not that you care...

but. 

i'm just saying that this was my year. 
I certainly never have and never will win an organized sporting event, so this is as good as it gets for me.

mooshy stuff

this past week, and especially today, i have just wanted to stop time and enjoy my boys at these ages forever.  I have spent the past two to three hours just playing and staring at Ford while Frank is at school.  I love his sweet, soft cheeks.  I marvel at the preciseness of his fingers when he drives his cars and trucks.  I opened the closet door and found 5 pairs of socks that he had nicely put in with his shoes because I guess that is where he believes they should go.  I watch him neatly put things where they belong, and he usually doesn't quit until it is all in its proper place.  He is funny and silly and i can only understand 3/4 of what he says.  I can't imagine what all he is actually saying.  He lets me hug and kiss him, even when he wants to get back to his business.  He would move his bed outside if he could and resents it when i make him come back in the house.  He is incredibly stubborn and I think we are just seeing the beginning of this side of him.  It surfaces around his shirts, his shoes, and the food he eats.  Don't even think about putting bananas on his waffles with peanut butter, and don't even think about crunchy peanut butter or it is already over.  

he and frank continue to sing the Star Wars Imperial March CONTINUOUSLY throughout each day.  they sing it first thing in the morning, during their meals, in the car, and at bedtime.  sometimes i have to put a stop to it before i go insane, but today, i sang it with them because i realized that soon, as with all things, they will grow out of this song.  frank doesn't even remember his love of "O Susanna" and the "Muffin man." and i thought those would be inbedded in his subconscious forever.  So for now, we will love our John Williams and be thankful that at least they aren't singing Bob the Builder.  

frank is so sweet these days and just lives to play with his legos and to please us.  He loves to help and in general just to be with us.  We have followed the lead of so many others and started reading the Little House series.  It is a precious time to share with him as he loves it and loves the time together.  He even enjoyed listening to me reading the Hobbit to Michael out loud on our drive home from Houston.  I asked him if he had any idea what was going on, and he said, "No, but can you keep reading, please?"

maybe i am emotional today because i know in a few short months, life will be turned upside down again, and i will be sleep deprived and hormonal and irritable at these precious boys who won't deserve it.  It took me about a month to recover from just our move, how much longer will it take to recover from having a new person?  Nonetheless, I am getting excited to meet the new man.  I find myself distracted in church these days as i stare at all the new babies around me.  babies smell good.  even their poop smells sweet. 

So...i am putting it out there for all the world to know that i think they are all pretty amazing, and i feel pretty blessed to be their mom.  i'm not sure how i got so lucky.  Two weeks ago, all i wanted to do was to run away and go back to 12 hours shifts at the hospital.  This week, I wouldn't give up being home for anything.

Oh that i could be a more balanced person!!!

today is one of those days when...

i am ready to go back to work. 

snow is charming

but as with all things that are cute and disarming, eventually the novelty wears off.

16 inches of snow in less than 24 hours was beautiful and exciting on day 1.  On day 2, when michael has returned to work, and we are home again for the 8th snow day in two months, i am less than impressed with the magical qualities of the snow and more interested in how we will get through the day without the boys hurting each other and me going crazy in a corner somewhere.  currently, my resolve involves me being upstairs planning for a few minutes while the boys are doing who knows what downstairs.  nothing is plugged in or hot down there, so they should be fine.

goals for the day:

1. finish the valentines - Lord, help us.  they are cute, but i hate the process.  none of you should expect glitter this year.  i just can't bear it.
2.  break out the tempra paint
3.  make Mary Lu's granola
4.  watch another movie on netflix with the boys.  last night, we watched Panyo, totally bizarre but in a beautiful anime sort of way
5.  Lots of Laundry
6. make food, do dishes, make food, do dishes, make food, do dishes
7.  put on rubber gloves and clean things that i am grossed out by
8.  order printer ink cartridges
9. upload some of these snow photos
10.  maybe take the boys back out there.  maybe...

i have other ideas, but that should do for the day.
thanks for listening.  

so my sister said, "have you given up blogging?"

to which i replied, "No, of course not."  its just that....blah, blah, blah, excuses, excuses.

