Janelle's Studio

Saturday Morning at the Franklins'

2010-05-29T09:46:00.002-05:00

By My Hands

2010-02-03T21:01:00.004-06:00

I've been working on a quilt for Jonathan for probably a year now. Tonight, due to a very kind neighbor who watched Jonathan, I finished his quilt!! I think he likes it...

And then he wanted to take a picture of me. Not too bad all by himself.

I'm very excited to finally be finished. Now I can work on one of the other half-dozen projects I have going. And it feels like his room is a bit more pulled-together.

Put me in the Zoo!

2010-01-02T20:17:00.006-06:00

We had the opportunity to go to the Houston Zoo on Friday. It was Jonathan's first trip to a zoo, and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it.

We got to see a giraffe, which may have been cooler for Brian and I than Jonathan, since we understand that his initials sound like giraffe, and he doesn't quite get that yet, but he still enjoyed it.

The last thing we did was ride the train in Herman Park, which may have been the highlight of the whole trip for the Little Guy. Every time we passed a squirrel or bird, he'd wave and yell, "We're riding on a train!"

Brian and Jonathan as prairie dogs:

After Jonathan conquered his fear of the goats in the petting zoo:

The otters were very playful and swam back and forth against the glass showing off for people.

Maybe Jonathan's favorite "aminal" was the lion, which did actually roar a bit, making Jonathan's day. Also cool was the fact that the lion's name was Jonathan.

We finished up the trip with a visit to Sweet Tomatoes, which is the best salad / soup bar we've ever eaten at. Even Jonathan liked the mac and cheese, pizza bread and soup. All in all it was a very good day. And nice to spend a little bit of time as a family just hanging out.

Blog Break

2009-05-07T21:37:00.003-05:00

So, in case you haven't noticed, it's been a while since I've blogged. It's not for lack of anything to blog about, but rather we have so much going on, there's no time left for blogging. I'd settle for cleaning and sleeping, but those seem to be getting pushed aside these days as well...

Anyway, that brings me to the purpose of this post. This will be my last post for a while. I don't know how long, but I'm going to take a break from the Blog world, at least the creating side of it - I'll still keep up with other blogs on my lunch break. I may drop in from time to time to post a picture of the Little Guy, so the grandmoms can get a fix, but it won't be anything near regular. So until this season passes, here are a couple pics from Easter that our dear friend Marian took:

His Love Can Never Fail

2009-04-05T17:04:00.003-05:00

I was listening to the "Beams of Heaven" cd this afternoon, and this really popped out at me:

I do not ask to see the way My feet will have to tread; But only that my soul may feed Upon the living Bread. 'Tis better far that I should walk By faith close to His side; I may not know the way I go, But oh, I know my Guide. Refrain His love can never fail, His love can never fail, My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail. My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.

(from the hymn "His Love Can Never Fail")

I am always surprised and grateful for the way that God uses music to remind me of his truth and encourage me.

And just because I haven't posted any in a while:

(Un)Sensible Wives

2009-03-17T20:23:00.004-05:00

I'm currently reading a Dorothy Sayers novel about Lord Peter Wimsey, "The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club" and came across a conversation that made me chuckle.

"A man ought to be just as courteous after marriage as he was before," declared Robert Fentiman, virtuously.

"So he ought, but he never is. Possible there's some reason we don't know about," said Wimsey. "I've asked people, you know - my usual inquisitiveness - and they generally just grunt and say that their wives are sensible and take their affection for granted. But I don't believe women ever get sensible, not even through prolonged association with their husbands."

The two bachelors wagged their heads, solemnly.

Maybe this makes me laugh because I so often don't feel sensible myself! Maybe after thirty years, instead of three, some of Brian's sensibleness will have worn off on me. ;)

Words of Wisdom

2009-03-06T21:06:00.004-06:00

We were having a discipline moment this evening, and I was trying to explain to Jonathan why we do this, and what I hope he's learning. Suddenly, I realized that the words coming out of my mouth were not my own. I was describing it completely differently than normal - and it was all God giving me words. It was great! And just in case I needed verification that they were given to me by God and not out of my own wisdom, I can't remember anything I said. Only that it was about Jesus, and our need for him. I love it when God answers our prayers in ways we don't expect!

No Comment

2009-03-06T20:58:00.003-06:00

Thanks Heather!

Tantrum Twos

2009-02-16T21:53:00.004-06:00

Anyone else out there whose kid regularly throws a full-blown tantrum?

What do you do? Try to talk to them, ignore it? Discipline or not discipline? Let them flail, or try to hold them down so they don't hurt themselves (or you)? Stay with them, or leave the room?

Some nights we get Jonathan into bed and it takes me foever to recover. I was one of those kids who practically cringed at a certain tones of voice or frustrated glance. So watching my son turn into something that resembles JackJack at the end of "The Incredibles" really baffles me. And regardless of the route I choose during the tantrum, when it's over, I almost always feel like I picked the wrong one. And by the time he's done, I no longer remember what started it in the first place.

Sigh...raising kids is not for the faint of heart.

One of those days

2009-02-12T06:47:00.003-06:00

Do you ever have one of those nights that leaves you praying that your children will come to faith in spite of you...

...followed by a morning where you think pretty seriously about skipping the mug and drinking straight from the coffee pot?

Sweet Things

2009-02-08T21:18:00.008-06:00

We have officially entered the "Training Twos" with Jonathan. There have been several very hard days and weeks recently. Thankfully, God has been reminding me, and pointing out very sweet things about being Mommy to Jonathan, and I thought I'd share. Maybe if I write them down, I'll be more likely to remember them during the next training moment.

We've started bringing Jonathan into the worship service on Sunday mornings. Almost every week I get teary-eyed while singing, as I think about the fact that I'm singing the truths of God and of Scripture into my son's ears.

Jonathan reaching out to hold my hand when he's falling asleep or when I'm riding next to him in the car.

He loves babies.
His big smile and "Mommy home!" when I come home from work.

Singing to him in his bed at night. I have sweet memories of my mom singing to me at night, and it's weird/amazing to think that he'll someday have those memories of me.

Cuddling with him. By the time we got Jonathan he had pretty much outgrown the cuddle stage. The only time he wants to cuddle is right after he wakes up, if he's still really tired. This morning he slept really late and then spent an hour curled up in my lap in the recliner, half-awake, half-asleep. It was so sweet. And God allowed me to just enjoy it, instead of spending the whole time thinking of other things I needed to get done.

Teaching him a bedtime Bible verse.

The way he tilts his head to one side and holds up one finger on each hand when he's asking for cookies for dessert. Too cute!

I could probably go on, but Brian just reminded me not to stay up too late, so I better take his advice and get ready for bed.

Life Lessons

2009-01-05T19:19:00.003-06:00

Tonight I taught Jonathan the very important life skill of Oreo-dunking. I think he enjoyed it...

Takin' a Break

2008-12-19T20:32:00.004-06:00

Tonight Brian and I got a lot of work done moving furniture around the house. We took down the bed in Jonathan's room, put up a bunk bed, re-put up the bed that had been in his room, and moved a dresser. All in under 2 hours, and with Jonathan running around "sweeping." He did a great job tonight, playing with his toys and just in general being in a good mood. After we finished, Brian laid down in the guest bedroom to rest, and Jonathan decided he wanted to be like Daddy. Too cute!

Jonathan

2008-12-12T21:23:00.002-06:00

Please be praying for the Franklin family right now. Jonathan started getting sick with the fever/cough bug this past Sunday night. By Friday, when he wasn't better, in fact seemed worse, Brian took him to the doctor. There we learned that he has a mild case of pneumonia. So he's a pretty miserable little kid. Even with cough suppressants, he coughs most of the day, and much of the night. He's exhausted, and so are we.

Please pray for him to be healed, and to start feeling better quickly. Also, pray for Brian and me to have strength and patience. And pray for me to remember that God is faithful. Sometimes it's hard to see at 3 in the morning.

All About Brian

2008-12-06T16:50:00.005-06:00

Ok, so a while ago I was tagged by Hannah to share some things about Brian. In the spirit of "better late than never" (and because I love to talk about him), here are some things you may not have known about Brian...

1. Where did you meet? We met in October of our first year in grad school, in Wade and Marian Coleman's kitchen. We had an RUF thing there on a Sunday night, and I walked into the kitchen to get a drink. I can't really say that there was an instant connection on my side, but he was pleased to finally meet me, as he had seen me a few weeks previous, and thought I was pretty. :)

2. How long did you date? We dated for about 7 months before we got engaged, and then had a sixth month engagement, so 13 months?

3. How long have you been married? 3 years New Year's Eve.

4. What does he say that surprises you? Every once in a while he'll tell me about something he did to serve someone, or help someone; or something he'd like to do to serve or witness. I don't know that I'm still surprised by those comments, but I'm always challenged. He has a very missional heart, and God frequently uses Brian to challenge me in that area.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? I really love his hands, among other things. And I think he's the perfect height. ;) Any taller and I'd get a crick in my neck when I kiss him.

6. What is your favorite quality of his? In the last few months I've been really touched by his selflessness and his servant heart. He had the perfect excuse to quit doing any kind of housework or cooking in the last few months while he was studying for exams, but he continued to spend time and energy helping me out.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Not really - Brian's not into nicknames very much. And the endearments he does have for me...are for me. ;)

8. What is his favorite color? Green

9. What is his favorite food? I actually asked his this a few weeks ago, and he said he doesn't really have a favorite, though if I had to pick one for him I'd probably go with ice cream or watermelon.

10. What is his favorite sport? I think baseball

11. When and where did you first kiss? In his first apartment, after we'd been engaged for 2.5 months.

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Hmmm, we use to take weekly dates to Starbucks just to talk and see how each of us was doing, I think we both liked that.

13. Do you have any children? Jonathan

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He's written several songs, words and music, most people don't see that often.

15. How old is he? 25

16. Who said "I love you" first? Brian. One week before he proposed.

17. What is his favorite type of music? I'm guessing acoustic rock? I know that Jars of Clay is his favorite band - does that help?

18. What do you most admire about him? Over the last year I've grown to appreciate and admire his work ethic far more.

19. Do you think he will read this? Yep - I'm linked on his Google Reader.

20. Where did you go on your first date? Christopher's for dinner and jazz music, and then back to my apartment to watch the original "Sabrina." That day is still one of the favorite memories I have of us. :)

Call me Mrs. ABD

2008-11-21T12:48:00.003-06:00

He's done!! Brian sat for his oral exams this morning and did excellently! He has worked so hard and diligently these last 7 months - it is a huge blessing to see his work rewarded.

He says he doesn't feel a big sense of relief yet, but I certainly do! I have gotten teary-eyed a couple times already just thinking about the big load of work that has been lifted off my hard-working husband. Now "all" he has left to do for his PhD is his dissertation, making him an ABD (All But Dissertation).

So to celebrate tonight, we're going to eat at the mall's food court, and buy some new shoes for our little guy. Woohoo, Franklins sure do know how to party! ;)

This Day in History

2008-11-19T21:25:00.002-06:00

Four years ago today, Brian and I had our first date. He had arranged with the restaurant that night to have flowers on the table waiting for me.

