Gleanings

Yeah, me! Crazy, me?

2007-12-25T21:23:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas! After all the family festivities and food, I'm tired.

Food...my goodness we could have fed the entire state of New Hampshire with all the food that has been laid out if front of us in the past two days.

Food, an excellent segway into what new thing I have introduced or perhaps eliminated into/from my already crazy life.

In the past several months, I'm very proud to say that I have lost almost 20 pounds. It all started with a little weight loss competition at school. I love me a good competition! I started phase 1 of the South Beach Diet and never looked back. In 5 weeks, I lost 15 pounds and won the $75 pot. Yeah, me!! I have since lost another 5 pounds or so.

I must say after today and the pie and the oreo/cream cheese balls dipped in chocolate, and the other Christmas fare I ate those 5 pounds may be my friend once again!

Anyway, the weight loss has given me a whole new level of confidence. It's been said that I have a spring in my step. I'm feeling good!!!

In the past several years, South Beach has been my friend. It works very well for me for many reasons. Mostly, because I can lose weight fairly easily and this time, I have managed to get for myself a fairly flat tummy. Again, yeah me!

I'm happy to say that I don't want to lose anymore weight, except for the 5 pounds I gained today, of course. I just want to maintain. After talking to a good friend or two, I think I have found the answer....exercise. Now, that's a novel idea, don't you think? I've never exercised. I don't like to sweat, remember this.

I've been told it's something I need to do for my heart. Really?

I have some friends who run. One that's very serious, and two others who just run to stay in shape. After talking to them, researching things a little, I decided to challenge myself. I want to be able to run a 10K in April. I think I can do it. It's just a matter of getting started. I got the right kind of shoes, printed out a training schedule and charged the ipod. I could have waited to the new year, but not me, I started Monday. It was about 30 degrees outside, but that didn't stop me because I've committed to something.

Needless to say, my thighs and calves are sore. It's not like I ran the entire time, either. I walked 2 minutes and ran 1 minute. I did that for 12 minutes. I liked it way more than I thought I would. It was relatively easy. I thought I might only make it to the end of the driveway!! Yeah, me! again...

I actually have surprised myself a lot lately. I can't believe I've actually committed to running. Me, Sandy C. running? It's just not something that I ever thought I'd try. I think the willingness to try something new, is because I know I can achieve the 10K goal. I lost the weight and met that goal. I think doing that is harder than running.

I'm trying it again in the morning. I'm looking forward to giving it another try. I'll let you know whether or not I make it past the end of the driveway or not.

Sandy C

To elf or not to elf

2007-11-28T20:59:00.000-06:00

Just because it's still November and I'm not totally into the Christmas spirit yet doesn't mean Mollie's not. A parent of one of the children in my class sent me this internet link where you can "Elf yourself". All you have to do is upload a picture to this website and instantly you become a dancing elf. It's hilarious! I showed Mollie how to do it and she took care of the rest. She not only "elfed" herself and Wil but she "elfed" herself with her friend Hadley. Go take a look at her handy work. Then, if you have idle time, go elf your family!

Check it out here.

Sandy C

We made it home and I'm thankful

2007-11-21T22:12:00.000-06:00

We're home....YEAH, we're home!!!

What a trip! We spent a majority of the time in the truck, but the time we spent actually working in the Mexican villages was incredible. This was my 4th trip into Mexico and I don't know if we have ever worked harder. I'll give you a day by day entry of what we did.

Saturday---
We left Athens at 7:30. We drove all day, crossed the border about 6:30 and arrived in Muzquiz, Mexico about 8:30. We stayed there in a church for the night. With the help of two Tylenol PM I was able to sleep all night. That is until the 100 roosters started crowing the next morning about 4am! I never knew there could be so many roosters in such a close proximity. It was crazy!

This is a picture of our hostess for the night. She's the one with the gray hair. She was so happy to have us all there. She was up with the roosters cooking breakfast.

Sunday--
We left Muzquiz and headed out into the desert. Our first stop was San Miquel. We fixed lunch for the villagers, played with the kids and then packed up and headed to our next destination. We drove another 3 hours on unpaved, desert roads and pulled into La Rosita about 5:00. We set up our cooking station, unpacked luggage and got busy cooking dinner for the villagers. My duties this trip were all in the "kitchen". That night we fried fajita meat, and french fries. We probably fed about 200 people and had a church service with them. We had an inside place to sleep and this...

We were livin' it up. No roosters tonight!

Monday--
Busy, busy, busy!
But first, it was a hair washing day. Hurray!

The youth painted 12 houses in a matter of about 8 hours. They all worked so hard and the villagers were so thankful for their freshly painted houses. There was the one incident of the youth almost falling through a roof, but besides that, not much drama. The drama was going on back at the cook tent. Because of my fry cook status, (that should be humorous to those of you who know I never eat or cook anything fried!) I was assigned the task of helping to cut up the meat that would be fried for dinner. I thinking great, I'll have beef to slice, but OH NO! It was deer, dove, sandhill crane, and turkey. Just picture me sitting out in the heat, cutting up raw meat in the middle of the Mexico desert. How in the world was I supposed to get the blood off my hands and make sure everything was clean? I don't think I got it all out from underneath my fingernails until about 30 minutes ago when I was in the shower. Talk about out of my comfort zone. I got through it and we cooked about 85 pounds of meat that night along with probably 35 pounds of french fries. Our head cook will deep fry anything, bananas, hamburgers, bratwurst, etc. Needless to say, I don't want to see anything fried for a very long time.
Here are some of the other things that went on that day.

Medical/vision clinics

Food being served-Mollie worked so hard!

All in all-a GREAT day!

Tuesday--
We packed up equipment and headed back to San Miquel for fuel and then on to Los Eutamis. We visited this village last year and just stopped long enough to serve a meal, Dr. T did some medical work, and the kids had a short bible lesson. We packed up again and took a "short cut" through the desert back to the main road. The short cut ended up taking us 3 hours on roads that were not travelled often. It got dark and many times we had to stop because the dust was so thick we couldn't see if we were on the road or not. How many people can say they've been through the desert at night on unpaved roads? We felt a little like smugglers!! We drove over 100 miles through the desert on this day. We made it back to Muzquiz around 9:00 pm for a short nights sleep.

Wednesday---
We left at 7:20 and headed for the border. It was fairly uneventful until 4 of us in the caravan missed our turn, and one of the trucks cut a Mexican off trying to do a U-turn. The Mexican chased him down and stopped him. It was a little scary at first, but after apologies were made, all was well. We crossed back into Texas about 11:00 am with little trouble and pulled into Athens at 9:00 pm.

Needless to say, we are all happy to be home. Also, no adjectives can describe the bath I just took. There have been no baths since Saturday. I did wash my hair twice, but only to have it covered in dust while it was drying. These trip always make me so thankful for what we have here at home. We are all so lucky! I'm so glad I went.

After having a massive amount of time in the truck to think about it, I compiled a short list of the things I am most thankful for.

10. No roosters at my house to wake me up at 4 am.

9. Running water.

8. Toilets that flush.

7. Ice cold diet coke-After a lengthy conversation with Dr. T about my little addiction, he assured me that I'm not going to die of renal cancer.

6. The Body Shop's Body Butter-All the dust, dry weather, and hand santizer left me skin a bit dry. I basically bathed again in Body Butter.

5. Paved roads

4. Peter Pan Chunky peanut butter, wheat bread, South Beach protein bars and sugar free Life Savers-This was my diet for the past five days. I wasn't eating the fried food or anything cooked out in the desert, for that matter.

3. Those 21 sweet faces who meet me every morning and who will always be "the smartest class at Bel Air."

2. Old friends and new friends who just make me laugh and make me a better person.

1. My family-I'm so glad we spent this adventure together.

I'll have more pictures to post later. Thanks for thinking and praying for us while we were gone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sandy C

Off to Mexico

2007-11-12T18:29:00.000-06:00

So this Saturday we head off to Mexico for another fun filled mission trip. You can go here and here to read about my previous trips. I'm excited but a little apprehensive.. I'm not someone who flies by the seat of their pants. I like to know what's going to happen and when. These trips are never like that. We are going to some new villages and we don't really know whether or not there will be an inside place to sleep. If the weather is like it was last year, what with the wind blowing 50mph and the temperature being about 40, sleeping outside is not an option. To solve that problem, sort of, TENT!!! Yes, we are taking a family tent. We can only hope it doesn't end up back in the US before we do because of wind. To be honest, I'm also not looking forward to being in the truck with Wil and Mollie fighting in the backseat for 4 days. My prayer is that Wil ends up in someone else's truck or better yet, I'll end up in someone else's truck. That way, Wade can handle the kids. Sounds like a plan.

Recent discussion between Wil and Mollie....
God love them, they are so totally opposite,it's hard to believe they are related.
They were sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner. Mollie's best friend, Hadley, was also there. They were talking about the upcoming mission trip. Wil just mentioned that when he gets out of high school that he wants to spend a couple years doing mission work. (so so proud!) Mollie chimes in with the fact that he then would be poor. Wil says that he would rather do mission work and be poor than live in a million dollar house. Mollie said that she would choose living in the million dollar house over anything. Hadley of course sided with Mollie and poor Wil was outnumbered, but he argued his case very well. He didn't ever win her over, which is not surprising, but she got his point, maybe!
I love those two kids!

See on the other side of Mexico!

Sandy C

The football player and the floor of a movie theater

2007-11-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

Halloween has come and gone for another year. My kids have always been known for their costumes. My mother in law is a great seamstress, so we have always had an array of costumes. Wil has been a cowboy, a knight, a scarecrow and my favorite, a bumble bee when he was 3 months old. Sugary cuteness! Mollie has been a flower(inside a flower pot) a 20's flapper, a cowgirl and my favorite for her was a little 50's girl with a poodle skirt and her daddy's class ring around neck. Precious, precious, precious.

This year, much to my surprise, Mollie announced she wanted to be an Aggie football player. She already had a 12th man jersey and cleats. A friend, who is a football coach, got her some football pants. We painted under her eyes and she was ready. Take a look...

Wil came in several weeks ago and said he wanted to go as the floor of a movie theater. After a few WHAT?s He had a plan. He got a black t-shirt and glued all kinds of items that one could find on the floor of any local cinema. He had cups, greasy napkins, chewed gum, popcorn, movie tickets, candy wrappers and boxes, and crumpled pickle holders. It was the funniest thing to see him so excited. I ask him where he got the idea and he said he saw it on a TV show. He gets the award of originality, don't you think? Take a look at him.

