with the ladies where we feed 100+ teens lunch. It's always a blast, and any of you who have cooked large quantities of food with other women know.

I need to upload our recent pics. Once that's done I'll post pictures for all to see.

An update

So somehow it's already November. Who knew life could move so fast? I love the fall, with it's cooler weather, leaves falling, and a slower paced job. I wasn't sure Mitch's job would ever slow down, but we've had a few weekends here in a row that have been free. Mitch also has the ability to come home early and hang out with the teens on Xbox. He's truly enjoying his job, and I am enjoying being here in Canyon. I've started cooking for Monday lunch, where we feed high schoolers at church, and I'm going to our Ladies class on Wednesday mornings. I'm finding my place outside of just being a YM's wife, and it's been very good for both Mitch and me.

We were able to go to Harding's homecoming this year, which was a blast. We hadn't taken Jacey yet, so it was great to show her off to all of our friends and teachers. She was such a little trooper too. She only fussed about 45 minutes of the 20 hour round-trip drive. Brandon and Joy were awesome hosts. Claira is just adorable.

We had a fun Halloween. Last year at trunk-or-treat Jacey's costume wasn't as warm, and of course it was freezing. So this year, like the good mom that I am, I got her this adorable, warm pig costume. It was basically a sleeper with ears. And it was 80 degrees. Go figure. We all had fun anyway. Halloween night Mitch headed to a Canyon football game while Jacey and I handed out candy. At first she didn't understand why she couldn't have the candy, but eventually enjoyed saying hi to everyone.

Jacey is really growing up fast. She's definitely not a little baby anymore. She started walking more than a month ago, and now is walking and climbing on everything. She's also talking a lot. We haven't moved past single words, but she can say about 20 words and is trying to say more. It's nice to sort of understand what she wants.

Here are some recent pictures for your enjoyment:

It's Thursday

I will have to say that September has been one roller coaster of a month. Thanks to everyone who is keeping my family in your prayers. I know they are working to get us through.

This past weekend Mitch and I were free from any major commitments (who hoo!) and decided to get out the paint we bought for our kitchen and go. We painted all day Friday and Saturday and part of Sunday afternoon. We had to paint over wallpaper in our dining area, which added a lot of time to the process. (I know that is a no-no, but after peeling off one layer and then discovering that second layer was GLUED to the drywall, we decided to stop peeling and start painting.) We got out all of the loosely attached paper, mudded, sanded, primed, and then painted. And after one coat some of the wallpaper decided it really wanted to come down. So Mitch went back and took off all of the bubbles, mudded, sanded, primed, and then painted again. I have to say that all of our hard work paid off. It looks so amazing! For those of you who have never seen our house, we bought it from a sweet old lady who raised her family in this house. And they never updated any of the paint colors, so most of the house had dirty white paint everywhere. By adding some color to the walls (in almost every room now!) this house has come back to life.

Jacey has experience her first sore throat this week. Monday afternoon she woke up from her nap with a 101 degree fever. I decided to wait and see if this was just a 24 hour thing or part of teething, but on Tuesday it went up to 102. The doctor was able to get her in that afternoon and said her throat was red with little blisters. Poor thing. Apparently this virus is going around right now. She's finally starting to feel better, I think, but still has a little bit of the fever. Thank goodness for Motrin and Tylenol.

This weekend is going to be busy but super fun. It's Homecoming here and with that comes a powder-puff football game tonight, high school football game tomorrow, Fair on the Square, parade, and college football on Saturday. I'm hoping Jacey feels good enough by Saturday to really enjoy the crowds at the fair and the parade. I just wish I had enough money to buy everything and the fair! Our downtown square is decked out in booths full of crafts and goodies. It's a lot of fun to see everything and everyone. It's definitely one of the exciting things about living in a small(ish) town.

Life

Life has been...a challenge. We've travelled to Nashville, around Texas, and to Camp Blue Haven. Family is good, and horrible, and frustrating, and comforting. I guess that is the way life works. Thanks to you who have been there with yor prayers and encouragement. I'm going to need them for a while.

