Conga Line!

**hhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!**


That's me...blowing the dust off of enjoylifeinthewoods. Whoa! It's been a little while! You know, I go through my days running across all sorts of things -- what? Ava counted to 10? Blog it! Wow! We survived another year as parents? Oh! Blog it! Really? I have gone a month without my Route 44 Sonic Diet Dr. Pepper with Diet Cherry and Vanilla? Uh...no. BUT, If I had I would have thought, "Blog it!"

So, I have this endless list of items, milestones, and horrifically embarrassing moments in the "Blog it" section of my mental file cabinet. I have NO idea where to start. I mean, out of all of these things what on earth could I start with?! What calls out to me more than anything else? What deserves the spot light after months without blogging? What do I NEED you to know about? Hmmm...oh! I got it.

Yes friends, this has been months in the making. And now, I think I am now ready to share. Ready? Let me present...

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The Conga Line.

By: Ava Claire Wood

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Since I blogged last, Ava has officially taken us by the hand and led, okay pulled, us into a whole new world. A world filled with intentional hugs and kisses, with laughter, with funny little quirks, with a new word every day, with scribbled on kitchen floors, with stomping feet, with naughty chair visits (did you notice the down hill progression?). Yes...Ava is two. And you what? I truly believe that Ava began practicing her two-ish ways the day she turned one. So, she has had a whole year of coming up with and storing her sneaky ideas and now she is putting them to good use. I joke. She may know how to prolong bedtime (even if it means doing something she shouldn't so she can spend a few more minutes awake in the naughty chair); she may have temper tantrums that I expect to see advertised in our community newsletter, but I cannot even begin to express the spirit this child has. Her ability to make me laugh daily baffles me. How can she be so funny? The way she is sensitive to others humbles me and makes me envious of how she sees the world. And the things she does! Just the other day, we were at Walmart (and she talks about "goin' to Walmart" if you simply say hi to her) -- she had on a plastic fireman's hat that is held together with duct-tape, one of those elastic headbands (you know the really thin ones that look like giant rubberbands) around her neck like a necklace, and a fuzzy pink purse draped around her shoulder. Had I not drawn the line somewhere she would have had on her hot pink feather boa, her blue Chinese panda shoes, and her lime green beach bucket in her other hand filled with all of her beloved plastic animals.

That brings me to...The Conga Line.

I have been following this troupe over the last few months. This was their debut. You'll notice that they are all facing in the same direction. Here they are enjoying the nice view of the backyard.

I am glad to see our friends like to stay in shape. They don't go as fast as I would like to see, but here are a few of our dedicated four-legged pals on the treadmill. I think here they were at an incline of 0 and going about 0.0 miles an hour. I can confidently say that I think I can go faster.

And here we have caught the mastermind at work. I think our plush pals were a little jealous of the fun that our friends from the plastic variety were having.

Snack time. With a special guest "Puppy." Yes, we are all about the creative names. Did I add that our faithful friend "Quack Quack" is now "Duck"? He's all grown up I guess.

This was the welcome ceremony for "Horsey" who was a birthday present from a dear friend of ours. Notice how they all look up to her like she's something special. I mean, she does have pretty hair with lots of body and she has long legs (which I would die for) and she may know how to pose....her eyes are a little out of proportion though.

Here are the actors in the bunch. I suspect they are waiting for their curtain call.

This one is something special. I gave Keith a haircut one Sunday afternoon and all of the sudden, they appeared. Kinda creepy, really.


And here they are in true Conga form. We had some new additions in this session. I held onto about 30 Happy Meal toys from when I was in high school and went to McDonald's. Happy Meals were cool. I pulled the bag out for Ava. I was Mom of the Year.

I will post some more pictures in the days to come. Not of animals. But they are still around from time to time. I think they hit their prime in August and September. Every once in a while they will show up when and where you don't expect them. In the bathroom on the edge of the bathtub, on the piano keys, in the tupperwear cabinet...you just never know. It's sort of like me and Santa Claus...you just WAIT with anticipation and excitement for the day you'll see them.

Thanks for reading.