He said he couldn't take me back to Christopher's again tonight, but he at least wanted me to have flowers on my table.

Thanks for brightening my day. I love you, Brian.

War Eagle (anyway)

2008-11-16T14:10:00.003-06:00

Anyone who knows me more than a tiny bit knows of my love for my alma mater Auburn University. I am not alone - I come from a long line of Auburn fans, who are more gung-ho and rabid than I. Hard to imagine, maybe, but there you go.

My Auburn fan-ness was reinforced by living in University of Tennessee country most of my life. Of course, I brought some of the harassment upon myself by wearing Auburn shirts to school, and defending them against all detractors.

The last time I saw my parents, my Mom had a surprise for me - a couple small Auburn sweatshirts I had worn as a kid. And they fit Jonathan. Let the brainwashing begin...

No, he's not watching AU football here, though this expression does look like a grimace of pain.

I wish I could say he's learned how to yell a good "War Eagle!" but he hasn't. I'm still working on him, Mom. Just give me time. He's closer than a two-year old should be, probably. ;)

Funny Faces

2008-11-16T14:03:00.004-06:00

Just so you know...this is one of my old sweatshirts. :) Pretty funny!

Mmm...Mrs Coats' spaghetti is good!

Is this close enough, Daddy?!

My two silly boys.

They're Here!

2008-11-06T08:33:00.002-06:00

This is just a real quick post to remind y'all that Brian's exams start this morning. From about 9 - 1 he'll be in a room taking his exams. I think the basic idea is that he'll have that time to write three essays, in which he basically has to sum up everything he's read in the last 6 months. No pressure.

So when you think about it, could you please pray for him? (and if you don't read this in time, don't worry, you'll have 4 more opportunities in the next two weeks) Just pray that he'll be able to recall what he's read and studied, and be able to clearly write it in his essays. And pray that he'll be calm; he was getting pre-big event jitters this morning. Thanks for all your prayers!

Murphy Lives Here

2008-11-05T22:11:00.003-06:00

I got Jonathan out of the bath tonight and wrapped him in his towel to make a toga (if he would stand still long enough, I could capture this really cute picture, but so far, no luck). Anyway, he wanted to run in to his Daddy in the study, so I followed him down the hall. I observed to Brian that one of the things I liked about the hardwood in the house was that I could let Jonathan run around for a few minutes after his bath without a diaper, because I could easily wipe up any messes, instead of breaking out the Resolve to scrub carpet.

Not five minutes later, we're in Jonathan's room, getting ready to get him into a diaper, when from behind me, I hear, "Jonathan, no!" And I turn around to find him peeing...on the rug. Go figure.

One of his other fun bath-time activities involves his shirt. I'll take it off his arms, but leave it on his head - he thinks it's hilarious!

Of course, he can't stand still long enough for me to take a decent picture, but he is two, after all.

I Have Slain the Beast

2008-11-03T22:28:00.003-06:00

For a few days, Brian and I have been jokingly referring to the stench in the master bedroom as "The Beast." It stank. Seriously. As in, the door stayed closed for the whole week after we moved in. I opened it once, just out of curiosity. Bad idea. We had to shove a towel under the door just so Brian could breathe at night.

My goal this past Saturday was to clean our bathroom. Sounds easier than reality. I spent probably three hours and only managed to get the toilet, sink and floor clean. I lost heart before getting to the inside of the sink vanity and the shower. Even more disheartening was the fact that the smell didn't go away. Brian said it at least got less, but I couldn't really tell. And I was pretty sure the rank odor was coming from an unidentified object on the floor of the vanity. So tonight after I put Jonathan to bed, I geared up with rubber gloves (I almost wore two pairs), pulled out the Clorox clean-up and conquered the Beast. I have my theories about what the foul substance was, but you'll thank me for not sharing.

Now I'm recuperating with a small glass of wine to settle my stomach. If you haven't noticed, I don't have many "before" pictures of the house posted. I think some part of me wants to forget as quickly as possible and have no reminders. Some things are too gross to capture for posterity.

Meow!

2008-10-31T21:42:00.004-05:00

Every year my office has a pumpkin-carving for Halloween. This year I thought it would be fun to do something that Jonathan would like. I found the template for the face on-line, but then added a cut-out in the back to make the tail. I must have done a good job, because he recognized it right off!

And our other "cat" today:

He wasn't too sure about the costume at first, but after I put it on over my head, he seemed a little more willing to give it a try.

Thanks to the Ayers family for letting us borrow your Tiger costume!

Staples

2008-10-31T21:18:00.007-05:00

This post is dedicated to my sister. Carrie flew down here from her current nursing position in Nebraska to spend 10 days with us cleaning, packing, baby-sitting, spackling, priming and painting. There were probably a couple other things in there as well, but those are the main things. I was so thankful to have her help that week. And I continue to be touched that she gave up a week of vacation to come down and work her tail end off. And work she did - we could not have gotten everything done that needed to be done without her here. Toward the end of her stay, I decided to give her a new nickname: Staples. Because having her here was like having my own personal "Easy" button, "That was easy!"

If you read my blog with any frequency, you've seen the original color of Jonathan's room. Well, when Wade came by to look at the house, he was quite pleased with the color - UT (that's Tennessee for all you Texas folks) orange. That comment inspired Carrie to paint the following in primer for Wade:

Of course, then she had to show how she really felt:

Carrie was having a lot of fun with primer that week, and went on to paint a car on the wall for Jonathan. It has since been covered with two coats of green, but he still knows where that car was on the wall.

There are a couple other pics of her that week that are pretty funny and characteristic, but I'm afraid she'd fly back down here to kill me if I posted them.

Thank you Carrie! You were a huge help, and I don't know how we would have gotten it done without you. I love you.

Too Sweet

2008-10-27T12:52:00.004-05:00

We are moved in. I would put an exclamation point, but I'm too tired. We have had so much help on this move - it has really been amazing. I'm not quite sure how this move would have happened without the help of our WPC family - cleaning, painting, moving, fixing the water heater, bringing us meals, taking care of Jonathan - you have been such a blessing to us in this. thank you to everyone who has helped us with this.

We don't have the computer hooked up to internet yet. So I can't post before and during pictures yet. (after will have to come later) But I opened up my email this afternoon to find a couple adorable pictures of Jonathan that our good friend Heather took last night at the church. It's been too long since I've posted a picture of the little guy, so here's a couple to make up for the absence.

Definitely doesn't get that hair from me! Jonathan is doing about as well as I expected in the new house. I figured this move would be kind of rough, since the last time he moved to a new place, he moved in with new people too. But he's doing pretty well. He still doesn't want to be too far away from us, but I know he'll get adjusted and get used to finding his way around pretty soon. And Brian got the DVD player hooked up yesterday, and life can only be so difficult as long as you have "Cars." ;)

Moving Day

2008-10-24T23:43:00.002-05:00

Saturday is moving day! We're getting ready to unplug the computer, and I don't know when we'll get it back up and running. Hopefully soon and I can post some before and after pics. We'll see you on the other side...

We're In!

2008-10-14T21:05:00.002-05:00

Just a real quick post to let everyone know that we are officially closed! We even got to get in and start cleaning tonight. It still hasn't quite sunk in that it's ours, but I guess that will come in time.

Thanks for your prayers. As we get stuff cleaned, painted and moved in, I'll post more pictures.

House Update, Take ... What are we up to now?!

2008-10-08T21:15:00.004-05:00

Update: Apparently I was a bit too hasty in posting the below. The info about the document being picked up is true to the best of my knowledge. But in talking to Damon, our realtor, it urns out that we will not be able to close this week and get into the house this weekend, due to the number of parties that still have to sign all the paperwork. Sigh. Please keep praying for us. This is getting really discouraging.

This time good news! (We think)

If you will look closely at the image below, it would seem that our document has, in fact, been picked up by FedEx. Yea!! Since this is shipping overnight, it should get here tomorrow. So we will hopefully be able to close this week, we're praying even tomorrow.

If you look closely enough, you'll see that it was picked up at 6:54 this evening. Coincidence that we filed another amendment to the contract (third time's a charm), this time stating that we wanted them to help pay some of our closing costs because they've delayed things so long? Could be, but I kinda doubt it.

Cardboard

2008-10-03T21:55:00.001-05:00

68 boxes as of tonight. And tomorrow is going to be packing-intensive. Even more boxes to find a place for.

Cardboard makes such a nice decorative statement, don't you think?

Meeting New People

2008-10-03T07:31:00.002-05:00

Four years ago today, after an RUF event at Wade and Marian's, my journal entry said this, "I did meet a few new people tonight. One of them being a new grad student in history. Perhaps he'll become a part of the grad student crowd." Hee hee. If I had only known!

I love you, Brian. I'm so grateful for the way God brought us together, and how you pursued me. There is no one else I'd rather go through life with.

Good House News

2008-10-02T13:09:00.002-05:00

We found out today that the missing document that has been holding up our closing has been found! Woohoo! By following a very long, rather convoluted chain of emails, it seems that it will be overnighted either today or tomorrow. This means we will hopefully get to close sometime early next week.

I had really been hoping that we would be able to close this week so that we could paint this weekend. But I have to trust in God's timing. His, not mine, is perfect.

Thanks for all your prayers. I'll keep you updated.

Box Count + 11 Days

2008-10-01T21:40:00.001-05:00

So our current box count is as follows:

63 total boxes

32 boxes of books

House Hold-Up

2008-09-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

Ok, so to bring you all up to date, we've kind of hit a snag with the whole house-buying thing. We still have no indication from Countrywide (who owns the house currently) of a time-line for closing. We expected to close last Thursday, but the misplaced form holding us up still has not been found.

This isn't something that should keep us from buying the house, it's just delaying it indefinitely. I'm starting to get nervous, because I feel my carefully worked out move-in schedule starting to fall down around my ears. Getting delayed by a few weeks may not seem like that big a deal, but every weekend we get pushed back puts us that much closer to Brian's exams. And he already has enough to deal with. So I'd really appreciate your prayers.

Just because

2008-09-27T21:06:00.000-05:00

New House Pics

2008-09-27T20:54:00.005-05:00

We went out to our house this morning and did a little prep work on the floors. While Brian and Damon were working hard, I picked out paint colors and took pictures. And because I know you out-of town folks are eager to see our house, here they are. Only, I have to warn you, it looks pretty rough right now. Nothing that some good wood refinishing and helpful friends wielding paint rollers can't fix, though.

Our den:
Our kitchen:
Unfortunately, the ceramic tile floors are rather pinkish (why?) and the counters are a gray speckle. But we have lots of counter space and I like the white cabinets.

This is going to be Jonathan's room. Maybe the one room we don't have to repaint, huh? Seriously, I don't know why this seemed like a good idea:

And the second/hall/Jonathan's/guest bath: I think pink must have been the only color they made 4x4 ceramic tile in during the 50s. Oh well.

