Surviving and Flourishing

I know most of you tune into my blog for the precious photos of our boy, but you're in for some honesty now too...

We've been in Tyler for 5 months. It's as hard as we thought it would be. But I didn't expect to experience God's provision, joy and love in so many ways just 5 months after moving. In Houston, while we were plugged into a great church and serving the Lord and our church in ministries, my faith had reach a stall. I was confident in my faith, but nothing was challenging it, encouraging it or stretching it. Life was great but predictable and rarely out of the norm.

Tyler has taken our life's predictability and turned it on its head. Our dependence on God is being tested and tried. Every day, I again turn our greatest trial, being our finances, over to God. The blessing of God being in control is producing a closer family for the three of us and from someone who used to loudly declare "I hate money" actually has found peace in our situation. Even more than peace, I have found joy and gratitude in our financial situation - thankful that our lives have been purged of many distractions and rejoice that we are filthy rich!

Just 5 months after moving here, God's work in our lives is obvious. He has made it apparent that our move was obeying His will for our family. We know that only He could have opened the door for us to move to Tyler and given us the comfort to leave our families behind. Dash is amazing at his job, and even more importantly, he loves it. I am so proud of him. He gets compliments from coaching veterans on the job he is doing as a newbie. He works so hard to provide for Mason and I, and I am so thankful that he shows his love for us in this way.

My faith that was stalled in Houston has been given a kick in the rear. I have to admit that I'm scared about what this means for me. I've always been fearful and shy when it comes to talking about my faith but as God  overwhelms me with His relentless love and desire for me, I am gaining confidence. I want my love for and seeking after our Lord to be very apparent to Mason as he grows.

Tyler has blessed me with a worshipful (making up words?) attitude. In part, this is due to the worship team at our new church where they do a great job of tackling the not so easy task of leading worship instead of performing. One song that they have sung many times has become my song for this season of our life in Tyler. I listen to it several times a day while I'm doing housework or playing with Mason. Listen to the lyrics...


Just 5 months after moving to Tyler, I'm anxiously waiting to see what God is doing in our lives and how our family has been transformed 5 months and 5 years from today. I'm praying that my time of offering my leftovers and weak efforts to God is behind me. From the book our small group is studying, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, "True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on eternity." 

And now this blog will resume its normal programming, but I can't promise it won't happen again.

Mason's first Christmas

We spent a week at my parents' house in Austin for Mason's first Christmas. We had a great time and shared lots of giggles, piggie back rides, biscuits covered with chocolate gravy and wassail. Mason had so much fun in the new surroundings and soaked up all the attention from his Papa, Nanny and two of his aunts. Here's some snapshots of our fun in Austin...

Riding high on his bearded daddy

Crawling around with his Papa

 

Practicing his walking skills with Aunt Jessy

Hanging with Nanny

 

Jumping with Papa

My two men with their serious smirks...

... and their big grins

Christmas morning

Loving his present from his great Grandma, Mimi

I think this smile tells all about how much Mason enjoyed his first Christmas!

Welcome 2010!

We hope everyone is having a great start to 2010! I can't wait to see what this year has in store for our family and I feel so blessed already with what God has provided for us and is doing in our lives. This year, we'll celebrate a first birthday, my 10 year high school reunion, our first lazy summer (another advantage of working at a college!), Mason's first steps and developing deeper relationships with some of our new East Texas friends! This spring, Dash will be traveling almost every weekend for matches, so Mason and I might be taking some road trips to see some of you! I hope to take a class at TJC (photography or graphic design) and join a tennis league too.

Feel free to come visit us this year! Maybe you'll even get a kiss from our little boy. So far, his kisses have been reserved for his gorilla friend. After his first word being 'dada' and kissing a stuffed animal first, I'm trying not to let this get to me. ;)

Happy New Year, friends!

On the road again

 

We survived. Just barely. We came back home in worse shape than when we left Tyler for Katy last week. All three of us have taken turns being sick, which explains the lack of Thanksgiving pictures. I did take some on the trip there to capture what it looks when you cram suitcases, 2 adults, a baby and two dogs (one of which is surely the size of a horse) into our car.

 

 

Football, family, food, friends, fun and flu virus. That about sums up our Thanksgiving. Hope you and yours are having a blessed holiday season!

Gig 'em Aggies!

Mason is all ready for game day! Maybe someday, his daddy will show him the very spot where Dash made his mark on Kyle Field!

Weigh in

Mason weighs in at 20 pounds 3 ounces (45%) and is 28 inches long (41%). Time for the new car seat. He got his first H1N1 shot like a champ and had his finger pricked to check his iron levels. Pretty easy visit to the doctor. We'll go back in a few weeks for the second H1N1 shot and then hopefully we don't have to see the doctor again until his big 0-1 birthday!

Mason at 9 months

Mason turns 9 months old today. Here's a glimpse into our boy at 9 months...

· His favorite game is to take all things and throw them, only to chase it down and throw it again. All things round, square, alphabet-shaped, but especially remote controls and cell phones.

· He loves his doggies and scrunches up in squeals and giggles when he sees them do something funny or gets a doggie kiss.

· He's becoming a mama's boy but loves his daddy and is fascinated by all things that Dash does.

· He likes music (like his daddy). He drags his little music player around and beats on his drum, always stopping to listen to music on tv. And he thinks it's really funny when mama makes up songs to sing to him.

· He thinks he is too big to be spoon fed now so we have to mix it up with big boy food (finger foods) so we can occasionally get a spoonful in without protest.

· He loves to skype with his Nanny. Nothing else is going on in the world when his Nanny is on the computer screen.

· He never lays still on his changing table anymore, making nasty diapers that much more challenging. Daddy got called to Mama's rescue last night as Mason twisted his way into a handstand with his dirty bottom in midair and dirty diaper underneath. I see fun times ahead with this one. Advice?

· He loves to be outside and squeals as soon as we walk out the front door, especially when it's chilly.

· He has short legs, apparently. All his pants that fit his waist drag on the floor unless rolled up a couple of times.

· He takes two good naps a day with his lovie. And he's still a pacifier boy.

· He still only has his first two teeth that he got on his 8 month birthday, but they create the most precious grin.

· He has crazy long eyelashes according to everyone and their mom, which is usually followed by a "of course the boys always get the long eyelashes."

· He makes hilarious noises that can only be described as 'all boy.' From deep throat grunts from the backseat to loud and long screams that sound a little like the Aggie freshman wildcat yell.

· We love him more and more each day.