Emily

Breathe Peace

This is one of those blog entries that I don't really know how to start. I have so much to say and then when I sit down, it seems every single one of those thoughts that I have gathered throughout the last few days just makes a mad dash out of my left ear lobe. I have been so overwhelmed with things going on around me this past week and my heart is filled heavily with so many thoughts. But let me first say this: I cannot even begin to imagine how I, being so small and so flawed, can be loved the way that God loves me. Many times I feel as though I don't deserve the grace and the unconditional forgiveness that He has shown me. I am surrounded by people who are in so much pain and who are struggling with things I couldn't even begin to imagine struggling with.

Attending church this past Sunday at IBC and listening to Pastor Andy's message, it was only natural to put myself in the tattered shoes of those who are grieving or who have grieved after facing tremendous loss or unwelcome challenge. And it allowed me to look at my own challenges the way that God wants me to.

We have unexplainable events of pointless terror that strike us as a nation. We have lost idols and heroes and Hollywood icons. We have all been saddened by loss, illness, or conflict in our own individual lives. In this past week alone I have, like everyone else, anticipated what I might hear next as I turn on the television. Earlier in the week, I learned that a friend's young sister-in-law was hospitalized after a stroke and was fighting against two blood clots in her lungs and one in her brain. The next day, I witnessed another friend reaching out for prayers as her dear friend grieved the loss of her husband to a freak diving accident. The next day after that, another friend's son learned that his 12 year old best friend was hospitalized after a tumor was found on his spine. On Sunday, I sat in church and heard our lead pastor announce that he for 8 days thought he may have cancer. Following that statement, he shared with us that one of our associate pastors just lost his beautiful and vibrant sister to cancer's rage. It has been all around me.

How can we explain this? How can I explain things like this to my daughter if I can't even explain it to myself? I remember when Ava was a little over a week old and she was sleeping in her bouncer next to me as I rested on the couch. I stared at her in the same way I do today -- in true amazement of the gift she has been to us. At that moment, I remember beginning to get emotional (many of the reasons for this can be blamed on the hormones that were asking "uh...what the heck is going on with us, Mrs. Postnatal loonie?", but stick with me here). I became emotional because I realized how much I envied her innocence. How much I envied that she had no idea our nation was at war or how much we stressed about the cost of baby formula. Her world was so untainted -- until I told her "no, don't do that" for the first time. But as her precious ears come in contact with news that she doesn't or can't understand, how will I explain that to her? Because if God loves us and if God can't bear to see his children in pain, why then do the floods come? Why do the 9-11s happen? Why do the earthquakes hit? Why do the homeless starve? Why do the cancers attack?

As we explored Ruth Chapter 1 on Sunday, I was given my answer. God knew my questions and everything that I had run into this week. The truth is friends, we are not immune. God does not promise us that we will never experience darkness. But what He does promise us is that even in that darkness, He is working. You see, God never lets go of us. Ever. And when we are in the depths on despair or witnessing something we just cannot imagine that it's really possible, through that shock, through that grief, through that anger, through that denial -- God is working. And when we hear Him declare "For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11) we can then begin to heal. Even through this darkness, there is light. I find myself wondering what on earth do people do, when they do not believe in a God, when they are faced with darkness? My God gets me through.

So now, I feel so much better prepared to answer Ava's difficult questions, as well as my own. We are not immune. But what will come out of these times of darkness? What will God lead us to do? How will we be changed forever? How will we make Him proud?

This past Sunday's message began with a video about a mother who has lost her son tragically one afternoon. He was at football practice, started feeling ill, went home from practice early to rest, and never woke up. He had a heart condition that had gone undiagnosed. In her grief, this woman became so angry and so bitter at God. She questioned His existence and she turned away. She confessed that some of the things she wrote in her journal were so horrible she was surprised God didn't strike her dead. But then, as the funds came together in her son's foundation, God led her to begin using that money to save child slaves in Africa. She has saved hundreds of children because of God's miraculous plan for her and her son. She once grieved so heavily in the midst of darkness, but has now been able to rejoice in the difference she has made in this messed up world. She spoke to us on Sunday and shared that she heard about a little boy in Africa who was enslaved. She told her husband "We need to go rescue him." And they did. Not long after that, who also heard about this little boy and wanted to rescue him? Oprah Winfrey. When Oprah found out, she was interested to know who got to him first. And now the story of God's work will soon be shared with the nation on her show. All because of this darkness that tragically and unexpectedly entered this woman's life one afternoon.