So, there it is. It's starting to seem more real but at times it still seems pretty crazy. Please keep praying for us as we're balancing all this stuff right now.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to ask for prayer in one specific area. We expected to close this past Thursday, but due to un-filed paperwork on the other side of this transaction, we have not been able to close. I'd really like to close early this week, as we have a lot that needs to be done before we plan to move in just under three weeks. Thanks!

Box Count

2008-09-20T20:36:00.002-05:00

I think the following numbers are correct:

I have a total of 50 boxes packed so far.

34 of these boxes are full of books. Heehee.

My prediction all along has been that 1/2 of the boxes we pack up to move will be book boxes. Looks like we're well on our way. Especially considering I haven't even touched Brian's history books yet.

Did I mention we'll be needing strong arms and backs in a few weeks...

Don't Smile!

2008-09-14T21:43:00.002-05:00

Jonathan has developed a new funny face. When we tell him, "don't smile," this is one of the faces we get:

The hat is from my boss's retirement party. We had some left over after we un-decorated, so my HR director sent me home with a hat for Jonathan. He looks pretty spiffy, huh?

Transparent Reflection

2008-09-14T21:32:00.004-05:00

Brian has introduced me to a new author in the last few months. Leif Enger has written just a handful of books, but they're beautiful. They're very hard to put down, not because they're action-packed, but because of the way he uses words. Here's a sample from "So Brave, Young and Handsome" that really struck me in the last few days:

"... I was confronted again by myself in the window...The window both reflected me and rendered me transparent. My clothes and skin rippled like the surface of water. There was my shaved and thwarted face, which I looked straight through to the street beyond. Here was my morbid thought: What if I am forgotten already? Suppose I go home, and she does not notice?"

I think I stopped and read that passage two or three times before I moved on. I know I've seen that same phenomenon in a window - transparent reflection - but I have never put it into poetry like the above. And his sad question at the end, makes my heart hurt for him.

Anyway, if you have free time and you're looking for a really great fiction author, I recommend trying a little bit of Leif Enger. Great read! Here are links to his two biggest books:

Peace Like a River and So Brave, Young, and Handsome

We're Moving!!

2008-09-08T20:19:00.003-05:00

No, we're not leaving Bryan/College Station. We're buying a house. Everything fell into place today and we'll close in a little over two weeks. Crazy! I'm excited, nervous, terrified, stressed and happy. Typical, I guess.

We'll need to be out of our apartment by the end of October, so the next few weeks are going to be really busy. Unfortunately this comes at just about the worst possible time for Brian's studying, as he takes his exams in mid-November. Please pray for us as we're adding yet another (very large) thing to our already busy lives.

To update from my last post, Jonathan is mostly back on a normal sleep-schedule, which has been a huge relief. Thanks for your prayers and advice. Right now he has some kind of virus that has him coughing pretty constantly (especially when laying down) so we're struggling with getting enough rest again. But hopefully he'll sleep well tonight and he'll be feeling better tomorrow.

As soon as I can, I'll take some pictures of the new house. I'm warning in advance, however, that photos aren't going to be at the top of my to-do list. So I'll get them when I get them. :)

Sleepless

2008-08-29T22:37:00.002-05:00

Can anyone tell me why my two-year old would switch from going to sleep at 8:30 at night on a regular basis, to staying up (crying) until 10:15 or 10:30 (or later - he's not asleep as I'm writing this) from one night to the next?! And then waking up at 5 the next morning?! Anyone? Please?! I'm about to go crazy.

As much as I think he'd enjoy the taste of my Strawberry Acai Smirnoff, I'm thinking that's probably not the answer to this problem...

For the Grandmothers

2008-08-24T22:06:00.003-05:00

I should be going to bed, but instead, here's some pics of my cutie...

Has anyone seen July...

2008-08-11T22:56:00.004-05:00

... I seem to have misplaced one. I can't believe it's already August. And almost half-way through at that. It's been busy here at the Franklin house. Of course, I don't have time to post much now (I'm skipping the Olympics to go to bed - haha), but I've gotten a few comments about how I need to post. So here's a pic to tide ya'll over until we get back from Alabama.

I wish I had more time to write and update on the last month, but it's time for bed. Maybe before August is over, I can sum up July. Going through picking out these pictures, I saw tons that I'd like to post. And I know there are dozens more trapped on the camera. We're so behind on uploading, we don't even have a July 2008 folder. Sigh.

How Organized Are You?

2008-06-16T21:03:00.003-05:00

No, this is not a post to brag about my closets or make you feel guilty. Quite the opposite, in fact. I keep a watch on Nancy Wilson's blog (wife of Doug Wilson, pastor and author of Her Hand in Marriage). She had a great post today on trying to be too organized, and I thought I'd share it with my other over-worked friends. It's a very encouraging post, and I already feel less guilty about my less-than-perfect housecleaning. Click on the link below to read it yourself.

How Organized Are Your Closets?

Back to Work

2008-06-16T20:46:00.002-05:00

So today was my first day back to "work" (because I've just been lazing around the last few weeks). Thanks to everyone who was praying for me. It actually was a pretty good day. It was definitely sad to be away from Jonathan (and Brian) all day, since I'm used to spending so much time with them, but it was ok.

I got to work to find that a lot has changed in the two months I've been gone:
- two full-time people have left or are leaving
- at least three new people have joined the office
- two people are back in the office from educational ventures
- my desk space has moved
> the good news is, I now have a window view
> the bad news - the window view is directly under an air conditioning vent in the coldest part of the office...brrrr!
- email really piles up when you're gone for two months!!

For the next few weeks, I'll be helping out on a fire station project. It's actually the one I was heading up before I took off, but someone else is coordinating it now. Really, I'm fine. I found out today that the project I should get to start working on after the Fourth is an interior build-out project. This means that there is an outside to the building, but nothing on the interior but structure and insulation. So, working with someone else in the office, I'll get to do the programming (figuring out what spaces they need, how big they are), space planning (figuring out where the aforementioned spaces will go, and how they relate to one another) and the interior finishes. This is my favorite thing to do in architecture/design. Yea! So I'm really looking forward to this next project.

So, anyway, for those of you wondering, my first day back was pretty good. I don't have any pictures, sorry, but it really wouldn't be that interesting anyway. ;) Thanks for your prayers!

PS - Brian had a good day at home with Jonathan. J took a really long nap (3.5 hours) so Brian was able to get a lot done during that time. My hubby's getting up at the crazy early hour of 5 these days to maximize the time before J wakes up in the morning, so he's getting work done then, as well. And Brian said J would even play by himself a little today (which he won't always do) so Brian was able to get more reading done then. All in all, a good day for my guys.

Water Fun

2008-06-13T21:36:00.005-05:00

Today something happened that I had almost given up on. Jonathan played with the water hose. When we first got him, he was not a fan of water - he screamed every time we gave him a bath. As he grew more comfortable with us, he would play for the first part of bath time and only scream when we washed his hair. In the last few weeks, he's given up screaming even then (mostly because Mommy and Daddy have gotten better at keeping water out of his face) and he enjoys all of his bath. Yea! But he still doesn't like having water in his face. Or so I thought until this morning.

My mom and Jonathan came outside with me as I watered our lawn this morning. Jonathan started reaching out and putting his hand in the spray, and grew bolder and bolder. As you can see from the pictures, he had a great time playing in the water and ended up wet from head to toe. Even getting water sprayed in his face didn't seem to faze him. Maybe in the next few weeks we can brave Tanglewood's Splash Pad...

Will you marry me?

2008-06-11T21:53:00.004-05:00

Today marks the three-year anniversary of the day Brian proposed. The whole story of the week leading up to the proposal is too long for this post, just know it was a crazy, emotional week, and on Wednesday, neither of us expected to be engaged by Saturday. That said, Brian did a great job of making the day special and totally surprising me. :)

We started our evening by going to the movies to see Cinderella Man, which was actually the first time we had gone to the theater together. Then we had dinner at Cafe Eccell. His inability to eat much at dinner was in fact due to nerves, but I thought it was a result of the malaria pills he was taking in preparation for his trip to India. Convenient.

After dinner, we went to Bee Creek Park to take a walk. When we got to the first split in the path, I noticed a small white flower growing in the middle of one of the branches. I may have commented on it, but didn't really think much, other than that was kind of a weird place for a single flower to be growing. At the second branch (and second flower) instead of becoming curious, I thought I saw the reason for the lone flower. Up ahead, I could barely see white growing around the base of a large tree. In my head, I just thought that somehow seeds had migrated and this single flower was part of the larger group that had kind of "wandered away."

When we got up to the tree, Brian stopped and gave me a hug. He started talking to me and then before I registered the tone of what he was saying, he was down on one knee in front of me. It was one of the sweetest moments of my life. Then I found out that all the flowers I had seen - those in the path and in a circle around the tree - had been planted by Brian that morning, while I thought he was packing and having lunch with his sister. Crazy boy!

Here we are just after the fact. If I look a big more tired and weepy than excited, I had in fact spent part of the afternoon crying - Brian would leave the next day for a 6-week mission trip to India, and I was not looking forward to it.

The tree was an old, dead skeleton, basically. On a previous walk, I had commented on how cool and interesting I thought it was, and Brian remembered. Unfortunately, this spot has been almost destroyed due to the "improvements" in that area. Now there is a large drainage ditch beyond our cool dead tree instead of more trees.

And here's Brian, looking handsome, young and very pleased with himself. ;)

I love you, Brian. Thanks for making that day such a special memory!

Wacky Wendesday

2008-06-11T21:06:00.006-05:00

(No, this day wasn't particularly wacky, I just needed a title)

Wow, I just realized that I'm through Day 5. Somehow I missed counting Day 4. (for those of you sick of this count, I promise it will be over soon) Thank you to everyone who helped out and hung out with us this week. And thanks to all the people who offered to hang out, but didn't get to because the week was actually too short, or because Jonathan was sick. It has been a real blessing to know that I had so many friends who were there for me.

Our adventure for today came via Eric and Theresa. They came over at short notice and brought us dinner. Then, because Jonathan's asthma is still acting up, we headed to Chick-fil-A's indoor playground for a little after-dinner fun. Of course, Jonathan had more fun playing with the door than on the actual play equipment, but whatever. At least he got a change of scenery (I think my closet door was losing its appeal).

On a different note, Jonathan was evaluated today to see if he would need Early Childhood Intervention services. I was actually kind of surprised, but he failed two of the four areas she was testing. However, I was not surprised by which areas were weaker (does that make any sense?) His dexterity and verbal/comprehension skills were not where they should be /are expected to be. Now we will be referred to someone who will come and do a more in-depth study to see if and where he needs more directed help and development. It's an odd mix of emotions - I certainly want him to have help if he needs it and it will help with his development, but at the same time, my mommy heart wants to say, "Hey, what do you mean telling me my kid failed your test? I think he's just great!" Hopefully they can direct us to different things to do with him that can help him develop the skills he's behind in.

Ok, that's enough for one posting. My Mom will get here tomorrow evening to meet Jonathan for the first time, so hopefully I'll have some more good pictures to post soon.

Day Three: Survived

2008-06-09T19:35:00.006-05:00

Thanks everyone for your prayers and encouraging comments.

