House, Sport, and 2009!

Well, the house showing went well last night. I feel much better about everything. Now, we just wait and let them work through the details they need for a mortgage, etc. All signs point to an offer coming our way. Big sigh.... I just have to keep reminding myself to not get worked up about it. It will happen when it's time. Below are the 2 pictures I was trying to post yesterday. The Cemetery and the Water Company went in together for a new purchase! We've affectionately named it "Sport." Of course, the entire family had to test drive Sport before we turned it over to our Shop Foreman. This will be used for meter reads with the water company and for maintenance duties in the Cemetery. We're hoping to cut down on the use of gas... and save wear on the old truck that seems to be getting older every day. Finally, tonight is New Year's Ever. We have repeat plans every year with our Cowboy Group, and a few other dear friends, to celebrate the new year. Dinner at Tim & Tiffany's house (Tim's famous lasagna) and then we'll take the party to the Clubhouse for live music, dancing, and midnight breakfast. Here is the picture from last year. I can't wait to spend the evening with them again!

Pins and Needles

Well...I feel nauseated. Kind of like that feeling you get right before going on stage to speak in front of hundreds of people. But worse. The "interested" party is coming back to view our house again tonight at 7pm. Great, wonderful! They are bringing their daughter & son-in-law. That's where my stomach butterflies come into play. Scratch that... my stomach bats. I think it's because, as a daughter, if my mom took me to look at a house she was considering, I would be VERY cautious. I would be looking for little things that she missed, little things to point out that she needs to think about. Bad things. Am I cynical or what? Ok, I'm trying to upload a couple of pictures of our new "toy" at the office. Can't seem to get it to work right now. So I'll try again later. If I learn anything about the house, I'll be sure to post a big sigh of relief!

What Will I Miss?

Yesterday we had an interested buyer view our house. And then they came back to view it again later in the day.

The realtor believes they are very interested, and might make an offer on the house as early as today or tomorrow.

We've had enough lookers to get our hopes up, and then waltz away for one reason or another. So after one episode of sitting on the kitchen floor and crying (that was last year) I've determined not to get my hopes up too much until we know it's going to happen.

Flashback: That one particular time...we just KNEW they wanted the house. They said so. They were going to pay cash too! And then they didn't. They met a friend down the street at the clubhouse and got to talking to them... and were convinced that they didn't really want to be on our street - the main drag through the Country Club. Wouldn't they rather live in the "inner compound" nestled among more trees and closer neighbors? The house they then looked at - and bought - wasn't even for sale, but the friend knew that it might sell if there was an interested buyer!

Yes... that one brought my inexperienced, naive, little house selling soul to the kitchen floor for a good old fashioned cry. If you've never wept on the floor of your kitchen, I'd highly recommend it. Very cathartic! Here's the scene of the crime... just to the left of the fridge is where the victim collapsed:

Which brings me back to today. I'm trying to keep my emotions under the radar, so to speak. These lovely people may decide that our house isn't what they are looking for.

And that will be ok. I'm clinging to the promise God makes to always care for me. And... my goodness, has He done that? WAY over the top on the blessings scale.

I've been thinking though, what will I miss most about this house? So here's a quick list:

1. Living in a house that Rick and I built together - that's top of the list. He proposed in the breakfast nook - before the foundation was even poured. 2. The kitchen. Our future Farmhouse kitchen isn't "open" to the other rooms. 3. The warmth in the winter. Farmhouse is cold and drafty. 4. Neighbors. We have fun, lively people on our street. Farmhouse has about 2000 neighbors, all 6 feet under. My parents being the exception. 5. View of the golfcourse. See picture below. The "Farmhouse view" sure can sound picturesque, um... ok, just go with that. So it sounds like there aren't many reasons to move, right? That's when I need to remind myself of why we're doing this:

1. Live more simply. It's easy to get caught up in the crowd of "keeping up with the Jones'." 2. Cut out the 30 mile commute and replace with a 30 second commute. 3. Live mortgage free. Duh... who wouldn't do that? 4. Pay off debts & Invest in future. aka: kids college, retirement, future dreams 5. Live closer to my aging and mentally incapacitated parents.

Ok that last one was just for fun. I couldn't resist. JUST KIDDING, MOM & DAD! Love you!

I guess whether we stay here for a bit longer, or end up moving to Athens, there are good things to cherish. I have to remind myself everyday that where I am today is where I need to be for today. I need to live like that, intentionally, and not wish my days away.

Yikes!

Rick encountered a big bad black snake today while reading a watermeter.

We went back this evening to make sure he had moved out.

He had.

Christmas wrap-up

Well, I haven't posted in a few days... so here is a quick summary of our events over Christmas. Last Friday, the Bess Christmas gathering commenced. Added to our traditional taquito dinner, egg toss and balderdash game was a physical contest that quickly developed into a show and tell of stupid human tricks. Below, Mom takes on Rick for an arm wrestle. And here, the men are challenged by Taylor to an endurance test called the "electric chair." Rick won the Balderdash game and with the winning title comes the choice to designate the "cash winnings" of $200. Rick selected Randy, Craig's friend, to receive the gift. Randy just got a job (see my Miracle posting below) and will be getting his own apartment soon. We hope the cash can help Randy get back on his feet. The following day, Saturday, the Bush/Bess gathering took place at Mom and Dad's house. Wonderful food and fun conversation ruled the day as we enjoyed family. In the picture below are the Bush/Bess women. Unfortunately, Yulia and Yana had already left so they are not pictured.

