Daddy on the Road, Mommy on the Run

September 15, 2006

Well, no pictures yet, BUT I have a funny to share!

Though I promised pictures, we just discovered that the battery door on our digital camera is broken & won't hold the batteries in.  Ugh.  This is a REALLY nice camera my husband bought primarily for work 4 years ago, and it has served us SO well.  For crying out loud, it made it through 3 third-world airports, four mission schools, and a safari but it suddenly can't handle Energizers??? Makes no sense.  So, until I break down and give it the good 'ole Georgia fixin (duct tape on said door), I'm without snaps. But I DO have something mighty fabulous to share with you! On Tuesday, I was hustling to get shoes on little thumpers and makeup on myself when my fabulous three-next-week son began emphatically telling me a story and asking me loads of barely intelligible questions.  Don't know about anyone else's angels, but both of mine from 2 1/2 to 3 were good talkers UNTIL they got excited.  Itty Bitty does GREAT -- he'll hold conversation with you beautifully -- until something gets him REALLY going and then it's like he's slipped into Swahili. So, when I hear him begin to go off about whatever it was, I asked him to S-L-O-W---D-O-W-N.  When he did, he said, "Mahmee, I take my narble to shool?" My eyes widened, my head cocked, my lips turned up -- all spontaneously. "What, Baby?" "I take my narble wis me?" "Your what?" "MY NARBLE!" and pudgy fingers held out a perfect little round marble. I burst into peals of laughter so big they brought tears. Needless to say, my sweet angels were confused.  So I tried to explain that I LOVE the way they say things and this morning, my sweet boy had made my whole day in one syllable. When my husband came in, I tried three times before I could finally repeat what IttyBitty had said without cracking up laughing.  He thought it was funny, but I think he was actually laughing harder at me! So, we've decided (rather, I made D promise -- ) that if we ever get another dog, especially a really great mutt from the pound, we're going to name it Narble.  If I could figure out a way to get it on video and then upload the audio, I would because round little cheeks puffing out the word "narble" is more like "nawrlble" anyway and it's HILARIOUS!!! Ok, so I don't care if you're laughing at me now, I just had to write this down for the sheer joy of lauging again... I may go track my angel down from playing and make him say it again!!!

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September 10, 2006

We dance backstage...