I did get to talk to Brian today. Unfortunately, as soon as I heard his voice on the phone, I started crying, so of course, he thought something was wrong. I was eventually able to explain that we were ok. Jonathan had not been feeling well all day (asthma + allergies is a bad mix), and that had pretty much stressed me out. Brian confirmed that I needed to start him on the steroids the doctor gave him last week, and he is already doing much better. I still put him to bed early, because he's so tired from trying to breathe all day, but he is obviously doing better. I can hear him talking/singing to himself right now. :) Including a sing-song, "da-da," which I can only assume means that he loves and misses his Daddy.

Brian said they put in a hard day of manual labor today. Specifically digging holes. Haha, apparently he's doomed to dig holes on mission trips. (that's what we did the whole time we were in Peru two springs ago) Thankfully, no one has fallen in any of the holes yet! ;)

Just for fun, here's photos of our last hole-digging experience:

Day Three

2008-06-09T10:39:00.003-05:00

We've made it through two days without Brian. And into Day Three. It's been a quiet morning so far, mostly because my little guy is still sleeping. Yes, that's right, almost 11 am and still asleep. He's been sniffly and coughy and kind of congested since Saturday, and he woke up a lot during the night, so I think he's just catching up on missed sleep. (Maybe I should be doing the same) About every 20 minutes I'll hear him cough and whimper, but no real sounds of being awake yet. Crazy. Last night I started showing signs of allergy problems or a cold, so it could be a rough couple of days. Please pray for health for both of us. Trying to take care of a sick child while feeling sick myself does not sound like fun.

I have now gone over 48 hours without talking to my husband. (except for a 5-minute call on Saturday to tell me they were there safely, which hardly counts) That's the longest I've gone since we've been married. And I don't like it. I hope he'll be able to call tonight, but I don't know.

I've been rereading letters that Brian left for me when he went to India three years ago. In the one I read this morning, he reminded me that God's mercies are new every day. So I asked God this morning to open my eyes to see His mercies today. These are a few I've thought of so far:

- Jonathan is sleeping, catching up on much-needed rest
- no more ants in my den (long story)
- I'm feeling much better, with less cold/allergy symptoms
- I have a very wide network of friends who would love to hang out with me and my son when I can't handle being home alone any more! ;)
- I have a husband who loves me
- my mom is only a cell-phone call away (and doesn't tire of me!)

I pray that I will continue to see God's hand in the rest of my day. I take so much for granted; I need new eyes to see how great our God is.

Because I need to see my husband's smile:

Because it's so sweet, here's Jonathan giving his Daddy kisses:

We miss you, Brian!

Long Week Ahead

2008-06-07T09:26:00.005-05:00

I am about 1 1/2 hours into what will probably be a very long week. Brian left this morning for Mexico. He is leading a team of our youth (and one mom) on a week long trip to work with Isaiah 55 ministries in Reynosa, Mexico. So far I'm ok. If I keep busy, I generally tend to do better when Brian's gone. And with a 21-month old in the house, busy is something I can achieve! So far I've folded laundry (Jonathan helped by throwing his socks around), checked up on my blogs and worked on this posting. JOnathan wanted to contribute, so here are his thoughts for the morning:

.bmkrghthnmgrkmgvlov km vkmb jjhdefhhdhdhdhnbdjhc jnfcjhf

Mostly I think that means,"Mommy, play with me, where's Daddy, I want a cracker," but I'm not 100% sure. I've only been translating toddler speak for about 2 months, so I wouldn't call myself completely bilingual yet, just conversant. But since I can answer 2 of the 3 requests, I guess I better go. Here's a picture for the day:

One day at the park Brian was teaching Jonathan proper stick technique for drumming. I love Brian's jamming out look and the way Jonathan is gazing up at him.

Helping Daddy

2008-05-31T22:16:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago Jonathan helped his Daddy pick up leaves in the front yard. (Yes, I know it's spring - our trees don't drop their leaves until the new ones come in - very weird to have autumn in May) He was actually pretty good at getting leaves into the bag - when he wasn't trying to eat them, that is!

"Tummy & Tigers & Bears. Oh My!"

2008-05-30T22:28:00.002-05:00

When we first got home with Jonathan, he carried "Tummy" around with him everywhere (you can pick him out by the bright blue ears and red shirt on the bottom of the pile). It was definitely his security animal. We had a few other stuffed animals, but he never paid any attention to them. Then one night, all of a sudden, he pulled out Tigger and Pooh, and the four are now inseparable. It makes it a bit more challenging to hold him in my lap!

Many Faces of Jonathan

2008-05-25T21:25:00.006-05:00

I love all the different expressions and smiles that Jonathan has. Sometimes I remember with a shock that he's a person too! Just a little one. :) These photos are from our "Portrait Shoot" with Marian last week. There were so many good ones, it was hard to choose (she took about 250 pictures!) Here are just a few shots that captured several different smiles.

Bucket O' Monkeys

2008-05-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Mr Funny

2008-05-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

Engineer Pajamas

2008-05-21T22:14:00.005-05:00

This series of pics is for one of my best engineer friends - you know who you are! ;)

We went out to the park with Marian this afternoon to take photos of Jonathan. (Who needs Olan Mills or Sears?!) We have the photos on disk, but I haven't loaded them onto the computer yet. Those will be coming along soon.

Picture for Today

2008-05-20T22:27:00.004-05:00

To borrow an idea from Pass the Chocolate, I think maybe I can at least post a picture a day (or every other day), if I don't get bogged down by trying to comment on them all.

Hmm, that still took a while. He's such a cutie, I couldn't decide! But I can always post another tomorrow...

Laughing

2008-05-16T14:37:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Brian!

2008-05-08T15:50:00.015-05:00

Today is my hubby's 25th birthday. So to say Happy Birthday, I thought I'd share a few pictures from the past few years we've shared together. To see pics that go a little farther back, check out a recent post of his friend Jacob's blog. Hee hee. :)

Happy Birthday Brian! I love you. I have loved living life with you these past few years, and I love the knowledge that I'll spend the rest of my days with you as well. And Jonathan says Happy Birthday too. Actually, he says something more like "huh? ha ba," and of course "car," but I think he means Happy Birthday. He has at least been walking around this afternoon saying, "Da?" I hope you have a wonderful day!

Carrie Update

2008-05-08T15:47:00.002-05:00

Carrie went to the doctor yesterday for her tests. Of course they can't give her a diagnosis yet. They told her they should have the results for her in a week or two, unless there's anything shocking, in which case they'll contact her within a couple days. So we're praying that we won't hear from those doctors any time soon! ;)

Please continue to pray for her (and us her family's) peace of mind. And that God would strengthen her heart and sustain her.

Trust in the Lord with all your Heart

2008-05-06T15:29:00.005-05:00

Ok, last post for the day. And a more serious one.

I'm asking for prayer for my sister Carrie. She's been noticing weird health things recently that, being a nurse, she recognized as probably being heart-related. She went to a doctor today, who diagnosed her with a heart murmur. She is scheduled to go in for more tests tomorrow afternoon, and then hopefully we'll know more.

In addition to prayers for physical health, please pray for Carrie's peace of mind. The doctor gave her a list of possibilities, and then told her that there were other things he thought it could be, but he didn't want to worry her. (as if that's not scary in and of itself) So please pray that Carrie will be able to trust in the Lord with all her heart, and to have peace in uncertainty. You can also pray for us her family. Several of us have a tendency toward worry, and few things give worry more feeding ground than possibilities.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

For Matt

2008-05-06T15:13:00.005-05:00

We were out at the Splash Pad about a week ago for Asa's birthday. Party favors were water guns, so the kids had fun shooting each other and staging a mini-battle.

I have to admit, I'm kind of concerned about what Matt is teaching his daughter about gun safety...

Not that my son did any better...And in GM's defense, here she is looking pretty stealthy, and demonstrating proper handgun technique. ;)

Wednesday Night Youth

2008-05-06T14:53:00.004-05:00

In our work with the youth, one of the things we do is Wednesday evening meetings. This last meeting was a rowdy one. Brian taught them how to play a card-trading game based on the stock market. Basically, everyone is trying to get 8 cards of one number in their hand. You trade cards across the table without telling people what cards you're trading. You only shout out how many cards you want to trade. And when I say shout...

Late Posting

2008-05-06T14:01:00.004-05:00

Many times in the last few weeks I've thought "That would make a great post!" and then didn't post. Even more times I've thought "That would be a great picture!" and then the camera was too slow.

Since the first problem is the only one I can in any way remedy now, here are a few posts to update y'all on the last few weeks. In no particular order...

First, a few "daily life" kind of pictures. Just in case you were wondering, we have found Jonathan's tickle spots:

He has the cutest smile, with a little dimple on his left cheek. And when he's in the mood and I get his ticklish spot just right, he just laughs and laughs. Oh, it's so good to hear!

"Hey, Mom, I do like Cheerios!" Jonathan is on the whole, a happy child. He always has a smile for me or Brian when we walk into the room. And he knows we're Mommy and Daddy, or Ma and Da, which is about all he'll say. When Jonathan and I are downstairs, and Brian's upstairs, Jonathan will start asking for Brian, "Da?" So we'll climb the stairs, Jonathan keeping time with, "Da. Da. Da."

A couple weeks ago, Kierstyn Krajca and the kids brought us dinner. I promise the boys had a good time playing together, even if it doesn't look like it.

Car?

2008-04-30T14:54:00.002-05:00

Right now my son is sitting/standing/kneeling on my bed. He's pointing out the window, exitedly telling me about every car that passes our building. Several of these "cars" are in fact trucks, but he doesn't seem to care about the distinction. No matter how many times I try to get him to say truck. Living in Texas, this could be a problem. :)

Who Do You See?

2008-04-29T22:25:00.003-05:00

I've been reading an excellent book that I highly recommend - Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God. It's a collection of five mini-biographies written by Noel Piper (John's wife). The last bio is of a woman named Helen Roseveare who was a medical missionary to Africa in the middle of last century. Several things stood out to me and convicted me, but I'll just share from one right now.

At one point in her service, Helen was struggling with impatience, irritation, being "overwhelmingly tired" and over-worked. She went to one of her pastors for advice and counsel. Here is an excerpt from Helen's account of the conversation:

Opening his Bible at Galatians 2:20, he drew a straight line in the dirt floor with his heel. "I," he said, "the capital I in our lives, Self, is the great enemy...

"Helen...the trouble with you is that we can see so much Helen that we cannot see Jesus."

...My eyes filled with tears.

..."you should just life your heart to God and pray..." and as he spoke, he moved his heel in the dirt across the I he had previously drawn, "...Please, God, cross out the I."

There in the dirt was his lesson of simplified theology - the Cross - the crossed-out I life..."I have been crucified with Christ and no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20)

To be crossed out, for the ME part of me to be minimized so that all that is seen is Jesus, that's a scary thing. My pride clings to the idea of myself as an individual, and wants to assert that I'm important! But the Word says to live is Christ.

Obviously this is a bigger thought than I've covered in so brief a post. Perhaps I'll come back to it later. But for right now Brian needs the computer back and it's past my bedtime. So this is something that I'll (hopefully) be thinking about and pondering in the future: does my husband, my son, do my co-workers, the youth, do they see Janelle or Jesus?