Tuesday (23rd) brought our celebration with Taylor and Collin. We went to eat in Dallas at Roadhouse, and gave them their gift. My picture didn't turn out... so I can't post that. But we had a great time together. We have significantly scaled down our Christmas "gift giving" with the Boys, and I think they understand and appreciate that Christmas is not our birthday. We were able to give them each a simple gift, and focus more on giving to people who have tangible physical needs. We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner with my parents and Rick's mom and Billy. Then we headed to the carols and candlelight service at our church. I was proud to have them with us that evening. Rick and I went back to help out at the 11pm service as well, and were excited to see a friend our ours that works at our favorite restaurant. He brought his entire family, and I hope that they were inspired and blessed. We awoke on Christmas morning and joined in the preparation of Christmas meals for Meals on Wheels recipients. Typically, they would not receive a meal on Christmas Day, so volunteers joined in to cook and deliver the meals. Rick and I LOVED doing this, and enjoyed delivering them. For some of the people, we were the only ones they saw on Christmas Day.

Pictured below is our assembly line for the meals. After pondering our busy past week of Christmas celebrations, there were a few moments that really rose to the top. 1. Designating the Balderdash cash winnings to be used to help Randy. 2. Turning in our Christmas offering on Christmas Eve for the House of Hope. We have worked hard at changing our lifestyle this Christmas so we could give to this. 3. Participating in the meal delivery on Christmas Day for Meals on Wheels. 4. Enjoying the gift of family-time throughout the week.

Necessity is the mother of what?

Brrrrr.

Yesterday it was SO cold... when we got home from church, Rick suggested building a fire.

We called down to the store on the corner to see how much a bundle of firewood would cost us. $20.00 for a "stack." Now, I'm not sure how big a "stack" is, but for $20.00 it had better be pretty big!

However, being the budget-conscious people that we are, we decided that there has got to be a more cost effective way to have a fire.

Enter: the golfcourse.

There is a place down from our house where the felled trees and vines are stacked, then burned. So we bundled up, loaded up the golf cart, and cruised down the path with our saw.

Here I am loading up the cart, proving that I can help too.

Presto! Enough wood to keep us warm for the rest of the day. We were proud of our resourcefulness... if only the story ended that tidy with a cup of hot chocolate and a romantic fire blazing. But it didn't. For reasons I can't explain, the smoke kept pouring into our living room. And YES, the damper was open. Upon further investigation, smoke was also coming out of the chimney. But everytime there was a gust of wind, smoke would billow out into the room. It was bad. We decided that we needed to get the burning wood OUT of the fireplace. So we rolled up the rug and Rick used the tongs to carry each smoldering piece out of the house, one by one. We ended up putting them inside the grill and closing the lid. That seemed to be the safest place to let them burn out. It was rather comical, once we got over the initial frustration. I wish I had a photo of the grill smoking. Next time we grill out, our steaks will have a unique "campfire" aroma.

It's Christmas with the Cowboy Group

Our Cowboy-watching group gathered Thursday night for a fun Christmas party!

This group of friends is quite unique - I can't even recall how we formed, but it's always fun to watch 'da Boys with a group of friends.

In the picture below, we are holding our gifts from a lively gift exchange. We're each supposed to be making a goofy face or pose. I think Charles and Twina (far left) are just so goofy normally that they didn't need to enhance it for the photo! Jan looks really mean, and Tiffany's using her pregnant belly as a shelf for her new fondue tray. And, of course, Rick and I are smooching!

As our second season together draws to a close (boo-hoo), I know that we've developed meaningful friendships that will continue on. Each of these couples brings joy to our lives, and I am blessed to have them as friends!

Wow... The Miracles Keep Coming!

I can't believe it... here are some more miracles. And these are REALLY, REALLY good! 1. Craig's friend Randy found a job! We have been praying for this to happen for a while now. We've had the chance to get to know Randy, and he is very inspiring. I'm so excited for Randy and thankful that God has provided! 2. After many sleepless nights (for over 6-months,) our concerns over losing a particular income stream at our business can be laid to rest. And that's not a pun about my cemetery business! It's actually with Rick's business, Cornerstone Business Solutions. We got good news this week that allows us to breath a HUGE sigh of relief! 3. And this one is the best! Many of you know that I'll be traveling to Guatemala in January on a mission team with Red Dot. http://www.reddot100x.com/ The only heartache about this trip is that Rick was not able to go with me.... Well, God is indeed sneaky! Things fell into place today and Rick received the phone call allowing him to go with us. I am so very excited that we will experience this life-transforming mission together.

