This week's highlights

Sunday was a blast, as always. We loved getting together the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Carson, however, did a lot of screaming in the nursery the whole day. He is teething pretty bad, and also has separation anxiety. It's kind of hard on me, but luckily the nursery workers were willing to put up with some screaming... all of them veterans and moms :) That's one of the things I love about our church: all the other moms there who have been through all those crazy stages. They are always so reassuring and for that I'm so thankful!

Monday I did crazy catch-up housework, grocery shopping and cleaning. This was also to get ready to have some friends over for lunch Tuesday, all the way from Romania!!! 

On tuesday Kristie and Boing came, and as they arrived we had half a dozen cop cars on a nearby corner. Turns out they arrested a guy for a murder that happened in the ghetto apartment complex that is nearby. It may be close, but our neighborhood doesn't see much of the crime they have, and usually their crime is among themselves. Anyhoo, our time with the delightful couple was wonderful, as I wrote about in my other post. 

Wednesday was teaching piano like normal to Josh and Brianna. I love seeing Angela when I can!

Our fruit trees were delivered, which came bare and without dirt in one very long cardboard box. I wasn't sure what to do with it, and was busy so I left it on the porch for when David got home. 

Well, when he got home the box was gone! I knew I hadn't moved it so we immediately realized we had been robbed! (so we thought) I called the police to make a report and David walked around the outside of our house. Then we went knocking on our neighbor's doors to see if they saw anything. When we came to one neighbor's door who is particularly watchful and heads up the neighborhood watch, we found that they had taken the box inside for fear it would be stolen, lol. Phew!

I have dubbed this week, "CRIME WEEK". Murderers and thieves!

On thursday I woke up thinking about things that need to get done around the house, as in repairs and renovations. Some of them are small and easy, so I decided to take them on as Carson allows. At the same time I had to go hunting for a printer cartridge so print labels for our Operation Christmas Child boxes.

our church did 12 Operation Christmas Child boxes!

Then alas, our upstairs toilet broke, and the closet door.

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Answered prayer! We have prayed for a while that God would use our house and it's space for His glory and to serve others, especially in our church! We he answered that prayer this week by having some of our friends bring their kids over. I love having them over. 

Before going to bed thursday night I was shocked to see my friend Sara calling. Carl needed to go to the hospital so their kids slept at our place for the night. 

here we are, watching Sean the Sheep the next morning.

The next day we also had Caleb over for a little bit.

"No Carson, don't break my tower!"

Safe from the Carson monster

On Saturday I got to help the Jenkins' with their new condo, which is a pretty nice place! I can't wait for them to have us over :) haha

Carson's 11 month summary photo

A lot happens in a month! It's so fun to try and capture his silly personality in a few words. 

once again, this idea is taken from 52home, part of the girltalk blog

8:12 am

And the toilet paper bandit strikes again!

Missionary friends and Christian friends

Today we were so blessed to be visited by our friends Kristie and Boing (Cristian Boingeanu) who are in the States for a time. They do camp ministry in Romania. Boing is Romanian and Kristie is American! I knew Kristie as a close friend from my Moody days. 

When they pulled into our driveway I was pumped, and gave our baby in desperate need of a diaper change to my loving husband so that I could run toward Kristie and get a HUGE hug. We were so happy to see each other! 

Awesome mug and prayer card from them

Being with Kristie again instantly transported me back to the times I had at Moody - times of honesty, love and tears with close girlfriends who loved the Lord. We prayed for each other, spent life together, served others together, worshiped Christ together in chapel. I spent many hours in Kristie and Anne's room just hanging out and sometimes praying. 

I miss those days. Never have I lived in a community with such openness where I felt so safe to be myself. Granted, it took courage to participate in other's lives and share my heart. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to be vulnerable outside of environments like this. Or it takes a particularly painful trial to shock you out of selfishness. 