The job here has gotten better. It's very nice to be in a routine. We had a good retreat this past weekend. I'm thoroughly enjoying going to church for the first time in a while. Not that I've hated church or anything, but it's hard to separate ministry/job and church sometimes. I'm working with the Monday lunches and loving the girl time there. Also I'm able to go to Ladies Bible class on Wednesday since Jacey dropped her morning nap. It has been comforting, especially recently. Overall things here are great.

Mitch and I had an awesome weekend. I think it was the first weekend in a long time that Mitch was home. We had Friday Night Live here with over 10 Jr. High kids (craziness) and enjoyed the fellowship. The past few days we had been painting stripes in the youth room, so we continued on Saturday morning. Mitch, by interior designer, has done a great job at decorating the youth room so far. We're trying to create a "coffee shop" feel, with mood lighting, comfy seats, etc. That evening we enjoyed going out looking for cool decor and eating at Red Robin. (Burgers are alway awesome in my family). Sunday was full of more craziness, and included church, class, fellowship lunch, parent meeting, church, dinner and girls' devo. Needless to say I was wiped out.

Random things that I've learned this week:

1. Off-brand cream of mushroom soup is not the same.
2. Jacey loves meatloaf.
3. I need girlfriends, and desperately miss all of you who fulfill that for me!
4. Where the disposable tablecloths are at Walmart. This took me 6 months. They just aren't where they're supposed to be.
5. It's ok to discover different possibilities that life may hold.
6. The Olympics are truly fun to watch...with DVR.
7. I'm so glad school has started!

Commitment

Mitch and I have worked this summer on creating an exciting environment for the teens in the youth group, mainly to encourage them to grow in their desire and commitment to the Lord. So often we get in the habit of going through motions and thinking that church is boring. It's just another place to go, something to take up our precious time. We have a small handful of teens who have realized they want to be a church. They aren't there because their parents made them, or because they just want to socialize. They want to worship. Honestly though, that's rare, for the teens and even in my own life. We have graduated more than a few teens who've grown up in the church but haven't commited their lives to Christ. They know all the songs, some memory verses, and have done all the "big" things, like mission trips and such. They're the really "good" people and nothing bad should happen to them. Right? I wonder about their parents. Mitch and I can tell when parents truly emphasize Christianity. They have talked about God frequently at different times and value attending church. I know growing up that skipping church just wasn't a option. It wasn't even discussed. Were there times when my parents were tired and barely had time to get dinner on the table before we had to leave? Yep. I know how easy it is to make excuses and not show up. I'm the one who makes sure Jacey is fed, bathed, and ready to go. Due to the nature of Mitch's job, he isn't always able to help. I can't help but wonder sometimes is the reason our teens don't see the need to commit fully to God is because they saw the lack off desire in their own parents. The excuses of being tired, busy, having family time, etc. probably taught them that God can be put off until we feel like we're ready. I'm truly frustrated at times when we have twice the number of people on Sunday morning as we do on Sunday nights. Who cares if it's the same thing we've already done that day? We get to worship God. We are now making sure there are planned activities on Sunday nights after church every week so that the teens might be interested in coming. It's sad to me that we have to resort to that. As a parent know I am amazed by my responsibility. This rather lengthy post is for me as much as anyone else. I just hope Jacey can see my desire and commitment, even when I'm tired from everything life holds.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

This has been a very crazy, very busy week. Monday Mitch and I headed to Amarillo to do some birthday shopping for Jacey. We went to Toys R Us and were promptly overwhelmed by the huge selection. (I can't imagine what we would've done in a bigger city.) After an hour and a half, we left with a good selection. We decided that Christmas will come soon and we didn't have to buy everything on this trip.

Tuesday was filled with cooking, cleaning, and a fabulous party. Mitch's parents came in early and helped us get ready. We were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate with friends who have loved on Jacey so much this past year. The whole evening just went smoothly. The food turned out good, the cake looked and tasted great, and everyone seemed to enjoy each other's company. We host so many youth get-togethers that I forget what an party with maturity is like. The evening was very special to me, and I'll remember it forever. I think Jacey had a great time too.

Here are a few pictures of the evening:

It's had to believe that it's been a year since Jacey came into our lives. She's grown so much (and we have too!) I can't wait to see what our future holds.