Expecting a Miracle - updated...again.

This morning, I read about several miracles that the prophet Elisha performed. They are recorded back-to-back, and it sure looks like he was on a roll. "Death in the stew pot" is probably the most bizarre one - simply because I can't remember ever reading this before. Go check it out in 2 Kings chapter 4. It got me thinking about miracles, and I had an overwhelming sense of expectation this morning. We encounter miracles every day... some big, some little, some noticed, some that seemingly slip by without even a nod of the head. As we were getting ready for the day, I told Rick that I was expecting a miracle today. Bless him - he didn't look at me funny or even slightly quizzically. He just looked at me. Waiting for me to explain. And I can't, not really. I just know there are going to be miracles today. Maybe it's going to be a miracle of the heart. Maybe my heart, finally bursting through some challenges I've been wrestling with. Or maybe someone else's heart. Or our house might sell today. Or Craig's friend Randy might find a job today. Or our friend whose mother is in hospice might find the miracle she's looking for today. So here's what I'm going to do. All day long today, I'm going to watch for miracles. Big, small, they all count. They are unexpected blessings to marvel at. I'll update this blog through the day, as I stumble upon them. You are invited to participate. Email me with your miracles today, and I'll post them as well. I'm a little nervous trying this out, because what if nothing happens today that is extraordinary? I might feel, um... silly putting myself out there. But on the flip side, what if I see miracles all day long? How cool would that be? I already have one to start with. So here goes: Miracle #1. The road to Athens that has been under construction for a year or more was open today. Divided highway all the way to work! No more getting stuck behind a slow car on a 2 lane highway with barricades on both sides. Miracle #2. - 12pm - My friend Shari wrote with a miracle! She feels convicted to save her money so that she can go to Honduras and witness first hand the work going on at the House of Hope. Her creativity in saving/earning the money is fabulous, and I know she's honoring God with her budgeting and saving! For any of us on a budget... that is no small miracle! Miracle #3 - 12:30pm - None too small today... Mother's overly busy oven stopped working this morning, just as a marathon week of baking commences for our Bess family Christmas on Saturday. The miracle is that the repairman called her back and was able to work her in today, instead of Tuesday. It's fixed now, and she won't lose any time in preparing for Christmas! (I personally think this is a HUGE miracle, especially since it affects my tummy!) Miracle #4 - 6pm ish - Visiting with Debbie and praying with Pastor Chris over Sue (Debbie's mom.) - It's always a miracle when God dishes out his grace and comfort in a seemingly impossible situation. Sue opened her eyes and heard our prayers. And then there's something about those angels she sees in the corner of the room... Miracle #5 - 6:30pm - My sister-in-law Carolyn won a WEEK of vacation at her company Christmas Party. From hundreds of names at the Museum, hers was drawn. And she has got to be the hardest working, overworked, most deserving individual I know. A flat out miracle that she won such an awesome gift!!! (Where are we going, sweet sis?) Miracle #6 -10:30pm - Rick made it home after a looooonngggg day working the biggest line break we've had all year at the water company (on the coldest night of the year.) The miracle is that he and Armando safely maneuvered the backhoe out of a quickly forming sink-hole. It sounded pretty dangerous with both of them working in tandem. Thank God they were successful. Miracle #7 - reported 12/16 9am - Craig and Carolyn experienced several miracles last night at an event they hosted at their apartment community. They had numerous spiritual conversations with residents who were open to Christ-centered conversation. They felt like this event was the most successful one that they have had as part of the CARES ministry. Yea! Miracle #8 - reported 12/16 5:30pm - A dear family friend, Glenda, reports her miracle: "No one sees a house, buys it, gets a mortgage loan with preapproval, signs a contract, and chooses ALL the flooring, appliances, etc., in ONE WEEK, let alone 4 days! It just doesn't happen... except in God's timing and in His plan! For us it's a huge miracle. For Him it's just another ordinary day in the life of the Creator!"

Calling in Well

The day started out grand, with my calling in to work "well." I had plans for the day that included: Me and a Book. All day long, I've been trying to get little things done and out of the way so that I can get to the big plans (the book.) Making Collin and Rick breakfast. Done. Cleaning the kitchen. Done. Emptying a file cabinet for Craig to come and pick up. Done. Making the bed. Done. Attending the Chamber luncheon (where Rick retired today as Board Chairman.)Done. Put up a few Christmas decorations. Nah, do it later. Here comes the book... I can almost taste the relaxation, the s-a-n-i-t-y. Ring-Ring, goes the telephone. Time for a change in plans. Craig and his friend are broken down on their way here to pick up the file cabinet. Here we go... Find a mechanic. Tow the car. Pick them up at the mechanic (thank you Rick.) I'll take those few minutes alone to pursue my one goal for the day: READ MY BOOK. That's where I am right now. In lieu of reading, I decided to therapeutically write my blog. In a few moments, we'll load the file cabinet into the back of my car, load Craig and Randy as well, and I'll head to Dallas with my new priority.

Helping my brother.