Funny kids, funny ideas. I love them both to pieces!

Sandy C

She's willing to sacrifice her dad

2007-10-27T21:04:00.000-05:00

Like most cities in Texas on Friday night, Athens becomes a exciting place when the Hornets are home playing football. Last night was no different. The lights at Bruce Field where lit brightly and the metal bleachers left you with a frozen cushion. If you know what I mean? However, Mollie didn't let all the excitement from the night leaving her with the opportunity to sacrifice her dad for her own safety.

Let me explain.

Earlier in the day, every kid in the entire district was either bused or walked to Bruce Field for a district wide pep rally. The kids had a great time but I ended up so tense over the fear of losing a student that I really couldn't enjoy the fun. It's always comforting to have a little duck row behind you with 20 kids and there are people everywhere and you have to walk down out of the bleachers and into waiting buses. My biggest fear is that one of my 1st graders is going to take a flying leap over the rails or something. Fortunately, that didn't happen and we made it back to the school with everyone accounted for. Anyway, on their way back to the high school, evidently some high school kids got in quite a scuffle and the police had to come and 6 kids were arrested. We've heard that there was a switchblade involved. Because of all the problems related to possible retaliation and such, every administrator in the district had to be at the game to monitor and run interference. Kids were not allowed to congregate under the bleachers, by the concession stand or at the restrooms.

Back to the sacrificial heart of Mollie. We were walking up to the stadium and Mollie said that her principal had told them that they could not go to the concession stand or restroom without a parent. She looks up at Wade and said, "Daddy you can just go with me and if someone comes after us with a knife, then I'll just push you in their way and I'll be fine." Not that Wade wouldn't willingly sacrifice himself for her, but she just said it with such a calm voice that it was like no big deal, daddy will get stabbed, but I won't drop my coke and sour straws!

Happily, no sacrificial stabbing occurred. But if it ever does, I'll be sure to stand with Mollie, because she has a plan.

And the Hornets won!!

Sandy C

Time to prune

2007-10-16T20:10:00.000-05:00

"I am the vine, you are the branches."

How many times have I heard that scripture? 100's! The meaning hit me directly in the chest last night as I sat watching Beth Moore's Bible study "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place."

Let me explain. In the past several weeks, I've been struggling with all my responsibilities. From school, home, church, Mollie's sports, laundry, a clean house...... Anyway, I usually don't have too much trouble juggling all the goings on this time of year. This year has been such a hardship. I'm doing so many things and none of them very well. I'm just getting by. Spinning my wheels, so to speak. I've been praying for some kind of solution.

My house is a wreck. I don't feel like I'm pushing my kids at school like I should. It doesn't seem like I've had a decent conversation with Wade in weeks. To top it all off, I spent all last week sick with bronchitis. After feeling like I'd been run over by a truck for over a week, I knew something was going to have to give, but what?

The Lord used Beth to answer that very question, imagine that! Love her!! She was using the analogy of the design of the lampstand God directed the Israelites to make for the tabernacle. The lampstand had seven branches. She made the connection to the branches and bearing fruit. God expects us to bear fruit, good fruit. She said that, like most women, our tree is usually too full of branches to bear quality fruit. As she said, "it's time to do some pruning". That hit me like a ton of bricks. That's what I have to do, prune my branches. Like I said in this post, quality is what I want, not quantity. I spent some time in prayer last night and this morning. God opened my eyes and cleared my head. This morning,I let something at church go and before I left school, I worked on changing my schedule to better utilize my time. Hopefully, I'm on the right track. I still have my snips open and ready!

I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15: 1-2,5

Sandy C

You can use adjectives as verbs in a pinch

2007-09-23T16:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we were at the ball field in the sweltering heat. You know you live in Texas when it's 95 degrees on the very last day of summer! Anyway, Mollie had just come off the field and was pouring water all over her head. I was sitting behind the dugout because that was the only shade on the entire field. I ask her what she was doing and this is how the conversation went:

Me: Mollie what are you doing?

Mollie:(as water is dripping from her head to the floor of the dugout) I'm trying to convenient myself.

Me: What?

Mollie: I'm trying to convenient myself.

Me: OK, I understand what you are trying to say, but that's the wrong use of the word convenient.

Mollie: My bad. I'm just trying to comfortabalize myself, Mother.

Me: Gotcha!

So, she was using the word convenient as a verb. I knew what she meant and as you can see, she did too. It's very evident because of the totally made up word she used next-comfortabalize. I don't even think I know how to spell it right.

Pardon me now, as I go convenient myself on the couch.

Sandy C

Quantity vs. Quality

2007-09-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

The first week of school has come and gone and we all survived. We always survive, but that sometimes feels doubtful on the first day! I've been reminded about why I love the first grade part of my loop. My kids came in Monday morning and I didn't have to remind them of our rules and procedures but once or twice and they were ready to go. I didn't have to teach them to get in line or how to go restroom, they already know! I did feel very sorry for two of my teaching friends who were teaching Kindergarten for the first time. By Friday, they were dragging themselves down the hall and their voices were hoarse! I remember that well. The good thing about looping is that I only have to experience that once every two years!!!!

This time of year is very busy for us, to say the least. I was telling Wade earlier that I might volunteer to do one more thing at church. It's something I have experience with, just not recently. I'm just going to have to pray about it and see what God wants me to do. Sometimes we get involved in too many things and that turns into service that the quantity gets in the way of quality. This is what our next 8 weeks or so look like.

Monday-Mollie has softball hitting lessons.(this will go on until spring)

Tuesday-Upward basketball practice. Mollie plays and we coach.(scary thought!) 8 weeks

Wednesday-church

Thursday-Beth Moore Bible study night(11 weeks)

Friday-Athens Hornets football(10 weeks)

Saturday-Upward basketball in the morning, Fall softball in the afternoon(5 weeks)

Sunday-church

In the middle of all that, we will deal with homework, housework, laundry, etc. It gets a little overwhelming, but I'll just take it day by day and make it through, I always do.

Do I really want to take on another responsibility? After rereading that schedule, I don't think so. I'll just have to see.

We are off tomorrow for Labor Day. I'm going to relax and prepare for the fast paced ride that is the fall.

Sandy C

Leading the way

2007-08-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday-Saturday several of our church leaders/members and I attended a Leadership Summit presented by Willow Creek. It was an amazing weekend and what I realized is that I'm doing a lousy job of using my strengths to serve God.

Wade and I have been asked to go several times in the past. Wade has been once, but I've never been able to go because of my school schedule. This year we have a later start date, so I was able to attend.

I believe I have some leadership ability. It's not always something I'm comfortable with, depending on the audience, but I can speak in front of people and organize people without much apprehension or nervousness. This particular conference has a history or making one come back from it with your mind and soul reeling from all the information. We heard some amazing speakers, in and out of the Christian world. We heard Bill Hybels, Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Carly Fiorini, to name a few. These people are well known leaders with great advice on how to better serve God, as well as others.

The common themes were finding your strengths and then using those to reach others for Christ. Also, making sure that your have goals in mind and then reassessing those goals often to make sure you are headed in the right directions.

Every single day, we left there for the drive home, and after we discussed as a group the topics for the day, I was always left to my own introspection. These are the major points I got from the weekend.

1. I'm not using my strengths well enough to reach others for Christ. Your strength goes beyond your Spiritual gifts. It's something that you are passionate about, something that gets you motivated, something that gives your joy, get the picture? My strength is teaching young children to read. It also just happens to be my job. My goal is to spend time with God in the next weeks and listen to what He says about how I can use that ability to serve Him more.

2. I have to stop using fear as an excuse. I've got so many fears, many I have overcome, but real fears. You can read about some of those here. I need to ask God to give me opportunities to face those fears so that they quit getting in the way of service.

3. One of my favorite speakers was Richard Curtis. He's a movie writer and director. He has written such movies as Knotting Hill, Love Actually and more recently, The Girl in the Cafe. His ideas of leadership and humanitarian efforts were extremely thought provoking. He is very unsure about his own faith, but he understands the concept of what loving your neighbor means more than any Christian I know. He has raised millions and millions of dollars for people in Africa and India. He uses his influence within the entertainment industry to gain help from people with unlimited resources. He also was the force behind the American Idol show this past season that raised something like $70 million for humanitarian efforts. WOW! As Bill Hybels said, here's a man that's not even sure about his faith and he is doing way more than me to make the world a better place. It makes me feel just outright guilty that the Christian world is not doing what this man is doing.

There were so many other high points. I was very impressed with Carly Fiorini. She was the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard who was fired several years back. She also was named by Fortune magazine as the most influential woman in business several years ago. Her story is one of fear, discrimination because of gender, success leading several companies, and finally the heartbreak of being fired without apparent probable cause. She took the high road in her leadership and her termination. She lead with integrity and honesty.

How can I use my strengths at church, at home, and at school to do good things, to show others Christ love and to be a better leader? It's a tough question. I have a lot to think about in the coming weeks.

Sandy C

From a 1987 truck to good health insurance

2007-07-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

So the other night Wil, Mollie and I were coming home from my mom's house. I was letting Wil drive my car. (We live on a county road and not in town! It's not like he was on the freeway or anything.) Anyway, Wil and Mollie were having this conversation about what kind of cars they were going to get when they start driving. Mollie was going on and on about the fact that she was going to get a big Ford truck with mud "flappers" on the back. Nothing like a tomboy driving a red neck truck. Wil was saying that he would be just fine to drive Wade's old 1987 Chevy pickup, if the crack in the windshield was fixed and if it had a new coat of paint. This old pickup is totally famous. It was Wade's first truck and the truck that we went on all our dates in and the truck that his brother ran off in the lake, the stories go on and on.....Needless to say, he still has the truck.

Mollie continues with the fact that people are going to think Wil's weird if he drives the truck. Wil says that she just worries too much about what people think. (Way to go Wil!) Anyway, the conversation continues into the house with the same kind of argument. Basically it boils down to this....Mollie thinks she is cool and Wil's not. It's simple in her eyes. So as we are walking into the kitchen Wil turns around calmly and says and I quote,

"Don't worry about me Mollie, I'm going to get out of college and have a good job, and a good wife, great kids and good health insurance."

What does she say to that? Is there really any response to an almost 14 year old boy telling his 10 year old sister that he's going to have good health insurance when she's thinking he's going to embarrass her in the old red truck?