Whew! It is GOOD to be home!  Vacations are always fun, home is always funner.  We went to the Sunshine State to visit D's grandfather for his 90th birthday -- isn't that awesome?  Then we did Nite of Joy, so we got to play around Disney World for two days.  It was a GREAT week -- good time with my in-laws, D's aunt, and a sweet time with Grandpa, followed by some amazing "down time" with our angels.  We celebrated Itty Bitty's birthday early there; he got to see Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, and Pooh and they ALL celebrated with him!  We had ordered a cake to be delivered there so he was even more suprised!  Little Bit thought it was just fabulous, too, and that made it even better for D and me to know that both babies enjoyed the birthday shindig equally.  There weren't many people at the park that Thursday and the sky was cloudy, so it felt like we had the park to ourselves.  We spent all of Friday morning lounging at the pool and playing in the sand.  Itty Bitty even got up the nerve to do the water slide; he flipped around a bit on the way down, so he didn't want to do it again, but he liked it a lot & talked about it all day!  They got to see the Lights, Motors, Action show at MGM and both thought that was the highlight of our trip -- it was cute! D left on the bus from Disney after the concert, so we leisurely awoke & grabbed the last of our things this morning to head north.  My babies played, colored, and sang and sang on the way up.  It was precious to me;  I found myself nervous to say much to them for fear of interrupting their fun.  Hearing them chatter on about their friends and their toys and movies and our trip rendered me speechless.  Those sweet little voices hold my heart and capture my attentions every time they lilt. Tonight, we stopped about an hour and a half from home to hit the concert and see Daddy.  D called me several times once I got off the exit which was really good because the directions we were given weren't correct.  When we finally got there, we all had dinner together and then Little Bit and Itty Bitty sat on a road case to watch the concert.  And I guess here's a good place to explain stuff... my husband is on the road in full time ministry with a Christian band, so we do a lot of traveling.  Well, he does a TON of traveling and we go when we can.  When my sweet baby girl was born, things were still small-town enough that we basically traveled anywhere they did.  By the time my little boy came along 15 months later, things were much busier and we went out on the "big buth" (big bus) about once a month.  Fast forward a couple more years, and we hardly go out on the bus anymore, but we do meet them where we can and all families go on big trips.  It's an amazing blessing to see people come to Jesus for the first time, others meet their Saviour in a way they've never known Him before, and see ministry leaders go back recharged to their own calls.  At the end of the day, it's all about seeing people know Jesus for themselves and worshiping Him with every aspect of their lives.  It's a blessing to be raising children among people who've leveraged their lives for Christ completely; it's also a blessing to be the one at home watching them learn to trust and pray in ways I couldn't until adulthood.  My children pray for the band, "all the guys" (the crew), our band pastor, whoever's traveling with them, the bus drivers, the cities they visit and all the people in them each night of every tour when Daddy's gone.  We do it at dinner, and we have a map from the teacher store that we Sharpie in the date & city name where it belongs as a visual reminder to pray.  I'm ashamed to admit I've been lax lately in doing this; the schedule's not as hurried as it has been this past spring and last fall.  But my best friend just gave me a new pack of multi-colored finepoint sharpies and we all know how inspirational they are!  :) So back to tonight... D and I laughed out loud with delight:  Itty-bitty pounded his legs with his fist and shook his head to the beat, sitting across from where our friend played his drums.  Little Bit raised her hands to worship during the worship songs and sang every word to all the others. And during "our song" I took turns with each of them, holding them in my arms and dancing around behind cables and boxes and cases and tape.  We've done this since Little Bit was old enough to sit up on my shoulder.  When Itty Bitty was born, I would hold both of them and we'd dance around and laugh and laugh.  Sometimes I can still get both wriggly jiggly bodies aloft for us to bounce and sing about, tonight we just took turns.  And as I laughed and danced with my daughter again backstage, I prayed a fervent, "THANK YOU" one more time... My children have grown up in this.  Their favorite way to "help Daddy" is to roll cases and haul gear; albeit slowly, they chug along with guitar cases and cable boxes and mic stands.  They pray fervently -- at every meal they're asked to bless -- for the band and its audiences, for those traveling with them, for "awl duh gize" (all the guys).  If you ask them why Daddy's on the road, they'll tell you, "Because Jesus wants him there." My children have a firm trust in an unseen, ever present, loving God and a fundamental understanding of His direction of every step. So, we'll go on dancing backstage.  We'll keep praying and laughing and learning verses and singing songs.  We might not live an average existence, but we don't serve an "average" God.  We may miss out on some "normal activities" in exchange for some "divine appointments."  And for every night that Daddy's on the road in the big bus, Abba holds us close at home. Sovereign Sweet LORD, speechless with THANKSGIVING I come.  Forgive me for the times I am ungrateful, shortsighted, "longing for a king" instead of thirsting for my God.  Jesus, once again, You have the reigns to this chariot. Teach me to run this race intentionally, with perseverance, with passion, with YOU, so that those precious souls in tow don't see the beauty of the vehicle or the speed of the journey or even the excitement of the view, but only the Grace, Forgiveness, and Matchless Worth of the Driver.  And may they choose to follow You, too. "I met You like a little child Wide-eyed and mystified That You could love even me So I'm here to testify, it's been an amazing ride with You And I have never walked alone I wanna give You every moment, every minute It takes a lifetime to know You, to know You And the more You show me the more You grow me The more Your glory becomes all there is And the more I know You the more I need You The more I love You, the more You become to me..." From "The More" by Downhere (Wide Eyed and Mystified)

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September 1, 2006

What a sweet, sweet day

August 26, 2006

August 25, 2006

A declaration of faith