After an intentional attitude adjustment, I'm reminded... what better way to spend my day off? I'm home. I want to serve. Who am I to decide when and where and who I get to serve.

So... getting to spend time with my brother is a bonus! And, I'll have about an hour of quiet time on the drive home. That's almost as good as reading a book, and perhaps it's what I needed most today.

Weekend roundup

Well - a busy weekend it was! Friday night we took the Chicken Pot Pie over to the neighbor's house. (a follow-up from Friday's blog.) We were both feeling rather guilty and saddened that 2 weeks had gone by before we knew of Wanda's passing. But God took our shortcomings and worked them for the best. While visiting with Glenda and the kids, she shared with us that the day had been one the rougher ones she'd experienced since her mom's death. During the days immediately following Wanda's passing, there were plenty of people coming by, bringing food, wanting to share memories, etc. But now that things are settling back to normal with her schedule, it seems that life has resumed for everyone else as well. That's when grief can hit the hardest. She told us that she believed it was God's perfect plan that sent us over to her that very night. Wow - talk about feeling redeemed! In our fast-paced life, we missed Wanda's final healing. But God worked that out and allowed us to share a moment with Glenda when she needed it the most. Is that not cool? Ok, so that was Friday night. On to Saturday. Christmas lights went up on the house, but I already shared the picture of Collin doing the "grasshopper" yoga pose on the roof. Thank God he didn't fall! Saturday night we drove to Craig and Carolyn's. A fun evening with Mexican Train, mom's Chicken Spaghetti, and hanging curtains. Check out this video below. Rick and Craig both thought I was holding up the camera for a still-shot photo. However, I had the video rolling instead. It's hysterical! (Mom, you have to click on the "play" arrow to make it play.) One of the highlighs that evening (besides the laughing) was getting to hear about Craig's work through Crosstrainers. In particular, his ministry to men in prison, and those recently released. I'm so proud of him, and inspired by his passion for standing by these men and investing in their lives. Sunday afternoon... I accompanied the youth group on a roller-skating adventure in Tyler. In the picture below I am trying to stand up. The picture isn't the best, but it does prove that I was upright for some of the time. Tonight we're staying in Athens at the Farm House. I'm sure there will be some sort of adventure to report on later...

It's Christmas Light Time

It's time for Christmas Lights at the Brown House. Actually, it's about a week later than we usually put them up, but the weather has been too uncooperative until today. It's beautiful outside!

I was summoned outside earlier to take a photo of the action, but what I found was Collin doing a yoga pose over the front door! (see picture below) I was mortified at the danger, but then I chuckled. Figured I might as well take a picture before I yell at him to stop! Tonight we're heading to Carolyn and Craig's apartment in Downtown Dallas. A friendly match of Mexican Train has been suggested. Also, the Dallas Mavs play tonight on cable, and since we don't have cable at home... Craig's place will be perfect. It's within walking distance of the AAC - a shame we aren't going to the game in person.

Our dear mother has agreed to provide the chicken spaghetti for dinner tonight - even though the parentals are not actually attending the party. See our pseudo-invitation to her below:

Dearest Mother... It would be our pleasure to request the presence of your "love" to dine with your descendents on the evening of the 6th, and in the 12th month of the year of our Lord 2008. Your love may be manifested in the most superlative of ways... namely, grub. We offer you the choice of expressions, reminding thee of such necessary transportation in the delivery. The favour of your reply is requested.

Sweet of her to send dinner, don't you think?

Busy-ness of Life

I had a grim reminder today about the busy-ness of life. Actually, it's been a few days in the making. But let me set the stage for you:

Our next door neighbor, Wanda, has been battling cancer. She has been living next door with her daughter, Glenda, and family. We have been casual acquaintances with our neighbors, bumping into each other occasionally: at the mailbox, over a gopher mound between our houses, at soccer games, etc. We've even shared a meal at their house together. Wanda is delightful - always working in the yard, or playing golf, or flashing her beautiful crooked smile at you. I visited with Wanda about a month ago in her living room. She had lost her hair and was very clearly struggling with pain and lack of energy. But she still welcomed me and visited for a few minutes. I knew that she didn't have much longer in this present struggle. Over Thanksgiving, Rick and I commented on how busy the neighbor's household appeared. Lots of cars, people coming and going... We looked at each other and wondered "Has Wanda passed away?" No, couldn't be. They're just having lots of family in for Thanksgiving. We continued on with our life. Five days ago, Rick opened up the mail and was reading the newsletter published by the Country Club. He showed me the box that said "In Memory of Wanda Gregory." Again, we looked at each other and thought "Has Wanda passed away?" No, couldn't be. We would know if that had happened. This must be a typo... they meant "In honor of Wanda Gregory." But it got us thinking. I combed the newspaper and the internet website of the local papers, looking for an obituary. Didn't find one. And it was too late to call next door and ask... So the next morning we climbed into our car and journeyed back to the busy life we live. Every day this week it has lingered in the back of my mind. We really need to call next door. And did I? No... Everytime I thought about it, it was too late, or too early, or not convenient. This morning... 5 days after reading the "In Memory of" note, I googled Wanda's name. It led me to a Caringbridge website. Wow - I wish I had known this existed! Glenda had been updating it daily for quite some time. And as I read the entries, it hit me. Wanda passed away the Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving. With tears, I read of her struggle, of the family's acceptance of the disease, and of their belief in the greatest healing of all. Here is an exerpt I took from Glenda's update. I don't think she would mind me sharing it:

Mom took her last breath on earth and her first breath in heaven at 10:35 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. I was talking to her about the journal entry I had just posted. We were listening to Dottie Rambo. I suddenly said, "Hey Mom, if you go on, you could worship God on Sunday in Heaven standing next to Dottie Rambo! She grinned, breathed her last breath, and flew away.