I will say that we have had 4 rounds of houseguests in the past one month.  top that if you can.

it has been lovely and fun and made this crazy weather all the more tolerable knowing that in just a few days someone else will be coming to visit.  but that said, i feel a little like a speedboat out on the lake.  When they get going really fast, they just bounce from wake to wake and it is like they hardly even have their bottoms in the water.  so where is this analogy going?  i guess i feel like I've been going so fast that i haven't had my bottom in the water...yeah that doesn't sound quite right, but maybe you can tell what i mean.

all that said, i have been even more scatter brained than usual.  This morning, I realized I forgot to call my most beloved aunt on her birthday.  Happy Birthday Aunt Betsy!!!!!!  Forgive me, I shall be calling this evening!!!  I have also forgotten to pay some bills, call people i love, plan activities, and don't even get me started on my BSF homework.  whoa.  i'm in deep people, and we are meeting again tomorrow night assuming that the snow doesn't return before hand.

Last night, we were all excited about the super bowl.  the plan was to make some cheese/rotel/sausage dip, hotdogs, and pudding pops - and grapes, because i am not the worst mom in the world.  i went to Wal-Mart with everyone else in the city of fayetteville to purchase my food for the week in case the next snow storm arrived today (Here is where I confess that i no longer trust the weather people in NW arkansas.  they may mean well, but they do not appear to be very accurate and that is all we need to say about them). 


I returned home after about 3 hours, because actually, i was so happy to be out of the house and alone - that i also stopped at target to see what was on sale and what clothes would fit my growing mid section.  I have all but given up on maternity clothes.  i hate them.  i really hate them.  the shirts are all weird and cut so cutesy, they just drive me nuts.  so, aside from elasticized jeans that are at times a necessity, i am doing all that i can to not purchase anything maternity.  we'll see how that keeps working for me 15 pounds from now. 


anyway, i returned home to find out that the channel we believed the superbowl to be on, is actually one of the channels that our antenna does not pick up.  hmm.....here is where we wish to be more outgoing people.  maybe we should have more friends by now, but we don't. and we don't yet feel like we can just call up one of our 4 friends and say, "hey, we know its last minute, but do you mind if we just come over and watch tv with you?  we'll also be bringing our two rowdy boys and our crock pot of cheese dip.  is that cool?"


so, instead, we had an anti-super bowl party and watched a movie with the boys.  michael even went to the rental store to get something special.  He rented, "The Rescuers" and bless that man's sweet soul, i know he meant well, but that movie sucks.  my cheese dip, however, rocked.  and i will tell you that the secret, as taught to me by George, is to add a can of cream of mushroom soup.


But here is the point of the story, i realized that i was overly irritable about not watching the super bowl, which is absolutely stupid.  i don't even care about the superbowl.  it was just because i couldn't have what i wanted, that i got all pissy.  like some 2 and 5 year olds i've met (i wonder where they get it from).  and then i realized as i was going to bed, that i need to slow down a little and get back to the things that make me a healthy, happy and a more loving woman.  I need to keep in better touch with those i love.  I need to work hard on my BSF homework.  I need to connect more with some of the lovely people here in fayetteville.  and i do need to do a little blog work, because it is healthy and fun for me.  Basically, to use that really poor analogy again, I need to get my bottom back in the water.

I am

it's funny because i was going to start this post with:  
"I am as sick as a dog.  but not my dog, because this crazy dog of mine will probably out live us all.  So basically i am as sick as other people's dogs.  but really, where did that expression come from anyway?  maybe the person who said it had a big Newfoundland that drooled all the time and that is how they were feeling when they said that, but then forgot to put that in the phrase.  So here it is:  i am as sick as a Newfoundland looks when he is drooling all over the place."

i said "that's funny"  at the beginning because i started with saying, "I am..."  and this morning, frank was drawing a picture of Moses talking to the burning bush while i worked on BSF homework.  then I read in Exodus where Moses says, "what should i tell the Israelites is your name when they ask who sent me?" (paraphrase) and of course, God says,
"I AM WHO I AM."

all day long this has been in mind of just how amazing of an answer this is.  He is God, He does not answer with a name like Jim or Steve or anything at all that we are comfortable with.  He says, I AM. 