One or the other, vulnerability is hard to come by and seems to be rarely received with compassion out in the not-so-real "real world" that I apparently live in. I mean, it has been months since I have seem most of my neighbors. Months! I actually wonder if some of them have been away all that time. I even knocked on their doors for help with the aforementioned weed whacker (as some of my neighbors are pretty in to their weed whackers and their yards look amazing) and no one came to the door though their cars were there. It took guts for me to knock, and no one came. That doesn't make me want to try it again, but as Jesus would have it, I probably will. :)

Anyway, seeing Kristie again was bittersweet - I won't see her and Boing again for another year, I will miss their Romania wedding, and it opened up wounds I have now of missing seeking the Lord with those girls. It was sweet to laugh again with her, and see her glowing face with her fiance! 

Why is it that, even (or especially) in the seminary/church community, people's talk (especially busy moms like myself) is limited to small talk, to the same few subjects: work, kids, groceries, whatever...? Why is it so hard to say "God is teaching me this" or to say "Let's pray about this now"? Why don't we ever ask "How are you really doing?" Or "How is your marriage going?" Or to even confess our sins to one another as it says in James 5? I'm telling you, when we did this at Moody God's Spirit was free to move in our hearts and convict and change. But here I feel stagnant and like I'm becoming more like a Pharisee every day. It makes me discontent, but may that discontent be from the Lord and not from my own deceitful heart. May it cause change instead of cynicism. 

Will you join me in praying for revival? 

Our friends who are missionaries

I recently added a tab at the top of my blog to show the different ministries that our friends from Moody or Southern are doing overseas. Check it out! 

This week's highlights!

from despair.com

Sunday was great. It's our big church day, and I got to be in the nursery. It was recently remodeled and it is much bigger and better!

Monday was great when David gave me a 2.5 hr baby break. I went thrifting and to a coffee shop to read.
Tuesday was the election and we were on pins and needles! Then I woke up Wednesday morning disappointed. I didn't vote for the guy who spends money we don't have.

On wednesday I taught my two piano students like normal, and made this amazing crockpot country-style bbq rib recipe. 

But it burned, and the temperature dial cracked in half and fell off the crockpot. :(


Thursday night we discovered the best flea market I've ever been to, right in our hometown. Between that, Goodwill, and Once Upon a Child, I may never buy anything new again! I also watched the Prestons for a bit, which is always ALWAYS fun.

Carson had a lot of fun, and Tessa wasn't sure what to think of him.

Then on friday we got to watch Tessa so that the Jenkins' could close on their house :) That isn't the greatest picture, but if you want to see some great photography from Tessa's mom, one of the up-and-coming Louisville photographers, then click here: kara delaine photography 

That night we watched The Amazing Spiderman which I got for $.80 (score!) I call it "hipster spider man" and the movie was pretty good.

I loved listening to In the Market with Janet Parshall during this election week. Here's a link about it. She is an awesome and incredibly informed and experienced commentator. And she certainly has connections in "high places" while still remaining true to the Bible. 

One of the most frustrating things this week was trying to thred the trimming line in our weed wacker. The instruction booklet just didn't do the trick! Carson sure enjoyed crawling around the yard while I fiddled with that stupid contraption. 

One of the most exhilarating things this week was laughing and goofing off with my husband. 

HAPPY SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My tuna salad

I have always loved tuna salad and have been perfecting my tuna salad recipe for at least 10 years! Probably more! 

my nasty condiment jars

What makes this recipe perfect (for me) is the amounts, which I haven't measured out. Sorry. So I'll guess!

Ingredients:

1 can chunk light tuna

miracle whip light 3 TB

sweet pickle relish 1-2 TB

lemon juice, 1 or 2 long squirts

onion powder, 3 or 4 shakes

garlic salt, 1 or 2 shakes

tabasco sauce, 3 drops (or more!) (You can barely taste it)

I just drain the tuna and add the ingredients in the order shown above! I like it most on crackers, like wheat ritz.

This was also the quick version. If I want it really good, I would add chopped apples or celery, or try it with hardboiled eggs. I've heard of people using curry powder, but I'm a cheapo and that stuff is way too expensive per ounce. 

How do you eat your tuna salad?