Wow. That's beautiful.

And as I pulled out of the driveway this morning, I noticed that their house looked empty. At 8:30am, everyone was either at work or school for the day. And so, one more day begins without my reaching out to our neighbors.

I'm hit with the fact that our life has been so busy, we didn't even know that 2 weeks had gone by since Wanda's passing. Sure, I can try and sluff off the guilt by saying "No one told me!" But in my heart, I know that I'm the one that's too busy, caught up in getting from one place to the next, neglecting the little urges I had to call, or simply walk next door.

Right now, I'm thinking about how important relationships are. More important than the rushing around that I do. It feels like I'm always rushing about from one thing to the next, neglecting to take a moment to consider the relationships around me.

Today is Friday. I've got the fixings for a Chicken Pot Pie ready... Tonight we'll walk next door and hug our neighbors. We'll remind ourselves of the important things.

Above: Wanda cheering on her grandson Eric at the football field.

House of Hope video

Here is a short video on the project Rick and I are involved with. (I have a small role in the video.) We traveled to Honduras over the summer and experienced something life-changing. The purpose of this video was to introduce the idea of a "Slim Christmas" to our church. We are being challenged to match what we spend on gifts for each other and give that much to the House of Hope for Christmas. Take a minute to watch it! In a few weeks at our Christmas Eve service, we will show a longer video with more detail. I can't wait to see that video. Christmas is not our birthday, it is Jesus' birthday. http://www.trietschmedia.org/mabank/ Note: This link is temporary. I'm not sure how long it will be available.

Thanksgiving Weekend

We've been busy this weekend, and it's been so nice having a couple of days off work! I've got several pictures to post, so get ready.

Brief recap:

Wednesday night we went over to Ronnie & Patsy's to peel 42 boiled eggs and carve 3 Greenberg turkeys. And the night wouldn't have been complete without the oven fire we battled...

4 Turkeys?

Thursday was TurkeyDay back at Ronnie & Patsy's. There were about 30 or so family that came. Patsy chased Rick with the sweet potatoes, and caught up with him in his truck... as you can see below. And I think he's still making a face in the next picture at the dinner table.... We had lots of fun.

And here's Uncle Vernon explaining something... about deer. Not really sure,

but isn't he cute?

Ok, on to Friday! Rick and I braved Walmart and Lowe's mid-morning. We missed most of the crowd, but not all. Kind of crazy to get out. The best deal I got was on a paper-shredder I needed for the office. Sorry, no picture here for that.

Friday night was the Bush - Bess family Thanksgiving. We all gathered at Lee & Susan's. Mom has all of those pictures, so I can't post those... We missed Craig & Carolyn (who were in Waco.) But the rest of us enjoyed the company and shared about recent mission trips we had been on. I couldn't help but think Granddad and Granny were smiling down on their grandkids. I sure do miss them.

Saturday Rick and I started the morning off with helping to "hang the greens" at church. Here is Rick up on the ladder putting the top on the tree.

We then raced off to Tyler to meet up with mom and dad. They treated us to a movie "Australia," which I would highly recommend. It's LONG... topping out at over 2.5 hours. And in true epic form, it really could have ended at about 5 different places along the plot line. But it really was very good and well written. We enjoyed it.

Dinner at Sam's Club finished out our evening. LOVE strolling the aisles and sampling the fare. I'm a cheap date, what can I say?

Tomorrow we have plans to head to First Monday - Canton - after church. Oh... and in church tomorrow the first of our Honduras video's will play. It's just a 3 minute teaser... created to challenge our congregation to have a slim Christmas, and give to Jesus' birthday instead of each other. I'm hoping to get a copy of the video to post up on my blog. I have about a 5 second spot in it.

The real video will play on Christmas Eve. That version will have Taylor and Rick, and the rest of the team. I can't wait to see it!

I guess that's enough for now... I'll try and get some pictures of the Bush - Bess Family Thanksgiving in the next few days.