In the war of Wil vs. Mollie this battle went to Wil. She took defeat well. She did what any other person would do when they have absolutely nothing else to say...she turned around and stomped into her room.

I love Mollie's spunk. She has opinions and she's not afraid to express them. She is a bit materialistic, but we are working on that. I love Wil's self assurance and that he's not afraid to be himself.

Two kids...two different views on life!

Sandy C

The night of the frogs

2007-07-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

Recently, here in East Texas we have gotten so much rain that it seems we need a boat for travelling. We are to the point that it's weird when it actually doesn't rain on a particular day. I think we went 12 days in a row with significant rain. Our yard looks like no one even lives at this house. I'd show pictures, but I'm embarrassed to do so! (It also interrupted District softball play, but I will save that for another post.)

So a couple of nights ago, it was coming down in buckets. We had been to the movies to see Evan Almighty and had come out of the theater with a need for our own ark. We got home and into bed. About 2 am I woke up to this very odd, screeching sound. Just so you know...I love my sleep! I can get irritated very fast when my slumber is interrupted by snoring (Wade), dogs barking, clicking ceiling fans and basically anything else this side of an emergency. At first, I thought one of the kids had left their television on or the cat was playing with something. When I decided it wasn't going to stop,I got up and investigated. As I got closer to the front door, I realized the sound was coming from outside. I opened the front door and the sound intensified about 100 times. Then it hit me...FROGS!! The sound wouldn't have bothered me if it had been anytime between the hours of 7 am and midnight, but it was 2 in the morning, for crying out loud! It was so loud that I swear there had to be about 50 giant frogs in the flower beds outside the front door.

So, there I am on the front porch in my night clothes with a stick beating on the rain gutters. I guess I thought, in my hysterics, it would make them stop croaking. It actually worked, for a short time. I got back in bed and had probably been asleep for 15 minutes, then it started again. Only this time, my little croaking friends had moved directly under our bedroom window! What made me so mad was that Wade was laying there totally unaware of the symphony going on 10 feet from where he was sawing logs.

I just got out of the bed. There was absolutely no reason for me to lay there and listen to the amphibian nonsense. I got out of bed with my pillow, shut the bedroom doors and went into the living room to the couch. I turned the TV on and drowned out the frogs.

As I lay there, attempting to go back to sleep, I realized that we had been in a drought for so long that I had forgotten about how a summer night is really supposed to sound. Croaking frogs have been non existent for 2 or 3 years. I'm thankful for all the rain. God has replenished the lakes and ponds and my yard is greener than ever. I finally went back to sleep.

I haven't heard the frogs the past couple of nights. I don't know if they have moved on to someone else's flower beds or because I have taken two Tylenol PM before calling it a night!

To happy slumber!

Sandy C

Maybe, just maybe, he is listening

2007-06-19T22:16:00.000-05:00

Wil isn't known for his ability to pay attention. You can tell him to do two things, like put his dirty clothes in the hamper and put his shoes in his closet. I'm thrilled if the shoes are in the hamper and the dirty clothes are put in the closet. Wade gets extremely impatient sometimes if he doesn't get things done in a timely manner. There have been many learning experiences out at the barn taking care of the animals, if you know what I mean. Wil tends to do things sort of half way, but after the conversation he and Mollie had today, maybe he's actually growing up and taking some of our guidance to heart.

I ask both of them to go pick up the playroom. I wanted them to do it together without fighting. (right!) Mollie was rushing around and I believe she was throwing things into the closet and this was the conversation I overheard.

Wil: Mollie do it right!

Mollie: I'm in a hurry to it get done, WIL. (with just a hit of sarcasm in her voice)

W: The quickest way is not always the right way or the best way.

M: Who have you heard that from? I know you didn't come up with that on your own.

W: Dad.

M: Finally...you listen to something daddy says.

There was more to the conversation, but it went down hill from there. It had to do with name calling, agitation, and the general attitude those two usually have towards one another. The room was picked up and they did a great job together.

So, Wade, just so you know, he's listening! He's really listening! Now if only I could find all his dirty clothes!

Sandy C

She's becoming a fashion critic

2007-06-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

Last night, we had dinner out with some friends to celebrate my birthday. Nothing big, just a visit to Jalapeno Tree! I LOVE the green sauce. I think I'm going to stop ordering off the menu and just start eating my weight in chips and green sauce. (That may eventually cause my arteries to clog and I may not make it to my next birthday!)

Anyway, we got there before our friends. We were waiting to be seated and Mollie looked at what Wade was wearing. He had on jeans and a red striped T-shirt. It was nothing she hadn't seen him in before. She looked at him very seriously and said..."Dad you could have worn something decent." Since when is she the fashion expert? She's the one who refuses to wear anything but flip flops or camo CROCS. It doesn't matter where we are going. The flip flops are either camo or have the Texas A&M symbol on them. We also have finally gotten her to stop wearing mess shorts and T-shirts everywhere we go. Now she's wearing knee length shorts and baby doll tops. I've also heard her make comments recently about what I'm wearing. She's only 10 and we have already become a fashion embarrassment to her.

I'm sorry to say to Mollie Cat that just wait until she's 14 or 15 and Wade drops her off somewhere with his shorts and work boots on and kisses her goodbye. She will be wishing for jeans and a red striped t-shirt!

Sandy C

The grass is not always greener

2007-06-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

First of all, I will lay it all out on the line...I HATE TO SWEAT!
Especially, when I'm sweating underneath my knees...that drives me nuts.

This distaste I have for sweating is one of the reasons I don't exercise much, the reason I prefer my hair short(which it's not right now!), the reason I would rather stay inside for lunchtime cafeteria duty with 40 Kindergartners than have recess duty during the beginning and the end of the year when it's 100 degrees outside, and the reason that I'm inside the house in the air conditioning right now instead of outside doing absolutely anything that might even make me sweat. Call me a wimp!!! I'm fine with that label.

I say all this to let you know what Mollie and I just had to endure. She has a show heifer. Tammy Wynette is her name! Don't ask!!!! She's a little crazy and has had to be drugged with a human psychotic drug on more than one occasion. She may be crazy, but she's smart!! She can figure out how to get out of the fence and out of the round metal corral! Wade and Wil have done everything they can do to keep her in the barbed wire out in the pasture. We finally put her back into the metal corral and she managed to break the panel apart and get out this morning. When Mollie and I got home she was in the field next door. You know the saying the grass is greener...well that's not the case here. She is much better off at home. Anyway, I walked down to her with a piece of pvc pipe and a bucket of feed. By the time I reached her the sweat problems had started. It's only because its 95 degrees and the humidity is about 400%! I tried to trick her into following me with the food. She wasn't having it. I then got behind her and walked her down the fence and turned her into our yard. She took off running and ended up at the gate. Good sign..I thought! Mollie poured out feed while I tried to fix the corral so I could put her into the stall with a door. That didn't happen. She came into the pasture and took off running. Picture this...I have on my denim city shorts, a cool sequined tank top, my turquoise and red necklace and Justin work boots. A might fine picture, if I say so myself. I thought at one point I had her cornered and on the way back to the corral. She thought otherwise and ran down the fence into the other side of the fence with the other cows. That's when I gave up. I did put my hair up before I came out, but I had sweat pouring down my neck, behind my KNEES, and on my forehead. Tammy Wynette is not worth me losing that much sweat. I just let her go. I'm sure right now she is over again checking if the grass is greener on the other side. Remember Tammy, it's not!!!

Sandy C

Home again

2007-06-02T18:10:00.000-05:00

This morning around 12:30 we rolled in from Mexico. We left Aldama, Mexico at 7:45 am our time. The hardest part of these mission trips is the driving. As Wil said, we spent 75% of our time in the trucks. I'm going to give you a daily synopsis of what all we did while we were gone.

Friday, May 25
We left Athens around 7:30 am and drove into Alpine, Texas. We got there about 7:00pm. We stayed at a Baptist Camp and we had mattress and showers!! At dark, we drove several miles down the road and viewed the mysterious Marfa lights. Some people find it very intriguing. I personally think it's some wise guy with flood lights in the distance. A massive thunderstorm was moving into the area and the lightning was something to see out in West Texas.

Saturday, May 26
We got up early and left for the second day of travel. We drove to Presidio and crossed into Mexico. We had some trouble with paperwork and we ended up waiting for about 3 1/2 hours before that was resolved. Afterwards, we drove several more hours into Aldama. There we stayed at a placed called Gloria al Padre. It's a medical clinic and dormitory. The dormitory was built specifically for groups like ours going into Mexico on mission trips. We also met up with a group of 8 people from our church who flew into Mexico. We had dinner and our last hot shower until Thursday!

Sunday, May 27 and Monday May 28
Up early again and more driving! We drove into Guatamec to buy commodities for the Tarahumaran people we would encounter. We bought rice, oil, mesca(used like flour), salt, and fruits and vegetables. We then drove into Creel for lunch. This restaurant brings out fire grilled chicken, tortillas, hot sauce and onions. I'm very leary of eating food in Mexico. I chose to stick with the tortillas and a small piece of chicken. We then went another 50 or 60 miles into the mountains, off the main road for about 5 miles and into our first village, Yepo. The village center consisted of a small building that was the church. You can see from the picture that it was indeed small.

I only have a picture after we had arrived and attached tarps to the side for our cooking equipment. We were in the village for a day and a half. While we were there we fed the Indians, cut hair, held a vision and medical clinic and had a Vacation Bible School. The kids from the village school were brought to the church for all the afternoon and evening.

Wil had a lot of fun playing ball and Frisbee with some of the kids. We also took several kites. One boy played with a kite for hours and hours. It's amazing how something so insignificant can make such a difference.

I'm going to stop now and address our bathroom issue. In this village there was no real place to "privately" go to the bathroom. Therefore our bathroom for a day and a half consisted of a tarp stretched between trees with a hole dug in the ground with a fold out toilet seat above the hole. As we would find out later, this would be the best "facility" we would have in the days to come.

At this village, I also had my first experience with sleeping outside. Picture this....my cot, sleeping bag, two blankets and 35 degree weather and I'm still alive.

After the last meal, we showed "The Jesus Movie". It's the only known movie translated into the Tarhumaran language. It was cold and windy, but the people sat there in awe. God was really evident that night. I'm not sure if the people understood the Gospel, but the seeds were planted and work will continue in that village.

Tuesday May 29
We moved on to the next village. It was actually right off the main road and most of the people spoke Spanish. We did basically the same kinds of ministries at this village. I learned to build glasses and did this and cut hair most of the day. Some of the men in our group also built a wall and help pour a concrete floor in the building next to the church. This will be used for education rooms in the the future.