Here are a few of my favorite things about Jacey:

1. Her quick smile.

2. The way she dances to any type of music. It's definitely in her genes.

3. Her expressiveness. If the house is too quiet she'll fix the problem.

4. The way she eats anything put in front of her.

5. Her wet kisses.

6. The look on her face when she's proud of herself.

7. Her giggle. She's not easy to get ot laugh, but when she does, it's priceless.

Yesterday Mitch and I enjoyed a quiet evening. We were thinking about getting out of town and heading to Lubbock just for the fun of it, but after everything we had done this past week we changed out minds. We watched August Rush and the Olympics. The Olympics are special to us because on our honeymoon we watched them a lot. I ended up with a bad cold on our wedding and didn't feel like doing much sight-seeing. Mitch told me he wants to hide out for a week or so every 4 years during the Olympics for our anniversary. We'll see. :)

Changes

Recently I've realized just how much my little girl has grown. She's wearing clothing that actually matches her age (a first), forgoing her morning nap, eating like crazy, and generally acting more independent. She loves whole milk and doesn't mind the weaning process. In less than a week she'll be able to ride in a new car seat. There are lots of changes happening, and I'm both excited and sad.

We've had a very busy, yet fun, week. Since this is Adam's (our intern) last week, we decided to paint the youth room. Finally! It took most of the day Tuesday to get the the base coat on. We still have the stripes and a 2nd coat to do in the hallway. So far I think it looks fantastic. It's much better than the awful beat-up white. Wednesday we had a funeral, church, and volleyball. Today we bought more paint, took Adam for awesome pizza at Basil Doc's, and got supplies for the camp-out retreat this weekend. Mitch and the youth group are going to camp out in the canyon on one of our elder's land. 3 days and 2 nights without bathrooms. Jacey and I have decided to stay home and watch the Olympics. I'm sure everyone will have fun though.

Baby Kisses

This past week we spent at Camp Blue Haven with a bunch of our kids. Jacey (and Mitch and I) loved seeing new people, and especially her grandparents. Camp is usually like vacation for us, since we're able to stay with Mitch's parents. It was definitely a much needed break from the normal routine. While we were there, Jacey blossomed a little more. She loved talking to anyone who would listen, and since she is totally adorable, she had many admiring listeners. As a result she learned 2 more words - Papa and bye bye - and both are amazingly clear. She also loved Grandma's cooking and ate more table food than she has yet. (As a side note, Grandma made cinnamon rolls for the whole camp...yumm!)

Grandma was the lucky recipient of Jacey's first kiss. It was small and quick, but a kiss nevertheless. Neither Mitch nor I had seen her interested in doing it again until tonight. We were just relaxing on our bed while she crawled and tumbled around when she looked at me with her tongue out and leaned towards my mouth. I politely kissed her and she smiled. She then did it again, but this time she made the smacking sound. Unfortunately she only knows how to make this sound with her tongue out. And as a result she kisses with her tongue. (Unless you don't know, Jacey has inheirited her father's amazingly long tongue.) It's totally precious, and she is so proud of herself. It'll be a moment I won't forget.

And the rest of my update...

So to all those who were out there wondering, the reason we may not have a computer room is that eventually Jacey will move in there when she's old enough for a big girl bed. Not any time soon. At least that's the plan. :)


We had a great 4th of July this year. Canyon always has a parade and a crafts fair on the square, which is always hot and crowded, just like the 4th should be. We usually go to Hil's restaurant to get breakfast burritos with the Hacketts, but since they were at camp, we went by ourselves. We then headed home to let Jacey get a quick morning nap in, and then ventured out to the square to see all of the people and the parade. After an hour or so Mom and Jacey were hot and tired, so we all went home to nap and cool off. That evening we ate with many of our friends from church at the Bradshaw's. There was lots of brisket and sausage - a good West Texas barbeque. Unfortunately Jacey is too little to stay up to 10 pm to enjoy and appreciate the fireworks. Mitch and I decided to go up on our roof to watch them from our house. They usually shoot them off at the park 1/2 mile from our house, so we were hoping to get a good view. As it turned out, it was one of the best shows we've seen since watching them in Nashville. We were able to hear some of the music that they were playing, and we had a perfect, unobstructed view of the fireworks. We also enjoyed talking to each other without distractions, since there is nothing to do up on a roof except talk and sight-see.