Funnies for Thanksgiving

An afternoon in Ft Worth

Once a month, our church youth group travels to Ft Worth. We take meals, water, clothing, and hygiene items to an area where many of the homeless gather. That's Rick, below in the tan jacket, helping to pass out clothing. After we had given away everything, we packed up the empty boxes, and circled together to pray for those that we had encountered. The hot items this month were backpacks, gloves and coats. One particular man was looking for a denim shirt and undershirt because he was starting a job tomorrow. He thought his pants were clean enough... he just needed the shirts. I hope his job goes well and can provide him the means to get off of the streets. This particular trip was not without its bumps. One man was very rude to one of our teenage girls and said some very terrible things to her. It caused a mix of emotion in all of us. We know that what we are doing is not without risks. We are out of our comfort zones, encountering sites that are very unpleasant. And we are hanging out with people that are marginalized, broken, and poor. Many of them have a mental illness as well. But I believe that God holds them close to his heart. That is why we risk, and that is why we go.

Saturday morning

As you can see, this Saturday morning we are working on our family budget. You'll note the traditional Saturday morning coffee mugs... They bring an element of "stability" to the gruelling task.

Granddad and Uncle Sam

I caught myself thinking of Granddad today. And because I only knew him as a child, my memories are particulary child-like: - His socks were thin and almost see-through. Black with stripes. Like hose. - I don't think I ever saw him without a necktie on. - Candy. Always candy. (He's to blame for my addiction to Almond Joys.) - $1.00 for eating everything on my plate. - $1.00 if I'd jump off the diving board without holding my nose. (Heck, I won't even do that as a grown up!) - Prunes. Don't ask! And... - Uncle Sam. In the picture above, you can see an Uncle Sam bank sitting on the credenza behind Granddad. That's the main thing I remember seeing in Granddad's office here at Oaklawn. Granddad always taught us kids to save our money. And he'd let us put a coin in Uncle Sam's hand, push the button, and we'd watch it fall into his bag (the bank.)

What's really cool is that Rick and I are carrying on two of the businesses that Granddad started, the water company and the cemetery. And all right here in the same building that he officed from. I'm pretty certain that I will always fall short of Granddad's business sense. Sometimes it's hard running a business, especially when I don't really consider myself business-smart. But what I do know, without a doubt, is that he loved me SO much. There's a certain soft spot a girl always has for her Granddad. And since I was the only granddaughter, I like to think he spoiled me more than the boys. Uncle Sam now sits on my desk at the office.

And when I look at him, I am reminded of the values that Granddad believed in: Personal Integrity, Honesty, Financial Savings, Honoring God with all our resources, Being active in church... It almost seems like that generation is gone, and with it are the values they believed in. I think that if we all lived like our grandparents lived, the world would be a better place. I wish I could have one more day with Granddad. I don't think I would want it to be with me as an adult, getting to know him from a grown-up perspective. I'd much rather be a little girl again, sitting on his lap.

Endeavour STS-126

Don't forget to keep up with Endeavour STS-126's mission to the ISS. Launch is tonight at 6:55pm CST. It's cool to follow the mission, live, on www.nasa.gov. You can watch live feed from the ISS as the astronauts perform their tasks. This mission is to complete a huge "home-improvement" project on the space station. Check out the launch blog - it's pretty interesting, if you like this kind of stuff: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch_blog.html Godspeed, STS-126!

Weekend, ahoy!

We're sailing into the weekend... and I'm ready for it! Plans for this evening include a dinner-theatre featuring the Henderson County Performing Arts Center's traveling troupe. They are performing a cute musical "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" We've got a table with our friends: Stan and Jan, Tim and Tiffany, and Don and MaryAnn. Tomorrow is... NOTHING. I'm looking forward to an easy Saturday. We do have a funeral scheduled at work, but Dad is covering that. So there's a possibility we'll head to Dallas for a day out. Someone, who shall remain nameless, needs a new pair of reading glasses. It's not ME, I assure you. :) This is a random thought, but I wish I had a picture to post of Rick leaping the shrubbery today. It would be worth some money! We were "power-walking" at lunchtime through the cemetery and he decided to showoff. I was duly impressed with his flight over the Garden of Peace. Maybe I'll get a picture next time.

Sat morning breakfast at Athens Cafe

We spent the night at the farmhouse in Athens. Worked late moving offices around... Breakfast at the cafe starts out our Saturday, and afterwards we will resume the work tidying up our new digs. We've seen several people this morning that we know, but it's going to take say lot of work making Athens feel like home. And while it is close in proximity to our town, it still feels so very far away... I think today is the first time I've had a pang of homesickness, and we haven't even moved yet.

Nothing much, just an update

Well, I just realized that I haven't posted anything in several days - almost a week!

We've just been so busy. Too busy. I've decided that I REALLY don't like living at mock-level speeds.

This week, we have had meetings every single night - all for good causes, but sometimes it gets out of control. I can't wait to have a night at home with nothing to do!

So while I AM at home tonight (Rick's at a meeting) I'm busy preparing for a class that I'm helping to teach about "Financial Freedom." And I'd much rather be curled up in bed reading a book just for fun.

Ok, so what else is going on with the Browns? Well, for starters, we are going to launch a big move in the office tomorrow and Saturday. Rick is moving his office from the back of the building up front where my dad's office was. We're moving Dad to the back (shhhh don't tell him that!) And since Rick is moving, I'm moving my office over next to his, so that we can be closer. Awwwwww, isn't that sweet? Yes, but it's also more functional.