Home Life

2008-04-22T20:59:00.011-05:00

I thought with a son at home, I'd have even more reason to post, but I find that I also have less time to post. Funny - who'd've thunk?

The previous three days were pretty rough. I think Jonathan is realizing that he's with us for good, and he is very understandably missing his great-uncle Wayne who he used to live with. Unfortunately, this makes for a very sad, whiny, cranky Jonathan. And a stressed-out, cranky Mommy. I had a good cry on Brian's shoulder last night (just what he needed - someone else in tears) and he "made" me sleep in this morning. When I got up and got downstairs a very cheerful Jonathan was already eating breakfast. Brian took a long break from his school-work and spent a couple hours giving Mommy a break. Overall, it was a good day. Jonathan was in a much better mood as well. And I remembered more often throughout my day to pray for patience and more love for my son. It's amazing how God will give you patience and grace in the middle of a tiring moment. He is so good!

Here are a few pictures from the past few days:

This was Sunday morning at breakfast. Brian's mom bought these jammies last weekend. Shout out to Jack Anderson - Monkey Man!

We took Jonathan out to Micah's tee-ball game last week (Go Bats!) and all the Coleman and Ayers kids were so excited to meet Jonathan. I thought we were going to get tackled before we even got out of the car! :) They were all great, wanting to play with him, and loving on him. Jonathan seemed almost mesmerized by Cara Beth at times; he would just stare at her. Austin and Anna Kate spent the most time with him, I think, and he seemed to enjoy hanging out with them. I'm definitely looking forward to Jonathan getting to know the kids in our church learning to count them special friends.

And a few pics of Jonathan playing with Daddy. In the first one, he's probably about to be "got" by Dad, which of course involves being tickled until he squeals. He has the cutest laugh, that escalates into a (happy) scream when he gets really excited. Brian flew him around the den for a while, and I tried to get a good picture of his grin, but our camera is a pain and I haven't figured out the delay with the flash.

So it's been a good day. Brian had class tonight, so I put the little guy to bed by myself. I know he's attached to his Daddy because several times he would say, "Da?" wanting his Dad to put him to bed. Poor little guy - I hated to tell him that Daddy wasn't home. But I loved hearing that he noticed and missed him.

Thanks for all your prayers. God has definitely worked in my heart today to give me a better attitude. Please continue to pray that Jonathan will continue to grow more comfortable with us and in his love for us. As well, pray that our love for him will grow, especially on the days when he's unhappy.

We're Home!

2008-04-16T21:31:00.003-05:00

We're home. After seven hours in the car and several stops to stretch our legs, we are back in Bryan. Our son is in bed (though apparently not asleep yet) and Mama and Daddy are about to follow. It's been a long day.

Yesterday was a big day for the Franklin family. The birth parents signed relinquishment papers, which means that after the lengthy legal process we will be able to officially adopt. Yea! Just because it will take a while doesn't mean he isn't ours. He's ours for sure (as long as the FBI doesn't come up with anything ;)

To mark his adoption, we will be giving him a new name - Jonathan Russell Alex Franklin. We'll call him Jonathan, but we wanted to keep Alex as part of his name to keep that link with his birth family.

On being Mama...

2008-04-14T17:02:00.005-05:00

So it's day three of our parent adventure. Everyone seems to be doing ok. I'm probably the shakiest of all three of us. Our son has seemed to adjust pretty well. He's had a few tantrum-meltdowns, but that's to be expected. I think he's probably hearing "no" consistently for the first time in his life. And I'm sure he's confused and missing Wayne as well.

Our first night went well for him. After we finally got him to sleep, he slept all night. His mama, however, woke up to check on him every time he moved. So I didn't sleep much at all. Between the lack of sleep and stress in general (somehow night-time seems to bring it out more) Sunday morning was not fun for me. I was feeling pretty sick, so I stayed home and went back to bed while everyone else went to church. I started feeling better after lunch, but when I thought about putting him to bed (this takes a couple hours b/c we sit with him until he falls asleep) I would get panicked again. Then after we got him down, I would just stare at the baby monitor, afraid he would start to cry again. I'm not exactly sure why I get so stressed over the sleep thing specifically, maybe it's just the most obvious sign of my lack of control and the feeling that I don't know what I'm doing. (but what first-time mother does, I know)

Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who always points me to Jesus. He has reminded me several times that God is in control and I need to put my trust in him. I've been reminding myself of several Bible verses when I start to get nervous.

From Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth...He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber...the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night." When we originally memorized those verses, I couldn't understand why anyone would be afraid of the moon. Now that verse means a little more to me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways ackowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." I just keep trusting, for the grace to get through the difficult moments, and trusting that the ultimate outcome is in His hands.

So, overall we've been having a good first few days. And when I start getting stressed, one of the good things that I think forward to is getting to introduce him to all of you.

Ok, you're all thinking, enough talking. Show us some pictures! Here they are. Just a few snaps from the past few days.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers. Knowing that we have so many people praying for us is one of the things that God has been using to calm my heart when I get anxious. Maybe we can post more pics soon, but right now, he's keeping us pretty busy. We have a court hearing tomorrow morning, so after that hopefully we'll have some more good news.

Meeting Update

2008-04-12T14:15:00.002-05:00

For any of you who haven't checked Brian's blog this afternoon, our meeting this morning went really well. We can't say much more than that due to confidentiality agreements, but it was pretty much everything we've been praying for. We have a court hearing on Tuesday, so at that point, we'll have more information for you. Thank you for all your prayers to date. Please keep praying with us that everything will work out for full adoption.

Wayne (Alex's great-uncle) worked this morning and will call us sometime this afternoon to discuss bringing him over here. I think he'll be here sometime before dinner. I haven't asked Brian specifically this morning, but I'm actually feeling pretty good...

...I was going to say that I'm not really suffering from nerves, but Brian just poked his head in and said Wayne called and he'll be here in about 5 minutes. Yikes! Guess I better get off the computer and go welcome my son.

Thank You!

2008-04-09T19:28:00.002-05:00

I meant to write this post last week, but our weekend was rather busy.

I want to say THANK YOU to our church for the wonderful Preparation Party last week. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by and showered with love from our church family. I love that our son already has an extended family that can't wait to meet him and love on him. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. For over a year, Brian and I have talked about how much we wanted to raise our children in this church, with these families and kids that we love so much. And now God has answered that desire, though certainly not in the way I expected! :) But thankfully, God is bigger than my wildest dreams.

I start my maternity leave tomorrow, and I'll be cleaning, organizing, doing laundry, packing, trying to get as ready as possible to bring this little guy home. We're going to spend tomorrow night in Fredericksburg, as our last fling as a family of two. Then Friday we'll drive to Odessa, and Saturday we'll get our son. Our plan is to drive home on Wednesday, and start getting adjusted to this new life. We're hoping to be at the church picnic on Saturday, so he'll get to meet some of his new friends. I'm thinking that he may be less overwhelmed by the number of people he's meeting if he's not in a contained space, but able to run around and play.

Please continue to pray for us. I can't begin to imagine how this transition is going to take shape. He's going to be confused, disoriented and grieving. I'm praying that he'll learn to love us soon (not only because that's what every mom's heart wants), but because I think that will make his transition easier. The list of things we need prayer for is long - wisom, patience, discernment, love, dependence on God, grace...I'm sure the other parents out there can add a few to the list.

Thank you all for your gifts, time and prayers. One of the things we knew we could most count on in this adventure was the support of our family and friends. Thanks for loving our son before you've even met him. I can't wait for him to meet his new family!

It's a Date!

2008-04-02T19:14:00.002-05:00

Yes, we finally know when we'll be getting our son. WooHoo!!

Brian talked to CPS this morning and, Lord willing, we'll have our son in our home two weeks from today. We will be in Odessa next weekend and the first part of the following week. We have the family conference meeting to discuss adoption on Saturday the 12th. Then there is a court hearing on Tuesday (the 15th) that we will go to. CPS is going to bring our son to us sometime that weekend, while we're staying with Brian's parents. So when we leave Odessa to come home either Tuesday or Wednesday, we will have a third person in the car. :) That is still really hard to imagine.

I find that I am left rather speechless by this thought, and have nothing else to say to wrap up this post. I need to go put up all my breakables...

Too wordy

2008-03-18T18:43:00.010-05:00

I just glanced over my blog and realized that all my posts of late have been all words, and no pictures. And everybody knows that pictures are more fun, right? So I'll try to find some interesting photos from the Franklin Family Foto Album. (Yes, I know that's not the correct spelling - that's for our alliteration-loving pastor ;) And I'll warn you that they may not necessarily be related in any way.

This is Abigail, my best friend's daughter. She'll be two in May. And by that time, she'll be a big sister! Erica is about 36 weeks along, so before too much longer I expect to get a phone call telling me I have a nephew. Yea for babies. :)

Ok, I found a theme. I don't think I've ever posted pics of Erica and/or her family. So here's a photo introduction to my best friend and her family...

From left to right - Bill (Erica's husband), Andy, S'ine (pronounced Sheenya) and Erica. And Gershwin. Erica & I met at Auburn, where we both played (French) horn in the band(s). She has been a great friend to me over the years, even flying out to be in my wedding while 4 months pregnant. :)

And no intro to Erica would be complete without a picture of her "little" brother Ian. He's a firefighter in North Carolina (or is it South?) and is getting ready to get married in a few months.

So there you go. Finally a post that isn't so wordy!

Latest (and greatest)

2008-03-17T12:32:00.002-05:00

I've realized over the last few days that Brian and I have neglected to post the lastest update on adoption stuff.

We have to go to Odessa for a meeting of everyone who's involved in this process: us, lawyers, birth parents, CPS case workers, etc. Everything will be laid out on the table at this point, and I just realized that I'm not exactly sure what the aggenda for this meeting is. All I know is that we have to have this before we can get our son. Hurdle number...I've lost count. ;) This meeting is currently scheduled for April 5. However, Brian and I had a slight brain malfunction and forgot that we already had the youth mission trip fundraiser/dinner & talent show scheduled for that evening. Once we realized our mistake, Brian called CPS back and asked if we could postpone the meeting for one week. So we'll either reschedule, or find some other helpful souls to mc the fundraiser.

After this meeting, one of two things will happen. The CPS worker in Odessa said that she could bring Alex out the following weekend after the meeting. If the state was going to require a visitation before placement, she said sometimes they'll do visitation on Friday, and placement on Saturday. The other possibility is that we would be able to bring him home with us the weekend of the meeting in Odessa. (any good ideas on how to keep an 18-month old occupied and happy for a 7-hour car drive with strangers?) This idea was suggested by the woman who organized this meeting. She said she'd be pushing for that.

So, all that to say, we should have our son in our home for good but mid- to late-April. Woohoo!

Job Opening?

2008-03-12T12:34:00.002-05:00

My aunt forwarded this to me. I thought the other parents out there might find it amusing (and somewhat true) as well...

POSITION :Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately.On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do...or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.

