ramblings

Christmas Videos

2010-01-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

The kids say thank you to Angela

2010-01-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

This week

2009-06-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

This week I:

1. burned chocolate chip cookies to a blackened crisp while I was taking a shower;

2. cleaned up coffee which I spilt in the aisle at Wal-mart;

3. watched J. Ross put his face in the water for the first time, (and like it). This is now a new thing...every time he does it, I watch and act equally as amazed I was the first time he did it...."Mommy, was that amazing??" YES!!!!

4. confirmed that my 8th grade P.E. teacher was correct in saying that I look like Olive Oil when I run (when I saw these pictures taken by my friend at our softball game).

6. bought lots of fruit at the grocery store, under the impression that if I feed my children more often, they won't fight as much?

7. waited out a storm at an old friend's house.

8. had mine and my husband's way into Silver Dollar City paid for completely by a total stranger.

8. cleaned my kitchen approximately 1237 times. :)

Click here to see more pics from our trip to Branson!

imovie compilation

2009-06-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so yesterday, I had some fun on imovie. I didn't spend a ton of time on the timing and transitions...just wanted to post this! The dance moves you see in this video were choreographed completely by Anna and J. Ross. :) Enjoy!

Northwest Arkansas Sky

2009-06-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

This is the sky that had a lot of people in the neighborhood talking tonight. Ahhh! So beautiful! I've never seen the sky that color, and maybe I never will again! We weren't the only ones outside with our camera! Luckily, my friends were here to take the photo above! Thanks Carma and Holly!

More pretty sky photos

Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?

2009-06-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

That is the question that Josh and I have been asking our daughter the past couple of nights. Let me explain...During the school year, bedtime routine is just that-a routine. Dinner, bath, story, bed. Let me be more clear. Dinner, bath..then, one, or both of us reads a story to one or both of the kids, in either of their two rooms (never the same)...They both ALWAYS say they want Papi to lay with them, (not me), so he does, just for about 5 minutes each (ahem...). Then, J. Ross will inevitably pay us a visit downstairs, in which he looks irresistibly adorable and charming. Many of you have witnessed this irresistible charmingness. Please vouch for me! I somehow, in my zombie-like state, end up putting J. Ross to bed as well. Mind you, at this point, our daughter is snoozing away, tucked underneath her hot pink bedspread. I don't know why we ever really "lay" with J. Ross. He never, I repeat, NEVER, falls asleep while we're in there, and has been known to stay awake hours (yes, I am admitting that!) after the bedtime routine began...Until... "this summer." Okay, I know we have only had, like, one or two nights of official summer vacation. All I am saying is, the past two nights, we have followed this bedtime routine as mentioned above, and my son fell asleep within 3 minutes of me "laying" with him. The weird part is, the roles have reversed. Anna, who we could always count on to go to bed at the appropriate time, is now the one staying up late and sneaking downstairs to tell us she loves us, etc. etc. So, here's to, a new routine, more time with the kids, a cleaner house, and all the things that make summer fabulous! Apparently, I'm not too great at posting during the school year; however, I absolutely love chronicling our summers with photos and memorable stories. The photo below was taken at a birthday party for J. Ross and his three buddies. These boys have been in the same class at school since they were one year old, and their birthdays range from May 29th to June 17th. They are quite the crew.

Superman party pics

Birthday party pics

Halloween pictures

2008-10-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

Click here for Halloween pics

Quotes from the evening:

"This is the best Halloween ever!" Anna

"I'm not afraid of dogs, I'm a pirate." (J. Ross said this every single time he saw a dog...except for the first time he saw a dog tonight. The first time, he didn't like the dog jumping on him and got a little whiny...then, Josh reminded him, that pirates aren't afraid of dogs...so, the rest of the night...you get the point...)

"Can I have some candy?" This is what J. Ross said instead of "trick or treat.."

"You look like a witch," said Anna to our neighbor who was dressed up like the Statue of Liberty. Oops.

Happy 30th Birthday Carma, etc.

2008-10-11T16:47:00.001-07:00

Last night we celebrated my friend Carma's 30th birthday! We went to dinner, then we went on to hear Carma's husband Tim play. Good times were had by all.

Nicki and me

More birthday pics

Here's J. Ross with his tiny pumpkin at the Farmer's Market. We picked two big pumpkins for carving, and two tiny ones. Good thing we brought the double stroller!

A Packwood family tradition: pizza at Tim's Pizza after Farmer's Market. Countdown to Halloween-19 days
These videos were taken today at the Farmer's Market and the pizza restaurant. I originally took the video in the restaurant, because I knew A and J would want to watch themselves on video (see above picture of me holding video cam). This would keep them still for a while and would give me the chance to have snippets of conversation with Carma and Holly, who came with us today (and who you can hear laughing in the background of this video!). The video ended up being so cute, I had to post it.