He is not the same as us, He is so far above us that we can't even fathom Him or his name, yet - whenever I read, "I AM" i get such a chill, like a little glimpse in my heart of his power and authority, of how eternal he is and how temporal I am.  I love "I AM," not that it matters, i certainly am in no position to decide whether or not God's answer was a good one,  but I definitely am thankful that he gave me the ability to appreciate His coolness, because really, that is one cool answer.   

that said, here is a bit of life lately,

1.  me sick with a cold for about 5 days.  no big deal, until today when i am pretty sure that the snot is going to start coming out my ears because it has nowhere else to go.

2.  life back home after a 12 day holiday in Kansas feels so quiet... hard to get used to for frank and I.  when we used to go home to houston after the holidays, we were always so excited to get back into the swing of things.  now the swing of things is calling my two friends and going to the park and the library.  again...not bad, just really different.

3.  frank works continuously on his legos.  i confessed to him yesterday that i just don't always know how to "play" legos.  I know how to build things, but that is about it.  he somewhat understood, but not really.  As maybe i have mentioned before, I am not skilled in creating "worlds" and "star wars fighting scenes" in my mind.  Even when i had Barbies, they never did anything, they just changed clothes a lot and kissed Ken.  with legos, i build something, change some lego men body parts around and then i am pretty much done.  Besides, frank has more than enough imagination for both of us. 

4.  i need to make some cookies for our neighbors.  they always watch our house and get our mail when we are gone with without us even asking.  an advantage or disadvantage to our living on this hill is that they see all that we do, all the time.  when michael came home, she delivered some mail to him, and he said that we had been in kansas and that erin and the boys were still there and that he would go back and get us at the end of the week, she said that she already guessed that...

5.  here is this years photo of the boys and the nativity scene.  this year, we didn't even have to go looking for one in town, because it is ours!
here is another, so you can see Ford's face:

and here is one of the house, though it isn't a very good photo.  we have yet to master taking pictures at night, and have been too lazy to try to take another one.

6.  you must seriously consider putting sparkle nail polish on your fingers or toes, before you do so.  it is impossible to remove, except of course the tips of my nails, because i can't keep polish on them to save my life.  when i try to remove the polish, the cotton just sticks to the glitter and yesterday i walked around with little shards of cotton all stuck to my fingers.  i am classy.

7.  i have also spent much too much time these past two days reading the life in grace blog.  i had mostly stopped looking for new blogs and things unless they were written by people i know...until i ran across this woman who is amazing.  perhaps the rest of you have already known about Edie and her site, but i had never heard of her.  her family's home burned to the ground before Christmas.  tragic.  She has been blogging for years about remodeling, renovations, homeschooling, cooking, crafting, books, etc.  After seeing so many years of the hard work and love that went into her house, it made it all the more tragic to read about.  I am not sure why i share my crazy obsession with you, but, that is what i have been up to between meals, diapers and errands.  and if i one day steal some of her decorating ideas, well then you already know where they came from.

Frank turned five at the beginning of the month. (now last month)

five.  amazing.  he is five going on 45.  he is delightful and crazy.  He is imaginative and loud.  He is a perfectionist and can't stand to make mistakes.

He loves to be in control.  He makes up games and great stories, and he makes me laugh.

He has a sweetness to him that melts my heart.  He encourages his brother and loves to help him say new words and to climb up onto high places.  He still loves to be cuddled and hold hands.  He also loves to shoot people and things with his imaginary guns.

He is obsessed with loving the bad guys in star wars.  Darth Vader was his favorite for the longest time, but after we said that he could be Vader for Halloween because, after all, Darth Vader was redeemed in the end, he has gradually lost interest.  He has since realized that Emperor Palpatine is always bad and Never gets redeemed, and now he has surfaced into all the conversations and action down on the floor with the legos.