** AND A FOOTNOTE "THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!! **

I have a feeling that in a few months, I'm going to come to an even greater appreciation for my parents! :) Not that I don't already think the world of them, and know that I have been extremely blessed by the parents God graced me and my husband with. But I sense that I'm about to understand that on a different level...

Home Study!!

2008-03-08T20:07:00.004-06:00

We finally had our home study this morning. I think it went pretty well. The interviewer was really nice, and didn't seem to think there was anything too crazy about us! ;)

He asked us about our childhoods, how we were disciplined, how our dads provided for the family, how we felt about our kids being involved in sports, music, etc. Nothing too off the wall or anything that made me nervous. I think he was going to call some of our references and/or parents, and some of you may have already received a call. (I hope you said nice things :) He said he would call Odessa CPS with the results/findings on Monday.

So now we can hopefully start the process of getting our son in our home. As crazy as that is to think about! I think I'm finally beginning to rest in God's timing for this whole process. As much as I want our son to be in our home, this is the last time (for a long while) that it will be just me & Brian. And that time is precious too. And of course, the more schoolwork Brian can get done before the little guy gets here, the less stressful the end of his semester will be. So I'm learning to be content with God's timing - mostly because I have no idea what the right timing is!

So anyway, there's the latest on our adoption process. It's exciting to have another box checked off the list and to be one more step forward. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us. It means so much to know that so many are walking with us through this. I look forward to the day I can introduce you all to our son. :)

Progress!

2008-03-05T21:54:00.003-06:00

I got a call today from the psychologist hired by CPS to do our Home Study. We are scheduled for Friday at 4pm. Woo-hoo!

I finally got the apartment clean last night (now it seems alien and strange), so we just have to keep it that way for a few more days. Hopefully we'll do better than a few days and keep it like this long term. Or at least until we add a toddler. ;)

Please keep this HS in your prayers. The most obvious request is that it will go well and they won't decide we're crazy. One thing I'm especially concerned about is my attitude towards the interviewer. Please pray that I won't respond out of my irritation and impatience with CPS, but will respond out of faith and trust. Pray that our relationship and our home will be faithful witnesses of Christ.

Ok, time to get ready for bed. Yea for progress!!

Update on Alex

2008-02-25T22:24:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite picture from our weekend with Alex:

For lots more pictures, see Brian's blog. I'll try to post more later.

Adoption Process Update

2008-01-30T22:26:00.000-06:00

We are making baby steps. We are in the process of filling out background paper work. Standard stuff: employment, previous residences, references, etc. We should get it finished up and sent in by the end of the week. And then we get to wait again...

We send the paperwork to the Odessa CPS, they send it to Brazos county CPS and then they'll contact us about a home study. I'm beginning to think we should have bought those pj's a couple sizes bigger...do they come in youth sizes, I wonder?

Obviously I need prayer for patience. ;) That I would rest in God's timing. He is the one orchestrating this entire process, including the timing of each individual piece. But in this process I am reminded that I struggle with uncertainty and trusting God when I don't know what's coming next. I want to know when he's coming, how long I have to prepare, what to expect once he gets here. Right now I don't know any of that. And yet I am still called to trust God and His perfect plan.

Ecc. 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time..."

Pink Daisies

2008-01-29T18:32:00.000-06:00

This is what greeted me when I got home this evening. I've been feeling kind of down this week, and this morning I wasn't feeling good at all. So Brian bought me flowers while he was out today and left them where I would see them first thing when I got home. And they worked. I feel better. :)

Thank you Brian, for your thoughtfulness. It is such a sweet thing to be loved by you. Thank you for going out of your way to make me feel special. I love you.

PS - The wrapped package was a copy of Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility." Which means I'm one book closer to having all of Austen's novels. :)

Dinosaur Pajamas

2008-01-21T20:48:00.000-06:00

Last night we bought the first of many things we will purchase to prepare for Alex. Dinosaur pajamas! Brian and I first found them a few weeks ago when we were first seriously thinking about adopting, and I've had them on my mind since then.

We bought them a little bit big (we think) so that they will be sure to fit him, no matter when we get him. (Get him - like I'm waiting on the delivery of books I've ordered off amazon: "17 month old boy, blonde hair, blue eyes" yep, that's what I want, "Add to Cart") I know in the future, buying clothes will seem more time-consuming and expensive, and less exciting, but it's fun right now. And very weird to think that I'm buying clothes for my own child, not to give to someone else's at a baby shower. I guess a lot of things are going to take getting used to. :)

Oh, and in case you're wondering why dinosaur pajamas are so cool, it's because Brian grew up really liking dinosaurs. He had really cool dino toys that he played with and he still knows the names and characteristics of all the dinosaurs. I just think it would be cool for Alex to grow up liking the same things that his Daddy liked when he was little. And besides, Brian still thinks dinosaurs are cool! ;)

PS - I also thought dinosaurs were pretty cool when I was growing up, and Brontosaurus was my favorite. So these pjs turned out to be perfect from that standpoint too. Hmmm, I wonder if these were more for Alex or his parents? Do they make these in adult sizes...

What's it's name?!

2008-01-18T12:55:00.001-06:00

Since the last question I threw out on my blog had such great results, I thought I'd try it again.

When I was in elementary school, I read a lot. Kind of like now. Anyway, I read a book I remember really enjoying, but now I can't remember the name of it. It was a fantasy-type book, the first part in a series. All I remember about the plot is a boy on a journey with a group of people, and the book ends with them getting to a the tower they've been searching for. His companions urge him not to enter the tower, but the boy opens the door and walks in. The End.

I think that at the time of my reading, the sequel hadn't been written yet, and I forgot the name of the book before I could find the sequel. But obviously it stuck with me, and I really want to know what happened to the boy after he walked into the tower.

So, if anyone remembers having read a book like that, or maybe one of your kids has read a book like that, please let me know. :)

Surprise Addition

2008-01-16T19:27:00.000-06:00

For those of you who read Brian's blog, this post isn't going to surprise you. (Unless you're wondering why it's taken me so long.) For the rest of you who are about to be surprised, I wish I could call or write all of you and tell you individually, but it just isn't possible. So, here we go...

This little guy sitting with Brian is Alex. Alex is 16 months old, and Lord willing, he's going to be our son, hopefully as soon as February.

Now that I've got your attention, let me explain. :)

Alex is the biological son of one of Brian's cousins. Because the parents are unable to care for him, Alex was taken out of their home by CPS (Child Protective Services) We first learned of Alex and his situation in August, but didn't start seriously considering adopting him until November. The more we thought and prayed about it, the more we felt that this was something God was leading us to, or leading to us, as the case may be.

Brian went to Odessa last week for the mid-point court hearing so he could get all the information about the case, and talk face to face with lawyers, CPS, etc. While he was there, the judge actually called him up to the stand, and after a short interview, approved us to take Alex into our home. So, pending a successful home study, I will be a mom in short order. :)

As the situation stands right now, we will not initially be adopting Alex. He will come to us in a Permanent Managed Conservatorship. It looks basically the same as adoption in terms of our rights, responsibilities, and decision-making, but we cannot change his name to reflect his new family. CPS will not allow Alex to go back and live with his biological parents, but lawyers do not believe that they have a case for terminating the rights of the parents. Brian talked to his cousin (the father) last week, and he seemed open to the thought of giving up his rights so that we could officially adopt Alex. We haven't talked to him again since Brian got back, so we don't know if that is still his position, but we're praying that we will be able to fully adopt Alex in the near future.

Right now, we aren't exactly sure when we'll have Alex in our home. CPS says it will be "sooner rather than later," but they're overwhelmed with cases, and Alex is only most important to us. ;) We have to have a home study done (basically an interview to make sure we're not crazy) and once we pass that, we can start transitioning Alex into our family. CPS will bring him out to us for a visit, so he can meet us, spend some time in our apartment, hopefully start to feel comfortable around us. They may only bring him out for one visit before he moves permanently. CPS said that normally they don't take too long in the transition with children as young as Alex, but it will depend on how he seems to do on his visit. I'm looking forward to this visit because I haven't gotten to meet him yet. Brian went to Odessa during the week while I had to work.

As you can imagine, it has been a rather overwhelming few weeks. And I'm sure the next few weeks and months will be the same, as we make this huge life-change. I'm excited, but at the same time, overwhelmed and nervous, unsure of what life's going to be like in two months.

We ask for your prayers in several ways:

-We would be able to rest in God's timing as we're waiting to welcome Alex into our home.

-We would ultimately be able to adopt Alex officially

-Alex would quickly become comfortable with us, and that his transition would go smoothly

-Brian's school - I will still be working full-time, and with the help of our amazing church family, Brian is going to stay in school full-time. This is his last semester of course work, so it will be great for him to be done. But it means this is going to be a very hard semester for him, as he balances being a stay-at-home Dad and a full time grad student and TA.

-Most importantly, we pray that God would draw Alex to Himself, that at a very early age he would put his trust in Christ, and that he would grow in his faith into a strong, godly man who loves the Lord.

Whew, I think that's enough for one post. As we get more info and a more definitive time schedule, we will definitely let ya'll know. Thank you for your prayers, and for loving our children before you've met them!

Good News....Bad News

2007-12-25T16:47:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, first of all! It has definitely been a memorable Christmas for us!

First the good news: I get to spend an extra two days here in Tennessee with my family. Which leads directly into the bad news...the extension of our trip is not due to something fun and Christmassy like snow, but a really bad bout of food poisoning, or one of the nastiest viruses I have ever seen. Sunday night we were on our way back from visiting my Mom's family in Atlanta, and we stopped at an Arby's for dinner. As soon as we got home, Mom headed for the bathroom and threw up. Several "episodes" and an hour later, my Dad joined her. Carrie fell victim a few hours after that, followed by Brian. By God's mercy I was spared, so I spent all night emptying buckets, getting wet washcloths and trying to help. Around 6:30 am, I took Brian and Carrie to the ER, where they got some fluids and anti-nausea drugs pumped into them. I brought them back home, caught a couple hours sleep, and then took my parents to the ER. The second time I went, the doctor had encouraging news for me: there is a really bad virus going around and he's sure I'll get it in a few days. Yea. So far, my stomach has rumbled at me a bit, but I'm not feeling anywhere NEAR as bad as the rest of them. Today everyone was up and we managed to open gifts, but that pretty much used up their entire store of energy. So you could pray for us. For healing and restoration for every one else, and that I will continue to stay healthy. I've never seen any of them that sick, and I'd really like to not join them.

Hope ya'll have a great Christmas, without so much "excitement!"

8 (or so) Favorite Books

2007-12-06T12:41:00.000-06:00

So after being kindly and justifiably reprimanded for not updating my blog, here I am. I may be writing to myself, though, as everyone else has probably given up on checking my blog by this point. ;)

I'm currently reading Dumas' "Count of Monte Cristo." Re-reading, actually. But I had a suspicion that I didn't fully appreciate it the first time I read it. That suspicion has been confirmed, and I've been thinking that CMC may end up on my list of favorite books. Which leads us to this posting. I started thinking about other books that are among my favorites, and decided that I would create my own "8 things" list. So here are 8 of my favorite books. Not in any order, because for me, that's impossible.