Frozen Cheetos

2008-10-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

The 7th grade science classes had a special guest from the University of Arkansas come and teach them about liquid nitrogen. Some of my students were there taking some video and they caught me eating a "Frozen" cheeto for the first time ever. I couldn't quite get the breathing through the nose thing down, with my allergies and all.

Our assistant principal seemed to figure it out just fine...

Oh, and one more thing

2008-09-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

My mom called me tonight and told me that tonight will be the first night my dad has spent more than one night at home since August 29th. I can just see my dad now calculating and figuring this out. This is a man who knows how many miles his tennis shoes have run, walked, and mowed. He has been working in Baton Rouge since Gustav, and now is back in Tulsa. Enjoy drinking coffee out of your own coffee maker, Dad. Love, Kerri

Stuff

2008-09-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

This week, I:

1) Let 60 7th graders create their own personal websites in Current Events class. I have been going crazy trying to keep them from embarrassing me, my school, and themselves. Yikes.

2) am loving the fact that J. Ross tells me he wants "go pedal," when he goes to ride his bicycle, which is really Anna's bicycle. He has been "pedaling" various vehicles for a while now, but, the transformation to pedaling the bicycle was significant enough to change his wording.

3) Made a really cool mix-tape-CD (Michael Scott) that I have been wearing out in my car CD player. On it has: Wailin' Jennys, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and Nickel Creek.

4) took lots of pictures.

This week's pics

5) prayed for my Grandmother Billie. My parents were in Magnolia/Texarkana, Arkansas this week while my Grandmother was in the hospital. She has been very ill the past three weeks, and the doctors have not been able to pinpoint what it was. She is a breast cancer survivor, and was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia called Hodgkins disease several years ago. She is a trooper, to say the least. Here is the sweetest email I received from my dad on Friday:

Late last night we got the word Mom's lung biopsy was negative...they had taken slices from several troublesome areas and all were negative. The results from the bone marrow biopsy are not due til Monday but the oncologist thinks it will be fine. After 18 days in the hospital, she was released today. Very weak and feeble but home...she has a way to go to be normal but is excited to be home.

Before we left the Magnolia Hospital on Wednesday to go to Texarkana for the cancer tests, my dad said, "Let's pray" and our family circled and held hands in Mom's hospital room as my 81 year old dad prayed the sweetest prayer...as he and Mom embraced following the prayer I just about lost it. A scene that was repeated late last night when we got the good news...

Thanks for your prayers...

David

6) saw The Women.

7) was put on a budget (wasn't I already on one?). :)

8) got a Sam's Club membership.

9) am really excited about the Season Premiere of the Office!

10) am watching the Emmy's.

Josh (either reading a tour book, standing in a museum, or eating a baguette)

2008-09-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

The tour book
What would we do without the tour book? We bought one tour book in Barnes and Noble (DFW Airport). It was Top 10 Paris, and it was a life saver. Since Paris was our first stop, I carried it onto the airplane after drinking my HUGE frappuccino. Like, I was holding it. I didn't even put it in my backpack - I might have even been reading it as I boarded the plane. Could I BE any more tourist-y? I carried that thing proudly everywhere we went in Paris. This is a picture of Josh brushing up on his French right before getting on the airplane. We were SOOO excited about our trip.

Here I am with my huge frap (no wonder I did not sleep on the flight to Paris).
Josh really was concentrating when I took this picture of him at Barnes and Noble. Funny!

Above is another tour book that guided us through Florence, Lucca, and Siena. When we arrived in Siena, we found that someone had left their Italy tour book in the lobby of our hotel. When we were looking through the book one day, the reception guy said we could just have it! This is great, because in Rome our Tuscany and Paris books would be useless. Here are some pictures of Josh with his nose in the Italy tour book. We loved everything about our trip...but, it was SOO nice when we had a tour book, especially in Rome, where this picture was taken.

Josh and sister Deb in the Pantheon in Rome

Josh in one of the museums

in the Vatican...reading what the

Italy tour book has to say about

the Transfiguration of Christ (Raphael)

Museums/Churches

Baguettes and other favorites

Josh's favorites included baguettes in Paris, some liquidy vanilla yogurt stuff that he could find in the markets in Paris, and crepes. My favorites - A grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a piece of cheese and a fried egg on top (Paris)...Pizza in Italy...Ravioli in Siena...and Paninis anywhere! Oh, and cappuccino.

