The Promise of Summer

Oh summer how I love thee!

In two short days I will be released from my responsibilities of teaching history for the summer. Not completely since I am attending workshops and moving classrooms and teaching new classes that I need to brush up on. But you get the picture. In two days more free time and less stress and more TIME with my two ANGELS. I cannot wait.

Summer also gives the promise of more time to blog. May has been very spotty on this web address. But summer holds the promise of time to catch up. So many things to blog about. Like

the girl's weekend in Nashville almost two months ago, my new Etsy shop (don't worry I haven't sold a thing) my worries over Noah's fears, my adorable nine month old who claps on command, my desire to get healthy, my ever deepening love of Christ and all He has done for me (y'all have got to read One Thousand Gifts and Heaven is For Real), and my new idea for organizing my crazy life, and my upcoming return to the beach after a two years too long hiatus. And I can't wait to get back into cooking and for an Auburn AOPi reunion in Tuscaloosa this weekend!

Aren't you excited to kick off the summer with me?!

This picture is just for fun. Because it shows Adam's least favorite thing about summer :) But at least he has a helper right? My favorite thing about this picture is the light coming out of our front door. I remember riding around neighborhoods in the car with my parents looking at the glowing lights and thinking that one day I would have a home that would glow inside . Silly I know but just makes me think of family warmth. Adam just loves how much I love to leave light on :)

The Day Tuscaloosa Became My City

I have not been shy about how my heart has not been in Tuscaloosa. There are many things I love about living here and many things I do not. I have wished many times to be back in Birmingham or anywhere else at times. But in the past month that has changed. The tragedy that hurt Tuscaloosa last month is one that forever changed me. And while physically I lost nothing...my heart lost its longing to be elsewhere. The Tuesday night before the storms I was working hard on my resume and cover letter to apply for possible positions in the private school setting. I was longing for the Christian atmosphere and environment and to be away from the daily onslaught of pain and godlessness I face daily. But the Friday after the storm when I stood on the streets of Alberta and embracing parents and students who came up to the school that day I knew I couldn't send them out. My students are that. MY students. And after all that we have been through I could not leave now. Last Wednesday night I was driving home from church with Miller and I heard this song for the first time, Jesus Rides the Subway. If you have the time and aren't familiar with it listen and read the lyrics. The premise of this song is Jesus and His mission. It was not to hang out with fellow religious leaders and righteous people. It was to minister to people. The song really got to me. I cried all the way home. I had to pull over. Not all of my students are stricken by poverty, not all are fatherless, not all are thieves. Some are. But they all have burdens. We all do. And over the past couple of days God has made it clear to my heart and soul that I am to be His hands and feet in my school. That I am to help my students and the staff lay their burdens down.And my heart longs to recognize Jesus everywhere He is. I don't want to turn my back on what He places in front of mine. Saturday we were coming back into town after spending the day in Birmingham. And for the first time in six years I felt like I was coming home and I liked it.

The Nine Month Old

Last Tuesday Miller turned nine months old. This little man is ACTIVE! It is getting more and more difficult to pull off these bed pictures. Miller is so full of life and joy that I just can't wait to be with him and love spending time making him smile and laugh. He is becoming less interested in his bottle and more interested in food. He has one tooth and another you can see is about to pop through any minute. He is crawling. He isn't as fast as Noah but he gets into things. He will be content to stay in an area but he will mess with everything there. He seems to have a magnet attraction to cords.

He continues to adore Charlie and Noah. And his lovie Spikes. Those are his favorite things. He likes being outside and he is getting better at reading stories. He loves to entertain and interact. He is so adorable it hurts sometimes.

Adam took Miller in Friday for his nine month check up. He weighs 19.8 pounds and is 28 inches long. Both are in the 50th percentile. The doctor was pleased with his growth and development. Everything is normal. He did have the perpetual fluid on the ear. So he will go back next week. Why do both my boys always have fluid but not infections? Or is my doctor saying fluid meaning he has an infection?

In honor of Miller's nine months of blessing this family and the soon arrival of my summer vacation I thought I would list nine things Miller and I are going to to this summer....

1. Get in the pool for the first time!

2. Go to story time at the library.

3. Lots of snuggling. (He is too busy to snuggle but this summer we will!)

4. Take naps.

5. Swing on the back porch.

6. Visit the elephants at the zoo.

7. Go to the beach. Yea!

8. Play with playdough.

9. Learn to say mommy before saying daddy! :)

The Mother's Day Mud

I had an awesome Mother's Day.

Several weeks ago I made photo books for our moms and I made myself a little Mother's Day present book as well. I am so glad that for once I took care of things early. Mother's Day hasn't been in the forefront of my mind of late.

This morning Miller was supposed to be dedicated. It was postponed. Nana headed out of town

with Puddin' for a reading conference and Mimi and Papa want to Lillie's baby dedication in

Macon. We Tuscaloosians were left to our own devices. After a sweet breakfast in bed we headed

to Calvary for worship. Dr. Lovett has been amazing in motivating and mobilizing our church to heal and minister to our broken community. I highly recommend taking a look at what Calvary is doing especially if you are trying to think of ways to help, http://www.calvarytuscaloosa.org/tornadorelief/. God is doing amazing things.