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Sci-fi novel that I have read so many times the cover has literally fallen off (it was just a cheap paperback, but still)

2. Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas

3. Amelia Peabody series by Eleizabeth Peters - (Yes, this is a whole series, not just one book, but since I'm making this list, I get to make the rules!) Amelia and her family are Egyptologists around the turn of the last century. Their excavation seasons are frequently interrupted by one or more dead bodies, and each book is an entertaining chronicle of their crime-solving capers. If I had to pick a favorite within the series, it would probably be "He Shall Thunder in the Sky"

4. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - Heard of this book from Heather Ferguson (she made the book club read it) It's another murder mystery, but with some interesting twists.

5. Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers - (another murder mystery, I didn't know I was so blood-thirsty) I haven't technically read this one since Brian and I listened to the audiobook last Christmas break, but I think it may be my favorite in the Lord Peter Wimsey series.

Hmm...this is getting difficult. I should be doing this at home, where I can run downstairs and look at our bookcases, but I'm at work. I know most people don't need to be reminded of things in their "favorites" lists, but I've never been one to catalogue things into favorites.

6. War and Peace by Tolstoy - I'll add this to the list because it took me three tries to makes it all the way through. The first two attempts I got stuck in the same place (if I ever decide to re-read it, I'm only reading "Peace") But when I finally finished it, I remember thinking it was well-worth the effort and was a great book.

Well, it's about the end of my lunch break, and I can't bring any more titles to mind. So I'll leave you with only 6 favorite books and hopefully later I can finish out the list.

More Fall Foliage

2007-10-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

For those of you who need another "Fall Fix," check out my good friend Juli's blog. She is up in the northeast and just posted a lot of pictures of the fall she's experiencing. I'm more than just a little jealous. Love you Juli!

Perspective

2007-10-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

Two summers ago I took a photography class through the University. I learned a lot and gained a new appreciation for really good photographs. I would take dozens, or hundreds of shots for an assignment (thanks to the wonders of digital photography) and then realize that only a handful of them were really worth turning in. But I really enjoyed the class. Some of the assignments in particular were challenging and fun.

One of my favorite assignments was called "Dogs and Eagles." All our pics were to be taken from the perspective of a dog (low to the ground) or an eagle (high in the sky). Maybe it's because I'm short already, but I really enjoyed the pics taken from the "dog" perspective. So here are a few shots from this assignment. And if you think you recognize some of the things in the photos, you probably do. I didn't range very far for my subject matter.

And the prize goes to...

2007-10-19T23:22:00.000-05:00

I was at work yesterday when one of my co-workers came back to me and said there was a guy in the front to see me. My first thought was, "How did Brian get here when I have our car?" Then my co-worker said the person waiting was a younger guy, with brown, curly hair. That had me really confused - Brian definitely doesn't have curly hair. So I walked up to the front desk, a little nervous about who I was meeting. When I got up to the front, I of course recognized our good friend Josh Butcher. On his latest trip to WalMart (to buy flowers for his wife) he had decided to look for the lemon juice himself. And of course he found it. So he dropped by my office to make a special delivery. Thanks Josh!!

Maybe next week I won't be able to find the Bluebell...

My Linguistic Profile

2007-10-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

I found this on "Party of Five," and thought I'd check it out for myself.

After answering some questions, here is my linguistic profile:

60% General American English
30% Dixie
5% Yankee
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern

I'm not as southern as I thought, apparently. Nor has my Dad rubbed off on me as much as I expected. Sorry, Dad. (maybe Dixie is wearing off on you...gasp!) So I guess I'm pretty much a General American in my speech. Which means what, exactly?

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofamericanenglishdoyouspeakquiz/

Where in the WalMart....

2007-10-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

I have a question for you all: where does WalMart stock the lemon juice and lime juice? And I don't mean the little fruit-shaped bottles they keep in the fruit section. I'm talking about large bottles that you can use for cooking or baking. I know they exist, because at some point in the past, we managed to find them. They're hiding from me now, however. We've checked the fresh fruits, juice aisle, drink mixes, baking, I even checked near the tea bags, thinking "people put lemon in their iced tea," but nothing.

So if anyone can shed some light on this mystery, I'd be very grateful. At this point, I'd even appreciate knowing where to find it in HEB, Albertsons, Kroger...

Re-Play

2007-10-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

The name of my blog came out of the idea that I always have a project of some sort going on. And so I like to think of our study as an artist's/architect's/craftsperson's studio. My original thought for this blog was that I could post pics of whatever project I'm working on or I've just finished. I'm currently working on a quilt, but I haven't taken photos of the completed squares yet. So instead I'll post images of an old project, one of my favorites from grad school.

The purpose of this project was to design a review/display space for the Architecture building. The space was to be primarily used for reviews, but would hopefully provide display space for student work when not in use for reviews.

In grad school, almost all my project work was digital. I designed my buildings, produced images and put together presentations, all in a digital format. Most of my presentations were done in PowerPoint, with large posters (or boards) that served as support to the digital presentation. So a review space needed to accommodate both physical and digital presentations.

I named my final design Re-Play, because I feel that it functioned as both RE-view and dis-

PLAY space. (and was one of the few that did both, I might add) When closed for presentations, Re-Play provides pin-up space on the exterior for project posters. They can be previous projects, or avertisements for the presentation taking place inside.

On the inside, Re-Play has both pin-up space for posters and boards, and a screen for digital presentations (the project on display in these images is my project from the previous semester - maybe I'll post about that one later) The thought for the ceiling boards was that they would help muffle noise outside of the space, and allow the audience to hear the presenter. And in case you're wondering how you get inside Re-Play to see a review, that brings us to the coolest part about this design (if I do say so myself)

With a lot of my Dad's help on the engineering end of things, I designed a system that would allow the individual panels of Re-Play to move in and out on a linear track, as well as pivot 180 degrees on a central point. To enter Re-Play, one of the panels could be pulled out on its track and turned like a large door. This movement also allows Re-Play to be opened up and used as a walk-through display space when not in use for reviews.

And for those of you who like plans, here's one of the infinite ways Re-Play can be opened and postitioned for display...
This project turned out to be one of my favorites for a few reasons. One, I was really pleased by the fact that it worked equally well as review and interactive display space. Two, it gave me a chance to work with my Dad and work out some pretty cool engineering details. Three, it was small enough that I had time to really get into it and work out the small details. Most of my projects in grad school were so large scale that I never got to focus on the little details. This one was small enough for me to think through what most of the materials would be and the variety of ways it could be used.

So, there's Re-Play. I'll try not to go so long before my next posting. Sorry to all the faithful blog-checkers out there!!

"Falling for Fall"

2007-09-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

First, let me apologize for the lack of posting in the past few weeks. I looked at my blog today and was shocked to see that it has been almost a month since I last put something up here. My primary excuse is that I was not prepared for how much time 40 hours a week is. By the time I get home and we eat dinner, it's almost time to start thinking about getting ready for bed. On a normal night. Which we don't seem to have much. ;) Our weeks filled up pretty quickly, with softball on Monday, my Ladies' Bible study every other Tuesday (with dates in between), having the youth over Wednesday and Brian's evening class on Thursday (which does give me time to hang out with Hannah). By the time we get to Friday, I'm tired! I've already been working over two months, but I feel like I'm still trying to adjust to this new schedule. So apology aside, on to the reason for this post...

Fall. (or Autumn, whichever you prefer) I've decided that Fall is my favorite season. Mostly because it's the season I miss the most. Seasons in our corner of Texas are divided into two categories: summer and not-summer. I do ok with the heat until this time of year. In September, I know not to expect cool temperatures, and I think I've adjusted to that. But by October? I want cool mornings. And cool afternoon breezes.

Maybe what I miss even more than the temperature change is the color change of the trees on the mountains. Bristol is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians. Fall is absolutely gorgeous becuase we're surrounded by mountains full of red, yellow, orange trees. I realized in going through our pictures on the computer, I have no pictures of our area in the fall. But I have to share some photos, so I browsed the net. I found lots of pics that were almost too vivid for anyone to believe if you've never seen it in person, so I went with a couple photos that were a bit more subdued. The photo with the bridge is the bridge we drive over on the way to PA to visit my Dad's parents, so I actually know where that is, and I've been there. I'm not sure where the other photo is. But they're both beautiful, and give a pretty good idea of what I think of when I think of Fall.

(Ok, I just couldn't resist one more with brighter colors)

Go! Daddy, Go!

2007-09-05T22:25:00.000-05:00

Two kind of stories I remember growing up with: helicopter stories from my Dad's year in Vietnam, and racing stories from his days on the road racing circuit. My Dad was already involved in racing when he and my Mom met. He said he'd quit once they had kids, but I was definitely old enough to cheer at his races before he quit. (hence the blog title) He gave it up sometime after my sister was born, but he always wanted to get back into it. All my life, as a companion to the racing stories, was the refrain of how much he wanted to race again.

Twenty-five years after his last race, Dad's dream is coming true. He and a friend Steve Layfield have gone in together to start a team. They've bought a car (a spec Miata) and a trailer to haul it in, and are currently shopping for driving uniforms. I am in charge of designing a team logo, as well as team t-shirts. (hope that means I get mine free!) We're all brain-storming to try and come up with a name for this team. Dad & I first came up with "Geezers-A-Go-Go", but Steve didn't like it. Guess he's not old enough to be considered a geezer. ;)

I'm so excited for my Dad, to see this long-term dream come true. I'm looking forward to cheering for him again in future races. This time, I'll be old enough to actually know what's going on!

For those of you who are wondering what a "spec Miata" is...

Hopefully soon I'll be able to get and post some pics from Dad's previous racing career. In my opinion, (no slight to Mazda) I like his old Sprite better. They really knew how to make good looking cars back then.

WAR EAGLE!!

2007-09-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Brian and I travelled out to Alabama to visit family and go to an Auburn game. I haven't been at an Auburn game in about four years, so I was really excited to be at a game. It brought back all kinds of memories of being in school, marching in pre-game, and trying to get back to our trailer after the game.

Saturday morning we all (Mom, Dad, Carrie, Grandmom, Brian and I- quite a group) piled into the Tahoe for the drive down to Auburn. Carrie & I entertained / annoyed everyone else with music from the marching band cd for the first 30 minutes of the trip. We just needed to set the mood! :) We met my friend and mentor (and former CAD teacher) Cindy for lunch, at a great local sandwich place called Momma Goldberg's. Cindy and I still talk about once a month. She encourages me and laughs at my crazy stories of life in the Architecture world.

After lunch, we walked around campus a bit. Things have certainly changed in the four years since I graduated. I was amazed at how pretty the campus looked. I regret now that I don't have pictures, but it didn't occur to me at the time. We braved the crazy, packed bookstores for t-shirts, decals and other game-day paraphenalia, and then finally, it was game time!!

I was very excited to be at a game. I lost count of the times I leaned over and told my Dad just that. ;) It was great to see the band's pre-game show and just soak in the atmosphere. But then the evening went rapidly down-hill. Any of you who watched the game on tv know that this game was not the best performance by an Auburn football team. Finally during the last half of the fourth quarter, the Auburn players came alive and pulled out a win. Then it was lots of fun - jumping up and down, yelling and cheering. There's just nothing quite like being there.