Paris

Venice

A popular place to eat in Italy - the sidewalk

Good news, bad news

2008-09-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month. The night before any first Sunday of the month, my husband will say, "do you want the good news, or the bad news?" I always choose the bad news first, because no matter what the bad news is, the good news will inevitably make up for it. "The bad news is, tomorrow's pot luck Sunday"...Oh yeah. What's the good news? "Tomorrow's pot luck Sunday." I have never heard of anything that good be such bad news and such good news all at the same time. I know what you're thinking. How could pot luck Sunday be bad news? Well, there are a few reasons. That means, I have to think of something to make. If I forget until it's too late, I end up feeling guilty and stressed. Or, Josh makes his specialty - frozen vegetables in a dish - which we heat up with salt and pepper when we get there. I still feel guilty when he does that, by the way. Have you ever thought about how often the first Sunday of the month comes around? I mean, before I know it, it will be the first Sunday of October and I'll be thinking of what to make. But, then, there's the good news. Let's just say, we have some really good cooks at our church. We get to eat every potluck-ish think under the sun on potluck Sunday: deviled eggs, lasagna, broccoli salad, barbequed chicken, corn casserole, pies and cakes galore. Food, fun, and fellowship. Then, come home to a clean kitchen and an afternoon nap.
If my seminary friend, Emily http://macaronincheeseagain.blogspot.com/, reads this, she will be so disappointed in me. I remember what she always used to say about potluck etiquette..."for potluck you should bring what you would bring if you were feeding your entire family - anything less isn't enough." I also remember what she said about being late, but that's another story. Anyway. This has been a good weekend so far. I got to be with my mom on Friday...then, my girlfriends on Friday night...Saturday, slept in, then saw some old college friends....for dinner met Josh's uncle and had some good talks. Tomorrow's pot luck Sunday. Have a great week!

J. Ross

2008-09-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to more J. Ross pics.

http://flickr.com/photos/kerriblog/sets/72157607079907842/

Noodles, Green Beans, and Salad

2008-09-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner, J. Ross volunteered to pray before dinner. First he thanked God for Papi and for the noodles, green beans, and salad. Then, he thanked God for J. Ross and the noodles, and green beans, and salad (in third person). Then, he thanked God for Mommy and the noodles, and green beans, and salad...and so on...around the table (all the while looking up at each person's plate to make sure he covered everything). I am pretty sure he also thanked God for the noodles, green, beans and salad as a whole. Our food was very well blessed last night.

P.S. Later on at the dinner table he asked Papi, what's your name? Papi, Josh said. Papi Packwood, J. Ross renamed him. Then, he looked at me...and you're Mommy Packwood!

Nuns, Monks, and Priests

2008-08-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

I took lots of pictures of nuns on this trip. I think they must be really amazing women. This picture was taken in the hotel where we stayed in Siena. The nuns lived on the 2nd floor, and the hotel was on the 1st floor. This woman probably makes all her phone calls from a telephone booth, right? The idea of leaving the mainstream to live a life of devotion to the things of the Lord and service to God is such a respectable calling. I took this picture while walking by the phone booth in the hallway. She never knew I took it. I hope it doesn't seem that I am being disprespectful to nuns. That isn't my intention at all.

Above are some pictures of some more nuns and monks in Assisi. When Josh and I were in Assisi, I took a break for a cappuccino, and Josh went on to spend some time in the basilica of St. Francis (pictured below).

Cappuccino

Basilica

Well, Josh later told me that he overhead a priest from the U. S. talking to a group of American tourists about why he chose to go to school in Rome. We saw him again at the train station in Assisi, eating his dinner before getting on the train to Rome. That was July 28th. On July 30th, Josh, Deb and I headed to the Vatican on a public bus. After a few blocks, guess who steps onto the bus? Yep, the priest we had seen twice in Assisi two days prior. Okay, I guess it's not that weird. I mean, we were in Italy, and Rome and Assisi are two places that attract a lot of Americans. But, what are the chances that we would see the same guy three times within 3 days? When the priest got on the bus, he wasn't wearing the same black suit he was wearing in Assisi. However, he was wearing Docker's, so I knew it must be him. Long story short, he ended up offering to give us a tour of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Not only that, but another American priest friend saw us as we approached Vatican City. He walked us all the way to the front of the line, helping us to avoid who knows how long of a wait to get in. I guess he had special connections. Joe (the priest) provided us with an abundance of information that really made our trip to the Vatican much more meaningful. It was just another event that added to the perfect-ness of our trip. Thanks Joe!

Okay, I have to add this. We saw a group of nuns leaving Vatican City, and they were all laughing and having the best time throwing water on each other and squealing like little girls. It was sooooo cute! My memory card was full at the time, so I couldn't take their picture. If I could have, it would have looked something like this:

(I googled "nuns having fun" to find a photo similar to what we saw. This is the first thing that came up.)

Agua Non Potabile

2008-08-30T19:50:00.001-07:00

This is a funny story. By the time Josh and I arrived in Rome, we had been in Europe for a week. Something we had learned to appreciate unexpectedly was a nice cold bottle of water. The most we ever spent on a bottle of water was 2.5 Euro (@ $4 U.S.!). The least we spent was about .13 Euro at a local market it Paris. Here are some pictures of bottles of water we consumed in different cities. And, yes, these were definitely worth taking!
Paris

Siena

Venice

Anyway, you get the point. Oh, another thing - more than once, Josh and I thought we were buying water, when actually we were buying carbonated water (with gas, as they say)...Yuck! So, a nice bottle of clean, cold water without gas, was a special treat, in any city. Until we got to Rome. In our Italy tour book, there is a little blurb about drinking water. It said this:

Unlike many Mediterranean cities, Rome benefits from a constant supply of fresh drinking water, piped down from the hills through a system of pipes and aqueducts that has change little from ancient Roman times.