We were able to sleep inside for our time at this village. Bathrooms.....they had a his and hers outdoor facility. However, they can't seem to get the idea of hitting the hole, if you know what I mean. It's hard to go to the restroom while holding your breath and keeping your feet out of all kinds of nastiness.

We showed "The Jesus Movie" in Spanish and had the same result. There were lots of people very still and quiet hearing about Jesus!

Wednesday, May 30
We left our gear at the village from the day before and drove about 30 minutes off the road into our final village. We stationed ourselves at a school. What was interesting was that the building we used was a secondary school. The students received their education mainly via satellite and internet. It was amazing to see that kind of technology in the middle of nothingness. We set up our vision and medical clinic and saw patients on and off all day. Our kitchen was set up outside and we served two meals. We cut hair out back, held VBS and again showed "The Jesus Movie." It was the same results as before, total quiet and attentiveness.

One of my favorite things that happened in this village had to do with Wil. I looked out and I saw all these kids surrounding him. I walked out there and he had a bag of those balloons you blow up and add the rubber band to the end and you pop it back and forth. He had about 10 of them and there were about 20 kids. He was blowing them up as fast as he could and trying to get them to understand that they had to share. I found another girl to go out and help him. It was great to see him giving those kids so much happiness.

Bathrooms...another train wreck. Oh, how we wished for our hole in the ground and the blue tarp.

Thursday and Friday May 31 and June 1
We drove back to Aldama on Thursday and got our first shower since the previous Saturday. It was the best shower I have ever had. I had no water pressure, but I had clean water!!! We rested and left early Friday morning for the trip home. We had no trouble getting back across the border and were back in Texas by noon. It was home from there. We stayed ahead of all the storms moving down I-20 and got to Athens around 12:30.

I enjoy these trips so much. Of course I miss all the modern conveniences, especially a flushing toilet and my hot shower, but I can do it for a week knowing I have the hope of home. The Indians don't have that hope of a better life. They have a look of hopelessness. The woman in particular show little emotion. The only chance they have of knowing Jesus is when we are there to share Him. That comes in the form of food, haircuts, medical and vision care, VBS, a movie in their language that tells them who Jesus is and Wil blowing up balloons. It's as simple as a smile from one of us. It's an amazing opportunity to share Jesus and the blessings we get in return far outweigh the hardships we encounter along the way. Thanks for your prayers while we were gone. God was with us and went before us!

Sandy C

Random tidbits

2007-05-18T15:37:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of random items going on in our life.

1. Wil's first show heifer, Pepper, had twin heifer calves this week. I got on line and apparently your chances of that happening are about 1 in 4000. Wil's opinion of it all..."I just drew the lucky number." He has named them, because of course every animal at our house has a name, Bonnie and Betty. Cute,cute, cute!!

2. There are only 3 days of school left!!!! Today was the last Monday. We've had a really good year. I'm very proud of all the progress my kids have made and I will have them again next year for 1st grade. That's such a great thing, because I won't have to train them at the beginning of next year. I also already know how smart they are and where to start with instruction.

3. Softball has started again for Mollie. She is on the same team that she was in the playoffs with last year. However, the team name has changed. Instead of the Diamonds, they are Team Inferno. She's doing well. Hitting hard and driving in RBI's.

4. On Friday, Wil and I leave for another mission trip in Mexico. I'm very excited about going. I'm looking forward to Wil and I working together. I'm apprehensive and nervous about what's in store. However, I know that some of your best blessings come from things that are not always easy. I'll post about it when we get back.

5. Summer is upon us and I can't wait. We've got so many things going on. I guess I should say the kids have a lot going on. Wade and I will either be chauffeur or spectator.

6. My parents will be married 42 years tomorrow. I'm so glad they are my parents. I'm so lucky!!! Papa and Cookies love their grandkids and just like when my sisters and I were growing up, they will pray them through life. I know that's how I survived my teenage years. Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!!

See you after Mexico.

Sandy C

Easy Passage at ETMC(Seattle Grace)

2007-05-06T12:26:00.000-05:00

In our world of constant drama, yesterday didn't disappoint. Wade woke up hurting in his lower back, which could only mean one thing...kidney stones!

He's been having some back/hip issues for the past several weeks, but this was different. When I was pregnant with Wil(14 years ago), he had a kidney stone so he knew....who could forget that kind of pain...what was happening. I have never in my life seen someone in so much pain. He paced the floor for over an hour, moaning and groaning, until finally he threw up. The pain stopped for a short time. It was long enough for him to get a shower, so I could take him to the emergency room. On the way, the pain returned and hit him really hard by the time we checked in and waited over an hour. At one point in the emergency room, his shirt was soaked with sweat and I thought he was going to pass out. They finally saw him, hooked him up to an IV of fluid and pain medication, and he was feeling better.

That was when...Dr. McDreamy came in to see him. With my obsession with Grey's Anatomy, I guess I think that all hospitals must be like Seattle Grace. This guy was a little younger than McDreamy, maybe about Alex Careve's age, and was very handsome. I bet he was only an intern, too young to be an attending!

Back to Wade, McDreamy said that they really couldn't do much for him, but help him control the pain. They sent us home with lots of pain medicine. We made it home and he rested for several hours. At about 8:00, the pain returned. He threw up several more times and wasn't able to keep any medicine down to ease the pain. So at 11:00pm, we headed back to the emergency room. Thank goodness for Wade's mom. She came over and stayed with kids. By the time we got there, the pain had eased. The ER wasn't very busy for a Saturday night, so we didn't have to wait and there was no time for sweating, like before.

While we were waiting, the door to our room was opened. I heard all kinds of things, like a conversation between a nurse and someone from cardiology about a page not being answered, someone talking about an ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend and her sick child who was being brought into the ER. The nurse wanted to make sure she was gone before the child was to arrive. I felt like the girl, Ava, on Grey's Anatomy who doesn't know who she is but knows everyone else's business. That kept me occupied for awhile.

Until, in walks Meredith Grey. I'm telling you, ETMC-Tyler but be the basis for that show. Anyway, she was too young not to be an intern. To her credit, she was a fellow kidney stone sufferer, so Wade got some sympathy. They took him for a cat scan to determine the size of the stone and where it was located. In the meantime, his pain was back and he had the chills. I went out to the nurses station and guess who was there, Izzy Stephens, but I think she was a nurse. Anyway, Meredith Grey came back and told him his stone was small and very close to being in his bladder, which is a good thing. She gave him her remedy, which was to take a Vicodin and drink a beer. For her that might work, but we don't drink. I guess she expected us to go across the street and let Joe the bartender fix us up!! Except, the only thing across the street from ETMC is more ETMC.

Back to reality. We got home about 3:00am and he was able to sleep the rest of the night. I remember waking up at some point this morning and seeing the sunlight through the windows and thanking God that he had made it until morning without pain.

Bless his heart. I felt so helpless when he was pacing and was so in so much pain. It's very difficult to see someone you love hurting and not being able to stop it. He can now honestly say that he can sympathize with child birth.

There was one little thing about this experience that was disappointing, I never had the chance to run into Dr. O'Malley or Dr. Yang....

Sandy C

Mirrors on the walls of my pit

2007-02-25T20:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I was able to attend a live conference with Beth Moore. First of all, those of you who know me, know that I love her. I have done several of her studies and she never ceases to teach me something about the power and meaning of God's word. She has made me laugh and cry...which is hard to do, seeing that I have been accused of not being born with tear ducts! Anyway, yesterday was a message about God's deliverance, and I promise she did not disappoint.

Her message was simple..we are all worthy of God's mercy and forgiveness. Beth symbolizes this need to be rescued with being in a pit. She says that you can get into the pit several different ways. You can get into the pit by your own choice, someone else's actions can force you into the pit, or you can slip in the pit. The way out is the same, God's mercy. I always love her illustrations. She described his deliverance with the verses Pslams 18:16-19. To paraphase, God reaches down, takes hold of us and rescues us from our pit. What a vivid picture of our God reaching down and grabbing hold of us with His hands and delivering us from whatever sin we allow to take over our lives. We can't crawl out of it on our won. His grace is sufficient!!

What would your pit be decorated with? What is it that makes the sin so attractive? I went into the conference thinking about what it is that I need to get away from. I think I already knew, but it was made clear to me. The walls of my pit are decorated with mirrors. I am overly obsessed with my appearance. I spend too much of my time thinking about my weight, what I am going to wear, my hair, and how I appear to others. I know this is a common problem for all women. However, I think I crossed the normal line a long time ago. I know it goes back to being overweight as a child. But as an adult, I have kept my weight fairly well in check, especially in the past 3 or 4 years. My problem lies in the fact that so much of my time and thoughts are filled with my appearnce that it gets in the way of things I really need to be doing. I might spend 30 minutes overthinking what I am going to wear to school each day. I think things like, "I wore that 3 weeks ago, what if someone remembers?" "If I wear that now, I might need to wear it in a few weeks, I better save it." Typing that makes it seem worse. It's just crazy. It's just an obsession.

What now am I going to do about my mirrored pit? My prayer is that God will help me to be happy with myself, that he will reach down, take hold of me and rescue me from this obsession. It's not going to be easy to erase all the thoughts that have been swirling in my mind all these years? I know I can't do it without His help.

How is your pit decorated? Is it with pictures of someone you can't forgive? Is it hard for you to let go of past sins? Are you in the pit with people who lead you down the wrong road? Or is it covered with mirrors like mine?

It's actually a very freeing feeling to know that we worship a God who is able to forgive us and wraps us in His mercy and love. He is truly worthy of all our praise!

Sandy C

Bug Tussle?

2007-01-27T21:06:00.000-06:00

Today Wade and I attended a wedding. It was a very nice afternoon ceremony. As nice as a ceremony could be in Bug Tussle, Texas. I promise only in Texas could you find a town called Bug Tussle. I'm not sure if it's actually a town, more like a community. I saw no official signs pointing us in the right direction, only handpainted signs that I figure the families of the bride and groom painted to let people know they weren't driving off the end of the earth. When we finally arrived we found a very small church in the middle of a pasture. It probably had seating for 75 people. They must have invited 200 and everyone showed up. We were a few minutes late so we had to stand in the back along with many other guest. The church was located directly adjacent to cattle working pens...I'm not kidding!! When we walked up the sidewalk there actually was a dog laying down like he was a full fledged member of the church. When we left he had made his way to the cattle pens. I am not sure how all that's connected and it shouldn't have seemed odd...we were in Bug Tussle, Texas.

