Time is flying by faster than ever and I have much I want to share…..but right now my thoughts are taking a different direction. I just read a friends blog and it struck a nerve with me. It resounded in my heart. She wrote of judgement, perception, and fear. Her post addressed these issues focusing on one specific topic, but she has addressed others in the past and I love her for writing about it all.
I have friends, people who are near and dear to my heart, that are gay, others that are covered with tattoos and have multiple piercings, others who have a large number of biological children, others who have numbers of adopted children, and some who have no children at all. Then there are those whose faith does not flow with traditional teachings. But I can honestly say that I love each and every one of these people. I don't see them with the labels I have just described but as individuals who are a blessing in creation. Do you see labels? Do you judge without knowing their story? No I don't have time either to get to know every single person I cross paths with as I walk down the grocery store aisle. But I also challenge myself to see them for a person not a label. He's not just a doddering old man who won't get out of the way, she's not just the mother of that child who won't quit screaming, they aren't gangsters just because they have their pants around their knees, they are blessings. They are all part of this wonderful world we live in. They are part of the experiences that make us who we are. So I challenge you as I challenge myself daily, open your eyes….SEE these people. Don't see labels, don't see with judgement colored glasses, don't turn up your nose with disgust, don't look down your nose in condemnation. We are designed to love, created to be blessings to one another. Open your eyes, but more importantly open your heart.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Recap and Renewal
So first a 2013 recap….
And now for some pictures!
My fist acrylic painting. Switching from oils has been interesting but is quite doable and enjoyable.
Matrim's 2nd birthday. Blowing out the candles with Mommy's help. So fun and cute!
Then we gave him his first real haircut. Lex's friend Ryan held Matrim so Lex could man the camera.
And here he sits on the counter of Momo's kitchen much like his Aunt Munki (Kerrie) did 12 years ago.
Playing his first guitar. He LOVES guitars!
Sunsets over Lake Tawakoni. Mykhal took these photos. So pretty.
The beauty for our beast. Our new to us 2007 Honda Civic. We needed a second car that got better gas mileage and this deal was just waiting for us! It's in great condition and has just what we need!
And then there are pix of our silly cats:
The unimaginable happened! They were eating out of the same bowl at the same time!! Now that was desperation! (yes there was still food in the bowl when it was refilled, but they could see the bottom of the bowl…gasp!)
And Tabby our antisocial creature has been coming to us and asking for snuggles!
Skizzo will use ANYTHING as a pillow!
I'm thinking they are enjoying our new life…..what do you think?
Last year I chose a word for the year. That word was LIFE. There was lots of LIFE lived last year! It was an amazing adventure and journey. This year I would like to choose another word. My word this year is RENEWAL. There are always things in life that need to be let go, but often times there are things that just need to be refreshed or renewed. Interests that were set aside in years past, friendships that have been a bit neglected, and I think there is a daily need of renewal of our spirit so that we can face the challenges that come our way.
May 2014 be filled with blessings of peace, joy, love, and daily renewal!
2013 has been an event filled year.
January - Mykhal turned 17....we
announced our decision to sell it all and go full time rving....we
made a trip to Missouri to bring Lex and Matrim home and stopped to
visit Russ' Grandma and Aunt Connie on the way home
February - we bought our new truck
March - Lex turned 20
April - went to Scarborough Faire
May-July we spent with a singular
focus....go through EVERYTHING we own and get rid of 99% of it! And
we began the remodeling of the house to get it ready for sale. Kerrie
turned 14!
August - we listed the house with a
realtor and the timing was perfect as we had a contract within 2
weeks! We got our asking price too and so we were set to get the
trailer we wanted with the options we desired.
September - we made a trip to Oklahoma
to celebrate Russ' grandma's 95th birthday! LOTS of family joined in
the fun and it was an amazing event. We also celebrated my mom's
birthday and Russ' dad's birthday in the same trip. We were just
party animals!
October - We picked up the uhaul
trailer we were loading with the things that Lex wanted for her
house, and the memorabilia we needed to keep. On the 3rd we closed
on the house and turned over the keys, picked up the trailer and
uhaul and headed for Austin. We unloaded at the storage unit and
took a couple days to catch our breath. Then it was on to
Nacogdoches to Genuine RV to buy our new home. We stayed on their
lot for a few days to work out the kinks and then headed for D/FW for
time with family. Kerrie also had her first book published!
November - we moved our new home to the
Houston area via a brief stop in Austin to collect a few more things
we needed from the storage unit. While there Lex and Matrim with
some help from a friend loaded up another uhaul and moved her things
into her new apartment! She spread her wings and is flying
beautifully! We spent a marvelous evening with long time friends the
evening before thanksgiving, had a quiet Thanksgiving day stuffing
ourselves, then headed for Texas Renaissance Festival the day after.
Friends from San Angelo joined us there on Saturday and Sunday making
the weekend even more fun!
December - we picked up again and moved
back to the Dallas area. Spending the Holiday season with family is
a wonderful thing! We celebrated Matrim's second birthday, then
Russ' mom's birthday, and are looking forward to Christmas with
everyone.
January will find us headed back to
Austin to settle in a little bit. Russ will be using his GI Bill to
go back to school so we will have a semi-permanent spot at Hwy 71 RV
park. It's a great place for us to kinda call home for a bit. We
will still take short trips here and there, but school schedule will
get to dictate a lot of that. Life is truly a grand adventure on a
daily basis and we wouldn't have it any other way!
And now for some pictures!
My fist acrylic painting. Switching from oils has been interesting but is quite doable and enjoyable.
Matrim's 2nd birthday. Blowing out the candles with Mommy's help. So fun and cute!
Then we gave him his first real haircut. Lex's friend Ryan held Matrim so Lex could man the camera.
And here he sits on the counter of Momo's kitchen much like his Aunt Munki (Kerrie) did 12 years ago.
Playing his first guitar. He LOVES guitars!
Sunsets over Lake Tawakoni. Mykhal took these photos. So pretty.
The beauty for our beast. Our new to us 2007 Honda Civic. We needed a second car that got better gas mileage and this deal was just waiting for us! It's in great condition and has just what we need!
And then there are pix of our silly cats:
The unimaginable happened! They were eating out of the same bowl at the same time!! Now that was desperation! (yes there was still food in the bowl when it was refilled, but they could see the bottom of the bowl…gasp!)
And Tabby our antisocial creature has been coming to us and asking for snuggles!
Skizzo will use ANYTHING as a pillow!
I'm thinking they are enjoying our new life…..what do you think?
Last year I chose a word for the year. That word was LIFE. There was lots of LIFE lived last year! It was an amazing adventure and journey. This year I would like to choose another word. My word this year is RENEWAL. There are always things in life that need to be let go, but often times there are things that just need to be refreshed or renewed. Interests that were set aside in years past, friendships that have been a bit neglected, and I think there is a daily need of renewal of our spirit so that we can face the challenges that come our way.
May 2014 be filled with blessings of peace, joy, love, and daily renewal!
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