Cool! Since we would be staying 4 nights in Rome, this would definitely save us a lot of money, and we were excited about the possibility of always being hydrated. Look, lots of people took advantage of the fountains in Rome. The book was right!
The long line of people waiting to fill up their bottles.

And, here I am filling up bottles for Josh, Deb (Josh's sister who met us in Rome), and myself.

Now, it all happened so fast. We were thirsty, saw the fountain, remembered what we read in that book. Deb trusted us. As I was filling up the last bottle (mine), Josh and Deb were already guzzling their cold water. I looked to my right and saw a tiny little sign that
read "Agua Non Potabile."
It really was tiny.

Everything started to make sense:
1) Bystanders were laughing at us, and
2) No one else was filling up their bottle in THIS fountain (just putting their feet in it!!).

Later, we went back to that Italy tour book to show Deb what it said. Much to our surprise, the last sentence in that paragraph stated:

Only if there is a sign saying acqua non potabile is the water not safe to drink.

Oh. Whoops. The rest of the day we joked...rather, I, joked about how Josh and Deb had drunk the non-drinkable water. Josh seems to think that since he grew up in Ecuador, his stomach is invincible, which I guess it is, because he never had even the slightest tummy ache.

Everything was my favorite

2008-08-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share pictures from this special day. I am way behind on blogging. Sometimes I blog in my head because I am too sleepy to post. Trust me, I have at least 10 posts in my head on France/Italy. (Too bad I am comparing thinking to blogging, right?) Nevertheless, I wanted to share pictures and thoughts from this special day. AB started her first day of Kindergarten today. Today, I remembered the first day I started teaching, two years ago. Two years ago, I didn't get to take her to school, nor could I pick her up. For two years, my wonderful husband made two lunches everyday, dressed two every morning (three if you include that he dressed himself, too). Oh, I guess now I have to add that sometimes Josh even let J. Ross sleep in his next day's outfit. He thinks this is so ingenius. I shudder at the thought. I am sure Josh thought many times (about me), "what she doesn't know can't hurt her." He picked them up (with the help of our sitter) everyday, even when they were at two different schools. He's the babysitter-scheduler, the check book-balancer, the yard mower, and the list goes on. And he's not even a stay-at-home dad. I am so thankful for lots of things: God's provision for our family (constantly!), a pretty sweet job for the past two years, schools where my children love to go...Oh yeah, that reminds me. This was supposed to be about Anna. So, I felt really proud this morning as I drove up the really pretty road to OUR schools. I reminded her that this is the first time I have dropped her off on her first day of school. We both smiled. We talked a little, but mostly just listened to Nickel Creek. We arrived as the bell was ringing to let the children in the door. We quietly walked down the hallway. The tension in her heart started to rise, as I was pretty sure it would. She was quiet when we got to her classroom. We quickly found her special desk, and she asked her teacher if she could have a different color playdough. Sure! So, my little pink-bowed, pink- backpacked, pink- lunchboxed girl got to use pink playdough on her first day of school. What a great teacher. She wasn't sad when I left, and guess what? I wasn't sad either. I wondered to myself if I am a bad mom because I didn't cry on my daughter's first day of kindergarten. I even emailed Josh once I arrived at my school (which is right next door!) to ask him what he thought about me not crying. I could not be more happy. I thought about her a lot today. She rode the big bus from her school to my school. When she got off the bus, she ran to greet me, excited as ever. She told me some stuff, and I asked her what her favorite part of the day was. "Everything was my favorite," she said. I couldn't agree more. Here is a link to some other pictures I took of this special day.

Business Class

2008-08-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for blogging my trip. We are back now, and I am in the process of downloading the tons of pictures that we took! Until I am finished, though, I wanted to share one of the experiences that is still so very fresh in my mind. First, let me begin by sharing our itinerary:

Friday, 01August
Depart Rome 8:20 a.m.
arrive at Frankfurt Hahn 10:15 a.m.

Saturday, 02August
Depart Frankfurt 2:25 p.m.

So, the only reason we had to fly out of Frankfurt was that was the only city in Europe that had available frequent flyer seats. The mistake we made was giving ourselves over 24 hours in Frankfurt. By the time we got there, we really didn't want to spend any more money. We were ready to go home, and we missed the kids. We had already called American Airlines to try and change our flight to fly out of Frankfurt on Friday at 2:25 instead of Saturday. Not only did they say the flight was full, but that we also could not fly stand-by on an international flight. We did not lose hope. (My alternative was to sleep in the airport in Frankfurt. I was willing. Being willing to sleep in the airport is much different than actually sleeping in the airport. For example, before we went on our trip, Josh made me tell him I would be "willing" to sleep underneath the stars one night in Tuscany. You get my point.)