He is one minute petting the dog sweetly and the next minute, kicking him.  His favorite foods are mac n' cheese, cereal, homemade waffles and pancakes, and candy of every kind.  He will eat fried rice, he hates tomato sauce and all vegetables with the exceptions of the carrot and corn.

As i meet other moms from school and mother's day out i often hear this phrase, "Oh!  Your Frank's mom! I've heard so much about him."  I am never sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

He loves Jesus and can tell a good Bible story when looking at the pictures in his Bible.  He is a terrible liar because his face always reveals his guilt, and he always ends up telling the truth.  He still loves to sing and dance crazy, and is wild about dressing up in costumes.  He never stops talking...he is talking to me continuously about his lego men while i try to write this post.  

He is my firstborn,  he is my one of my greatest challenges and absolutely one of my greatest joys in this world.  I am so thankful for Frank.  he took two laid back, quiet people and turned our world upside down, and we are all the better for him.

So.

I have already written but am still adding pictures to the posts i wrote about my sweet boys on their birthdays.  I have observed many a friend writing thoughtful posts about their children on their birthdays, and I have taken note of the wisdom in this.  There is no better time to reflect on your sweet ones and what they mean to you than on their birthdays.

So i did that.  but i also really wanted to include their pictures....but i also had BSF tonight, which required that all of my free time on monday and tuesday would be dedicated to my weekly Bible study cramming sessions.  these would not exist if i would just start my lessons sooner, but that is just how it is.  so anyway, there are therefore no pictures of sweet ford's birthday on my computer yet.
to tell the truth, i actually have most of frank's birthday post completed, but i felt it would be strange to post frank's birthday post on ford's birthday. 

so instead, i will discuss Movies.

we have lucked out in our movie watching lately and thought i should share.
i also fully expect and hope that you would share good movie recommendations with me.

Note: (to see if we are movie compatible) i do accept violence, cursing, and brief nudity in movies.  I don't love them by any means, but they won't make me turn the movie off.  I do not, however, accept any violence towards women, and i really hate prison movies - especially violence related to prison living - those get turned off right away.)

Here are some that we liked over the past 4 - 5 months in no particular order:

-The Road.  michael accidentally rented two post-apocalyptic movies back to back.  this was by far superior to The Book of Eli, with Denzel (though i did enjoy the reverence to the Bible in that one).  The Road has Viggo Mortenson and it is so disturbing in so many ways.  It feels real, and makes you want to start hoarding canned goods and fuel.  After studying Isaiah in BSF, I have been amazed at how much this movie reminds me of what the actual apocalypse might be like for people who don't know the Lord.  pretty heavy, but worth watching.  

-The Secret in Their Eyes. it is in Spanish and it is terrific.  one of those movies that you forget you are reading subtitles


-Harry Brown.  michael caine kickin' some young dudes' ass.  violent and british and good.


-Rocket Science.  it is a strange indie comedy.  i recommend it not because it is the best movie i have ever seen, but because we watched it in bed late at night on the computer and we both stayed wide awake with fascination.  for sure one of us usually falls asleep in 10 minutes or less.


-Bound for Glory.  david carradine plays Woody Guthrie.  I probably should read a book about Woody Guthrie's life, but until that time comes, I was glad to see the movie about someone whose music i so admire. 

-Predators.  i don't actually recommend this movie.  i just wanted you to know that i watched this sequel or third or fourth or whatever number of predator this was.  i am that good of a wife.  


others that i have seen and loved since that last list so long ago:
 Shutter Island
Rebecca 
Good Hair
Lonesome Dove
The Young Victoria
True Stories. michael had the idea one night to go back and re-watch this one.  i am so glad he did.  it was like re-watching Harold and Maude again, it felt good.  
Pressure Cooker


and lastly, on the PBS American Experience website, you must check out the one on the Civilian Conservation Corps.  My grandfather was a part of this organization, so that is why i watched it, but it was a really great documentary.  It reminded me of the great things we are capable of, and how God can use people and ideas to really bless a nation.  If you ever go hiking and notice steps on your trail or stones that mark your way, it is very possible that these are the guys who put them there.