And since I don't really have anything to say today, I'll close with a few pictures from the event last weekend "Red Garter Saloon." It is the annual fundraiser for our Chamber of Commerce, and is loads of fun with dancing, auctions, gaming, etc. We had to depart early this year, because Collin had a mishap at Boy Scout Camp and ended up in the ER. Thank God he's ok... just some minor burns.

Rick and Tim holding up an auction item: Me and Charles Stiff, a dear friend of ours Ronnie and Patsy - Rick's brother and his wife

Movie making

It was "lights, camera, action!" yesterday for us. As you can see, that's our son Taylor under the spotlight in the above picture. Trietsch United Methodist Church in Flower Mound offered to help produce a video for our church highlighting the Honduras mission and the House of Hope. They have an awesome media crew and a very professional studio at their church. Several of us that have been to the House of Hope participated in an interview session on camera for the video. It was rather overwhelming at first. The camera was big and the lights bright. And the room was cold! I was shaking, part from the cold, and part from the nerves. We each had about 10 minutes of "conversation" footage. Once we got to talking with the person conducting the interview, the camera and lights seemed to fade away. For me, once I got to sharing, I felt the renewed "high" that I felt when I was there. All of the children's faces were in my minds eye, and my heart ached more than ever for their needs. The video will weave together our footage from the trip in June, still camera shots from other trips taken, and the interview clips from those that have been there. We are tying this all together to promote our Miracle Christmas Offering at our church. "Christmas is not your birthday" is the theme, and we have accepted the challenge that for every dollar we spend on Christmas this year, we will invest that much in the Christmas Offering for the House of Hope. It's a pretty big challenge. But we're excited about it.

Back to work

We're back from Ohio. What a Monday... Reminds me of that song by the Bangles "Just Another Manic Monday...." I didn't get the chance to upload any pictures of the weekend conference we attended. Actually, I only took 2 pictures. And the stories that would have to accompany the pictures wouldn't make much sense. Kind of those "you had to be there" stories... The conference was entitled "Change the World" and focused on thinking outside of the box for ways to LIVE our mission as Christ-followers. Church is not about how to get more people into the seats, but how to get more people out of their seats...serving others and sharing God's love. I've got lots of new ideas to process about what I can do differently in my life. And I'm so grateful for the freedom we have to "think outside of the box." We're in the minority here, living in this country, with the luxuries that we have. And speaking of freedom, our cemetery hosted the "Freedom Riders" today at a funeral of a retired serviceman. You'll note the American flags in the picture below... each flag was held by one of the Military Veteran motorcycle riders that surrounded the family at the funeral. The service featured full military honors, including the 21 gun salute, presentation of the flag, and taps playing in the background. After a quick google search, I learned lots about Taps, the haunting melody that has only 24 notes. I had no idea there were words to the song, but here is the first verse. Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, From the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. That's really beautiful. I can't seem to get the song out of my head.

And we're off again...

We'll be leaving tomorrow for Tipp City, Ohio. Destination is Ginghamsburg Church - a large "teaching church" that has inspired and trained many people in our own congregation in Mabank. One of my favorite weekly podcasts is the pastor of this church, Mike Slaughter. He is unconventional, especially compared to my Baptist upbringing... and it's quite refreshing. (No offense, mom and dad!) Rick and I attended the same conference last year, and are excited to be returning to the "Change the World" Conference for a second time. Check it out at: http://ginghamsburg.org/changetheworld A year ago at this conference, God began working in our lives to to cut back on the frivolous lifestyle we were living. Our focus is changing to be more of a servant mindset, as Christ lived the example for us all. This is the place where God started working on us to eliminate debt in our life and simplify our lifestyle. (At the time, we didn't know it would involve selling our house so that we could live mortgage free in a 100+ year old farmhouse.) And so we head back to Ginghamsburg - fully expecting to learn some new things and return with new ideas that we can implement in our own church. We'll get to know some other church members and fellow servants on this trip, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us! I'll upload some pictures of the conference while I'm gone with my handy-dandy remote upload method! TTFN! or for those NON Winnie the Pooh fans, that's Ta-Ta-For-Now....

A Sunday Outing

My three men today on our outing! Rick, Collin and I drove up to Dallas after church this morning. Taylor drove down from Denton and we met up at Humperdinks.... The perfect venue for watching the Cowboy game together. Except that it wasn't the perfect game. 'Da Boys aside, My Boys still had a good time. The picture above was taken just after a riveting discussion about the way nachos should be made. We had differing opinions, didn't we, Collin? After lunch we rolled (yes, we were that full) over to the NorthPark Mall area. Taylor and Collin went their direction and Rick and I headed to Barnes & Noble. Quite possibly one of my most favorite places in the whole world. I love being surrounded by so many books, and being able to randomly pick up a few and peruse them as I sip an overpriced latte (truly, a guilty pleasure.) I found a couple of books that looked good. Namely: Dewey: The Small town Libray Cat Who Touched the World It's true! http://spencerlibrary.com/deweybio.htm /Read the description below and tell me you wouldn't want to read about this cool kitty! Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by Library Director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him the most. Suspense and Sensibility A lighthearted mystery novel featuring newlyweds Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy...intriguing for any Jane Austen fan. True to my upbringing, I'm too cheap to buy books. Would much rather borrow or check out from the Library. Guess I'll have to add the above titles to my wish list at the Library. It's the end of the weekend, and I'm not ready for it to end. The purple bracelet is still on my wrist signifying that in my heart, I'm still on vacation. I think work is WAY over-rated. Alas, all good things have to come to an end, and I think we're going to snip the bracelets off tonight. But not before we planned another trip. We are in the middle of making plans for a trip to a quaint little fishing cabin. No matter that it's a quarter-mile from the office. It's still a get-a-way.