We arrived in Frankfurt safely, only to realize that we would need to take a one and a half hour shuttle bus to a different airport in Frankfurt. Okay. 24 more Euro. We made it to the airport, found the American Airlines people, and they happily placed us on the standby list to fly out of Frankfurt that very day. Yippee! Did I mention that the airport people in Germany are very sweet? So, we had plenty of time to go eat before heading to our gate. During this time, I am already becoming more positive about the whole sleeping in the airport thing. The Frankfurt International airport is very nice! I even saw reclining seats in the waiting area. We waited, waited, and waited at our gate. We watched us other presumably stand-by people boarded the plane, looking happy. Finally they called our names. "We absolutely cannot seat you together." We don't care. "We're gonna put you in business class if that's okay?" Um, sure! Let the giggles begin. I cannot express how thrilled we were to make this flight, and in business class, no less! Whatever happened to the lady on the phone that told me we could not fly stand-by on an international flight?

Anyway, for those of you who have flown or always fly business class, please stop reading. It all happened so fast - the flight, that is. My memory card was full at the time, and my battery was dead, but I kept the menu so I wouldn't forget the service we received. We were served some kind of food or drink 11 times within our 9 hour flight! The menu is too hard to read from the scanned version, so here is what it says:

1. TO START
Warm mixed Nuts OR Marinated Cheese Antipasto

(I chose cheese, and Josh chose nuts. We shared. Oh, I forgot to say that the man sitting next to Josh saw that we were together, and switched seats so we could sit together!)

2. APPETIZER
Grilled salmon, hot-smoked salmon and grilled shrimp, served with a marinated roasted vegetable salad.

3. SALAD
Fresh seasonal greens and an assortment of fresh vegetables offered with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing or premium olive oil and balsamic vinegar

4. BREAD BASKET
Assortment of Gourmet Breads offered with choice of butter or premium olive oil.

(I have to add that when it says olive oil or salad dressing, they don't just put it on for you, they give you your own little miniature olive oil bottle. So cute! Also, they gave us our own miniature salt and pepper shakers!)

5. MAIN COURSE

(We had a choice of rack of lamb, fillet of salmon, roasted chicken, or pasta. I chose chicken and Josh chose salmon.)

6. DESSERT
A selection of gourmet cheeses offered with flavorful dried fruit and assortment crackers
Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream with a choice of Hot Fudge, Butterscotch, or seasonal Berry Toppings, Whipped Cream, and Pecans

(By the time the dessert came, I could barely restrain my giggles. At first I was trying to act like a seasoned traveller should, but I'm afraid it was extremely obvious to the flight attendant that we were SO out of our element. I also didn't want it to be obvious to the other business class people that we were stand-by people who didn't pay a dime for this royal treatment! So, I just said Thank You A LOT. It didn't help that every time I looked at Josh, he made me smile even more. I'm sure our expressions were priceless. It wasn't just the food and the service though. The way the food was presented was so, what's the word? Fine-dining-ish. Like, they spread our miniature "table cloths" on our trays, and they gave us utensils wrapped in what seemed to me fine linens that looked like they had never been used. The seats are another story. See pictures below.)

7. TO FINISH
Assorted Lindt Chocolates

8. MID-FLIGHT SNACK
An assortment of gourmet cheeses offered with flavorful dried fruit and assorted crackers

9. LIGHT MEAL
(On the menu it states in italics "a light meal offered prior to landing," cute!)

UNO's Farmer's Market Pizza - A Chicago-style deep dish pizza, topped with fresh spinach, eggplant, sun-dried and plum tomatoes, caramelized onions, and a three cheese blend of Feta, Mozzerella, and Romano, flavored with fragrant Basil Pesto, accompanied by a fresh green salad tossed with English cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.

10. DESSERT
Fresh fruit or cookies, freshly baked on board.

(We got both cookies AND fruit, AND another cup of coffee).

11. PRE-ARRIVAL BEVERAGE
Chilled Sparkling Beverage with a fresh citrus garnish (that means lemon).

That flight did not last nearly as long as I had hoped. Josh watched three movies. I watched two. I have never been more entertained, nor have I eaten as much within 9 hours as I did on this flight. The food, service, comfort, topped off with a warm moist towelette at the end was a great end to a fabulous trip. My advice for flying business class on a budget: Get to the airport a day earlier than your flight is scheduled for, and ask nicely if you can fly stand-by. :)

Farmer's Market

2008-07-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerriblog/sets/72157606125661801/

The Study

2008-07-17T14:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerriblog/2678018012/in/set-72157606227923233/

3 books

2008-07-17T13:53:00.001-07:00

pic037
Originally uploaded by kerri318

Josh told me a couple of weeks ago the books he would be reading our our trip. Here they sit, ready and waiting. I, on the other hand, am taking one book: Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. Speaking of our trip, shouldn't I be packing right now?