Anyway, the bride and groom were very attractive, as they should have been, and it was a very nice ceremony. Afterwards, we waited in the foyer area for the wedding party to take pictures. It was so crowded that I was actually being pushed out the door by two women who were visiting about the ceremony and all the people they knew. I had to lean against Wade or I'm sure I would have ended up outside on the sidewalk with the dog. I also had never seen so many people taking pictures. There was a professional photographer, but I promise at least 20 other people had digital cameras flashing and there were 3 or 4 video cameras. There surely won't be a shortage of quality photographs. The reception was being held in the "fellowship hall". This was really two connecting rooms that together were smaller than our bedroom. The cake was beautiful, or what I saw of it, anyway. I couldn't see any of the other food because of the crowd. Wade visited with a few people he knew and then we left before the reception started. I can't imagine what a crazy scene that was, trying to get the wedding party in that small space. I had visions of the old movies were teenagers tried to stuff as many people as possible into phone booths. Those are the pictures I would like to have seen. I wonder if the dog got any cake.....only in TEXAS!!!

Home from Bug Tussle,

Sandy C

Old McCarter's Farm

2006-12-31T15:01:00.000-06:00

I haven't written to much about what lives in the pasture behind the house. What we actually have is a small farm!! Several years ago Wil started showing heifers. (He actually started with a black steer, but after he almost trampled Wil at the county show, we decided he should try heifers.) Anyway, he started with a single Braford heifer (Braford: 3/8-5/8 split between a Brahma and Hereford) and that has now grown into 3 cows and 3 bull calves, the newest being born last Wednesday night.

Each cow has a name and a distinct personality. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. Pepper is the alpha female and Wil's first heifer. She is now to old to show and is now just a regular cow out in the pasture. She pushes all the other cows around, literally. She has an extremely unattractive bull calf named Shiloh. He really has a very ugly head. He will be sold as soon as he is old enough. Then there is Bessy. She was the second heifer Wil showed. She is fairly gentle and let's Pepper have run of the pasture. She also has a bull calf named Bruiser. We like him because he looks manly. He has a long face and is halter broken because Wil showed he and Bessy as a cow calf pair last show season. She also is to old to show and has been turned out into the pasture. Here are a couple of pictures.

Here is Bruiser at about 2 months. Wil is just playing with him.

Here he is today at about 11 months, too big to play with!

Wil's third heifer is named Padme. What can I say? The boy loves Star Wars. Anyway, she is called Paddy for short. Last Wednesday night, she had her first calf. We all watched with flashlights in hand as she lay in the "cottage" as Wil calls it, and had the calf. The cottage is actually a large horse stall that is attached to the round pen where the show heifers are kept and fed. This calf was another bull Wil has named Buster. Padme is my personal favorite. She never gets in a hurry and walks so slow in the show ring that we hope she is the last to come into the ring. If not, all the other kids with their heifers are held up because she strolls along like a queen. She also has been known to lose her way in the pasture. However, in competition Wil has done the best with her. He has finished second in his class in both San Antonio and Houston. She is starting her last show season and will be turned out as a cow in the summer.

Wil is very proud of Buster. He will show Padme and the calf as a cow calf pair at this years shows. Mollie will show the calf alongside Wil and Padme. He has been out working on halter breaking the calf already.

So...We will have a busy spring. Mollie also has a heifer, Tammy. She is young and this will be her first season to show. We also have 4 show pigs coming and 75 chickens to take care of until April. The kids will then show 12 of those at our county show.

Happy New year...from Old McCarter's Farm!

Sandy C

Journey into the unknown

2006-12-18T20:22:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago, Wade and I were talking about what a great year we had experienced and how blessed we had been. Our kids are healthy and doing well in school, we have enjoyed much spiritual growth at church, our families are happy and healthy, and we both felt successful in our work. Two weeks ago tomorrow, our world came to a very abrupt stop!

Wade lost his job! It came as a complete shock to the both of us. He has had a very successful year in the ag lending business. He has brought in a large number of new loans as well as servicing many existing loans. His evaluations had been excellent. We believe we know the reason but that is something in which we will not dwell. They did give him a fair severance package, in which we are thankful. So, in the past two weeks we have embarked on a new journey in our life.

Wade has a large network of friends in the banking business. He started making calls on Wednesday and was immediately offered a new job. It would, however, require us to move away from family and friends. We don't want to have to do that, at this point. Since then, he has made contact with several commercial banks in the area and those opportunities seem promising.

This is probably the most difficult bump in the road we have faced in our married life. I am also thankful for that fact. For me, the hardest part has been seeing Wade so hurt. He has been on a emotional rollercoaster at times, but strong for the most part. I have had a few bad days, but I have been trying my best to keep a good attitude for Wade and the kids. We have had much peace knowing that God is in control of this situation. Through the hurt, anger for being treated wrongly, self pity, anxiety, and fear of the unknown, we know that God's plan for us is much better than we can see at this point. I have often been convicted about my lack of faith. I want and know that God's in the middle of this, but my sinful nature takes over and I start doubting what I know for sure. Then, I compose myself and lean on Him for strength. If I hadn't had such a conviction, I probably would be a balled up mess with my head under the pillows. He promises us that He will take care of us and that we can't depend on our own understanding. More than anything, we have been forced to rely on Him for guidance. I think Wade has made this a point for me. We have to pray about each job opportunity and decide what's best and where God can use Wade in the most beneficial way.
My sister, Marlette, made a very good point to me in the days after the lost job. She said, "God waited until He knew you and Wade were spiritually ready to handle this situation and then He allowed it to happen to see how you would react." I think she is right. I think in those darkest times, I haven't reacted in a way that is pleasing to God. I don't want to harbor anger and resentment. I want to look upon the changes with hope for the future and know that God has a bird's eye view of our life.
I thank God for all the support of our family and close friends, Wade's customers, and our church family. I don't have an ending with a new job for Wade. He has two very good opportunities in the works. This does have a happy ending, however. I am looking forward to the best Christmas ever. One where we are extremely thankful for being blessed with each other, our children, great friends, and most of all for having God to supply all our needs.

Sandy C

The most wonderful time of the year?

2006-12-04T18:01:00.000-06:00

Here we are the beginning of December, all my Christmas decorations are up(they look quite nice, I must say!), we have already been to two parties, and my house smells of cinnamon. I should be feeling the spirit of the holidays. Notice I said I should, but I don't. At first, I was getting a little worried about myself, but I think I have put my finger on the problem. I love Christmas for the wrong reasons.

Christmas has always been my very favorite holiday! As a child, we had traditions that I loved and looked forward to all year. We spent Christmas Eve at my Memaw's and then home to open presents. I have such sweet memories of family, food, and sheer joy of gifts.

As I grew up, got married and had children of my own we started our own traditions that are very special. We have Christmas Eve here with my mom's family. It's a very large group of aunts, uncles, and cousins. On a good Christmas Eve, we will have about 45 people crowded in our house. It's always fun, but a lot of work. We then go to my parents' house and open presents with my sisters and their kids. We then spend Christmas Day here with Wade's family. Wil and Mollie always have Santa to look forward to on Christmas morning.

There are a lot of good things to look forward this time of year. I will admit I love presents!!! I love my family and the time we spend together. I love all the beauty of the lights, trees, and ribbons and bows. I love the smell of Christmas. That's why my house smells of cinnamon. (It's actually a candle called "red neck Christmas".) But what I don't like ruins some of my spirit. I dislike all the shopping for gifts that people really don't need, including my own children. The idea of giving a gift just because it's expected, drives me nuts. My list is lengthy and I haven't even ventured to the mall yet and I dread it...like the plague. I absolutely hate large crowds!! I feel pressure at school to entertain my students with Christmas crafts, decorating the room with paper chains and Santa Clauses with cotton beards. My calendar this month is crazy. The social gatherings are endless and I always gain 5 pounds or more with all the food. We haven't had a single night home in two weeks and things aren't looking promising for this week either.

I want this year to be different. I do..I do...I do!! The traditions are heart warming and I do look forward to all the family time. However, I want all our over abundant gift buying, rushing around and stress to please everyone to come to a halt. I want to take the time to appreciate Christ and his birth. I want my kids to realize the gift God gave us in His son. I want to give my time and service on things that give Him honor. I want to stop trying to get that perfect gift, when what I should be doing is sharing Christ love in other ways. What I would really like to do is use all the $ we spend on gifts, that will be forgotten by Dec. 26, on helping others who really truly need our help. We will do some of that, but not nearly enough. My children expect much, but I truly want this year to be different. My prayer is that when they grow up and have children that their Christmas traditions will focus more on Christ birth and His gifts to us than on the hoopla of our worldly Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas should be with us everyday of the year, not just the month of December. We should want to be giving of ourselves and thanking God for the gift of His Son all year.

I do believe this is the most wonderful time of the year!! I have to work on making it what it truly should be in my heart instead of something that drives me crazy. Just think of how all this craziness makes God feel, when the best gift we have ever been given was born in a smelly, drafty, barn.

Sandy C

To Mexico and back

2006-11-22T17:08:00.000-06:00

Mexico and back in 5 days...WOW!!! We traveled over 1400 miles in a very short time. Going on these mission trips is hard on our trucks, hard on our bodies and a lot of work. However, the blessings we receive in return makes all of the hardship seem minimal. This trip we travelled into the high desert of Coahuila. We went in to serve the native Mexicans instead of the Taramauran Indians, as we did on the May trip. It's such a beautiful place. The mountains surround the deserts in places. There are tall yucca trees, wild mesquite trees and many types of cacti. We even saw maroon cactus which our Aggie truck coined "aggie cactus". Among all the quietness and beauty there are thousands of Mexicans who live in unbelievable poverty. These villages are out in the middle of nowhere, literally.

On Saturday, we drove all the way into Mexico. We stopped at a small church in the town of Musquiz. It was about 100 miles from the border. That was an experience. Steve Akin is very familiar with the pastor and is wife. They knew we were coming so when we got there, she had made homemade tamales and tortillas for us. (This was the first of several meals of tamales!!!) This was also Mollie's first experience with the sewage system of Mexico. She vowed not to use the restroom the entire trip after her experience. I didn't dare tell her that at least she had a toilet in this town. That night we slept inside the church. My bed was two pews pushed seat to seat. It was a very comfortable place to sleep. I could've had a great night sleep, except for what seemed like 100 dogs barking all night. They also failed to tell us that there was a dance hall a block over and they started the party about 1:00. Needless to say, we all got very little sleep.