It's never a bad thing to be reminded of your blessings in life. Knowing that we aren't immune certainly makes us want to tell our family members that we love them, hug our children a little tighter when putting them to bed, not complain as much when we can't buy unnecessary things even though we really really want them. And through it all, we must praise Him and honor Him. Whether our times of darkness are brought on by a lost job or an ill family member, God is working in ways we can't even begin to understand. But some day we will. And He will breathe peace on us.

Thanks for reading.

I invite you to listen: http://www.irvingbible.org/index.php?id=1275; click on 6/28.

Diving in....

Aye. I am be-HIND! Well, the birds have left the nest. The End.

Okay...there are more stories.

You know, as things happen throughout my days I make mental notes here and there. I think I have run out of mental sticky notes because everything sorta just blurs together. A month goes by and BAM! Now I have a Blog-buster to create (and the crowd breaks out in uncontrollable laughter...get it? Blogbuster...Blockbuster....Blog instead of Bl...yeah, you know it's funny).

Let's go in reverse since the most recent occasions are fresh on my mind. Or, I guess to segue into my first subject, I can say that my most recent occasion I can feel fresh on my gluts. Yesterday I participated in Stroller Strides for the first time. Holy, holy, holy...it was boot camp for stroller pushers. I think I left my rear end back at that park. It was fantASTic! I wish it wasn't so expensive or I would try it every day. Nothing like sweat dripping in your eyes as you are on your 3rd round of wall squats while singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Ava thought is was great! I'm sure she was thinking, "Ha! Pay back time Momma! All those things you told me no about!" Anyway, it sure did beat running on the treadmill for an hour staring at the TV.

Keith and I just celebrated 5 years. FIVE YEARS, folks! I can't believe it. We have squeezed in so much into those 5 years. It has been glorious. For a long time we were trying to think of something really special for our 5 year anniversary. We love to travel so we really wanted to go somewhere. As you may remember, we were going to go on a Pacific Coast drive from San Diego all the way up to Napa (with a stop in L.A. so I could dazzle everyone on the Price is Right.) Yeah, well that Price was Wrong. It was going to cost us a brain to go. So then we shortened it down to a few days just in L.A. Yeah, we still had to GET there so it really didn't make it much cheaper. Then we thought Vegas. Well, then we might as well go to L.A. Then we thought San Antonio. Been there a ka-zillion times. We thought a cruise. Done that a ka-zillion times. Finally, we decided. Are you ready? Brace yourselves, brace yourselves. We went to Houston! As in the city we are both from. But I need to tell you something very profound. I FEEL like I went on a Pacific Coast Drive from San Diego to Napa with a stop at the Price is Right. Ava stayed with my parents (mind you, I have never been away from her for more than a couple of hours) and we spent 24 hours away. Now, although I felt like I was missing my right arm without her, I enjoyed every single second. Get this...we like ate when we like wanted to. We actually got coffee at the Galleria and walked around....EVERY FLOOR! We *gasp* went to a movie! And we stayed in an awesome hotel! Now it goes unsaid. I love my baby girl more than my life itself. BUT. I love my quiet time with my Hubby-of-five-years, too. And you better believe it -- Ava ate it up for all it was worth being with her Gigi and Poppy. She was an angel, of course. She went shopping and visited Gigi's work to say hi to her friends, ate an entire Sonic cheeseburger, and played on the playground...oh! It was heaven for her! And there was nothing better than coming home and having this precious child, dressed up in her new digs including, of course, ruffled socks, come running up to me screaming "Mommy!" *sigh* My family is just so precious to me.

Before I add pictures, here's an update of my little chatterbox's vocab...I cannot WAIT until she really starts talking (insert your "oh, just wait until"....here). She is going to be so crack-me-up funny.

Ava's new fave: "No." But it's more like a question...noooo? She hates getting her diaper changed so if I ask her if she has poo pooed, she will say...yeah. But then she realizes that she has just confessed meaning she will need to experience the horrible act of getting changed. So she catches herself. "Ava, did you poo poo?" "Yeah! Noooooo?" So yes and no are here everyday. Along those same lines...(*warning: more poo poo talk) to get her to agree to getting a new diaper, I now let her say bye to the contents of her diaper as they are flushed down the potty. She thinks that is GREAT! So, now, she says "Bye Bye Poo Poo..." Sweet, I know.

