The Mommy Heart

This is Landry.  He's 16.  He loves to laugh.  He loves to play guitar and drums.  He loves (ok...adores) his Dad.  He loves to skate.  He's got the whole skater look going for him.

Until...he decided he wanted to get his hair cut off.  He said he was sick of it being long.  So he asked if it was ok if he got it cut.  Short.  I wasn't sure what that meant exactly,

Until...he sent this pic from the salon.  WOWZA!  He wasn't kidding!  He said it feels way lighter, and that now he has peripheral vision (did I spell that right?). 

When you become a mom, i think you grow a special place inside which houses your "mommy heart."  It's a curious thing, this mommy heart.  And something as simple as a hair cut can bring the widest range of feelings to it! 

I just want to look at him a bunch right now because he looks so different, and every once in a while I get a brief glimpse of the little boy he was. 

That little boy is the one who made me promise that when he went to college I would go with him. 

That little boy would pose for pictures at the drop of a hat. 

That little boy loved me to sing Chababba, Chababba to him every night.

Until....he got too big for those things.

Sometimes I can see the little boy Landry at the same time as I see the 16 year old Landry.  Then when I see him with a look like this

I can catch a glimpse of the man he will become, and there's a little tug in my mommy heart as I realize how close he is to being out my door and creating his own adventure. 

So until that day, we try to live every minute we can with him! 

Until that day, we stay involved in his life as much as he needs us to.

Until that day, we will have all the kids at our house. 

Until that day, we will buy lots of pizza for them to eat. 

Until that day, we will push equipment on the band trips.

Until that day, we will stay out until 2:00am (like we did last night) with him! 

So mommies, enjoy the moments that become minutes that become memories and listen to your mommy heart, just like Jesus' mother did!

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in  her heart."  (luke 2:19)

Summer's Gone!

I remember way back when..about a year ago when I started this blog that I wrote the obligatory post most people write to introduce themselves, saying how they've never done this before, yada yada yada...and then at some point they seem to fall off the wagon.  So here I find myself resisting the temptation to write a "Blogger Guilt" post.  So I'm not gonna take your time telling you about crashing after VBS, or desperately trying to get my son back to school in good fashion, or complain about how busy the days have been (you're welcome), you get that, right?

But summer's gone!  Can't believe it!  However, this is my favorite time of year.  The anticipation of the 3 weeks of fall we get in Texas is almost as good as the 3 weeks of fall we get in Texas!  I can't wait for the autumn colors to begin popping up everywhere, and the soups and chili, and snuggly blankets at night!  I'm trying to rush it I guess because the other night I wanted to make Frito Pie for a quick meal and both my hubs and son said, "NO!!! It's too hot!"  So I'll wait until it's in at least the 80's at night before I try again...teehee.

VBS...Is it Really Over?

VBS was last week.  It was a great time with lots of work, lots of craziness and lots of fun. Here are some of my favorite pics. 

Aren't they the cutest kids ever? 

Cotton Ball Moments

A friend has been working in VBS at her church this week.  It's been a fun, exhausting week for her with 3, 4 and 5 year olds.  I've loved getting daily updates about how much fun she's been having; she's creative and relaxed and is enjoying her time with these little ones. 

I was reminded anew of how busy our lives are as she told me about a special time she had with a little girl and a cotton ball.  At some point in the evening, she touched the cotton ball to the little girl's face, and the sweet child stopped and remarked, "Oh that is so soft on my face!"  She spent a few moments with the little girl, speaking softly, giving generously and loving selflessly.  This may have been the only time in the whole day that this child had someone slow down and give her their full attention.  What a special moment she got to share!

It didn't last very long, before she knew it, something or someone called her attention away; the little ones were ready for the next activity, the night was complete and she was relaying this story to me in the middle of a stressful day at work.  Busy-ness, deadlines and demands ruled the day and drove the mood. 

And she said just to me:  "It makes me appreciate those cotton ball moments!"  I've thought about this over and over since then.  I want to make sure I'm stopping for cotton ball moments with those I love, those at work, those to whom I minister.

Days get busy, people get cranky, situations get all messed up.  But with a soft, sensitive heart, a slow down and a good listen, we can all appreciate the cotton ball moments that come our way.

I Crashed the Men's Breakfast at Church!

Though it was with an official invitation...I did crash the Men's Breakfast today.  Keith, the hubs, prepares breakfast with a crew at church.  Today, no one else could make it to help, so I told him I would help if he needed me.  Sure enough, about an hour into his solo prep effort, I got the call!  I felt like the pinch hitter called to save the game!  I felt like I was entering a sacred space, as I broke through the barrier of  NO GIRLS ALLOWED, and helped him out.

See those eggs?  That was my effort!  They were amazing!

They were nice to me, they ate the eggs...but they didn't teach me the secret handshake! :(

Summer Camp

I've been home a week from camp, but haven't gotten a chance to tell you about it yet.  You know the running through the first few days, trying to find your routine and tripping over the remains of your trip on the floor and the catching up and reprioritizing and laundry, and man...I'm tired all over again just typing it out! 

Camp was great!  It always is.  With hours of planning, preparation, praying...camp happens.  The kids come bounding out of vans and buses and SUV's with their neatly packed suitcases and their fists full of crumpled dollars to spend at the souvenir shop/snack shack.  They drag their sleeping bags and pillows through the dirt to put them on their little bunk beds and get settled in.  Their eyes are twinkly and their steps are bouncy and their voices are loud as they pick out the perfect sleep spot, check out the bathrooms and ask when they can go swimming! 

The counselors and helpers arrive fresh with makeup and new tennis shoes and their clothes are ironed and their pockets filled with patience.  On the last day...not so much! (ha)  And everyone takes their spot, and the chow bell rings and the first day begins. 

I remember being just where those campers were last week.  Enthusiastic about being independent for a week, meeting new friends, seeing old friends once again and enjoying the camp experience all the way down to my toes.  I remember one camp where it was by the Bay and the bunks were attached to poles with chains to hold them steady.  I felt like I was on a submarine.  There wasn't always air conditioning in our cabins, and I remember being sticky and hot at night and trying to stay up all night talking to my friend.  I remember one counselor who always wanted to look perfect (ha) and I would always mess up her hair right after she sprayed it.  I bet she was glad to see me go home at the end of camp!

But enough about me! Camp was great!  New friends were made, everyone survived, and of course, the suitcases were lighter on the trip home, because of all the unclaimed towels and underwear left behind. 

Not Only's

Have you ever felt like a deer in the headlights?  You know what you should be doing, but just can't seem to get there?  That's how I'm feeling this week.  You see, I committed a few months ago to devote a portion of next week to a writing project that I have.  I am just days away from it, and instead of feeling excited, or exhilirated, or elated, or energized (enough with the 'e' words)...this is me.

I'm at that place where I need God as he was in Isaiah 41.  Not the part of the warrior fighting the enemies, but in verse 10, "Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely. I will help you, surely.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  

I love how the writer emphasizes the words of God with "surely."  To me they mean, "did you get that?"  And then he goes a step further and says, not only am I going to strengthen you, not only am I going to help you, but then...I'm going to hold you up in my very own righteous hand!

God likes to amaze us with his "not only's". 

Not only am I going to deliver my people from slavery, but I'm going to split the sea in half to ease their departure!

Not only am I going to get my prophet's attention, but he's going to live to tell the story of life inside the belly of a whale!

Not only am I going to send my son to the earth to show you how to live, but when he dies, he will arise triumphant in 3 days!

So he's saying to me, from Isaiah 41:10, "Mary, not only amd I going to strengthen you, not only am I going to help you, but I will give you rest in my own righteous hand!"