On Sunday, the first village we visited was La Union. This is when Mollie got her first experience with an outdoor toilet.
She learned quickly, you use what you have. She didn't like it, but she adapted. Many on the men in the village worked in the candelia "factory". I use the word factory very loosely. Candelia is a plant that grows wild out in the desert. They harvest it, boil it, skim off a substance that comes to the surface, mix it with some kind of acid and it then becomes wax. They can sell the wax and make about $50 a day. They use the plants after they are cooked for fuel for the fires to cook new candelia, and their burros graze on it, also. There burros were very fat! The youth on the trip painted two houses in the village. One was painted pepto bismal pink!! We served dinner to the village and some of the youth and adults held a Vacation Bible School for the kids. Some of the woman of the village church, cooked for us. They brought....tamales, beans and tortillas. We then had a joint church service with the villagers. They have a small church up on a hill. Their pastor spoke (we had translators) and then our pastor spoke to them. What was so amazing about that experience was that even though our language and lifestyles are so very different, we can worship GOD together and all the difference subside. That night we slept inside the main building in the village. It was so dark, quiet and peaceful. Before we went to bed, several of our group spent time outside studying the stars. They looked very close. So much so, it seemed you could almost reach out and touch them. We slept great that night. NO DOGS or DANCE HALLS!

The next morning we moved on to another village. On the way we stopped and had a quick service on the side of a mountain. It was amazing! Kyle, our pastor, said that even though we see the people as poor and in need they all seemed very happy. God meets all their basic needs and they are happy!

We continued on through the desert and ended up in a small village of which I can't say or attempt to spell. This village was much more in need. We got there about 4:30, so we worked quickly to cook. The youth started painting more homes. They started 3 houses and finished two before it got dark. Dr. Mettetal operated on a man's toe about 15 feet from our outdoor, makeshift, kitchen. My job was to slice potatoes to fry. Cindy Henderson and I then cooked pounds and pounds of french fries. We probably stood over the hot grease for 2 hours!! For those of you who know about my experiences with frying...you know I was out of my element. The men fried chicken fried steak and fresh corn. We also had tamales, imagine that. We worked outside until about 10:00. About 8:00, the wind started blowing and it got extremely cold. We slept inside the small church. The wind howled across the desert all night. Not much sleep this night either!! I kept thinking about what Kyle had said that morning, the people are happy...the people are happy.

The next morning, we brought our kitchen inside the church and cooked again for just our group. We cooked pancakes, bacon and ham. Dr. Mettetal again operated on a man's eye very close to our cooking area. He then left to make some house calls or as they called it...they took out the MASH unit. The youth left to finish painting. Cindy, Chris Stapper, Wade and I burnt all the trash from the day before. When we finished that, it was time to start preparing lunch. I couldn't seem to locate Mollie. Moments later she returned with several of the youth. They had been visiting with a local woman and she had let them help her role out and cook homemade tortillas.You can't get that experience on a routine vacation!! As lunch was prepared, again I took on the french fry grease. Cindy and I cut and cooked potatoes for hours. My hands were very dry before we reached this village, now they are smooth and silky!

We left that village and headed back out across the desert on our way home. We made it across the border about 10:30 Tuesday night. We drove into Eagle Pass and got a hotel. We had the most amazing shower!! We left early this morning and headed home. We got back into Athens around 4:00.

I could list the blessings I received from this trip. I won't. Instead, below, I am going to add to my list of things I am thankful for from my previous post. We will head back to Mexico in May for a trip back to the Copper Canyon and the Taramauran Indians. I am glad to be home but anxious to return!

26. I am thankful for the beauty of Mexico.

27. I am thankful for the people we met and how appreciative they were of what we did for them.

28. I am thankful for shared worship time between our group and the villagers.

29. I am thankful that the people are so happy even though it seems to us that that's impossible.

30. I am thankful for getting to know Kyle and Cindy Henderson in a new light. (hours over hot grease can bond people)

31. I am thankful for safety to Mexico and back.

32. I am thankful for our youth minister, Chris Stapper, and the kids he brought along on the trip.

33. I am thankful for indoor plumbing.

33. I am thankful for a soft mattress.

35. I am thankful for toilet paper and being able to flush it down the toilet.

36. I am thankful for asphalt and paved roads.

37. I am thankful for a warm shower with soap and shampoo.

38. I am thankful that Wil and Mollie got to see how less fortunate people live and that the world does not revolve around them.

39. I am thankful for Dr. Mettetal, who is our family doctor,and how he uses his profession in such a selfless manner.

40. I am thankful to have shared this experience with Wade, Wil and Mollie and the other 35 or so people who went along.

Sandy C.

With Thanksgiving

2006-11-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

After reading Toni's post about all she's thankful for, I thought I would make a list of my own. I, too, was at the Thanksgiving Potluck dinner at our church. We went around the table and each person in our small group told what they were thankful for and couldn't repeat what someone else said. It was easy at first and then the men got silly. So after golf clubs, garage door openers, etc. we realized how lucky we all are. So here's my list...

1. I am thankful for my husband. His laughter and sense of humor are contagious. He makes me laugh and he also can make me angrier than any other human being. I love him, anyway!

2. I am thankful for two healthy children who constantly challenge my patience but give me so much pride.

3. I am thankful for my parents who taught me early on in life what a relationship with Christ was all about. They are also passing their faith and prayers onto all 7 grandchildren.

4. I am thankful that Wade and I have good jobs and enjoy our work.

5. I am thankful for the 18 children that I teach everyday. They are each special in their own way.

6. I am thankful for my in-laws. They love our children!!

7. I am thankful for our large "small" group at church. Each member has been such a blessing to me in the past 3 months. We have gotten to know each other in a special way. It's great to have such a support group who share your faith.

8. I am thankful that our church has such a vision for missions and that Wade and I have the opportunity to share in that work.

9. I am thankful that we live in America with freedom to worship God, choose our leaders, and do pretty much what we want.

10. I am thankful for my friends at school. These friendships are tied together with a love for our profession as well as respect and love for each other.

11. I am thankful for our Sunday School Class. It's wonderful to go into a class and come out a better person just for being there.

12. I am thankful for my sisters. We have a close relationship. We don't always agree with each other's decisions in life, but we love each other.

13. I am thankful for my 7 nieces and nephews. They are all such blessings!

14. I am thankful for my extended family, which is considerable. I can't wait until Christmas Eve when we will fill our house with aunts, uncles and cousins for a wild game of Chinese Christmas.

15. I am thankful for our home.

16. I am thankful that Wade and I are able to support our kids' hobby of showing heifers. The experiences we have had with Wil and Mollie and the friends we have made are priceless.

17. I am thankful that I am a Texas Aggie, Class of '92.

18. I am thankful for Diet Coke! I am even more thankful if it has a lime.

19. I am thankful that I have grown up in small town America and was able to return after college.

20. I am thankful that my parents and Wade's parents live very close.

21. I am thankful for Ebay. It has changed my shopping experience.

22. I am thankful that Wil got all B's on his report card! Mollie got all A's.

23. I am thankful for having the entire week of Thanksgiving out of school this year.

24. I am thankful for Chris Tomlin. I love his music!

25. I am thankful for God's grace, mercy and forgiveness.

There's my list. Where's yours?

Sandy C.

Diet Coke and the crevice on the back of my front tooth

2006-10-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that my very favorite drink is Diet Coke. It's especially refreshing if it's Diet Coke with lime. It's even greater if it's a Route 44 Diet Coke with lime from Sonic. Anyway, I drink an insane amount of this beverage everyday. I drink a can on the way to school each morning. I don't drink coffee, so I feel like it's justified at 6:30 in the morning. I usually drink 2 more 20oz. bottles throughout the day at school. I may even have another can or two before bedtime. Who needs water? Right?

I have often thought about what all that carbonation is doing to my pearly whites. I know that I need to bleach my teeth. More recently I have had several cavities and my sister-in-law, the dental hygienist, says it's due to all the soda I drink, even though it's diet. Imagine that! It doesn't stop me however, from indulging every single day. Well, today, I was running my tongue on the backside of my bottom teeth and I felt something missing. I thought, oh my goodness, my tooth is crumbling. I'm going to loose my entire front tooth. It's going to chip away with every drink. Then I will have to have all this dental work done to fix it, Wade will suggest a gold tooth or something, I will say "absolutely not" and then he will forbid any more diet coke in the house because of all the expense I have caused with my little "habit" as he calls it. I can be over dramatic sometimes, but that's all I could imagine. Anyway, I went to the nurses office and got a throat light thing, and looked in my mouth, and sure enough something was missing on the back of my tooth. I could actually see the crevice at the base of my tooth. I emailed my sister-in-law and asked her about it. She said she thought it was just plaque that had come loose. She reminded me that I tend to have excess plaque. Then she reminded me that excess plague is caused by all the soda I drink. My goodness, can't a girl enjoy a caffeinated, refreshing drink, even though it's seems as if I have one in my hand all day long. It could be worse. I could be drinking something a little stiffer!!!

So....I have to wait until Nov. 9 to have my teeth cleaned so Wendy can remove the rest of the plaque. Every single time I rub my tongue against that crevice on the back side of my tooth, it reminds me......I need a Diet Coke.

Sandy C

"At least mom, the numbers aren't reversed!"

2006-10-06T19:56:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe we have been in school 8 weeks. Wil and Mollie got their report cards last week. Mollie is a very good student. She is very proud of having all A's. Wil on the other hand, is not ashamed to say, as long as he is passing, who cares?

So last Friday, on the way home from school, I asked Mollie about her report card. She said, "all A's, of course." She works very hard and is one of those kids who does her homework without any arm twisting or complaints. Most of the time, she has it done before she gets over to my school.(She's at a different campus and rides a bus over in the afternoon.) If she doesn't have it finished, she always wants to get it done when she gets home. I love that about her. She really is very conscientious about doing her very best and she is not afraid to brag about that very fact.