The service this morning had absolutely nothing to do with mothers. Dr. Lovett said, "Being a mother is not the ultimate calling of Christian women. (dramatic pause) Reflecting the glory of

God is." Wow. That really impacted me. He reminded us that the church can be selfish. We want to do things the way we always have and celebrate certain things in certain ways. But it isn't

about us. It is about HIM. It was a great time to be reminded of being God's hands and feet.

Tuscaloosa is really experiencing an awakening. I love it. And I love that it isn't about me. My life isn't about me. When you get down to it that is kind of refreshing. My life is not about me. If only I could truly live like I believed that!

After the service a sweet church out of Montgomery fed us hamburgers and hot dogs and to Noah's delight a seemingly endless supply of Little Debbie snacks. Adam and I spent the

afternoon moving and putting together furniture for some of the families Calvary adopted. I had the pleasure of working with two International students from UA. We sent the afternoon talking

about Ghana. I can't think of a way I'd rather spend a Mother's Day afternoon.

The boys got some rest time in the late afternoon and then it was out in the yard to play with

Brooke and now sweet Baby Cade. Although he doesn't really play as much as he sleeps. Noah and Brooke somehow ended up in bathing suits and mud. But they loved every second and I couldn't have been happier watching their innocent joy.

I love being a mother but I think the best thing motherhood has done for me is bring me to my knees. It has taught me to be patient and forgiving and loving and humble and proud and dependent on God. I am thankful for my two boys and they ways they have taught me about the love of my Savior.

'

The Midst

Life here in Tuscaloosa has been disrupted but it continues to be lived.

With an added sweetness and a greater appreciation. Adam has been working a lot and we both have been volunteering here and there. In the midst of recovery efforts Noah and Miller grow and thrive. And they spread joy!

Miller has become mobile. He is officially a crawler. I will add video soon. He takes so much pride in being a crawler! tooth pop out. Sweet boy. He also had a Noah has started to draw letters. He has conquered H.

And he will sometimes turn his H's into ladders, which I thought was very creative. He also can do O's and I have seen a sparse A. He is close to writing his name. I am so excited for him. He is so proud of his new talent.

I love that both boys daily remind me how precious life is and not to let it pass by without cherishing it!

The Prayer Request

Today I took the boys to "school" and headed down to Calvary to volunteer for a few hours. I got to work in the free daycare program we are offering. We offer daycare for families who need it due to circumstances and for volunteers. I had a great four hours loving on some sweet babies. I was so incredibly proud of my church family and all the many projects and things underway to help heal the city and its people. After working at the church I decided to brave a trip to Target. I had a formula coupon that I could only use at Target and five dollars is five dollars these days. McFarland has been open since Saturday and I figured, how bad can it be? Well it was bad. And I completely lost it. It wasn't as bad walking the streets of my students' trying to imagine how they possibly made it out of this storm. But this time I was in the privacy of my own car. And I wasn't trying to be brave for anyone. And I was looking at a intersection that is normally bustling with commerce and life;a shopping center where I visited Hobby Lobby and my gym several times a week that was now nothing; a vast expanse encompassing blocks and blocks of rubble where I should have seen restaurants and a neighborhood. I too quickly forgot about the hope being built at the church I had just left and the masses of donations and stories puring in on every available form of media.

I went into Target and it hit me that tomorrow I will be facing the unknown. Will all the kids come to school seeking safety and normality? Are some of my kids among the rumored dead and missing? Will they want answers or not to speak of the past week? Will there be division among the safe and unsafe? Will there be the unity and love visible in other parts of the city? And so I hid. In the makeup section. I tested eye shadows and then I went to look at pretty springy dresses and plates. And then market umbrellas. And people loaded down with paper towels and water and diapers and prepared foods rolled quickly past me. A few gave me odd looks. I know what they were thinking...."How can that lady be thinking of makeup and dresses right now??" (I know it because I have had those same judging thoughts about others this week.) Because I was hiding. As if maybe staying inside Target would make the lost buildings and houses reappear and put breath back in those that are lost.

But I cannot hide from tomorrow. God wants to use me. Perhaps tomorrow is the reason He has kept me in this city so long. Or perhaps tomorrow is a day where I see even more of His grace and plan for my life. Or maybe tomorrow will just be another day in a long road towards healing. Whatever it may hold I ask those of you who read this to pray. Selfishly I ask you to pray for me. That I would be able to be a vessel for His healing waters. I hope to be arms to hold and a voice to comfort. I ask you you to pray that I would know when to speak and when to hold my tongue. I ask that you would pray that I would know what and how to teach. I ask that you pray for my co workers. And mostly pray for my students. That school would be safe for them. That they would have peace and strength and love for each other.