Last weekend we went to Ft. Worth to help move the Hacketts in. I really needed to get out of town and see something new for a few days. The summer craziness can wear on me a lot if I let it, and I was definitely getting a little burned out. We were able to help move in a bunch of stuff. We also were able to go to a Rangers game, where we had box seats. Totally awesome! I didn't watch much of the game, but it still was an amazing experience. Jacey loved all of the cheering and clapping. Her eyes would light up every time the crowd started cheering and clap and smile along with them. It was priceless. Sunday we came home and enjoyed sleeping in a bed again. The weekend was a lot of work but also very fun. I definitely came back recharged and ready to finish the summer.

Next week we head to Blue Haven for camp. I love camp. My duties this year are to bring the grandchild and help around the kitchen as needed. What a great way to spend a week! Mitch and I are looking forward to some parental TLC. Hopefully Jacey enjoys the experience as well.

Mitch and I have decided that Jacey needs more words. The child has inherited her father's desire for conversation. She has about 4 or 5 words besides "Mama" and "Dada" that she's trying to master, such as "duck," "dog," "ball," "bird," and "bye-bye." She mainly just gets the first part of the word out (kind of like Bambi does when he first says bird). The rest of the time she just jabbers away about things that Mitch and I don't understand. It's very sweet.

Jacey also has gotten her first tooth this week. She's been a real trouper. She hasn't fussed or cried too much. Her appetite and sleeping are just a little bit out of wack. I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to get teeth since she's 11 months old. But as always, never fear...things take care of themselves in time.

New Computer

My wonderful dad worked out a deal with Mitch to get us a new computer. It finally arrived this afternoon and its amazing. We decided we needed a laptop for the future when we don't have a computer/study room. This thing is entirely too smart for its own good. Mitch discovered the speech recognition program and we have had a blast opening programs and ordering it around. It's quite fun. I'll try to compose a blog completely by voice soon. (Not that you'll know any difference.)

We are doing great here. Sorry for the long absence, but it's summer. And it's crazy. We just got back from moving our friends Bryan and Susan to Ft. Worth for their new job. I'm already missing them terribly. But I know they are where they're supposed to be, and I think the congregation there will take good care of them.

More to come later...movie night awaits!

Visits and other random things

So yes, I did survive last week without Mitch here. Jacey and I had a good time together. I realized that having a kid to take care of and keep me busy helps to pass the time. Thursday night my parents arrived to visit for a long weekend. It was great to see them, and Jacey especially loved all the attention. Dad hadn't seen her since January, when she wasn't doing anything other than the newborn duties - eating, sleeping, and pooping. He was able to get in the floor and play with her. They also brought some of my old toys which were really fun to see again. Jacey was glad to have some new things to play with. (We're too cheap to buy new toys.) Mitch arrived Saturday night, tired but happy to be home. And very tan. We went to the pool Monday and Mom and Dad loved watching Jacey splash and generally wear herself out. They headed home Tuesday after we had a great time together. (Pictures to come later.)

Mitch and I have recently been on an enivronmentally-friendly kick. We've started recycling more, using canvas grocery bags, and buying all-natural cleaners. I have to say that so far I've been surprised at how easy it's been. We bought 3 canvas bags from Walmart to cut down on the plastic bags we were using. They're amazing! Our groceries using can fit in all three, with maybe one or two extra bags needed. It make my life easier because I don't have to go through 15 bags to empty my groceries. I also bought the Green Works cleaner, and it is great. It cleans better than most products, and it smells like limes. Yum. Anyway, so there's my plug for the enivronment. Whoo hoo!

On a completely different subject, Jacey loves macaroni and cheese. For lunch today she ate a banana and some of a tuna fish sandwich. But when she saw that we had made mac and cheese, she refused to eat anything else. I think she ate about 1/3 of my macaroni. It was amazing. She can really put down the food when she wants to.