Wil....on the other hand.....He is extremely bright! He is an avid reader and especially enjoys reading nonfiction books on WWII, the Civil War, medieval times, and other historical books. However, we always get a knot in our stomachs around report card time. We know he has the ability, but we really never know how he is going to perform. When I got home last Friday, I ask him for his report card. I ask him how he did and he gave his standard answer,"I think I did pretty good." He always says it with an ever so slight apprehension in his voice. So..drum roll....he had an A in Language Arts, a B in Math(which is his most difficult subject)and a C in both Science and Honors Texas History. I was very proud of the A and B. I was disappointed in the other grades. He absolutely loves his History class and has already learned so much. He can rattle off all these historical facts that I have no idea what he is talking about. His actual grade was a 74. When I ask, "Wil, why do you have a 74 in Texas History?" He looked at me with a very serious look on his face and said, "At least mom, the numbers aren't reversed?" That's one thing I love about him, his brutal honesty. So, I had to go into lecture mode and explain to him that he is not working up to his potential and that we realize he is capable of much, much, much more. Wade on the other hand, was just happy he was passing everything.

It's so hard for me to imagine how God could have given us two totally different children. They are polar opposites, to say the least. It is much deeper than their gender and their report cards. I wish Wil cared about his grades as much as Mollie. I realize nothing I can say can give him the desire to work up to his potential, like Mollie. I also realize I can't force Mollie to eat potato chips and ketchup, like Wil.

I love their differences!!

Sandy C.

The fun has begun

2006-08-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

WOW! What a busy couple of weeks!!! School has officially started and I am feeling the impact. My feet are achy and as usual, my voice is starting to crack. That happens every year. I think it's because of all the "extra" talking I have to do this time of year. I also have to have my voice at a decibel that can be heard over 17 kindergarteners when they all appear to not be listening. I should be labeled a fireman instead of a teacher. I feel like I am constantly putting out little fires. Don't spit on her, don't poke him with your scissors, please get in line, when my voice comes on, yours goes off, please raise your hand, stop playing in the sink, keep your hands to yourself, go to the restroom...quickly and tuck in your shirt, where should your hands be, etc, etc. The list could go on and on and on. Overall, I do have a wonderful class with very smart children. My voice should recover in a few weeks and things will become as normal as a kindergarten class can be. (Whatever normal is) I also should stop hearing my name called in my sleep rather quickly, I hope. I am looking forward to the next 2 years with this class.

Just a few of the funny things that have happened so far...

*One kid argued with me because he was convinced I could recognize a drawing of his brother, Earl. I didn't know he had a brother and all he had drawn was a circle for the head, a bigger head for the body and straight lines for the arms and legs. How could I have missed it?

*One little boy actually took 10 minutes in the bathroom on more than one occasion. He said he was trying to get his pants up because he was sweaty. He now gets a count of 20 and then he has to be out. He can do it!!

*I was reading the book NO, David! The same child who was convinced I knew Earl wanted to know where David had learned all his bad attitudes that his mother says you shouldn't have.

*One child was on the way to the gym for PE with the rest of his class took a detour to the playground without anyone knowing it and blended in with another class. The teacher finally figured it out and went and found him. He had his priorities straight.

*Because of the standardized dress code, all students must tuck in their shirts. That is a task that can be accomplished for kindergartners, but it is hard. I have a child who gets his shirt tucked in and buckles his belt. He just forgets to button and zip his pants.

All this and we have only been in school 7 days. That's what happens on a campus of 600 Kindergarten and 1st graders.

The adventure continues.....

I am officially the mother of a TEENAGER!!

2006-08-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

At 12:29 am this morning I was the mother of a teenager. Wil is 13 years old today. It's so hard to believe. Where has all the time gone? He is such a great kid!

I grew up with two sisters. My oldest sister had a daughter 6 years before Wil was born. My dad began thinking his chances for a grandson were slim. (He has been blessed with 3 more grandsons since Wil.) When he was born after a very long and difficult labor, we couldn't have been more excited, especially my dad. He even shares my dad's first name, William. When Wade and I brought him home, we had no idea what we were supposed to do with him. I had many conversations with my mother over the phone about why he was crying! It usually was because of obvious things, like hunger or being sleepy! He was actually an easy baby and slept very well. I did not work for the first year of his life. He and I spent our days "talking" and napping and playing. What a great time! I wouldn't trade that year for anything. There is something special about a boy and his mother! Whatever "it" is, we share it without question.

Time has flown by with many adventures for Wil....climbing into the washing machine when it was agitating(no broken bones!), locking my mother-in-law out of the house and refusing to open the door when he was 3(she had to call me at school-20 miles away-to come unlock the door), and almost cutting off the end of his index finger in a freak accident(I passed out. He handled it fine.) He then went to school, went through speech therapy, for what we thought was cute, got glasses, started showing his animals, and the most recent adventure was when he backed my mother-in-law"s car into Wade metal shop. She was in the car with him! I am sure we are in store for many more in the years to come.

Wil has grown into a great kid! He is bright and funny! He is a boy that loves video games, movies, history(Civil War is his favorite), loves to read(comics, science fiction, nonfiction, etc.), has great compassion for animals(especially his show heifers and our cats), is affectionate and very loving, loves to play his trumpet, likes drama and hates to play sports. He says he officially retired after one season of tackle football when he was 9. The most important thing I can say about Wil is that he has a personal relationship with Christ.

He made that decision last summer. What a moment in his life and ours as parents! I am so glad that as he goes through these difficult years as a teenager he will have Christ walking with him. I can't say I am not terrified at the notion at what the world will throw at him. He belongs to God and my prayer for him each day is that he will follow Christ, not the crowd. I want him to depend on God for protection and wisdom. As his parents, Wade and I have a responsibility to teach him to make good decisions. Our expectations for him are high. We expect him to respect us and others. We expect him to follow our rules. We expect him to be responsible(a work in progress). We expect him to spend time with God. We expect him to go to church. We expect him to do his best in school. We expect him to consider the feelings of others. As his example, I struggle to do these things sometimes. I want him to realize that we all fail, but because of God's grace and mercy we are forgiven! What an awesome responsibility we have as parents! I am so glad that I have Jesus Christ to help me through.

So as we celebrate this momentous occasion in his life, I look back over the past 13 years with amazing happiness. I look at him (at eye level, because he is almost as tall as I am) and my heart just burst with pride in the fact that I am the mother of Wil, the teenager.

Sandy C

I wanted to post some pictures, but for some reason, Blogger won't let me. Check back later.

Tour Of Homes

2006-08-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

Wade and I built our humble home about 5 years ago. It sits on almost 6 acres. Wil and Mollie's show heifers graze in the pasture out back. We also have 2 dogs (including a 12 year old Bassett Hound named Webster), and too many cats to mention. I took these pictures in the evening, so I couldn't show the yard or all the pets.

This is the family room. As you can see, we do spend actual "family" time in here. Wil, as usual, is doing his own thing, but at least he is in the room with everyone else. Mollie, as usual, is sitting with her daddy. She is probably trying to talk him into letting her do something that I have denied her.

Here is the kitchen. The cooking appliances don't see a lot of action. I only cook out of necessity and certainly not out of pleasure. On top of the cabinets, you can see my collection of vintage lunch boxes. I have about 25. Most of them I have found on Ebay. I collect the ones that remind me of things from my childhood. I have a Strawberry Shortcake-this was my sister's favorite toy. I have a great Sesame Street one with Bert and Ernie. I love watching that show before I started school. My favorites are my Holly Hobbie lunch boxes. I have 2. That was my favorite doll. I played with her and her friends all the time. Over on the cabinet, you will find more Ebay stuff. It is a vintage Lustro-Ware red, canister set. That is one of my best finds yet!

Here is where we eat! We try to spend dinner time together as a family almost every night. Wade and I think this is one of the most important times of the day with Wil and Mollie. I grew up in a family where this time was cherished and so many memories where made. Hopefully, the kids will continue this with there families sometime down the road. Also, over to the right of the table, you can see yet another great Ebay find. It is a unbelievable vintage 1950's era red metal, rolling tea server.

That's it! I realize the places I have shown revolve around family time. I didn't do that on purpose, I guess that is just what fills my mind when I am at home. It is our home and I love it!!

Sandy C

What a great job!!

2006-07-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

Softball update....We finished 3rd in the state!!! Not a bad acccomplishment, I would say.

Now, it's time to get focused on school. I am going up on Tuesday to check things out and see exactly how much work I have to do in the next two weeks. I will start making a list of the things that need to be done. I am going to try to do a little at a time, so I don't get so overwhelmed. I usually do that to myself each year and this year I am not going to let myself get all stressed. I'm not, I'm not!!!! I also will get my first look at my class list. Because I am a looping teacher, I start over every two years with a new class. This is the year for that. I have prayed about these kids already. I know God will place on that list the kids who need me most. We will be meant for each other. Even those difficult kids will be with me for a reason. It's for me to teach them to read and count and add and subtract numbers, but it's more than that. I have the responsiblity to be a good example for them. They have to learn to get along well with each other. They have to learn that they have to follow rules and that there are consequences for not. They are so funny..I can hear them saying things to each other that I say. They sure keep me accountable.

That is the exciting part about starting over this year... getting to know a new group of kids and their families and seeing the growth in each one over the next two years. After all the years of teaching(13), it's still a great job!!

Maybe I am looking forward to going back to school...maybe!!

Sandy C

Where has the summer gone?

2006-07-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

I was in Wal-mart and saw that school supplies were out on the shelves and backpacks are hanging everywhere. I got a big knot in my stomach. That is not a good sign!!! I think it means that our summer is almost over and I have to go back to work soon.

I really haven't thought too much about school this summer. That is a change for me. I have too many other things to keep me busy....MY CHILDREN!!! That is not a complaint. I am happy they are involved in so many activities. Wil has stayed busy with the youth group at church. Of course, Mollie has had softball. That doesn't count our vacation and show heifers.(That is another story, I will have to share later!) I wouldn't trade this time in our lives for anything. I hate seeing them grow up so fast in front of my eyes. Wil is going to Jr. High!!!!

I guess, after the state tournament next week, I will start working on getting things ready for all my new kindergarteners. Once I start going up to the school, I will really start feeling depressed. Oh well!! Life goes on......

Sandy C

I love my church!

2006-07-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

Our church is such a great place! It took us almost 13 years to get to FBC Athens, but we made it and are so thankful that God has led us to a place where we have connected so well with so many people who share our faith.

Wade and I both were brought up in church. My parents took my sisters and I to church every time the doors were open. (Wade's story is similar, but this is my blog!) Not only did we go to church, but my parents led by example. My mom always worked in the church and constantly cared for other members. She has such a pure heart! My dad didn't always go to church with us on Sunday, because he worked, but when he was able, he was there. We were expected to have a relationship with Christ and we all three made a profession of faith at various ages. I went to the same church regularly from the time I was born until I went off to college. Regretfully, I didn't get involved in a church in College Station. Then, Wade and I got married and moved to Huntsville and never got involved there either.