it is late, but i am about to watch Coal Miner's Daughter the movie about Loretta Lynn's life.  I heard her interview on Fresh Air and was hooked.  It was one of the few times I could not turn off the radio.  I made my kids be quiet when they came in the kitchen, and i think i even made dinner late, just so i could finish listening to the show.  She seems like the real deal.
 

did you worry?

did you begin to say: "she must have quit."  or "I wonder if everything is okay?"

well, i appreciate your concern - or maybe you didn't notice at all that i have not been keeping up here.
the truth be told, it is just plain hard these days to maintain my writing frenzy of the past.

you see, i have some issues...

1.  frank no longer naps.  nap time was my quiet time, the time when i was best able to sit and reflect and be creative.  now it has been replaced, i am not exactly sure what i have replaced it with, but i know it is not reflective, creative time.

2.  from october 31 through january 1 the calloways have some crazy amounts of celebrating and planning of celebrations that go on including halloween, frank's birhtday, thanksgiving, ford's birthday, Jesus' birthday, and then new year's....not that i count new year's - it is the lamest of holidays.  maybe it is better in other countries?
anyway, all this involves multiple trips back and forth to kansas, which is delightful and precious to me, however, it does not lead to reflective, creative time.

3.  photo management.  i always bring it up, but i feel i have a problem.  and it leads to a lack of wanting to be on the computer.  when i sit down at my computer, the first thought i have is, "i need to deal with the pictures."  which then makes me think, "i would rather go to my basement and hang out for a while than to sit and delete photos from the computer."  I have a block.  No matter how many ways i back up the pictures, i always feel like i won't see them ever again if i delete them from the laptop.  i know it is stupid, but i'm sentimental like that.  i want all the photos i have ever taken of my children readily accessible at any minute.  my wish for a present this year is for someone to sit with me and develop a photo system where i can have all of my photos safe and secure and easily accessible, but not overfilling my laptop's memory.  any takers?  you do have to travel to arkansas, though, so keep that in mind before you all jump in at once.  

4.  and this is probably not related at all, but we are expecting another calloway in june.  now most of you know this already, so i am not saying that this is a big news flash, but i will say that it had caused me a bit of lethargy in the evenings throughout october and november that was detracting me from photo management and telling you about my oh so, but really not so, exciting life.

now all that said, i have throughout this time had regular ideas about things i could be writing about, and i really don't know where to begin.  so...let's just pick a place and go.

today i am thankful for Frank's jokes

here are two of his latest:

Q: "Why did the pig want to be somebody's pet?"
 A: "because his mama was walking on a volcano!"

Q: "Why was Spider Man hiding behind a wall from Rhinoceros Man?
A: "because Rhinoceros Man wanted to take his hat!"


i am also thankful for whoppers out of the halloween candy bag.  just when i think we are out - i find another.  

thursday's thanks

this morning, i am thankful for those websites that advise you on how to do things.  Like, say for instance, you melt something plastic on you glass stovetop and it has hardened there, and you don't know how to get it off.  I am also thankful for a husband who helps me in all of these situations i get myself into.

i am thankful for the fall air, and that the North side of the park is completely painted in orange trees.  I am thankful for a working heater - even if it kept us up the first night because we were so hot.  I am thankful for morning devotions at breakfast with the boys and how, even though, i am not always perfectly consistent - it is always good when we do them.

twice in a day

I am getting ready to make my second attempt at frank's birthday cupcakes for school tomorrow.   unfortunately, i left out the butter in the first step of the recipe, and i don't think it worked to try to sneak it in at the end.  when will i ever learn how to read a recipe completely the first time??


here is what i am attempting to make.

should it work, i will be a star in my son's eyes.  should i fail, he will remind me that Colby's cupcakes had cool transformer rings in them, and how come he didn't get cool rings in his?

i am thankful for enough ingredients in my cupboards that i can make cupcakes twice. 