Ava "sings" her ABCs. She has the melody down almost perfectly. Almost all of the letters sound the same but she will get the ends of the phrases. So if you sang it with her, she will, with gusto, sing G, P, T, maybe Y, Z, and Me at the end. She is so proud of herself, too.

My vocabulary, on the other hand, has shrunken down a bit to "No, Ma'am," "You're so silly," "Give it to Mommy," and, of course, "Did you poo poo?"

And there you have it. A Bachelor and a Master's degree later...but I wouldn't trade this for anything.

Ava still loves her "Quack-quacks." Granna and Papa (formally "Granddaddy" and renamed by Ava, herself) took us to feed the ducks by their house. They were little monsters (the ducks, that is, not Granna and Papa)! Ava is crazy about her animals though! She fed them right into their mouths (until I got so nervous -- who me? -- that I showed her the park across the lake.)

Someone from my mom's group hostessed a playdate. Ava rode her very first horse, Jett. Yeah! I'm big time, folks! She did so well.

Aaaaaaaand then I found her 30 minutes later trying to talk to her new friend, Jett. I'm telling you...when she has her mind on something she does NOT forget.

Bathing Beauty.

Pudding Princess.
And now friends, notice the delicate use of the spoon. Notice the nice, tall posture. She is focused on eating as a mature and dignified 20 month old young lady. That's my girl. Perfect putting put-awayer.

It's okay Ava. I know you like to be clean. A little chocolate on the mouth is just fine. Keep your calm and enjoy your snack.

Aw geez.

Okay....gettin' a little creative now....

Touch Down!
That's my girl!

I just have to say that I am surprised these shots aren't blurry. I was laughing so hard I could barely see out of my one non-squinted camera eye. Her nose dive was complete with snorting and slurping. It was something special.

Five Years! Happy Anniversary, Keith! Thank you for this incredible adventure.

Thanks for reading.

Now...go nose dive into some chocolate pudding. It'll make you feel like a kid again.

News from The Woods

Well, this has been a long time coming. I am going to try to squeeze this blog in before Sleeping Beauty wakes up from her golden slumbers. I am starting rather late into her napping time slot. Sooooo, I'll just type until I hear her start to whisper her sweet nothings through the monitor. Usually by me just thinking that wakes her up. You moms know what I mean. Your thoughts jinx your peace and quiet. So I will wait for a second............................................................okay. I'm still good.



So, what's new in life in the Woods? Well, as you can see from the above picture. I am now the proud honorary mommy of 5 precious baby birdies. They live out on our front porch. I just love having them there. I love seeing them all nestled in tight during a rain storm. I love hearing them tweet away while I am on the computer. They looked like they were about to jump out of the nest yesterday. I wasn't ready for it! So I kept knocking on the window so they would hunch back down. I am so nervous for them! At night, the mommy sleeps in the nest with all of the babies, and daddy sleeps on the other column. I was thinking maybe he got the "couch" that night. Five kids though. He's smart for sleeping on the couch.

Ava has a couple of news stories. First and foremost: We have pig tails. Yes, all you "my child could be in a Pantene ad" mommies. I know. These aren't pig tails. But I have waited for 19 months for this child to grow hair. At our house, they are pig tails.

Ava also is finally getting two new bottom teeth. I was starting to think she was going to be a little hillbilly for life. Those teeth were never going to come in! I scared the living day lights out of her last night. I took a peek and screamed "Ava! There they are!" Poor thing started balling.

This isn't new. Ava has always played her own version of dress up. And yes, she has underwear around her neck. About 10 pairs of 'em. And she leaves them on. I call them her "mink wrap." Ava keeps her mink wrap on until it has to come off for her bath. It's just what happens. If I have to go in the closet for something, my little shadow is right behind me ready to open drawers. Getting her out temper tantrum free requires her to exit with a full ensemble of her mink wrap, Ugg boots, a few bracelets, and sometimes a headband or two. What can I say? I pick my battles. And I am also fully aware that someday soon, my child will be the one in Walmart dressed just like this. And I will hold my head up high. I might be wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a trenchcoat, but my head will be held high.