Winning the game meant that I got to introduce Brian to another Auburn tradition: rolling Toomer's Corner. Toomer's Corner is so named because of Toomer's Drugstore that has sat at the intersection of two main roads in downtown Auburn. After an Auburn win, fans go up to Toomer's and "roll" (yes, with rolls of toilet paper) the trees on the corner opposite the drugstore. As you can imagine, it makes quite a mess, but it's tradition! I have no idea how this one got started, but I'm sure someone in my family does. (If you're reading and you know, please feel free to comment) The effect is really neat - kind of like weird snow.

Anyway, it was a great weekend. Even though we didn't get back to Birmingham until 2:30 in the morning. We all definitely took naps Sunday afternoon after church. We got to visit the rest of the weekend with my family, which was really great. Living out here in Texas, I don't get to spend enough time with them.

"Planned Obsolecence"

2007-08-10T22:48:00.001-05:00

I picked up a book today that we got as a wedding present. It is "The Mystery of Marriage: Meditations on the Miracle" by Mike Mason. (wow, that's a lot of "m's") Anyway, I think it's a great book, in that it captures the essence of the wonder I feel about marriage. The chapter I came to tonight is on Submission, and one part caught my attention especially. Here are bits and pieces that really struck me as I read:

From one point of view, the whole of life may be seen as a taking away, as one long and painful series of subtractions. We are forever being called upon to pull up stakes, to release our hold upon the things and places and people we have loved and even upon each precious second as it slips through our aging fingers. Our very bodies are like tents, says Paul (2 Cor 5:1), the most temporary of houses, and our whole existence under the sun bears the marks of exile and nomadism...
There is no escaping this fate, no circumventing our planned obsolecence in this world. There is no discipline that will appease it, no faith that will reverse it...Tragically, so large and real looms this specter of unrelenting decay that for many people it is the only side of life they ever see. How many go down to death in bitterness, resentment, and rage!...By waging so pitiful a struggle not to become obsolete, when in reality the whole natural flow of physical life is toward obsolesence, what people really do is to declare a preference for temporal values over eternal ones. What they do, in fact, is to reject the Kingdom of God and its gift of eternal life.
As it turns out, the only way not to reject eternal values is to submit willingly to the erosion of temporal ones.

I think the first reason this passage caught my attention was that it reminded me of Knox, in the author's mention of a "painful series of subtractions." And I thought about how precious our time with our loved ones is, that we can never get it back once it's gone.

But then as the author went on to talk about how people run from the inevitable, I was reminded of how our society fears and tries to avoid death and even the hint of aging. When people have no hope in an eternal life after this temporal one, I guess it makes sense to pursue immortality. But the conclusion drawn from this is chilling. In running after the pleasures of this life in an attempt to prolong it, they are really rejecting the only One who can give them what they truly desire - eternal life.

God, teach me to give up the things I cannot keep, in order to store up treasures that I cannot lose. Give me grace to hold loosely to the things of this earth, to fix my eyes on You and on eternity.

I've been Tagged!

2007-08-09T12:11:00.000-05:00

If you read Hannah Ayers' blog, you know that a few days ago she "Tagged" me. So, after a little delay (just to heighten the anticipation) I'm responding to my tagging. Here goes...

4 jobs I have had:
I have definitely seen God working in my life in this area in the past three years. (1) My first job here in Texas was as a Research Assistant to one of the profs in the Architecture Department. I won't go into details. But I spent a lot of time in the Arcchitecture library picking out slides for his lectures. I got along well with the "boss" of the Slide Collection, so he hired me to work in the Slide Collection starting the summer before my second year of school. (Job 2) At the end of my second year of school, a prof I really liked asked if I would like to be his TA, and I accepted, quitting my job at the SC. However, over the summer, this projf left for another university, leaving me job-less. (3) I was assigned to be a TA for one of the structures profs, and I worked for her for a semester. This prof spoke very highly of me to her husband, who works for BRW, and here I am at Job #4!

4 Films I could watch over and over:
Sabrina (with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford - too funny!), The Princess Bride, You've Got Mail, Maverick

4 Places I have lived:
Birmingham, AL; Atlanta, GA; Bristol, TN; Auburn, AL

4 Favorite TV shows:
Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Cosby Show, Jeopardy (which I never get to watch anymore b/c I'm at work :( )

4 Favorite Foods:
Chocolate, lasagna, Chili, Pizza

4 Websites I visit everyday (or almost):
Gmail, Work email (not very entertaining), Hannah's blog, Rachel's Knox memories

4 Places I would love to be:
Cuddled up with Brian :), Belize (it's warm and right now our office is very cold), hanging out with our usual lunch crowd, my G'mom's 95th b'day party (which would involve going back in time, 'cause it was last weekend)

4 Favorite colors:
Deep, dusky purples; navy blue, 1/4 Korean (yes, I'm still crazy in love), sunset orange

4 Names I love but would / could not use for my children:
Benjamin (think about it...); I really like the name Cai (rhymes with eye) for a boy, but Brian doesn't want to use a name if its pronunciation isn't obvious from the spelling; I don't know if I have anymore...we haven't had the honor of naming any children yet, so I can't say what we'll end up not using

Ok, I think that's it for me. Now it's my turn to tag ... Anna Kate, Juli, Theresa, Lindsey Newcomer. And just to keep it going, you need to do this...because as Jack A. would say, "I asked you nicely."

Search for Hidden Treasure

2007-08-08T22:53:00.000-05:00

As I read my Bible tonight, I came across verses in Proverbs that jumped out at me as if it was the first time I had ever seen them. I'm sure I've read them at least a half-dozen times before, but tonight I was really convicted. From the second chapter:

1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,

3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

According to this passage, our time spent in the word is to be active. We are to be seeking out God's truths and His promises, diving deep into the Word. Too often I read passively, skimming over the words instead of searching through the Scriptures, calling out to God for wisdom, seeking to apply His word to my life. I prayed tonight that I would have a greater desire to seek Him in His Word, and that I would be more diligent to apply His Word to my life. Even as I prayed, I was certain of His answer. Verse 6 says: "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Truly our God is an amazing God.

Dear, Dear Friends

2007-07-29T20:28:00.000-05:00

This posting is dedicated to Austin Ayers. I realized today that in all my posting about Peru and school projects that I have left out a huge piece of our life. Our Westminster family: the Ayers, Colemans, Lees, and (now it's official) Butchers in particular.

A full explanation of what these dear friends mean to me would take up way too much space, and Blogger would probably cut off my account. ;) I'll have to be content with saying that these families are family to us now and we love them dearly. The kids especially are a weekly source of joy.

I said in the beginning that this posting is dedicated to Austin Ayers. Austin is the oldest Ayers kiddo and the most faithful (and frequent) blog-checker we have. He was very quick to agree this afternoon when I said I'd only posted once since we got back from Peru. And because it's way more fun to read blog postings with pictures, here are pics of these dear friends...

Ayden (Ayers #4) just taking a break after a long day of creating.

How to explain Micah? (Coleman #3) Micah is easily the most energetic of all the Ayers and Colemans.

Anna Kate, Addison (Ayers #3 &4 respectively) Joshua and Christopher (Coleman #1 & 2) hanging out after VBS last summer.

Big boy Asa, the youngest Ayers.

Me and Hannah (Mom Ayers)

Marian and her youngest Cara Beth.

The Lees: Matt, Ashlee, and Gracie May.

And the youngest family, Josh and Hannah Butcher. We got to celebrate with them at their wedding last weekend.

Whew! I didn't realize it would take me that long to pick pictures. Sorry Wade and Kevin, I'll have to get pics of you up here sometime later!

Thanksgiving

2007-07-22T21:55:00.001-05:00

No, this is not a blog post about the holiday, but my thoughts of thanksgiving to God after we got back from Peru. (sorry about the delay on the post, by the way)

I'm not real sure what order these go in as far as importance, but here they are:

Thank you, God for...

...travelling safety. I always get a little anxious about flying, but our flights were trouble-free. And most of them were even on time!

...safety while we were in Peru. We never had any scary incidents while we were there, but the day before we left, I was reminded to be grateful for that mercy. Three of the intern guys were out at one of the archaeological sites, and walked down into the nearby village. There they were mugged at gun-point. They lost some money and a digital camera, but thankfully they were all unharmed. Quite a forceful reminder of God's care for us.

...the Ferguson's hospitality. I know I start to get testy after I've had houseguests for a few days. But the Fergusons never showed any signs of being anything but happy to have us. Even if Brian did make Heather's life difficult because he doesn't eat cheese! ;) I should thank Miranda especially, since she gave up her room to us the entire five weeks we were gone.

...friends and family back home. I know so many people were reading our blogs and praying for us while we were gone. Thank you so much for your encouragement. I am so thankful for the blessing of my family and friends.

...for the opportunity to go to Peru. God provided, as he always does, what we needed to make the trip. Thank you to all of you who helped support us financially.

I am so grateful for the things God taught me through this trip. Much of which I probably can't articulate. But it was so good for me to see what every-day life was like for the missionaries. And to learn that it looks very much like it does here, just with a few Peruvian twists thrown in! It was great to see what Peru Mission is doing and to get to be a small part of that for a while. It was harder to leave than I expected, and I think I'll always be tied to some degree to the mission and the people there. Please continue to pray for Peru Mission, and for us and for our connection to the mission.

Huanchaco

2007-07-07T16:41:00.000-05:00

We did make it out to the beach Huanchaco this afternoon. We piled into two taxis and the kids had fun making faces at each other as our two taxis "raced" to the beach.

The first thing we did was go to a restaurant called Big Ben. No, this restaurant does not have a large clock, nor is it in any way British; Peruvians are just found of naming things with English names. Since it was my last big meal in Peru, I was going to try something uniquely Peruvian, and be as daring as I ever am with food. Well, this time I got more than I bargained for. I ordered fried fish with garlic sauce. I assumed this meant fish filets. Wrong!! When you order fish in Peru, you get fish - the whole fish. I knew something was wrong before they even sat the plate down in front of me: Heather started shaking her head and saying no. Imagine my surprise when I saw my plate: they had fried a fish (scales, fins and all) put it on my plate and covered it in the garlic sauce. Talk about a gag reflex! We didn't even keep the plate long enough to take a picture. Not that I wanted a reminder of it. Thankfully after they took it away and brought out some nice fried fish filets for me to eat.

We decided later to reenact our facial expressions for the sake of taking photos. The first is Heather's reaction as the fish was being brought out. The second is my reaction to the dish itself. (You'll just have to pretend there's a whole fish on my plate - I wasn't going to ask them to bring it back out for the photo op!)

After we survived lunch, the food was really very good, we all went down to the beach. The sand is a mix of dark brown and black; I think very pretty. Brian and I took our shoes off and walked on the beach. The water was too cold for serious wading, however. We spent more time running from the water than walking in it. The kids had fun throwing stuff into the water. All in all, it was a nice, relaxing afternoon.