Liturgical calendar

2008-07-17T13:38:00.001-07:00

pic022
Originally uploaded by kerri318

The liturgical cycle divides the year into a series of seasons, each with their own mood, theological emphases, and types of prayer. The decorations in a church, scriptural readings, and themes for preaching follow the liturgical year in most Lutheran, Anglican, and other protestant churches.

Generally, the liturgical seasons in western Christianity are Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time (Time after Epiphany), Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time (Time after Pentecost or after Trinity). These seasons revolve around Christ's birth, death, resurrection, and even the history of the church.

For example, the first season of the liturgical year begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Historically observed as a "fast", its purpose focuses on preparation for the coming Christ. Last Sunday, July 13th, was the 8th Sunday in Trinity. We read Romans 6:19-23 and Mark 8:1-9.

St. Francis of Assisi

2008-07-17T12:50:00.001-07:00

pic004
Originally uploaded by kerri318

In Mark 10: 17-22, we learn about the rich young ruler, who came running to Jesus, knelt before Him and asked, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." It is this passage in Mark that inspired Francis to abandon the goods he was selling and give a beggar everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly mocked him for his act of charity, but he continued to live a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Josh and I hope to visit Assisi on our upcoming trip to Italy!

Underneath his St. Francis book is the Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology, by Millard Erickson. The post it notes are the papers that Josh lets the kids draw on when they come to visit him in his "oppice".

More Beda Guadalupe

2008-07-17T12:25:00.001-07:00

pic020
Originally uploaded by kerri318

Here is a better picture of Beda Guadalupe.

Beda Guadalupe

2008-07-17T12:22:00.001-07:00

pic016
Originally uploaded by kerri318

We can't remember who gave us this silver globe paperweight, but we sure do like it! Behind the globe is a picture of Beda Guadalupe. The picture is stuck to the glass in that frame, so we will never take her out, and why would we want to? I will never forget her. When we worked for Joshua Expeditions in Costa Rica, we frequently worked in a Nicaraguan squatter's village called La Carpio. Often, Beda Guadalupe and her brother would stand on something in their yard and watch us as we walked by her home. One day, I asked her name. Beda Guadalupe!!!! she would tell me confidently. Beda Guadalupe? No. Beda Guadalupe!!!!! she would tell me even more emphatically. OH! Beda Guadalupe. NO. BEDA. Beda? No. I never could get her name right. But, for the record, when I introduced her to Josh, he couldn't get it right either, so I'm pretty sure it's Beda Guadalupe. :)

Closets of bookshelves

2008-07-17T11:54:00.001-07:00

pic051
Originally uploaded by kerri318

Last Saturday night, Josh and I went on an organizing closet rampage. This involved putting a new bookshelf in our downstairs closet , which was piled high with boxes and junk. It also involved putting another bookshelf in the closet in Josh's study. That's right, this picture is the AFTER shot. After moving all these bookshelves around (how dare we box any of the books), I realized how much I love Josh's study. So, on Sunday afternoon, I took some pictures of his/our stuff. Keep in mind, they may be a little blurry, because there were no lights on in the room, and I didn't use the flash.

Turkey legs, tickets, and basketball shorts

2008-07-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed to admit how much time it is taking me to figure out how to embed a slideshow. I think I will take a break from it all to highlight a few that have made this summer memorable.

Turkey legs
I had never tasted a real turkey leg until I went to my first rodeo this past weekend. I mean, I eat turkey at Thanksgiving, but my Grandmother has never served me one whole turkey leg. Well, getting in to the rodeo was quite expensive, not to mention the money we were about to spend on food. All four of us were hungry when we arrived, and the smells of 'walking tacos,' cotton candy, and nachos didn't help. At first we settled for a huge gatorade, which Anna and J. Ross shared. After we found our seats, and watched a few children's rodeo events, we realized the inevitable - we would have to buy some food. Thus, we began the search for our rodeo food. There were several requirements for this perfect meal:

1)Dinner-ish(meaning, no cotton candy),
2)Unique to a rodeo or state fair,
3)Good price, AND
4)Not messy.

We searched for several minutes. *If anyone has ever been to the grocery store with my husband, eh-hem, he/she knows that no decision is made quickly. Every week I have 3 different choices of cereals than I had the week before (in my pantry). No doubt, he always gets the best deal, and the 'coolest' cereals in the store.* We finely landed on a possibility.

Hmm. Smoked turkey legs. $6. They smell good. They look good. We bet they tasted good too. One turkey leg, please. And the rest was history. The four of us shared that turkey leg, and when I went to bed at midnight that lovely 4th of July evening, I was still full. The kids never asked for another snack either. It was like Thanksgiving in July.

Tickets
At the beginning of the summer, I decided I would need to have a new reward system for my children. Something to get them excited about good behavior and good choices. I implemented a system I used with my 5th graders (not my idea of course). Anna and J. Ross may earn tickets for various types of behavior. Possible rewardable actions:

1. buckling one's own seatbelt with no help,
2. finishing meals,
3. pee pee in potty (one ticket for pee pee, etc.)
4. cleaning up room
5. not crying when we leave a certain place

At the end of every "week" (or so), I draw one ticket. Whoever receives the most tickets in a week has a better chance of winning. The winner gets to choose from the treasure box.