Ava's new tent was moved from our guestroom to the living room for a couple of days. Ohhhhh I had to just suck it up and ignore the voices in my head saying "Emily, owner of the cleanest, most organized, most labled house on the block....your living room has a TENT in it!" I had to get the voices to stop so Ava could enjoy herself, so I cleaned the kitchen. I'm really not that bad. Most of the time. Sometimes. Every once in awhile.

And here is the Naughty Chair. This baby is new....ish. This darling little chair was a yellow potty chair that my dad used when he was little. Then it became a red potty chair that my brother and I used. And now, it is a green naughty no-longer-to-be-pottied-in chair that Ava will use daily I am sure. Here, Ava's books are taking a time out. Lots of things visit the naughty chair. Elmo Live has had a visit. Daddy's shoes have had a visit. Ava has had many voluntary visits (just because this chair is so cool.) I introduced it to Ava weeks ago.

Then yesterday, it happened.

Ava was throwing toys over her head. There seems to be something incredibly fascinating about throwing something and having it end up on the floor behind you. Farm animals, okay. But when she started to reach for her grocery cart, I thought I would nip it in the bud. So Keith and I both told her multiple times to stop throwing her toys. She gave us the look and did it again. I very casually asked her, not really thinking she was going to know what I was talking about, "Ava? Do you need to go to the naughty chair?" What did the little know-it-all do? She walked over to that naughty chair and sat herself down. I wanted to just buy her a pony.

Happy belated Mother's Day to all you mommies. A special one to those who are first-time Mother's Day mommies.

Thanks for reading.

Well, there you have it...

Do you know him?

Be sure to mute the music on my blog....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upGCMl_b0n4

The Table.

Hold on to your seats! This is a story about triumph, completing the ol' 180 degree turn, and arising out of the rubble. Imagine yourself feeling hopeless....all is lost. You need to be saved. You are beaten down and feeling like life is worthless. You are practically trash waiting to be picked up and thrown into a pile of life's sad, worn down rejections. Now...if you can even come close to imagining this dark place with no hope for light at the end of the tunnel...then you can get a mere glimpse of how it felt.

Meet.....

The Table.

Yes, friends...I, Emily Wood, went dumpster diving. Actually, it wasn't really dumpster diving per se....it was more trash tip-toeing, pile picking, or even better -- curb consigning. And you should have seen me doing it. You probably would have laughed. Here's the dramatic low-down.

I have been on the hunt for a new table/desk for my new little impromptu craft area that is nestled cozily in our guest bedroom. Up until the birth of my new table, I have had a huge, heavy, monster of a table. You know, the ones that have the fold down legs. You usually see them displaying garage sale items on someone's driveway. Well, I made it work. I covered it with fabric and dressed it up a bit. Blah blah blah. It was still ugly. But, getting a new table for that space was on our priority list...okay, my priority list...right above organizing the garage, which falls at #216. It just wasn't something that was going to happen very soon. So, one early evening, it was a Tuesday to be exact. The sun was setting into a horizon that was filled with shades of lavender and mauve, the temperature sat at a pleasant 62 degrees (I don't know, I just made that up), and the house was filled with a screaming hungry 18 month old sassy pants -- that's why I decided to take her out in her stroller for a walk. And it was the walk that changed the fate of The Table. I'm walking, walking, walking, and as I near the end of the street, there is was. It was lifeless and hidden among the rest of the trash. It was one of those moments when you see someone you think you might know and you want to stare until you can figure it out but you don't want to get caught staring. Yeah. I stared at that table and looked away. Stared, looked away. I didn't want anyone to see that I was checking out this person's pile of rubbish. So, I did a U-ey and checked it out again. It was covered in dust, stains, it was missing a leg...it was gonna to be a project. I didn't get a close look at it but I saw enough that I walked a little bit faster to get home so I could tell Keith about my life changing event.


Long story longer. I slept on it. I would wake up frequently in a panicked night sweat imagining my table out in the cold night air. It was all alone. Should I go get it now? It's 2am..hm....but please, I didn't want to seem obsessive! So I laid back down and continued to imagine what things would be like with The Table in my life.