November is a month to be thankful

and so, i think, getting a late start on November 3rd, I am going to spend the rest of this month documenting the things that i am thankful for. 

Praise the Lord!  the boys slept in this morning!  Wednesday is our day when we don't have to be anywhere in the morning, and usually this does not matter to them - so they still get up at the same time between 6:15 and 7:00.  BUT today... it was 7:45 before I went in their room.  I lay in my bed until 7:30, thanking the Lord for each extra minute of quiet. 

also....i am thankful that the heater repair man is FINALLY coming today.  hopefully no more freezing cold breakfasts this week. 

 ******

and finally, those Halloween photos.  indulge me in the multiple shots. 

and here was breakfast last week.  brrrrr.

the photos continue

yes, it is true.  for better or worse, i will keep posting pictures until i get to the one of the boys eating breakfast in their hats.

these are the ladies who i spend Labor Day with each year.  They are a pretty amazing group of ladies, and I love them.  (Sorry, Amy, I think you were in the creek taking another picture at this time.  You are amazing, too.) 

hot chocolate after school

kelly and the girls came to visit for a weekend in September.  Michael was away fishing.  It was hot, we were tired, and Kelly had the brilliant idea of taking the kids to Chuck E Cheese for dinner (with us getting good pizza after the kids went to bed).  It was actually really fun, and I look forward to going to the new Chuck E. Cheese the next time we need a family pick me up.  i love my sister.

the next weekend we began the first of our family adventures in arkansas.  Michael carefully chose a day hike to this beautiful waterfall/swimming hole.  It was really lovely - the pictures don't do it justice.

right after I took this picture, I heard michael yell, "ERIN!!"  Now michael does not usually yell my name, so when he does, it gets my attention.  I quickly climbed back up to where the boys were to discover that michael had slipped on a wet rock and fell with ford in his arms, straight into the water.  they were soaked and frank, having witnessed the event, was terrified.

they had to strip off their wet clothes

and i was overtaken with the beauty of the little swimming area.  Since we had not seen anyone on the trail or cars at the trailhead, i decided to just go ahead and swim in my skivies.  it was one of those super moments in life.  the water was cold and refreshing and my family was precious throwing their rocks in the water. 

that is until just about this time, when i was drying off and a family, or perhaps a church group, they were certainly religious (as the women were all hiking in long denim skirts), approached the little waterfall and looked over the edge to see us in all our skin and underwears just hanging out on the rocks. 

frank at least redeemed us.  he was the only one who was fully clothed.  he and michael built rock towers. 

the ride home

here is my new watch.  perhaps you have already seen it on me.  i love, love, love, love it.  so many times i have already gotten to use the calculator, and frank loves the stopwatch.  I can time his running back and forth when we are bored.  I have an alarm set to remind me to start getting ready to pick up frank from school.  I have always wanted a calculator watch since I was a kid, but I never felt cool enough to wear one.  Now I know that just wearing it makes you cool automatically.

Taryn.  sweet taryn.  Our most faithful visiting friend outside of our family.  She has been to every house we've ever lived in.  Frank believes that she comes to see him, i think.  After our trip to the farmer's market (where we saw the ladies singing), Frank requested that we all have a meeting after ford went down for nap.  Taryn was the secretary.  Bobby was in attendance.  I believe our discussion involved dinner plans and whether or not we would watch Star Wars that evening. 

and then we made her do this.  good stuff.

here is one of his latest drawings. 

an after school picnic at the park

the best little pumpkin patch in Kansas

kelly had another brilliant idea which was to go early in the season so we could get a good choice of pumpkins

I love how we all go to the pumpkin patch to get our best fall family photos

the sun is shining, everyone looks healthy and happy

but this is really the behind the scenes

someone gets tired and hungry

someone gets obsessed with his pumpkins

and some mamas get jealous of other people's pumpkin choices and force their families to stay even longer in order to feel better about her pumpkin picking.

the end result: too many pumpkins.  My new friend from Hungary says, "Tell me, what do you do with all these pumpkins after Halloween is over?  You are going to eat them, yes?"
well...i may have to now.  anyone have some good pumpkin recipes?