And a picture of Me

Here is a picture of me sending the previous blog.

Sent from my iPhone >

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#6 Anniversary - Can you believe it?

This is a mobile posting... I am so in love with my husband. He is everything I dreamed of when I feared Prince Charming was only a myth. Here is a picture of Rick at The Grape on Greenville Ave loving me over our anniversary dinner.

Lord's Acre

It's been almost a week since my last post... what happened to the time? Our weekend was dedicated to celebrating Lord's Acre at our church. This is an exciting annual event that includes a silent auction, live auction, kid's activities, BBQ lunch, country store, and many other fun things. The proceeds from it are given to our Youth and Children's program at church. Each year, we raise close to $30,000 to fund the Mission Trips and activities that our Youth and Children participate in. This year, we hit close to $35,000! Forgive the red hue on the picture below, but the glow of the tent really makes it hard to get a good picture. The House of Hope in Honduras, our trips to the homeless on the streets of Fort Worth, and various mission trips all year long benefit from this event. A professional auctioneer runs the live auction... and boy, does it go fast! We have a team that sits at the front behind the auctioneer to record the winning bid number and price. I work on that team, and Rick's role was to help display the items as the auction proceeded. So that's what we've been up to. In other news: 1. Still in post-vacation depression. It's so hard to get back into the swing of things when you have such a wonderful vacation. We're still wearing our "All-Inclusive" bracelets from the beach in Cozumel... Just can't bear to cut them off. I know it's silly, but when I remove it, I'll have to admit that vacation really is OVER. I think it will have to be in the midst of supportive friends to ease in the transition. :) Here's a picture of my bracelet! 2. House did not sell to the couple that was so interested. They decided to build instead of buy. I wonder if they realize just how "motivated" the sellers really are? I must admit that I'm fighting some anxious feelings regarding this. It's one thing to say: "God, you are in control, and when it's time to move, You'll take care of the details." It's another thing to say it and not doubt. I mean, I do believe... but sometimes I find myself wondering why He doesn't hurry up? There's a scripture that says: "Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief." That's me today. And yesterday. And probably tomorrow. 3. Dick Kannwischer is doing better. Thanks for praying for him. I don't know that they have discovered the reason he fainted, but the broken ribs are on their way to healing. He is still in pain... so keep praying for pain management. I'm in a hurry to make it to Wednesday night Youth Group, so I'll post this without proofing it. Forgive any typo's...

Better Late than Never

This week Rick and I have been drowning in paperwork. What you don't see in this picture is: 1. The Clock - it should say about 12:30. (AM, that is.) 2. The Pizza Box - midnight snack... practically inhaled... there are crumbs visible. 3. The Dog - Yes, Roxie perched herself on the table to oversee the mania. 4. Me - Because Rick is much cuter to look! :-) The reason for the late night? Dogwood Estate Water Company is a little bit late filing the official paperwork to transfer ownership into Rick's name. Technically, it should have happened 2 years ago, but who wants to do things by the rules? It's much more fun procrastinating. So, this was the week. I'm not sure what spurred us to complete it... but it was just time to do so. I retired shortly after taking this picture, and Rick worked on well after midnight. You wouldn't believe the detailed finances that have to be reported and projected for this application. It's insane. Especially since I highly doubt the numbers are going to be looked at very closely. But it's gotta be done. Since we were spending the night in the Farm House (our future home) adjacent to our offices, I left Rick to finish it up. I headed next door to settle in. Well, not really. First was the cricket/roach patrol, sweeping up the remains from the last extermination attempt. (See blog on July 22.) Next was hunting down that darn beep from one of the smoke detectors. Of course, I had to find a ladder before I could kill the beep. Honey, when you read this, we need a new battery in the detector over Collin's future room. Before too long I got spooked and had to call Rick to investigate the strange truck spinning its wheels behind the fence. He came promptly over to verify that it was a Red Dot Truck (certainly authorized to be back there...) Although you gotta wonder why they were trying to pull out a stuck trailer at this time of night. It was after midnight. Eventually, Rick locked up the office and reported that the Application was DONE! At least his part was. I've still got to tidy up some details before getting it off to Austin. But I'm thrilled we are this much closer to completing it. It will be a huge load off our list once it's completed and accepted.