Well, Anna Belle earned way more tickets than J. Ross the first week, but J. Ross's name was drawn. Second week - J. Ross wins again, when Anna had, by far, the most tickets in the box. Anna was such a good sport. The third week, I rigged the drawing, so Anna could win, and the 4th week, I decided to have a bonus drawing, meaning, I drew two names, so they both got to choose. Who will win next week?

Basketball Shorts This is a picture of my son, who fell asleep on the stairs last week. Notice the outfit he is wearing. Those would be one of his many pairs of 'basketball shorts'. I am not sure where he gets this idea, but, when we return home from running errands, he strips down immediately. "I want to wear my basketball shorts." Sleeping clothes are basketball shorts and a matching basketball shirt. If we are at home he is in his basketball shorts.

Are you happy to me?

2008-07-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

As much as I want my son to learn proper grammar, I just don't know if I'm ready to let go of one of his favorite questions. First of all, I've actually thought about this. What would be a better way to say, "Are you happy to me?" Some alternatives might work: Are you happy with me? Or, do you love me? Are you pleased with the thing I just did? No. I don't think any of these convey what J. Ross means. His choice of words is simple, and I understand exactly what he is asking me. In fact, Josh and I have started talking this way. You know, I let you sleep in this morning - are you happy to me? I made coffee this morning - are you happy to me? So, if anybody has any ideas of a better way for us to speak, I am open to suggestions. As for now, however, I will stick with being happy to J. Ross.

P.S. I am trying to figure out how to link to a flickr slideshow of our trip to Eureka Springs. Until then, here are some pictures taken on the property where we stayed.

Let's talk about our likes and our dislikes.

2008-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, Anna sparks up conversation at the dinner table by suggesting we talk about our likes and dislikes (inspired by a scene from one of her favorite movies, Enchanted). The last time she did this was this past weekend, at a Mexican restaurant in Eureka Springs (I guess my stories tend to revolve around restaurants?). Anna seems to begin this dialogue as if it is the first time we have ever discussed it. She is always in control, and she always goes first. When J. Ross struggles to come up with something, she encourages him..."J. Ross, I think you like more than that - right Mommy?" This past time, even Josh was having a hard time thinking of his dislikes. Anna remembers, "how about, you don't like it when we make wrong choices?" Papi agrees that he definitely does not like that. I love these conversations with our children! They truly do shed light on their developing personalities, especially Anna. I do know that one of her favorite things is for all 4 of us to be together. We have had a busy past couple of years, with me going back to work after being at home for over 3 years, and Josh working on graduate degrees. Thanks Anna, for making sure we always have something to talk about at the dinner table!

On that note, here are some of the likes and dislikes that have been mentioned by Anna:
Likes
Tea parties, going to the pool, doing things with Mommy, Papi, and J. Ross, birthday cake, playing dress up, watching movies, reading books, dresses
Dislikes
Wearing jeans and listening to J. Ross cry in the car.

P. S. I did some research on the restaurant mentioned in the previous post...Wheeler's Restaurant is located in Kiowa, Oklahoma!

A real live cow-"man"

2008-06-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

It seems odd that my first post ever as a blogger would be about my experience at "Wheeler's Restaurant" in ....well, I don't know what town in Oklahoma. But, nonetheless, I have been meaning to start a blog, and I think I want to tell this story! I will start by saying that my kids and I made a trip to Melissa, TX on Monday to get ready for the birth of my sister's baby. Anna, J. Ross and I were able to stay with Josh's parents in Rowlett, so while they were playing with their cousin and grandparents, I was at the hospital with my sister, parents, and the new baby! Lynli was born at 7:50 a.m. on Monday morning and weighed 9 lbs. 7 ounces. What a cutie!

Today I brought the kids up to the hospital with me, so we spent the day taking pictures of "the cousins," the grandparents and cousins, Ryan and Melani with the baby, me with the baby, me with my mom and dad and the baby, me with my sister and the baby. . .could it get more fun than this? (I am being serious.) Anyway, I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, Wheeler's Restaurant. So, at some point, I decided we should probably leave and drive home to Arkansas. By the time we actually get in the car, it is 5:15 p.m. That's right, I plan on driving north on HWY 75 in the middle of rush hour traffic. That's just the way I roll. I won't mention the roundabout way I found of getting on 75 North from the hospital, adding at least 30 minutes to my driving time. This doesn't get me down though. What does get me down, is being pulled over by a police officer who clocked me at 68 in a 60 in Sherman, TX. No worries, he just gave me a warning, since his primary purpose in pulling me over was for "highway jurisdiction." What? I have never heard of such a thing. Apparently, they stopped a lady yesterday, who was driving with her three grandchildren. She had illegal substances in her car. What a pity. I'm confused though. Does that mean they are now pulling over only people who have kids in the backseat? The officer asked me twice if I was sure I did not have illegal substances in the car. Yes, I am sure. But, for some reason, I still feel nervous? I think I am still hoping I don't get a ticket for going 68 in a 60. He proceeds to ask me if he can check my trunk! Please do. When I pop the trunk, he sees 4 plants that my mother gave me to plant, two overnight bags, and some scrapbooking materials. I reach for my overnight bag, and he says, that's fine ma'am. That's enough. You may shut your trunk. He then tells me I only get a warning, and to get those kids home safe. Phew.