When we moved back to Athens in 1994, we started back to church where I had gone all my life. I know now it was because that is where I felt the most comfortable. We felt connected at times, but as the years went by, people our age seemed to be dwindling. We had no social interaction with anyone at church, except my parents!! The children's ministry was almost non-existent. We were involved, but I always felt like a big piece of the spiritual puzzle was missing.

We started praying about what we needed to do. We were very torn because we had history at the church, especially me. I felt like my parents would be upset and I have real issues with big changes. We knew the Lord was leading us somewhere else, we just didn't know where, as difficult as that was. In January 2005, we got a call from a couple we know that are members of FBC Athens. They invited us to a small group party. As soon as I got off the phone, I knew it was time to visit a new church. It was God's way of answering out prayer. We went to the party, and had a great time. Remember, we were not used to having any kind of social interactions with couples our age! We decided that we would visit the next Sunday. (It actually was several Sundays later, because I got sick and then we were out of town.) Anyway, I waited until the Saturday night before to call and tell my parents. Of course, my mom cried, but they both understood. With Wade's hand in my back forcing me into the door, we went to Sunday School. The kids were apprehensive, but they both had a great time. Our Sunday School class ended up being just what we were looking for. We couldn't have felt more welcome. I guess the rest is history, you could say! We didn't visit any other churches because we knew we had found our "home" as soon as we walked in the door.

Since then, we have been blessed with many new friends, spiritual growth and maturity, wonderful opportunities for service, mission work in Mexico, a great small group that meets and genuinely cares about one another, we have seen Wil come to know the Lord, the children ministry is expanding, our Sunday School is the best, but most of all we have a renewed faith!

God is so good to use other people to accomplish his purpose for us. He used our friends to make the phone call to invite us to a party. He used the leaders of our SS class to make us feel welcome, because He knew how hard it was for me to go in the door the first morning, He used the pastor and other staff members to speak to us spiritually. The list could go on forever.

Wow! What a ride! We truly believe we have arrived at the place God had intended all along.

Sandy C

Go Diamonds! Go!

2006-07-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

The softball saga continues....Mollie just finished up district play with the Diamonds, the team that picked her up for playoffs. They won the tournament!! This means we will move on to the state playoffs week after next. We have had so much fun this week watching the girls play. Mollie has done a great job. She hit the ball very well. Her fielding still needs some work, but she is improving.

The team won the first two games very easily. The third game was a different story and the game came down to our last at bat. They were able to win by one run. The night before the game Mollie and I prayed that the team would do well and try their best. The next day we prayed right before we left. After the game, I reminded Mollie that God answered our prayers. She said,"Coach prays with us too, before every game, didn't you know that?" I was so touched. I was so impressed that he led the girls in prayer
there at the ballfield. The next night we played the same team again for first place. Before the coach let the girls go out on the field, all 13 girls had their heads bowed in prayer. Not only is he teaching the girls wonderful softball skills, but he is teaching them to build their faith in God. I am so glad that Mollie is learning that she can depend on our Heavenly Father for anything, including a softball game.

The Lord has blessed her with a great summer! Her confidence is off the charts. Not only did she get picked up by the first place team, but she has had a part in helping them win a place in the state tournament. I am so thankful for Jeffrey Fulgham for giving my daughter so much confidence in herself, giving her the chance to see how it feels to win, teaching her how to be a team player, and most importantly, how to rely on God and to thank Him for answered prayers.

Go, Diamonds! Go!

I hate housework!!!

2006-06-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

I have ask myself why is it that I dislike cleaning house so much. Is it because I know that within 1 hour or so the kids will mess it up again? Is it the monotony of it all? Am I a messy person? or Is it just boring?

The answer to the first question probably is the biggest reason. My kids, even though they are 12 and 9 can still make huge messes. Wil loves Dr. Pepper and he always breaks the little silver tab off the top of the can before he drinks. He just puts them wherever he is sitting-on the computer desk, on the end tables and I also found a considerable stash behind his bed. Mollie has a problem picking up shoes. I constantly have to remind her where her large collection of CROCS should go, certainly not on the living room floor. Mollie does do a great job cleaning her room and she loves to mop. There may be hope for her yet!! I am worried about Wil. He struggles to keep his hair clean, much less his room.

I do also think that house cleaning is very monotonous. It would be great if you could clean the bathroom and it would stay clean even though you use it regularly. I don't know where all the dust comes from either. I dust one day and it seems that within 2 days it's all back again. I think that is why I put some things off. It's like, why bother? Day to day chores, like laundry and keeping the kitchen clean don't bother me that much. I will confess, I do let a load of laundry stay in the dryer for several days. I'll remember it when I am needing to put a fresh load in there.

I don't think I am a messy person. I pride myself on being somewhat together most of the time. My mom, who my children call Cookies, taught me very well how to clean house. I have 2 sisters and we all had chores to do growing up. I think my older sister got most of the cleaning genes from Cookies. She is the clean freak in the family. My younger sister and I both lost out, I think.

Cleaning is very boring. Wade says he thinks I could get things done faster if I wouldn't go from one thing to another without finishing what I start. I agree with him and I am working on that. I just am trying to keep it more interesting, I guess. Sometimes I will be cleaning my bathroom and I will leave that to get a load of laundry out of the washer, which is when I will discover the load I left in the dryer 3 days before, I will fold that load. Then on the way back to the bathroom something in the living room will catch my eye and off I will go to do that chore. Wade says Cookies is the same way. I evidently got that gene from her. I am trying to get one thing done at a time and it does work better. I can get done a lot faster.

I think it might all boil down to the fact that there are 100 other things I would rather be doing. Those may include watching daytime TV, ( it's summer and I don't do much of that during the school year) reading a book, doing things with Wil and Mollie-like going to the movies, going swimming, etc. We are leaving for vacation on Saturday and I always like to leave the house clean when we are going to be away. I just finished the floors, but of course writing this blog has gotten me off track. I am going to have a goal--I want to get all 3 1/2 bathrooms cleaned and our room clean before I go to bed tonight. In between, I have to get a hair cut, go to Walmart and go to church tonight. I think it's an attainable goal-if only a good movie doesn't get me sidetracked.

Sandy C

It's all about Mollie

2006-06-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

I have written about Wade, Wil, and now it's Mollie's turn. Mollie is my 9 year old, independent, perfectionist, basketball playing,heavy hitting softball all star, daughter. She is the sort of girl who refuses to wear pink, purple or anything that would lead someone to believe that she is a "girly-girl".

She has just finished playing regular season softball. Her team ended up 5-5, which was a little disappointing for Mollie. She always wants to win!! We started the season a little bumpy. The league rules state that you must be 9 before December 31 to move up to the next league. Well, Mollie's best friend's birthday is December 31, so she got to move up. Mollie's birthday is in April, so she had to stay down in coach pitch. However, the Athens league broke it's own rules and let several girls move up, even though they did not meet the age requirements. Mollie wanted so badly to move up and her dad and I considered letting her do that. After thinking about it for several days, we decided to teach her something. Rules are rules, and we were going to follow them. She was upset, especially after the first practice. She was the only player on her team that really had any experience and later we found out that only her and one other girl in the league followed the age rule. As the season started, we saw Mollie becoming more and more of a leader and a very serious softball player. Her skill level shocked us. She was hitting hard and playing great at 3rd base. She began to "coach" some of the other girls who were less experienced than her. Wade and I were so proud!!!

Last week, the coach of the first place team called Wade and asked him about using Mollie as a pick up player during the district playoffs. We had noticed him hanging around during some of her games. (His team is organized in Chandler and they follow the age rule strictly.) They are an excellent team. Boy, was Mollie excited! She has already gotten to practice with them and will continue to do that until the tournament.
She may not get to play much, but the lesson she has learned is worth so much. You have to follow rules. You may not like them, they may seem unfair, but in the end you are rewarded. Our hearts are just bursting with pride!

Sandy C

Now that she is so confident, she wants to be on the Lady Aggie softball team! WHOOP!

My Baby is growing up!

2006-06-15T23:37:00.000-05:00

Today I finally realized my son, Wil, is growing up before my very eyes. We sent him off to youth camp! This will mark the first time he has had an extended stay away from home without the rest of the family. He was sooo excited!! I was excited for him, but it didn't make it any easier for me. He will be 13 in about a month and it seems like only yesterday that his whole world revolved around Thomas the Tank Engine and eating Little Debbie's Chocolate Cupcakes.

I figured out this morning that he is still not old enough to be embarrassed by the affection shown to him by his mother in public. As we were walking up the sidewalk I hugged and kissed him goodbye. Still having issues with the leaving him at the door scenario, I walked him inside the building and hugged and kissed him again. Poor boy! Wade, Mollie and my mother were also close behind. Anyway, without hesitation he hugged and kissed me good bye again. I love his big hugs! I thought about that after we left, are we embarrassed to show God's love in public? Do those around us know that we love Jesus? Whatever the answer, without hesitation, He loves on us!!! WOW!! Thanks Wil for reminding me of that so clearly.

When he gets home on Monday, I am sure he will be full of stories, have a very tired body, and hopefully have a heart filled with Jesus! I am so proud of him!

Sandy C

Now if he only remembers that swimming in the lake at camp does not constitute a bath!!!

I am gleaning!!!!

2006-06-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

I have stepped out and decided to give this blog thing a try. I chose the title gleaning for my blog, because I hate that word. For whatever reason, my husband, Wade, uses the silly word all the time. Now it has just become a huge joke that drives me nuts. He first used the word several years ago when we were attending another church. He was teaching our class and he used it to summarize the lesson. You have to know Wade-I was shocked to here him use such a "fancy" word. I didn't say anything about it, but he used it again a few weeks later. That is when I finally had to confess the issues I had over the use of the word. I don't know what it is about the word--it may be the sound of it, but, to tell the truth I think it's the fact that Wade uses it. He is a very intelligent agricultural banker, but to hear him say it, just doesn't seem right. After we moved to FBC Athens and started attending a small group, he used the dreaded word one night. I just mentioned to our group the hang up I have about the word. Several weeks later, we are going through our bible study and there it was--in print!!! Everyone had a big laugh over it and now it is a big inside joke. I think seeing it in print made Wade feel validated in some strange way.

I do love my ag banker and his silly words.

S Carter