The next morning, Ava and I went on another leisurely walk. I suddenly felt the urge to get in touch with nature, visit with the birds, soak in the early morning sun if you will. And I managed to find myself back in front of the same pile of trash. I don't know how I got there, seriously. I just followed Ava as she rode in the stroller. The table was still there. It was like it had been untouched. It had made it though the night only looked upon by the angels. But, ladies and gentlemen, I had no time to contemplate any further. Not only could I hear the faint rumble of our garbage truck friends, I saw in the distance a white pick up truck coming in my direction. I turned away pretending to enjoy the breeze on my face but it didn't help the truck disappear. He pulled up right behind me! If I were Hercules-woman, I would have thrown The Table over my shoulder and ran. But I couldn't. Somehow, I had to get back to my car and back down the the curb before my white pickup corner consigner stole my treasure. I had no time to think. I turned that stroller around and ran like my pants were on fire. I ran in my flip flops with a jogging stroller as Ava screamed out "yee-haw!" It was a sight. I threw Ava in the carseat (that is an exaggeration, people), started the car, and drove without looking back. I may have peeled out in the middle of the street, I don't know. Maybe there are tire marks. I popped the back gate up on my SUV, ran over to the table, picked it up, and slid it in. This all happened in about 45 seconds. That man in the white pickup didn't know what hit him! That was because he was also not in his truck. I think he lived next door. But that is beside the point now! He could have been telling all of his friends about this awesome table on his next door neighbor's curb.

So, as I am driving 2.7 mph down the street with a highly confused toddler, I see it....was I dreaming? In another person's trash pile, probably 6 more houses down the street was the FOURTH LEG. The FOURTH LEG TO MY TABLE. The choirs were singing, I'm telling you. So, I pull up my driveway, turn off the car, and ran like the fire in my pants was still raging. I grabbed the leg and made it back to base. I pulled the table out and put it in the garage where I could protect it from the rummaging world. And then I logged in all of my running time on our Wii Fit so I wouldn't get in trouble for missing a day to re-construct my table. Now, take a breath. And if you have a Wii Fit, you can now log in your time for reading this blog. Good work!


So...it is done. Thanks to my wonderful hubby, a few sheets of sand paper, a couple of blocks of wood, 2 coats of paint that nearly stained my hands black, and a layer of clear coat glaze, I have me a dandy craft table. You wanna know what it cost me? $3.50. The cost of my clear coat that was on clearance. Yeah. I'm psyched.

The moral of the story? Don't wear flip flops while your running with a 23lb. toddler. AND, don't ever pass up an opportunity like this one! You'll wish you hadn't!

Now...I wish I was crafty, then I could actually use this table. KIDDING! I have already hot glued egg shakers on this thing! And it didn't collapse. Now that's impressive.

Thanks for reading. Now go to your own local curb consignment sale. It may even be right next door.

I'm such a Mommy...

"You know you are a Mommy when...."

By Emily K. Wood, Inspired by Ava Claire Wood

You know you are a Mommy when...

- you put your coffee mug in the microwave at 8am. At 5pm, your husband comes home and says to the beeping microwave "Honey, your coffee is ready."

- after the dog barks you say "Baby, you're okay."

- you contemplate not putting your sweet tumbling toddler in the church nursery because you know they will call CPS when they see her little bruised legs.

- you go to the store by yourself and tell the empty shopping cart to "hold on, Mommy just needs to grab something off of the shelf."

- you get back home from the store and just realize that you enjoyed an entire episode of Elmo in the car all by yourself.

- you get up at 7:00am to leave the house to go somewhere by 9:00am only to pull down the driveway at 10:00am.

- you want to declare April 8th a national holiday because the Costco down the road finally opened.

- you take your shirt off at the end of the day and find 3 goldfish crackers in your bra.

- you open the Goldfish cracker bag and find in it a strategically placed pink bracelet, plastic sheep, and a broken crayon.

- you determine how good your day was based on the number of temper tantrums your spirited child had (or how many you had...).

You know you are a Mommy when...

- you feel like you might need to go to the ER after laughing so hard.

- you stop in the middle of the mall and cry because for no reason known to you, your sweet baby gave you a hug.