Okay, back to Wheeler's. We stopped in Atoka for dinner at 7:45ish. No, not at Wheeler's Restaurant, at Mazzio's. This is uneventful, except for J. Ross and Anna asking the two motorcyclists where they were going with that pizza (on the back of the motorcycle). The dude had to turn off his motorcycle to even hear the question. He told us to enjoy our dinner. Smile.

What seemed like 10 minutes after leaving Mazzio's in Atoka, Anna has an emergency. She has to go to the bathroom. I can tell she is having a major problem, but there is nowhere to go. I ask her if we need to pull over, but she thinks she can wait until we find a place. I finally see a sign that says, somewhere in "11 miles". I still have no idea what was in 11 miles, I just know it's some place. Anna, can you wait 10 minutes? She looks fretful, but willing. All the while, I am asking her, do you need me to pull over? Here comes another sign for somewhere in "4 miles." It's funny, when you are looking desperately for a place to stop, it doesn't really matter what the name of the place is, all that matters, is how long it will take to get there. Once we finally reach somewhere, Anna's eyes are peeled for a gas station. I have never seen a child more thrilled to see a gas station. She almost jumps out of her seat and screams "There's a gas station!!!!" I see that, but it looks closed and scary. How about the Shamrock, Anna? Okay, but then, to my right, I see a restaurant...Wheeler's Restaurant...The sign is small. I can still see the sign of this glorious place. Red letters. Anna hastily unbuckles her seatbelt, and I go around to get J. Ross out of his carseat. We can't find his shoe, but oh well. He will wear one. We rush in and tell the "folks" that we have an emergency bathroom problem. About three of the people standing at the door point their arms that way. There is barely enough time for me to feel guilty that I have no intentions of buying any food here, and that my daughter is about to stink their bathroom up to high heavens. I don't realize how cute this restaurant is until I get to the doorway of the bathroom. It is labeled "cowgirls." Oh my goodness. We go inside the restroom. I have never seen a more adorable bathroom. I would have never imagined how much better this would be than the Shamrock bathroom. Nothing against the Shamrock. It actually had a dry sink, but with a red and white splotchy bowl for the sink. The toilet seat looks like beautifully stained wood. Hard wood floors. Anyway, while Anna and J. Ross take care of business in this clean, adorable bathroom, I cannot help but start to feel thankful. Not only did we make it there with no mess in the car, but we got to come in this nice place and use a really cute bathroom. And, I'm not even a bathroom snob. I know some people that are really picky about where they use the restroom. I am not this kind. I had a squatty potty in my apartment in China for a year, for heaven's sake. I can pretty much go anywhere. But, one cannot deny the comfort of a nice restroom. Anyway, it gets better. When we finish, we go out to find the same people who pointed out the restroom to us. It is as if they were waiting to see if everything came out okay. No pun intended. I assured them that it did, and they begin to admire Anna's red curly hair. Then we notice that one of these people is wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy clothes. "J. Ross, it's a real live cowboy!" I say. I think J. Ross believes me (see photo at the top of this post). His eyes are big. The cowboy quickly corrects me. "I'm a cow-'man'. Cowboys don't pay the bills." He then proceeds to draw the kids attention to the biggest gumball machine I have ever seen. Ask your mommy if you can have one. Of course I say yes. Why wouldn't I let my children chew a huge gumball at 9:00 at night? The kids are enamored with this gumball buying cow-man. After chewing half his gum, J. Ross takes it out and offers it to the cow-man. Our fingers get sticky, and he goes to get napkins. He comes back with wet napkins! He is so smart. There is more conversation. I will leave out all the details, like how the cow-man has red hair too, oh, and false teeth. That's right, he told J. Ross, that, no, he couldn't chew any gum, because he has false teeth. It turns out, that the cow-man and his wife were the owners of this charming place which I will never forget. If any of you have travelled with children, especially alone and at night, you must understand how an experience like this one is appreciated. We got back in the car, and we all realized what a blessing it was to find a restaurant like this on Highway 75. In realizing this small way in which God provided for us this evening, it made me think of his provision for our family over the years. The owner told me that restaurant has been there 20 years, but I have never noticed it. If you ever get hungry between Atoka and McAlister, Oklahoma on Highway 75, you have to stop at Wheeler's! You'll be glad you did!