How many?

How many pictures can one look at before their eyes glaze over and they leave your pitiful website bored by the events of your past 3 months?  my guess is about 50.  but I have 97 in this folder that I have named, "blog."  we'll see how it goes.  

I changed my mind.  I'm afraid it has been so long since i put up new pictures, that I need to go all the way back to June, in Houston.  Here is one of my favorite grown-up places in Houston - the outside patio at Tiny Boxwoods.  Terrible name for a restaurant, but a lovely place.

and we went there with a lovely lady.  Dr. Jodi.  People who visit us are forever worthy of being included on the loaf  website.  if i have forgotten you in the past, forgive me; i am making new resolutions.  Jodi is a terrifically fun friend and we are big fans of her.

here is ford this summer eating his first ever ice cream, or technically Ice Dream, cone at one of our many visits to Chik-fil-A this summer.  he was in heaven.  even now, he would rather lick the ice cream out of a bowl than use a spoon, because he thinks this is so great.

July 3rd.  My beautiful cousin Susan, got married.  How I love my children dressed up for a wedding, but the technical issues are such a challenge.  i.e. leaving the reception to take ford back to the hotel where he had a sweet babysitter, and then getting all the way back to the reception to realize that i had forgotten to take bobby doggie to the hotel, and then driving all the way back to the reception to find my other son completely high on coke and peanut m & m's.  I didn't even get to dance before it was time to go because we promised paige and frank that we would shoot some fireworks before we went home.

here were the best dressed men at the fireworks stand all night.

moving forward - to ford's first haircut from someone other than michael.  He had no problem with the experience. 

oh my sweet small group.  i just wanted to add a picture of you.  missing you. 

here was the house under heavy "prep" to put it on the market, these two along with my awesome mom were the hired help.  Hired means they worked pretty cheap - ice cream and a dinner.  I think they saved us hundreds of dollars in labor and hours.  I am still grateful. 

feeding giraffes at the houston zoo. 

sweetness.

more sweetness.  anke and matthias. 

houston zoo, we miss you.  we miss the dinosaur exhibit.  we miss the growing elephant family.  we miss the natural encounters house, we miss waiting for the Africa exhibit to open, but most of all, we miss Smaug, the komodo dragon.  he has been a good, somewhat frightening, companion to us over the years. 

even more, we miss going to the zoo with our friends.  here's harper and frank.  they are a funny pair.

George letting ford do what he does best - play with water in the sink.  a good man, you are, George.

and here is my favorite photo from the move.  i love how all the color drains out of frank's face when he sleeps.  I also think that this captures how we all were feeling on that drive. 

welcome home.  that's twice now in that same shirt.  I stopped wearing it so much after seeing these pictures. 

here is an area of our new park in fayetteville.  its a weird, Lord of the Rings looking castle area.  lots of sharp rocks and dirty water for toddlers to fall on and make a kid happy and a mama crazed. 

here is the view of our house from the school playground across the street.  as i type, frank is playing over there while i sit on the porch and watch him and listen for a sleeping ford.  pretty nice.

ford is an excellent pray-er at meals.  we are so proud. 

he is also still an excellent nudist. 

and here are GoGo and Stephanie - i love this picture.  i wish i remembered what they we laughing at.

perhaps they were giddy with excitement for the play put on by Virginia, Willa, Frank, and even Ford.  it was entitled, "Shootin' Shaun."  once again, we are so proud.  

 

 

 

 

 

here's frank's collage on his moving box house.  he worked so hard on choosing his pictures and getting them just right.  i especially love the photos of the figs and barack o'bama with a giant hand.

my favorite doorknob in our house

isaac and frank at Whole Hog.  i think this photo is priceless.  i always appreciate how our guests and friends love on the boys when they come to town. 

we close today with a typical scene on our front porch.  i sit here and watch the boys play in rocks and dirt and sand.  many days frank and i play that game from the movie, "Up."  We each pick a color of car and count them as they pass by.  We have learned that most cars are either white, black, or gray.  If you pick blue, you are sure to lose.