- you melt because your little lamb said her first "Amen" after a nightly prayer.

- you stare at the baby monitor about to go to sleep and wait until you see a foot twitch, a belly move, or a finger budge...when you see something...anything...then you can go to bed.

- you can't stop staring at God's amazing creation and wonder "How on earth did He do that?"

------------------------------------------

"Come on, Bubba..."

"I SAID come ON, Bubba!"

"Fine. I will take my other puppy for a walk then."

"Okaaaaay...let's go!"

So Ava has started to break dance. Yes, friends. Break dance. She will start out my doing her signature tap routine as she says "Duz, duz, duz" (that is Ava-nese for "Dance"). Then she will proceed to sit down on the floor and spin in circles. She will roll, she will flail her arms, she will belly flop. She does it all. And she thinks she is just the greatest at it, too.

Taking a break.

Thanks for reading.

Emmy K and her 5K...

So when I was in Jr. High School, I joined the track team. I have no idea why. Maybe it was because all of my friends did it. Or, maybe it was because I wanted the privilege of wearing shorts and a tank top at school. Or, maybe it was because on meet days, we got out of school early. It certainly wasn't because I enjoyed any aspect of getting the exercise. You see, I played soccer, and to me, that was enough physical exertion for one week. I remember being a nervous wreck before each meet. I would get sick to my stomach and nearly have a panic attack. It had gotten so bad once that I had to call my dad to come pick me up -- I never ran that race. I never "placed" in any of my races. And mind you, I ran the 800m. That's twice around the track, friends. Twice. 1-2-done. Then something happened to me in college. I had an epiphany. What? Exercise is good for you? Now, at times I did take it a little too far. But little by little, I actually began to enjoy getting my pulse up. I always did it on my own time though. The "Bear Trail" at Baylor became my best friend. And low and behold, Jillian from The Biggest Loser did make daily appearances on my TV in my living room after Ava was born. So although fitness began to play a bigger part in my life, as well as Keith's, I never had any interest in running a "race." Flashback again to Jr. High -- I had no interest in losing my lunch over a couple of laps.

This weekend, I overcame that. And now I want more. I rarely brag on myself (on purpose). But for the first time in a long time, I am truly proud of what I accomplished. Yes, I'm proud of running my first 5K, yes I am proud of myself for working up to the point of being able to run it at a good time, and yes I am proud that I am digging out "garage sale" clothes because I never thought I would wear them again. But I am mostly proud because I did something that always made me scared, I did it well, and I want to do it again and again and again. And instead of calling my Dad beforehand because I just couldn't bear to run it, I called him afterwards, to tell him I finished. So, stay tuned. There will be more.

Before the race: So remember when I mentioned in my last blog that I wanted to bet a bubble for Ava? Well -- here it is! No more stomach bugs! There are slots in it for food and water. J/K! Like I had to say that! Of all mornings, the Lord in Heaven above decided to make this one a cold one. I actually think the wind at times helped me out. That's what He was up too. Tryin' to help his girl OUT!

The finish line. Not gonna lie...I was not wishing I had taken the 10K route. Maybe next time.

Next time I run, I'm gonna get me a hat like my friend in the green jacket here. I would be the coolest. Did I just say "coolest?" Aye, aye, aye.

Now here's some of my sweet pumpkin pie...

Ava has started to laugh at almost everything (and she has also gotten really good at throwing temper tantrums...Momma's making a time out chair. It will then be in stand-by mode.) But even if Keith or I just laugh, Ava will laugh, too. She doesn't want to be left out! Sometimes it is literally a "HA!" and then she's done. She's pretty hysterical. I can't wait to hear all of the funny things that come out of her mouth. She does call Elmo "Elbow." Yeah...that's pretty cute.

Daddy would be so proud. Look at how she has her cars all lined up so perfectly! I know! I did that!

Sassy LOVES her "joo joo." She has completely emptied out my jewelry box. If our closet door is open, she is in there, putting on her jewelry and high heels.

I showed Ava that she could put her "Super Friends" (as we call them) on the window sill. Now she is ALWAYS in her little corner playing with them. As soon as her feet touch the ground after breakfast, she goes over there and says "Hey!" and plays and plays and plays.

"What?"

Thanks for reading.