Sweet Home Chicago

We've been back from our Chicago vacation for two days now. It's good to be home, but oh, Chicago was good for my soul.

I ate lots of pizza (Lou Malnati's, Giordano's and Rosati's), enjoyed Chipotle, Jimmy John's, Aloha Eats and Pita Inn, went to the zoo, sent the boys to Legoland, and attended a baby shower, but the best part ... the very best part ... was seeing my friends - our Chicago family.

When you count college, we lived in the Chicago area for 16 years (17 for Emmett). You can get to know people pretty well in 16 years. I've known some of these women from singleness through marriage and now in parenting. It's been awesome to walk through life with them. They know me. They know what excites me, what challenges me, what makes me weird, what makes me fun. They know I'm usually late. They know I talk too much. They like me anyway.

These are the women that I call when I do dumb things (for example: dump a can of mandarin oranges directly in the trashcan instead of the salad bowl). They are the people I call when I'm struggling with a decision. They are the ones I commiserate with when I make a bad call as a parent, or when I know God is asking me to do something that I don't want to do. They inspire me and encourage me.

I should shout it from the rooftops: these relationships are one of God's greatest gifts to me! I don't thank Him (or them) enough for their presence in my life.

And our church! I know it's a cliche ... but if I could bottle how it felt to be at Good News Bible Church on Sunday morning, I would make a fortune.

Sigh ...

Now that we're back home in Texas, I feel more motivated to make connections. I've been reminded how God can bring just the right people along at just the right time, and I trust that He has a place for me here. I'm refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to pour into life here.

Thank you to my Chicago friends. You know who you are. I love you.

Lists, lists and more lists

Exciting times!

We have had a busy few weeks. Some highlights:

• I attended my first Young Lives meeting at a local high school. It's exciting to see these young moms getting together to encourage each other. It was fun to play games with the girls! Now, I'm waiting for God's direction - should I plan to get involved in Young Lives or Teen MOPS this fall? Or does He have another place for me?
• Easter! Our first Easter in Texas ... made particularly special by cascarones. I made some with the kids and bought some from a roadside vendor. Also special because we celebrated with some college students. They were great with our children, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with the girls some more.
• I had two dentists appointments. I don't like going to the dentist.
• I had a flat tire. Then a flat spare. Then some Good Samaritans put air in the spare so I could get to Wal-Mart. Got a new tire and hung out with Evan in the Lego section for a long while. Good bonding time with my son!
• Corrie had nursemaid's elbow. Ouch! It was a quick and easy fix by our doctor, but difficult to see my daughter in pain. She's normally such a tough little girl, that seeing her crying and hurt was really a shock.
• We cut down some palm branches from a tree in the yard. Evan went around singing "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna to the high king!" (Not exactly how the song goes). Corrie loved waving her palm branch and shouting "Posanna!" Emmett and I got a good chuckle out of that one.
• Corrie also LOVES Dora and Diego. Lately, whenever she needs help, she says "Ayudame!" which means "help me!" in Spanish. She also walks down the sidewalk and jumps over all the cracks, announcing "I say it louder. JUMP!" She's a cutie. And she can count to ten, but she does the first half in Spanish and the second half in English. And she doesn't always remember all the numbers.
• Star Wars is everywhere! Evan can turn any game or situation into something Star Wars-related. The kids and I were pretending to be a train. Corrie was the conductor; Evan was the engineer. I asked Evan where the train should stop. His answer: "The rebel base in Force-ville."